Watson's remains were discovered in 1993 and identified in 1998. He, along with the entire flight crew, were interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
" Click Here " for his record in Arlington.
The "Rosette" next to his name on the Tablet's here at Manila signifies that his remains were recovered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Watson served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17F "Listen Here Tojo!" #41-24552, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Abbeville County, South Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 12, 1942 at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
Watson was originally declared "Missing In Action" & his status has now changed to "Killed In Action"
B-17F #41-24552 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby as part of a mission to bomb the Chinatown area of Lae armed with 1,000 lbs. bombs. Over the target, clouds obscured the ground compelling three bombers in the formation not to release their bombs, as Australian Army troops were in the vicinity.
B-17F #41-24552 experienced anti-aircraft fire over Lae. The rest of the formation dropped their 1,000 lbs bombs on the target claiming direct hits. On the return flight to Port Moresby, this B-17 was last seen peeling off in the face of a thunderstorm over the Wau area, disappeared into a cloud and was never seen again.
This bomber has the sad distinction of being the last B-17 Flying Fortress lost in the Pacific War on a combat mission.
It was discovered in 1993 that this B-17 had impacted a mountainside in the Black Cat Gap area of the Hidden Valley in New Guinea.
Watson was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.
Service # 34389661
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on this flight:
Dotson, Delmar J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Eberly, Howard G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, OR
Ferraiolo, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CT
Hall, Watson C ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, SC
Jingozian, Arthur J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MA
McCartney, Theodore J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Messer, Jennings B ~ Sgt, Asst. Engineer, WV
Owens, Peter S ~ T/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NY
Ranker, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Stacy, George L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA
Townsend, Edgar L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Some information was used from Pacificwrecks.com. Visit this "amazing" non-profit group for more about this flight.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Click Here " for his record in Arlington.
The "Rosette" next to his name on the Tablet's here at Manila signifies that his remains were recovered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Watson served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17F "Listen Here Tojo!" #41-24552, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Abbeville County, South Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 12, 1942 at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
Watson was originally declared "Missing In Action" & his status has now changed to "Killed In Action"
B-17F #41-24552 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby as part of a mission to bomb the Chinatown area of Lae armed with 1,000 lbs. bombs. Over the target, clouds obscured the ground compelling three bombers in the formation not to release their bombs, as Australian Army troops were in the vicinity.
B-17F #41-24552 experienced anti-aircraft fire over Lae. The rest of the formation dropped their 1,000 lbs bombs on the target claiming direct hits. On the return flight to Port Moresby, this B-17 was last seen peeling off in the face of a thunderstorm over the Wau area, disappeared into a cloud and was never seen again.
This bomber has the sad distinction of being the last B-17 Flying Fortress lost in the Pacific War on a combat mission.
It was discovered in 1993 that this B-17 had impacted a mountainside in the Black Cat Gap area of the Hidden Valley in New Guinea.
Watson was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.
Service # 34389661
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on this flight:
Dotson, Delmar J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Eberly, Howard G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, OR
Ferraiolo, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CT
Hall, Watson C ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, SC
Jingozian, Arthur J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MA
McCartney, Theodore J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Messer, Jennings B ~ Sgt, Asst. Engineer, WV
Owens, Peter S ~ T/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NY
Ranker, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Stacy, George L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA
Townsend, Edgar L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Some information was used from Pacificwrecks.com. Visit this "amazing" non-profit group for more about this flight.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watson's remains were discovered in 1993 and identified in 1998. He, along with the entire flight crew, were interred in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.
" Click Here " for his record in Arlington.
The "Rosette" next to his name on the Tablet's here at Manila signifies that his remains were recovered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Watson served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17F "Listen Here Tojo!" #41-24552, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Abbeville County, South Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 12, 1942 at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
Watson was originally declared "Missing In Action" & his status has now changed to "Killed In Action"
B-17F #41-24552 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby as part of a mission to bomb the Chinatown area of Lae armed with 1,000 lbs. bombs. Over the target, clouds obscured the ground compelling three bombers in the formation not to release their bombs, as Australian Army troops were in the vicinity.
B-17F #41-24552 experienced anti-aircraft fire over Lae. The rest of the formation dropped their 1,000 lbs bombs on the target claiming direct hits. On the return flight to Port Moresby, this B-17 was last seen peeling off in the face of a thunderstorm over the Wau area, disappeared into a cloud and was never seen again.
This bomber has the sad distinction of being the last B-17 Flying Fortress lost in the Pacific War on a combat mission.
It was discovered in 1993 that this B-17 had impacted a mountainside in the Black Cat Gap area of the Hidden Valley in New Guinea.
Watson was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.
Service # 34389661
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on this flight:
Dotson, Delmar J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Eberly, Howard G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, OR
Ferraiolo, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CT
Hall, Watson C ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, SC
Jingozian, Arthur J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MA
McCartney, Theodore J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Messer, Jennings B ~ Sgt, Asst. Engineer, WV
Owens, Peter S ~ T/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NY
Ranker, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Stacy, George L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA
Townsend, Edgar L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Some information was used from Pacificwrecks.com. Visit this "amazing" non-profit group for more about this flight.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Click Here " for his record in Arlington.
The "Rosette" next to his name on the Tablet's here at Manila signifies that his remains were recovered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Watson served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17F "Listen Here Tojo!" #41-24552, 65th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Abbeville County, South Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on October 12, 1942 at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
Watson was originally declared "Missing In Action" & his status has now changed to "Killed In Action"
B-17F #41-24552 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby as part of a mission to bomb the Chinatown area of Lae armed with 1,000 lbs. bombs. Over the target, clouds obscured the ground compelling three bombers in the formation not to release their bombs, as Australian Army troops were in the vicinity.
B-17F #41-24552 experienced anti-aircraft fire over Lae. The rest of the formation dropped their 1,000 lbs bombs on the target claiming direct hits. On the return flight to Port Moresby, this B-17 was last seen peeling off in the face of a thunderstorm over the Wau area, disappeared into a cloud and was never seen again.
This bomber has the sad distinction of being the last B-17 Flying Fortress lost in the Pacific War on a combat mission.
It was discovered in 1993 that this B-17 had impacted a mountainside in the Black Cat Gap area of the Hidden Valley in New Guinea.
Watson was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.
Service # 34389661
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on this flight:
Dotson, Delmar J ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Eberly, Howard G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, OR
Ferraiolo, Joseph ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, CT
Hall, Watson C ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, SC
Jingozian, Arthur J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, MA
McCartney, Theodore J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Messer, Jennings B ~ Sgt, Asst. Engineer, WV
Owens, Peter S ~ T/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NY
Ranker, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Stacy, George L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA
Townsend, Edgar L, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Some information was used from Pacificwrecks.com. Visit this "amazing" non-profit group for more about this flight.
Bio by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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