Left gunner of B-29-15-BA Superfortress #42-63451, nicknamed "Black Jack Too." While returning from a mission over Kobe, June 5, 1945, two enemy fighters pursued and shot down the bomber. Joseph Romanelli was killed outright aboard and ten parachuted before the aircraft crashed into a fisherman's house, killing Mr. Iwasaki and four members of his family in Kagawa, Japan. One crewmember died from head wounds the next day (believed to be Sgt. Heisler). The remaining crew were captured over a period of several days and all taken to Tokai Army Headquarters in Nagoya City. After being declared war criminals by their Japanese captors, the crew were taken from their barracks, one by one, on June 28th and beheaded.
Sgt Romanelli entered the service from Pennsylvania and resided in Darby, Pennsylvania.
444th AAF Bomb Group, 678th Bomb Squadron
Members of the flight crew:
1st Lieut Woodrow B Palmer, pilot
2nd Lieut Owen Philip Walls, co-pilot
1st Lieut Robert F Dailey, navigator
1st Lieut Don A Coulter, bombadier
Master Sgt Henry Thomas Farish, Jr, flight engineer
Staff Sgt Willard Moore Chapman, Jr, radio operator
Staff Sgt Cleveland T Niles, senior gunner
Staff Sgt Peter Sabo, right gunner
Staff Sgt Joseph W Romanelli, left gunner
Sgt Charles A Heisler, tail gunner
Sgt Eugene J Prouty, radar operator
Sgt Romanelli entered the service from Pennsylvania and resided in Darby, Pennsylvania.
444th AAF Bomb Group, 678th Bomb Squadron
Members of the flight crew:
1st Lieut Woodrow B Palmer, pilot
2nd Lieut Owen Philip Walls, co-pilot
1st Lieut Robert F Dailey, navigator
1st Lieut Don A Coulter, bombadier
Master Sgt Henry Thomas Farish, Jr, flight engineer
Staff Sgt Willard Moore Chapman, Jr, radio operator
Staff Sgt Cleveland T Niles, senior gunner
Staff Sgt Peter Sabo, right gunner
Staff Sgt Joseph W Romanelli, left gunner
Sgt Charles A Heisler, tail gunner
Sgt Eugene J Prouty, radar operator
Left gunner of B-29-15-BA Superfortress #42-63451, nicknamed "Black Jack Too." While returning from a mission over Kobe, June 5, 1945, two enemy fighters pursued and shot down the bomber. Joseph Romanelli was killed outright aboard and ten parachuted before the aircraft crashed into a fisherman's house, killing Mr. Iwasaki and four members of his family in Kagawa, Japan. One crewmember died from head wounds the next day (believed to be Sgt. Heisler). The remaining crew were captured over a period of several days and all taken to Tokai Army Headquarters in Nagoya City. After being declared war criminals by their Japanese captors, the crew were taken from their barracks, one by one, on June 28th and beheaded.
Sgt Romanelli entered the service from Pennsylvania and resided in Darby, Pennsylvania.
444th AAF Bomb Group, 678th Bomb Squadron
Members of the flight crew:
1st Lieut Woodrow B Palmer, pilot
2nd Lieut Owen Philip Walls, co-pilot
1st Lieut Robert F Dailey, navigator
1st Lieut Don A Coulter, bombadier
Master Sgt Henry Thomas Farish, Jr, flight engineer
Staff Sgt Willard Moore Chapman, Jr, radio operator
Staff Sgt Cleveland T Niles, senior gunner
Staff Sgt Peter Sabo, right gunner
Staff Sgt Joseph W Romanelli, left gunner
Sgt Charles A Heisler, tail gunner
Sgt Eugene J Prouty, radar operator
Sgt Romanelli entered the service from Pennsylvania and resided in Darby, Pennsylvania.
444th AAF Bomb Group, 678th Bomb Squadron
Members of the flight crew:
1st Lieut Woodrow B Palmer, pilot
2nd Lieut Owen Philip Walls, co-pilot
1st Lieut Robert F Dailey, navigator
1st Lieut Don A Coulter, bombadier
Master Sgt Henry Thomas Farish, Jr, flight engineer
Staff Sgt Willard Moore Chapman, Jr, radio operator
Staff Sgt Cleveland T Niles, senior gunner
Staff Sgt Peter Sabo, right gunner
Staff Sgt Joseph W Romanelli, left gunner
Sgt Charles A Heisler, tail gunner
Sgt Eugene J Prouty, radar operator
Inscription
SSGT, 678 AAF BOMB SQ, 444 BOMB GP WORLD WAR II
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