Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until April 27, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Husband of Margaret A. Belair who resided in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Son of Mrs. Chester A. Edson who also resided in Minneapolis.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24J #42-110136, 31st Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Hennepin County, Minnesota prior to the war.
B-24J #42-110136 took off, with a formation of other B-24's, from Momote Airdrome (APO #324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Edet Island and the Truk Atoll. Just before reaching the target B-24J #42-110136, and the rest of the formation, was attacked by Japanese Zeros. A Zero shot out their #2 engine and and shortly after another Zero attacked them and they fell through the clouds and were not seen again. The entire crew was lost and believed to have crashed into the sea.
Arthur was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-691219
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110136:
Ashworth, John E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AL
Bachand, Alexis C ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Belair, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, MN
Curry, Warren R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Evans, Leo H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OK
Ginn, Edward J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Medialdea, John L ~ Cpl, Photographer, CA
Olsen, Harold J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WI
Parsons, Howard G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Price, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
White, Clayton A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Husband of Margaret A. Belair who resided in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Son of Mrs. Chester A. Edson who also resided in Minneapolis.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24J #42-110136, 31st Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Hennepin County, Minnesota prior to the war.
B-24J #42-110136 took off, with a formation of other B-24's, from Momote Airdrome (APO #324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Edet Island and the Truk Atoll. Just before reaching the target B-24J #42-110136, and the rest of the formation, was attacked by Japanese Zeros. A Zero shot out their #2 engine and and shortly after another Zero attacked them and they fell through the clouds and were not seen again. The entire crew was lost and believed to have crashed into the sea.
Arthur was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-691219
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110136:
Ashworth, John E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AL
Bachand, Alexis C ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Belair, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, MN
Curry, Warren R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Evans, Leo H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OK
Ginn, Edward J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Medialdea, John L ~ Cpl, Photographer, CA
Olsen, Harold J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WI
Parsons, Howard G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Price, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
White, Clayton A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until April 27, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Husband of Margaret A. Belair who resided in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Son of Mrs. Chester A. Edson who also resided in Minneapolis.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24J #42-110136, 31st Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Hennepin County, Minnesota prior to the war.
B-24J #42-110136 took off, with a formation of other B-24's, from Momote Airdrome (APO #324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Edet Island and the Truk Atoll. Just before reaching the target B-24J #42-110136, and the rest of the formation, was attacked by Japanese Zeros. A Zero shot out their #2 engine and and shortly after another Zero attacked them and they fell through the clouds and were not seen again. The entire crew was lost and believed to have crashed into the sea.
Arthur was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-691219
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110136:
Ashworth, John E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AL
Bachand, Alexis C ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Belair, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, MN
Curry, Warren R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Evans, Leo H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OK
Ginn, Edward J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Medialdea, John L ~ Cpl, Photographer, CA
Olsen, Harold J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WI
Parsons, Howard G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Price, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
White, Clayton A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Husband of Margaret A. Belair who resided in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Son of Mrs. Chester A. Edson who also resided in Minneapolis.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24J #42-110136, 31st Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Hennepin County, Minnesota prior to the war.
B-24J #42-110136 took off, with a formation of other B-24's, from Momote Airdrome (APO #324), Manus Province, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Edet Island and the Truk Atoll. Just before reaching the target B-24J #42-110136, and the rest of the formation, was attacked by Japanese Zeros. A Zero shot out their #2 engine and and shortly after another Zero attacked them and they fell through the clouds and were not seen again. The entire crew was lost and believed to have crashed into the sea.
Arthur was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-691219
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-110136:
Ashworth, John E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AL
Bachand, Alexis C ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Belair, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, MN
Curry, Warren R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Evans, Leo H ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OK
Ginn, Edward J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OH
Medialdea, John L ~ Cpl, Photographer, CA
Olsen, Harold J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WI
Parsons, Howard G ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Price, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, CA
White, Clayton A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Family Members
Parents
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
