Frank served as a Staff Sergeant and Central Fire Control on B-29 "Pacific Union" #42-24595, 869th Bomber Squadron, 497th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Winnebago County, Wisconsin prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a Private on November 4, 1940, prior to the war, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Frank was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16007692
Frank also has a "cenotaph" in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
" Click Here " for that record.
( Bio & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
Special thanks to: " Sherry SH "
for submitting this record for bio updates!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
SSGT USAAF WORLD WAR II
497 BOMB GRP (VH)
Entered the service from Wisconsin
He resided in Winnebago County, Wisconsin prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a Private on November 4, 1940, prior to the war, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Frank was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16007692
Frank also has a "cenotaph" in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
" Click Here " for that record.
( Bio & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
Special thanks to: " Sherry SH "
for submitting this record for bio updates!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
SSGT USAAF WORLD WAR II
497 BOMB GRP (VH)
Entered the service from Wisconsin
Frank served as a Staff Sergeant and Central Fire Control on B-29 "Pacific Union" #42-24595, 869th Bomber Squadron, 497th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Winnebago County, Wisconsin prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a Private on November 4, 1940, prior to the war, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Frank was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16007692
Frank also has a "cenotaph" in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
" Click Here " for that record.
( Bio & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
Special thanks to: " Sherry SH "
for submitting this record for bio updates!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
SSGT USAAF WORLD WAR II
497 BOMB GRP (VH)
Entered the service from Wisconsin
He resided in Winnebago County, Wisconsin prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a Private on November 4, 1940, prior to the war, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-29 #42-24595 took off, with a crew of 11, from Saipan on a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan.
Shortly after take off their #3 engine, for an unknown reason, started to smoke. Captain Cox made the decision to drop out of formation and return to their base at Saipan. The #3 engine then caught on fire. The decision was made to ditch the B-29 into the sea and the bombs on board were released. The bombs apparently started exploding and caused more damage to the B-29 and they eventually crashed into the sea.
Once on the sea the B-29 exploded in the mid-section. " 7 " crew members were killed in this explosion and " 4 " were later rescued by a U.S. Navy Destroyer that was in the region.
Frank was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 16007692
Frank also has a "cenotaph" in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
" Click Here " for that record.
( Bio & Family Link by: Russ Pickett )
Special thanks to: " Sherry SH "
for submitting this record for bio updates!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-29 #42-24595:
Contos, Charles C. ~ 1st Lt, Engineer, IL
Cox, Leonard L. ~ Capt, Commander, OK
Crane, Frank J. ~ S/Sgt, CFC, WI
Donham, Charles C., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, TX
Griffith, Melvin L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, MO
Hansen, Elvin E. ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IA
Roberts, Willard W. ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, MO
SGT Lawrence William Beecroft, one of the four survivors, was originally declared "Missing In Action" in this crash however he was later found in a life raft. As fate would have it he was in another B-29 crash in Japan 6 months later and was "executed" by the Japanese Army after that crash.
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Previously added to Find A Grave,
source unknown.
SSGT USAAF WORLD WAR II
497 BOMB GRP (VH)
Entered the service from Wisconsin
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