US. Army Corps of Engineers WORLD WAR II
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz KIA
Hometown: Pennsylvania
Service# O-19375
Awards:
Pilot Capt. Hugh W. Prince
Target: Transport mission
Mission Date: 26-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-11706
Aircraft Model C-87-CF Liberator Express
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name:
Location:north of Gaeta village on Florida Island.
Cause:Unknown
On July 26, 1944 at 11:00am took off from Tarawa Airfield (Hawkins Field) piloted by Hugh Prince on a flight bound for Henderson Field on Guadlacanal. Aboard were five civilian crew and twenty-one passengers including Americans and British personnel. The weather was clear. Over Malaita Island, this C-87 was tracked by radar until 10:35pm then was not seen again. When this aircraft failed to arrive, it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA).
Search
On July 27, 1944 three Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) flyingboats: PBY-5 Catalina NZ4014, PBY-5 Catalina NZ4015 and PBY-5 Catalina NZ401? from 6 Squadron took off from Halavo Bay Seaplane Base on a search mission for the missing plane. The Catalinas search the vicinity of San Cristobal, Santa Isabel and Malaita Island without result returning to base, they spotted a burned area of jungle on a hilltop on Florida Island.
On July 28, 1944 a search party departed aboard Catalina NZ4014 piloted by Flt. Lt. Butcher flew a rescue party to the crash site. The party included the Consairway station manager from Guadalcanal Dick Wood and Consairway Representative Ed Jones. Interviewing locals, they reported hearing a plane, seeing the landing lights and then heard a crash and guided the party to the site and recovered the remains of the crew.
At the crash site, Dick Wood recovered a briefcase marked “Top Secret” and turned it into headquarters on Guadalcanal. He was twice interrogated to determine if he opened it or saw any of the contents, he had not. The briefcase contained war plans from President Roosevelt to be delivered to General MacArthur. This brief case likely belonged to Col. Burnett who was assigned to the General Staff Corps.
Wreckage
This C-87 crashed north of Gaeta village on Florida Island on a jungle hilltop roughly 200' from the top of the ridge. When the crash site was located, the starboard stabiliser with "111706" was photographed.
#41-11706 Passengers and Crew
Cpt. Hugh W. Prince Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Edward B. Hult Navigator
Willard L. Churchill Engineer
Jack A. Strumph Radio Op.
Cpl. William A. Staley Clerk
Lt/Col. John C. Pearson Passenger
Major Ronald R. Barton-Tales Passenger
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz Passenger
Lt/Col. Euliss L. Duggan Passenger
Col. Charles P. Burnett Jr. Passenger
1st/Lt. Stephen J. Maliszewski Passenger
1st/Lt. William P. Foil Passenger
Cpt. Herbert R. Gore Passenger
Cpt. John S. Ingraham Passenger
Maj. Morton L. Talley Jr. Passenger
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz KIA
Hometown: Pennsylvania
Service# O-19375
Awards:
Pilot Capt. Hugh W. Prince
Target: Transport mission
Mission Date: 26-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-11706
Aircraft Model C-87-CF Liberator Express
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name:
Location:north of Gaeta village on Florida Island.
Cause:Unknown
On July 26, 1944 at 11:00am took off from Tarawa Airfield (Hawkins Field) piloted by Hugh Prince on a flight bound for Henderson Field on Guadlacanal. Aboard were five civilian crew and twenty-one passengers including Americans and British personnel. The weather was clear. Over Malaita Island, this C-87 was tracked by radar until 10:35pm then was not seen again. When this aircraft failed to arrive, it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA).
Search
On July 27, 1944 three Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) flyingboats: PBY-5 Catalina NZ4014, PBY-5 Catalina NZ4015 and PBY-5 Catalina NZ401? from 6 Squadron took off from Halavo Bay Seaplane Base on a search mission for the missing plane. The Catalinas search the vicinity of San Cristobal, Santa Isabel and Malaita Island without result returning to base, they spotted a burned area of jungle on a hilltop on Florida Island.
On July 28, 1944 a search party departed aboard Catalina NZ4014 piloted by Flt. Lt. Butcher flew a rescue party to the crash site. The party included the Consairway station manager from Guadalcanal Dick Wood and Consairway Representative Ed Jones. Interviewing locals, they reported hearing a plane, seeing the landing lights and then heard a crash and guided the party to the site and recovered the remains of the crew.
At the crash site, Dick Wood recovered a briefcase marked “Top Secret” and turned it into headquarters on Guadalcanal. He was twice interrogated to determine if he opened it or saw any of the contents, he had not. The briefcase contained war plans from President Roosevelt to be delivered to General MacArthur. This brief case likely belonged to Col. Burnett who was assigned to the General Staff Corps.
Wreckage
This C-87 crashed north of Gaeta village on Florida Island on a jungle hilltop roughly 200' from the top of the ridge. When the crash site was located, the starboard stabiliser with "111706" was photographed.
#41-11706 Passengers and Crew
Cpt. Hugh W. Prince Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Edward B. Hult Navigator
Willard L. Churchill Engineer
Jack A. Strumph Radio Op.
Cpl. William A. Staley Clerk
Lt/Col. John C. Pearson Passenger
Major Ronald R. Barton-Tales Passenger
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz Passenger
Lt/Col. Euliss L. Duggan Passenger
Col. Charles P. Burnett Jr. Passenger
1st/Lt. Stephen J. Maliszewski Passenger
1st/Lt. William P. Foil Passenger
Cpt. Herbert R. Gore Passenger
Cpt. John S. Ingraham Passenger
Maj. Morton L. Talley Jr. Passenger
US. Army Corps of Engineers WORLD WAR II
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz KIA
Hometown: Pennsylvania
Service# O-19375
Awards:
Pilot Capt. Hugh W. Prince
Target: Transport mission
Mission Date: 26-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-11706
Aircraft Model C-87-CF Liberator Express
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name:
Location:north of Gaeta village on Florida Island.
Cause:Unknown
On July 26, 1944 at 11:00am took off from Tarawa Airfield (Hawkins Field) piloted by Hugh Prince on a flight bound for Henderson Field on Guadlacanal. Aboard were five civilian crew and twenty-one passengers including Americans and British personnel. The weather was clear. Over Malaita Island, this C-87 was tracked by radar until 10:35pm then was not seen again. When this aircraft failed to arrive, it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA).
Search
On July 27, 1944 three Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) flyingboats: PBY-5 Catalina NZ4014, PBY-5 Catalina NZ4015 and PBY-5 Catalina NZ401? from 6 Squadron took off from Halavo Bay Seaplane Base on a search mission for the missing plane. The Catalinas search the vicinity of San Cristobal, Santa Isabel and Malaita Island without result returning to base, they spotted a burned area of jungle on a hilltop on Florida Island.
On July 28, 1944 a search party departed aboard Catalina NZ4014 piloted by Flt. Lt. Butcher flew a rescue party to the crash site. The party included the Consairway station manager from Guadalcanal Dick Wood and Consairway Representative Ed Jones. Interviewing locals, they reported hearing a plane, seeing the landing lights and then heard a crash and guided the party to the site and recovered the remains of the crew.
At the crash site, Dick Wood recovered a briefcase marked “Top Secret” and turned it into headquarters on Guadalcanal. He was twice interrogated to determine if he opened it or saw any of the contents, he had not. The briefcase contained war plans from President Roosevelt to be delivered to General MacArthur. This brief case likely belonged to Col. Burnett who was assigned to the General Staff Corps.
Wreckage
This C-87 crashed north of Gaeta village on Florida Island on a jungle hilltop roughly 200' from the top of the ridge. When the crash site was located, the starboard stabiliser with "111706" was photographed.
#41-11706 Passengers and Crew
Cpt. Hugh W. Prince Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Edward B. Hult Navigator
Willard L. Churchill Engineer
Jack A. Strumph Radio Op.
Cpl. William A. Staley Clerk
Lt/Col. John C. Pearson Passenger
Major Ronald R. Barton-Tales Passenger
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz Passenger
Lt/Col. Euliss L. Duggan Passenger
Col. Charles P. Burnett Jr. Passenger
1st/Lt. Stephen J. Maliszewski Passenger
1st/Lt. William P. Foil Passenger
Cpt. Herbert R. Gore Passenger
Cpt. John S. Ingraham Passenger
Maj. Morton L. Talley Jr. Passenger
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz KIA
Hometown: Pennsylvania
Service# O-19375
Awards:
Pilot Capt. Hugh W. Prince
Target: Transport mission
Mission Date: 26-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-11706
Aircraft Model C-87-CF Liberator Express
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name:
Location:north of Gaeta village on Florida Island.
Cause:Unknown
On July 26, 1944 at 11:00am took off from Tarawa Airfield (Hawkins Field) piloted by Hugh Prince on a flight bound for Henderson Field on Guadlacanal. Aboard were five civilian crew and twenty-one passengers including Americans and British personnel. The weather was clear. Over Malaita Island, this C-87 was tracked by radar until 10:35pm then was not seen again. When this aircraft failed to arrive, it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA).
Search
On July 27, 1944 three Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) flyingboats: PBY-5 Catalina NZ4014, PBY-5 Catalina NZ4015 and PBY-5 Catalina NZ401? from 6 Squadron took off from Halavo Bay Seaplane Base on a search mission for the missing plane. The Catalinas search the vicinity of San Cristobal, Santa Isabel and Malaita Island without result returning to base, they spotted a burned area of jungle on a hilltop on Florida Island.
On July 28, 1944 a search party departed aboard Catalina NZ4014 piloted by Flt. Lt. Butcher flew a rescue party to the crash site. The party included the Consairway station manager from Guadalcanal Dick Wood and Consairway Representative Ed Jones. Interviewing locals, they reported hearing a plane, seeing the landing lights and then heard a crash and guided the party to the site and recovered the remains of the crew.
At the crash site, Dick Wood recovered a briefcase marked “Top Secret” and turned it into headquarters on Guadalcanal. He was twice interrogated to determine if he opened it or saw any of the contents, he had not. The briefcase contained war plans from President Roosevelt to be delivered to General MacArthur. This brief case likely belonged to Col. Burnett who was assigned to the General Staff Corps.
Wreckage
This C-87 crashed north of Gaeta village on Florida Island on a jungle hilltop roughly 200' from the top of the ridge. When the crash site was located, the starboard stabiliser with "111706" was photographed.
#41-11706 Passengers and Crew
Cpt. Hugh W. Prince Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Frederick F. Gundrum Jr. Co Pilot
Edward B. Hult Navigator
Willard L. Churchill Engineer
Jack A. Strumph Radio Op.
Cpl. William A. Staley Clerk
Lt/Col. John C. Pearson Passenger
Major Ronald R. Barton-Tales Passenger
Lt/Col. Paul H. Berkowitz Passenger
Lt/Col. Euliss L. Duggan Passenger
Col. Charles P. Burnett Jr. Passenger
1st/Lt. Stephen J. Maliszewski Passenger
1st/Lt. William P. Foil Passenger
Cpt. Herbert R. Gore Passenger
Cpt. John S. Ingraham Passenger
Maj. Morton L. Talley Jr. Passenger
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