Navigator-observer, US Army Air Force, World War II. He was part of a four-man crew that led the first flight of US war planes over German-occupied territory on July 4, 1942. The mission over Holland was aimed at raids of German airfields. During the raid the British Boston Bomber they were flying was severely damaged, but the pilot, Major Charles Kelegman and the crew managed to return the crippled aircraft to its base at RAF Molesworth after destroying a German air artillery position. This multi-aircraft flight mission was approved by President Roosevelt. Kegelman's crew was decorated my Major General Carl Spaatz, Eighth Air Force Commander. Dorton received a Distinguished Flying Cross. Dorton was later transferred to the Pacific theater of operations.
The then Captain Dorton was killed while a passenger in a B-25D bomber aircraft. The aircraft was assigned to the 417th Bombardment Group, 673rd Bombardment Squadron. The aircraft was nicknamed "Torrid Tessie The Terror" and was used as a transport with the machine guns removed. On May 22, 1944 the aircraft took off from Nadzab, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, at 2:25pm on an administrative flight bound for Saidor Airfield in Papua New Guinea, it’s home base. The aircraft crashed in the jungle en route and the 9500 foot altitude crash site was not discovered until 1959. The crew and passengers were officially declared dead the day of the mission. After the recovery of the remains, they were buried on March 7, 1960 in a group burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at section 81, site 306-307.
Those killed were:
Pilot 1st Lt Edward V. Atwell, Jr., O-803745 Wilmington, DE
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Chester N. Burns O-671634 Oklahoma City, OK
Crew Chief S/Sgt Wilford F. Schappell, 13045713 South Temple, PA
Passenger Captain Randall M. Dorton Jr., O-724154 San Francisco, CA
Passenger Sgt Haynes C. Jump, 15019610 Elizebethtown, KY
Passenger Cpl Dillard Harmon, 34280054 Columbia, TN
Passenger Cpl Paul T. Donahue, 31152185 South Portland, ME
Passenger 1st Lt Robert J. Arndt, O-669840 Hastings, NB
Passenger S/Sgt Samuel F. Carter, 34300380 Fayetteville, NC
Passenger Cpl Norman R. Suhr, 12009668 Rochester, NY
submitted courtesy of: THR
The then Captain Dorton was killed while a passenger in a B-25D bomber aircraft. The aircraft was assigned to the 417th Bombardment Group, 673rd Bombardment Squadron. The aircraft was nicknamed "Torrid Tessie The Terror" and was used as a transport with the machine guns removed. On May 22, 1944 the aircraft took off from Nadzab, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, at 2:25pm on an administrative flight bound for Saidor Airfield in Papua New Guinea, it’s home base. The aircraft crashed in the jungle en route and the 9500 foot altitude crash site was not discovered until 1959. The crew and passengers were officially declared dead the day of the mission. After the recovery of the remains, they were buried on March 7, 1960 in a group burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at section 81, site 306-307.
Those killed were:
Pilot 1st Lt Edward V. Atwell, Jr., O-803745 Wilmington, DE
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Chester N. Burns O-671634 Oklahoma City, OK
Crew Chief S/Sgt Wilford F. Schappell, 13045713 South Temple, PA
Passenger Captain Randall M. Dorton Jr., O-724154 San Francisco, CA
Passenger Sgt Haynes C. Jump, 15019610 Elizebethtown, KY
Passenger Cpl Dillard Harmon, 34280054 Columbia, TN
Passenger Cpl Paul T. Donahue, 31152185 South Portland, ME
Passenger 1st Lt Robert J. Arndt, O-669840 Hastings, NB
Passenger S/Sgt Samuel F. Carter, 34300380 Fayetteville, NC
Passenger Cpl Norman R. Suhr, 12009668 Rochester, NY
submitted courtesy of: THR
Navigator-observer, US Army Air Force, World War II. He was part of a four-man crew that led the first flight of US war planes over German-occupied territory on July 4, 1942. The mission over Holland was aimed at raids of German airfields. During the raid the British Boston Bomber they were flying was severely damaged, but the pilot, Major Charles Kelegman and the crew managed to return the crippled aircraft to its base at RAF Molesworth after destroying a German air artillery position. This multi-aircraft flight mission was approved by President Roosevelt. Kegelman's crew was decorated my Major General Carl Spaatz, Eighth Air Force Commander. Dorton received a Distinguished Flying Cross. Dorton was later transferred to the Pacific theater of operations.
The then Captain Dorton was killed while a passenger in a B-25D bomber aircraft. The aircraft was assigned to the 417th Bombardment Group, 673rd Bombardment Squadron. The aircraft was nicknamed "Torrid Tessie The Terror" and was used as a transport with the machine guns removed. On May 22, 1944 the aircraft took off from Nadzab, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, at 2:25pm on an administrative flight bound for Saidor Airfield in Papua New Guinea, it’s home base. The aircraft crashed in the jungle en route and the 9500 foot altitude crash site was not discovered until 1959. The crew and passengers were officially declared dead the day of the mission. After the recovery of the remains, they were buried on March 7, 1960 in a group burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at section 81, site 306-307.
Those killed were:
Pilot 1st Lt Edward V. Atwell, Jr., O-803745 Wilmington, DE
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Chester N. Burns O-671634 Oklahoma City, OK
Crew Chief S/Sgt Wilford F. Schappell, 13045713 South Temple, PA
Passenger Captain Randall M. Dorton Jr., O-724154 San Francisco, CA
Passenger Sgt Haynes C. Jump, 15019610 Elizebethtown, KY
Passenger Cpl Dillard Harmon, 34280054 Columbia, TN
Passenger Cpl Paul T. Donahue, 31152185 South Portland, ME
Passenger 1st Lt Robert J. Arndt, O-669840 Hastings, NB
Passenger S/Sgt Samuel F. Carter, 34300380 Fayetteville, NC
Passenger Cpl Norman R. Suhr, 12009668 Rochester, NY
submitted courtesy of: THR
The then Captain Dorton was killed while a passenger in a B-25D bomber aircraft. The aircraft was assigned to the 417th Bombardment Group, 673rd Bombardment Squadron. The aircraft was nicknamed "Torrid Tessie The Terror" and was used as a transport with the machine guns removed. On May 22, 1944 the aircraft took off from Nadzab, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, at 2:25pm on an administrative flight bound for Saidor Airfield in Papua New Guinea, it’s home base. The aircraft crashed in the jungle en route and the 9500 foot altitude crash site was not discovered until 1959. The crew and passengers were officially declared dead the day of the mission. After the recovery of the remains, they were buried on March 7, 1960 in a group burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at section 81, site 306-307.
Those killed were:
Pilot 1st Lt Edward V. Atwell, Jr., O-803745 Wilmington, DE
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Chester N. Burns O-671634 Oklahoma City, OK
Crew Chief S/Sgt Wilford F. Schappell, 13045713 South Temple, PA
Passenger Captain Randall M. Dorton Jr., O-724154 San Francisco, CA
Passenger Sgt Haynes C. Jump, 15019610 Elizebethtown, KY
Passenger Cpl Dillard Harmon, 34280054 Columbia, TN
Passenger Cpl Paul T. Donahue, 31152185 South Portland, ME
Passenger 1st Lt Robert J. Arndt, O-669840 Hastings, NB
Passenger S/Sgt Samuel F. Carter, 34300380 Fayetteville, NC
Passenger Cpl Norman R. Suhr, 12009668 Rochester, NY
submitted courtesy of: THR
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CAPT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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