~
Served with the 804 Bomb Squadron, 471 Bomb Group
from Westover Field, Mass. B-24H Liberator #42-7525 on a
two-ship training flight from Westover
Field, the crew departed at 1440 EWT.
The aircraft was on a high altitude
mission which was to take them to Montauk
Gunnery Range area.
At 1645 the airplane reported to it's
sister ship that it was suffering engine
trouble and was breaking off. His airplane
was last seen about 70 miles south of
Montauk Point, Long Island, heading north.
After all contact with the subject aircraft
was lost, a search was undertaken. Despite
an extensive search by aircraft and ships,
no trace of the missing B-24 and it's
eleven-man crew was ever found.
The B-24 was believed to have crashed into
the sea due to an in-flight explosion or
failure of a wing due to on board fires.
The lost aircrew were:
Gene W Sloan, Co-pilot
Martin J Kew, Instructor/Navigator
Rufus Ronald Nelson, Navigator
Frederick G Rhodes, Bombardier
Edward J Clancy, Radio operator
Joseph Albert Jachim, Gunner
Robert G McLaughlin, Engineer
Joseph L Hartzel, Radio operator
Chester Webb, Radio operator
George W Wilson, Jr, Gunner
~
Served with the 804 Bomb Squadron, 471 Bomb Group
from Westover Field, Mass. B-24H Liberator #42-7525 on a
two-ship training flight from Westover
Field, the crew departed at 1440 EWT.
The aircraft was on a high altitude
mission which was to take them to Montauk
Gunnery Range area.
At 1645 the airplane reported to it's
sister ship that it was suffering engine
trouble and was breaking off. His airplane
was last seen about 70 miles south of
Montauk Point, Long Island, heading north.
After all contact with the subject aircraft
was lost, a search was undertaken. Despite
an extensive search by aircraft and ships,
no trace of the missing B-24 and it's
eleven-man crew was ever found.
The B-24 was believed to have crashed into
the sea due to an in-flight explosion or
failure of a wing due to on board fires.
The lost aircrew were:
Gene W Sloan, Co-pilot
Martin J Kew, Instructor/Navigator
Rufus Ronald Nelson, Navigator
Frederick G Rhodes, Bombardier
Edward J Clancy, Radio operator
Joseph Albert Jachim, Gunner
Robert G McLaughlin, Engineer
Joseph L Hartzel, Radio operator
Chester Webb, Radio operator
George W Wilson, Jr, Gunner
Inscription
SGT. ROBERT MCLAUGHLIN / LOST AT SEA OFF COAST / NEAR LONG ISLAND NEW YORK