Captain, U.S. Army Air Forces
Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Sea Cliff, Long Island. He married before the war and moved back to Brooklyn.
Loewenberg entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from the state of New York to serve during World War II. At the time of his disappearance, he was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
On 26 March 1943, Loewenberg was a passenger in the B-17 Flying Fortress #41-24384, "Pluto." Also on board was the Commanding General of V Bomber Command, Brigadier General Howard K. Ramey. The mission of the aircraft was to carry out a scheduled 7-hour reconnaissance flight of Merauke and Horn Island.
The last communication ever heard from the aircraft was a message from the radio operator twenty minutes after takeoff. An extensive air search was conducted but no sign was ever found of the aircraft, or the twelve men on board. All on board the aircraft were officially declared dead on 19 November 1945.
The status of the remains of the crew and passengers is Body Lost at Sea (Specifically; Near Torres Strait Island):
Pilot Brig. Gen. Howard K. Ramey, O-10874
Co-Pilot Lt. Col. Harold N. Chaffin, O-22469
Crew Capt. James R. Griffin, O-389636
Crew 1st Lt. William Lief, O-726002
Crew M/Sgt James D. Collier Jr. , 6920942
Crew T/Sgt Ortis L. Quaal, 6149056
Crew S/Sgt Robert R. Stith, 18004634
Crew S/Sgt Harry A. Johnson, 12031847
Crew Sgt Marvin Berkowitz, 6979447
Crew Pfc George T. Hopfield, 6668063
Passenger Capt. Stanley A. Loewenberg, O-0282379 NY
Passenger Lt. Comm. Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II, 131324 USN
There were 2 passengers on the aircraft: CPT Lowenberg was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command and Navy LCDR Mannoccir was an Air Combat Intelligence Officer with the Southwest Pacific Force and also served as Liaison Officer with the 5th Naval Air Force. LCDR Mannoccir's participation in the reconnaissance flight was not specifically required by his duties. However, LCDR Mannoccir made it his habit to supplement his usual sources of information by personal examination of enemy territory and operations from the air, regardless of the hazards involved. He was classified as an 'Observer' on the flight.
● Date Missing In Action: 26 March 1943
● Official Date of Death for USAAF Personnel: 19 November 1945
● Date of Death for LCDR Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II: 27 March 1944
Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
A cenotaph exists for Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg at Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Section K, Site 17, Find A Grave Memorial# 24311690. The date of death on the cenotaph is incorrect; the date of disappearance of the plane and crew was 26 March 1943 – not 23 March.
Updates:
A new cenotaph has been placed at Arlington National Cemetery (Memorial# 24311690) to replace the one containing the incorrect date mentioned above. It shows the correct date of disappearance: 26 March 1943.
The story of the difficulty incurred by David Shulman, Captain Loewenberg's grandson, in getting this correction made, is detailed in an excellent article written by AP reporter Matt Barakat and published in the Wall Street Journal on 25 April 2013. http://online.wsj.com/article/APdde5f0aecc87496988e1d1099ad8f927.html.
Information compiled by Charles A. Lewis
Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Sea Cliff, Long Island. He married before the war and moved back to Brooklyn.
Loewenberg entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from the state of New York to serve during World War II. At the time of his disappearance, he was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
On 26 March 1943, Loewenberg was a passenger in the B-17 Flying Fortress #41-24384, "Pluto." Also on board was the Commanding General of V Bomber Command, Brigadier General Howard K. Ramey. The mission of the aircraft was to carry out a scheduled 7-hour reconnaissance flight of Merauke and Horn Island.
The last communication ever heard from the aircraft was a message from the radio operator twenty minutes after takeoff. An extensive air search was conducted but no sign was ever found of the aircraft, or the twelve men on board. All on board the aircraft were officially declared dead on 19 November 1945.
The status of the remains of the crew and passengers is Body Lost at Sea (Specifically; Near Torres Strait Island):
Pilot Brig. Gen. Howard K. Ramey, O-10874
Co-Pilot Lt. Col. Harold N. Chaffin, O-22469
Crew Capt. James R. Griffin, O-389636
Crew 1st Lt. William Lief, O-726002
Crew M/Sgt James D. Collier Jr. , 6920942
Crew T/Sgt Ortis L. Quaal, 6149056
Crew S/Sgt Robert R. Stith, 18004634
Crew S/Sgt Harry A. Johnson, 12031847
Crew Sgt Marvin Berkowitz, 6979447
Crew Pfc George T. Hopfield, 6668063
Passenger Capt. Stanley A. Loewenberg, O-0282379 NY
Passenger Lt. Comm. Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II, 131324 USN
There were 2 passengers on the aircraft: CPT Lowenberg was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command and Navy LCDR Mannoccir was an Air Combat Intelligence Officer with the Southwest Pacific Force and also served as Liaison Officer with the 5th Naval Air Force. LCDR Mannoccir's participation in the reconnaissance flight was not specifically required by his duties. However, LCDR Mannoccir made it his habit to supplement his usual sources of information by personal examination of enemy territory and operations from the air, regardless of the hazards involved. He was classified as an 'Observer' on the flight.
● Date Missing In Action: 26 March 1943
● Official Date of Death for USAAF Personnel: 19 November 1945
● Date of Death for LCDR Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II: 27 March 1944
Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
A cenotaph exists for Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg at Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Section K, Site 17, Find A Grave Memorial# 24311690. The date of death on the cenotaph is incorrect; the date of disappearance of the plane and crew was 26 March 1943 – not 23 March.
Updates:
A new cenotaph has been placed at Arlington National Cemetery (Memorial# 24311690) to replace the one containing the incorrect date mentioned above. It shows the correct date of disappearance: 26 March 1943.
The story of the difficulty incurred by David Shulman, Captain Loewenberg's grandson, in getting this correction made, is detailed in an excellent article written by AP reporter Matt Barakat and published in the Wall Street Journal on 25 April 2013. http://online.wsj.com/article/APdde5f0aecc87496988e1d1099ad8f927.html.
Information compiled by Charles A. Lewis
Captain, U.S. Army Air Forces
Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Sea Cliff, Long Island. He married before the war and moved back to Brooklyn.
Loewenberg entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from the state of New York to serve during World War II. At the time of his disappearance, he was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
On 26 March 1943, Loewenberg was a passenger in the B-17 Flying Fortress #41-24384, "Pluto." Also on board was the Commanding General of V Bomber Command, Brigadier General Howard K. Ramey. The mission of the aircraft was to carry out a scheduled 7-hour reconnaissance flight of Merauke and Horn Island.
The last communication ever heard from the aircraft was a message from the radio operator twenty minutes after takeoff. An extensive air search was conducted but no sign was ever found of the aircraft, or the twelve men on board. All on board the aircraft were officially declared dead on 19 November 1945.
The status of the remains of the crew and passengers is Body Lost at Sea (Specifically; Near Torres Strait Island):
Pilot Brig. Gen. Howard K. Ramey, O-10874
Co-Pilot Lt. Col. Harold N. Chaffin, O-22469
Crew Capt. James R. Griffin, O-389636
Crew 1st Lt. William Lief, O-726002
Crew M/Sgt James D. Collier Jr. , 6920942
Crew T/Sgt Ortis L. Quaal, 6149056
Crew S/Sgt Robert R. Stith, 18004634
Crew S/Sgt Harry A. Johnson, 12031847
Crew Sgt Marvin Berkowitz, 6979447
Crew Pfc George T. Hopfield, 6668063
Passenger Capt. Stanley A. Loewenberg, O-0282379 NY
Passenger Lt. Comm. Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II, 131324 USN
There were 2 passengers on the aircraft: CPT Lowenberg was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command and Navy LCDR Mannoccir was an Air Combat Intelligence Officer with the Southwest Pacific Force and also served as Liaison Officer with the 5th Naval Air Force. LCDR Mannoccir's participation in the reconnaissance flight was not specifically required by his duties. However, LCDR Mannoccir made it his habit to supplement his usual sources of information by personal examination of enemy territory and operations from the air, regardless of the hazards involved. He was classified as an 'Observer' on the flight.
● Date Missing In Action: 26 March 1943
● Official Date of Death for USAAF Personnel: 19 November 1945
● Date of Death for LCDR Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II: 27 March 1944
Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
A cenotaph exists for Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg at Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Section K, Site 17, Find A Grave Memorial# 24311690. The date of death on the cenotaph is incorrect; the date of disappearance of the plane and crew was 26 March 1943 – not 23 March.
Updates:
A new cenotaph has been placed at Arlington National Cemetery (Memorial# 24311690) to replace the one containing the incorrect date mentioned above. It shows the correct date of disappearance: 26 March 1943.
The story of the difficulty incurred by David Shulman, Captain Loewenberg's grandson, in getting this correction made, is detailed in an excellent article written by AP reporter Matt Barakat and published in the Wall Street Journal on 25 April 2013. http://online.wsj.com/article/APdde5f0aecc87496988e1d1099ad8f927.html.
Information compiled by Charles A. Lewis
Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Sea Cliff, Long Island. He married before the war and moved back to Brooklyn.
Loewenberg entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from the state of New York to serve during World War II. At the time of his disappearance, he was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command at Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
On 26 March 1943, Loewenberg was a passenger in the B-17 Flying Fortress #41-24384, "Pluto." Also on board was the Commanding General of V Bomber Command, Brigadier General Howard K. Ramey. The mission of the aircraft was to carry out a scheduled 7-hour reconnaissance flight of Merauke and Horn Island.
The last communication ever heard from the aircraft was a message from the radio operator twenty minutes after takeoff. An extensive air search was conducted but no sign was ever found of the aircraft, or the twelve men on board. All on board the aircraft were officially declared dead on 19 November 1945.
The status of the remains of the crew and passengers is Body Lost at Sea (Specifically; Near Torres Strait Island):
Pilot Brig. Gen. Howard K. Ramey, O-10874
Co-Pilot Lt. Col. Harold N. Chaffin, O-22469
Crew Capt. James R. Griffin, O-389636
Crew 1st Lt. William Lief, O-726002
Crew M/Sgt James D. Collier Jr. , 6920942
Crew T/Sgt Ortis L. Quaal, 6149056
Crew S/Sgt Robert R. Stith, 18004634
Crew S/Sgt Harry A. Johnson, 12031847
Crew Sgt Marvin Berkowitz, 6979447
Crew Pfc George T. Hopfield, 6668063
Passenger Capt. Stanley A. Loewenberg, O-0282379 NY
Passenger Lt. Comm. Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II, 131324 USN
There were 2 passengers on the aircraft: CPT Lowenberg was an Intelligence Officer assigned to Headquarters Squadron, V Bomber Command and Navy LCDR Mannoccir was an Air Combat Intelligence Officer with the Southwest Pacific Force and also served as Liaison Officer with the 5th Naval Air Force. LCDR Mannoccir's participation in the reconnaissance flight was not specifically required by his duties. However, LCDR Mannoccir made it his habit to supplement his usual sources of information by personal examination of enemy territory and operations from the air, regardless of the hazards involved. He was classified as an 'Observer' on the flight.
● Date Missing In Action: 26 March 1943
● Official Date of Death for USAAF Personnel: 19 November 1945
● Date of Death for LCDR Ferdinand D. Mannoccir II: 27 March 1944
Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.
A cenotaph exists for Captain Stanley Arthur Loewenberg at Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Section K, Site 17, Find A Grave Memorial# 24311690. The date of death on the cenotaph is incorrect; the date of disappearance of the plane and crew was 26 March 1943 – not 23 March.
Updates:
A new cenotaph has been placed at Arlington National Cemetery (Memorial# 24311690) to replace the one containing the incorrect date mentioned above. It shows the correct date of disappearance: 26 March 1943.
The story of the difficulty incurred by David Shulman, Captain Loewenberg's grandson, in getting this correction made, is detailed in an excellent article written by AP reporter Matt Barakat and published in the Wall Street Journal on 25 April 2013. http://online.wsj.com/article/APdde5f0aecc87496988e1d1099ad8f927.html.
Information compiled by Charles A. Lewis
Inscription
CAPT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
Gravesite Details
The names of the crew and passengers are listed on the Tablets of the Missing at The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Philippines.
