Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 16, 1946.

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Thomas served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on SB-24D #42-73446, 868th Bomber Squadron, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Caldwell County, North Carolina prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on March 13, 1942 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Salesperson and also as Single, without dependents.

SB-24D #42-73446 took off from Bougainville Island (APO 706), Papua New Guinea with a crew of 10 and 1 Passenger, on a strike mission over Truk Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. After a successful mission and while on the way back to APO 706 they went missing. Their last radio transmission noted that they were on the way back to base. It is unknown if they suffered battle damage, were attacked by enemy aircraft, or had problems with SB-24D itself. Everyone on board was lost on this mission.

Thomas was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight during the war.

He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.

Service # O-797444

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Those who perished on SB-24D #42-73446:

Arthur, Thomas B ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NC
Bangart, Carl E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Beaty, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MS
Cline, Joseph L ~ AerM2, Passenger, Navy, MI
Hess, Quinn A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Mallette, Ray A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
Myers, Benjamin A ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, VA
Plummer, Wayne K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MI
Ryan, Bruce E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
Scavarda, Louis ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, IL
Westberg, Roy W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA

( Bio, Family Links & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

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Douglas Class of 1943b

Theater: Pacific

S/N: O-797444

Highest rank: 2nd Lieutenant.

MACR (Missing Air Crew Report): #5024.

His brother reported that he went to the So. Pacific and was assigned to the 868th Bomb Sq of the 13th Air Force on New Guinea. It is believed he was shot down over the ocean on his 13th mission after a raid on the island of Truk. A telegram to his family in April 1944 stated that he was missing in action on his 13th mission. A year later he was declared dead. His name is listed on the American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila, Philippines along with other missing or dead servicemen.

According to the MACR, he was flying as pilot of a SB-24D (S/N: 42-73446), which is a modfied B-24, labelled a "Snooper" or radar equipped Liberator, with an extra crew member to serve as radar operator. In the Pacific, they are used for low-level attacks, shipping strikes at night, and for pathfinder operations. Arthur's crew consisted of 10 others beside himself. They took off from APO #706 to the Truk Atoll on a strike and sortie mission on April 12, 1944.

Their plane was last contacted by radio at 0253 local time at 06° 23' N, 151° 40' E on the return trip. This location is approximately 50 miles south of Truk. An intensive search of the area of last given position was made in which Navy planes and submarine lifeguards assisted. The results were negative. The entire crew was determined to be lost.