From 308th Bomb Group Mission Reports:
MISSION NO. 93: SEA SEARCH, 18 APRIL 1944
On April 18, two "Sniffers" took off from Kweilin on a sea sweep, flying parallel courses. Lt. Zerba, flying plane No. 614, completed his mission and landed back at Kweilin at 1652 hours, without sighting any targets or dropping any bombs. Lt. McConnell's plane,Sweepy Time Gal (42-40622) did not return. The following were the members of that crew:
1st Lt Glenn S. McConnell, pilot (survived, POW, returned)
2nd Lt. Samuel Auslander, co-pilot (body recovered)
1st Lt. Robert Carney, (navigator, body not recovered)
2nd Lt. Robert E. Moessner, bombadier (body not recovered)
T/Sgt. Peter S. Maholick, gunnere (body recovered)
T/Sgt. Robert Berman, radio operator (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Barton Warren Owens, gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Anthony M. Spadafora, asst.radar (survived, POW)
S/Sgt. Carl W. HOLLEY, door gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. John Orovecz tail gunner (body recovered)
2nd Lt. John V. Mroz, radar officer (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Erwin H. Posner, Radar operator (body not recovered)
The plane was shot down near Hong Kong. Surviving pilot and asst. radar operator were taken POW, returned to the U.S., and stated two additional men survived the crash but were killed when the Japanese returned and strafed the water. Bodies of Orovedz, Maholick, and Auslander were recovered and after the war were returned to the U.S. Unknown Soldier (X-345) was buried in the Punchbowl, but when family members showed these were remains from Sweepy Time Gal, the remains were exhumed August 2005. The family members are still awaiting identification.
The downed aircraft was B-24D, #42-40622 "Sweepy-Time Gal".
MISSION NO. 93: SEA SEARCH, 18 APRIL 1944
On April 18, two "Sniffers" took off from Kweilin on a sea sweep, flying parallel courses. Lt. Zerba, flying plane No. 614, completed his mission and landed back at Kweilin at 1652 hours, without sighting any targets or dropping any bombs. Lt. McConnell's plane,Sweepy Time Gal (42-40622) did not return. The following were the members of that crew:
1st Lt Glenn S. McConnell, pilot (survived, POW, returned)
2nd Lt. Samuel Auslander, co-pilot (body recovered)
1st Lt. Robert Carney, (navigator, body not recovered)
2nd Lt. Robert E. Moessner, bombadier (body not recovered)
T/Sgt. Peter S. Maholick, gunnere (body recovered)
T/Sgt. Robert Berman, radio operator (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Barton Warren Owens, gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Anthony M. Spadafora, asst.radar (survived, POW)
S/Sgt. Carl W. HOLLEY, door gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. John Orovecz tail gunner (body recovered)
2nd Lt. John V. Mroz, radar officer (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Erwin H. Posner, Radar operator (body not recovered)
The plane was shot down near Hong Kong. Surviving pilot and asst. radar operator were taken POW, returned to the U.S., and stated two additional men survived the crash but were killed when the Japanese returned and strafed the water. Bodies of Orovedz, Maholick, and Auslander were recovered and after the war were returned to the U.S. Unknown Soldier (X-345) was buried in the Punchbowl, but when family members showed these were remains from Sweepy Time Gal, the remains were exhumed August 2005. The family members are still awaiting identification.
The downed aircraft was B-24D, #42-40622 "Sweepy-Time Gal".
From 308th Bomb Group Mission Reports:
MISSION NO. 93: SEA SEARCH, 18 APRIL 1944
On April 18, two "Sniffers" took off from Kweilin on a sea sweep, flying parallel courses. Lt. Zerba, flying plane No. 614, completed his mission and landed back at Kweilin at 1652 hours, without sighting any targets or dropping any bombs. Lt. McConnell's plane,Sweepy Time Gal (42-40622) did not return. The following were the members of that crew:
1st Lt Glenn S. McConnell, pilot (survived, POW, returned)
2nd Lt. Samuel Auslander, co-pilot (body recovered)
1st Lt. Robert Carney, (navigator, body not recovered)
2nd Lt. Robert E. Moessner, bombadier (body not recovered)
T/Sgt. Peter S. Maholick, gunnere (body recovered)
T/Sgt. Robert Berman, radio operator (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Barton Warren Owens, gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Anthony M. Spadafora, asst.radar (survived, POW)
S/Sgt. Carl W. HOLLEY, door gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. John Orovecz tail gunner (body recovered)
2nd Lt. John V. Mroz, radar officer (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Erwin H. Posner, Radar operator (body not recovered)
The plane was shot down near Hong Kong. Surviving pilot and asst. radar operator were taken POW, returned to the U.S., and stated two additional men survived the crash but were killed when the Japanese returned and strafed the water. Bodies of Orovedz, Maholick, and Auslander were recovered and after the war were returned to the U.S. Unknown Soldier (X-345) was buried in the Punchbowl, but when family members showed these were remains from Sweepy Time Gal, the remains were exhumed August 2005. The family members are still awaiting identification.
The downed aircraft was B-24D, #42-40622 "Sweepy-Time Gal".
MISSION NO. 93: SEA SEARCH, 18 APRIL 1944
On April 18, two "Sniffers" took off from Kweilin on a sea sweep, flying parallel courses. Lt. Zerba, flying plane No. 614, completed his mission and landed back at Kweilin at 1652 hours, without sighting any targets or dropping any bombs. Lt. McConnell's plane,Sweepy Time Gal (42-40622) did not return. The following were the members of that crew:
1st Lt Glenn S. McConnell, pilot (survived, POW, returned)
2nd Lt. Samuel Auslander, co-pilot (body recovered)
1st Lt. Robert Carney, (navigator, body not recovered)
2nd Lt. Robert E. Moessner, bombadier (body not recovered)
T/Sgt. Peter S. Maholick, gunnere (body recovered)
T/Sgt. Robert Berman, radio operator (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Barton Warren Owens, gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Anthony M. Spadafora, asst.radar (survived, POW)
S/Sgt. Carl W. HOLLEY, door gunner (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. John Orovecz tail gunner (body recovered)
2nd Lt. John V. Mroz, radar officer (body not recovered)
S/Sgt. Erwin H. Posner, Radar operator (body not recovered)
The plane was shot down near Hong Kong. Surviving pilot and asst. radar operator were taken POW, returned to the U.S., and stated two additional men survived the crash but were killed when the Japanese returned and strafed the water. Bodies of Orovedz, Maholick, and Auslander were recovered and after the war were returned to the U.S. Unknown Soldier (X-345) was buried in the Punchbowl, but when family members showed these were remains from Sweepy Time Gal, the remains were exhumed August 2005. The family members are still awaiting identification.
The downed aircraft was B-24D, #42-40622 "Sweepy-Time Gal".
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Louisiana.
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