U.S. Army Air Forces B-17E Flying Fortress #41-2421 was attempting to land at the airstrip on Horn Island, near Prince of Wales Island, off the Coral Sea at the northern tip of Queensland, Australia, when it crashed in this attempt. The pilot was mis-aligned with the landing field at dusk, and attempted a pull-up for another go around, but the aircraft was heavily loaded with parts and equipment, which caused an imbalance and the B-17 faltered, and the wing dipped and struck the ground, and it went out of control and crashed, killing all personnel aboard:
Maj. Clarence E McPherson, O-022396, Pilot
1st Lt. Lucius G Penick, O-413487, Co-Pilot
M/Sgt. Louis T Silva, 45343, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Marvin C Bond, 6912395, Passenger
S/Sgt. Frank A Harvey, 6580257, Passenger
Sgt. Adrian F Kaup, 17011549, Passenger
Sgt. Walter F Schofield, 6581260, Passenger
M/Sgt. Walter W Weisner, 6754182, Passenger
Sgt. Vernon D Wood, 7031437, Passenger
Sgt. William C Wood, unknown, Passenger
Cpl. Newell H Hanson, 11015176, Passenger
Cpl. Frederick B Welch, 15059629, Passenger
PFC Rufus B Humphries, 20467569, Passenger
PFC Phillip R Mills, 34102201, Passenger
Pvt. Albert W Moore, 34102085, Passenger
Pvt. Atwell E Moore, 20467595, Passenger
S/Sgt. Charles B Baxter is listed by one website as having been one of the victims, however his name does not appear on the USAAF fatalities list for this flight and his date of death is different.
~
Penick was the co-pilot of B-17E #41-2421 with the 19th Bombardment Group. The plane was carrying personnel of the 104th Anti-Aircraft Artillery AW Battalion as well as 19th BG ground crew and equipment to repair a damaged plane at Horn Island airfield. It was windy and dark when the plane arrived and they weren't able to land at the first try, so the pilot attempted a go-around at low level. The plane's wing tip dug into the ground and the B-17 cartwheeled into the nearby scrub and erupted in flames. All aboard were killed.
He was killed just two days after his wife, Ruth Erma (Garrett) Penick, gave birth to their son Gerald Lee Penick.
The crewmembers were initially buried near the crash site on Horn Island. Their remains were exhumed and re-buried at the U.S. cemetery at Townsville, on April 1, 1943. On July 14, 1945, they were again reburied at Ipswich USAAF Cemetery at Brisbane. Postwar, all servicemembers were repatriated to the United States.
~
Entered the service from Texas; Service ID: O-413487.
Enlisted at Lubbock, TX, September 9, 1940.
Maj. Clarence E McPherson, O-022396, Pilot
1st Lt. Lucius G Penick, O-413487, Co-Pilot
M/Sgt. Louis T Silva, 45343, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Marvin C Bond, 6912395, Passenger
S/Sgt. Frank A Harvey, 6580257, Passenger
Sgt. Adrian F Kaup, 17011549, Passenger
Sgt. Walter F Schofield, 6581260, Passenger
M/Sgt. Walter W Weisner, 6754182, Passenger
Sgt. Vernon D Wood, 7031437, Passenger
Sgt. William C Wood, unknown, Passenger
Cpl. Newell H Hanson, 11015176, Passenger
Cpl. Frederick B Welch, 15059629, Passenger
PFC Rufus B Humphries, 20467569, Passenger
PFC Phillip R Mills, 34102201, Passenger
Pvt. Albert W Moore, 34102085, Passenger
Pvt. Atwell E Moore, 20467595, Passenger
S/Sgt. Charles B Baxter is listed by one website as having been one of the victims, however his name does not appear on the USAAF fatalities list for this flight and his date of death is different.
~
Penick was the co-pilot of B-17E #41-2421 with the 19th Bombardment Group. The plane was carrying personnel of the 104th Anti-Aircraft Artillery AW Battalion as well as 19th BG ground crew and equipment to repair a damaged plane at Horn Island airfield. It was windy and dark when the plane arrived and they weren't able to land at the first try, so the pilot attempted a go-around at low level. The plane's wing tip dug into the ground and the B-17 cartwheeled into the nearby scrub and erupted in flames. All aboard were killed.
He was killed just two days after his wife, Ruth Erma (Garrett) Penick, gave birth to their son Gerald Lee Penick.
The crewmembers were initially buried near the crash site on Horn Island. Their remains were exhumed and re-buried at the U.S. cemetery at Townsville, on April 1, 1943. On July 14, 1945, they were again reburied at Ipswich USAAF Cemetery at Brisbane. Postwar, all servicemembers were repatriated to the United States.
~
Entered the service from Texas; Service ID: O-413487.
Enlisted at Lubbock, TX, September 9, 1940.
U.S. Army Air Forces B-17E Flying Fortress #41-2421 was attempting to land at the airstrip on Horn Island, near Prince of Wales Island, off the Coral Sea at the northern tip of Queensland, Australia, when it crashed in this attempt. The pilot was mis-aligned with the landing field at dusk, and attempted a pull-up for another go around, but the aircraft was heavily loaded with parts and equipment, which caused an imbalance and the B-17 faltered, and the wing dipped and struck the ground, and it went out of control and crashed, killing all personnel aboard:
Maj. Clarence E McPherson, O-022396, Pilot
1st Lt. Lucius G Penick, O-413487, Co-Pilot
M/Sgt. Louis T Silva, 45343, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Marvin C Bond, 6912395, Passenger
S/Sgt. Frank A Harvey, 6580257, Passenger
Sgt. Adrian F Kaup, 17011549, Passenger
Sgt. Walter F Schofield, 6581260, Passenger
M/Sgt. Walter W Weisner, 6754182, Passenger
Sgt. Vernon D Wood, 7031437, Passenger
Sgt. William C Wood, unknown, Passenger
Cpl. Newell H Hanson, 11015176, Passenger
Cpl. Frederick B Welch, 15059629, Passenger
PFC Rufus B Humphries, 20467569, Passenger
PFC Phillip R Mills, 34102201, Passenger
Pvt. Albert W Moore, 34102085, Passenger
Pvt. Atwell E Moore, 20467595, Passenger
S/Sgt. Charles B Baxter is listed by one website as having been one of the victims, however his name does not appear on the USAAF fatalities list for this flight and his date of death is different.
~
Penick was the co-pilot of B-17E #41-2421 with the 19th Bombardment Group. The plane was carrying personnel of the 104th Anti-Aircraft Artillery AW Battalion as well as 19th BG ground crew and equipment to repair a damaged plane at Horn Island airfield. It was windy and dark when the plane arrived and they weren't able to land at the first try, so the pilot attempted a go-around at low level. The plane's wing tip dug into the ground and the B-17 cartwheeled into the nearby scrub and erupted in flames. All aboard were killed.
He was killed just two days after his wife, Ruth Erma (Garrett) Penick, gave birth to their son Gerald Lee Penick.
The crewmembers were initially buried near the crash site on Horn Island. Their remains were exhumed and re-buried at the U.S. cemetery at Townsville, on April 1, 1943. On July 14, 1945, they were again reburied at Ipswich USAAF Cemetery at Brisbane. Postwar, all servicemembers were repatriated to the United States.
~
Entered the service from Texas; Service ID: O-413487.
Enlisted at Lubbock, TX, September 9, 1940.
Maj. Clarence E McPherson, O-022396, Pilot
1st Lt. Lucius G Penick, O-413487, Co-Pilot
M/Sgt. Louis T Silva, 45343, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Marvin C Bond, 6912395, Passenger
S/Sgt. Frank A Harvey, 6580257, Passenger
Sgt. Adrian F Kaup, 17011549, Passenger
Sgt. Walter F Schofield, 6581260, Passenger
M/Sgt. Walter W Weisner, 6754182, Passenger
Sgt. Vernon D Wood, 7031437, Passenger
Sgt. William C Wood, unknown, Passenger
Cpl. Newell H Hanson, 11015176, Passenger
Cpl. Frederick B Welch, 15059629, Passenger
PFC Rufus B Humphries, 20467569, Passenger
PFC Phillip R Mills, 34102201, Passenger
Pvt. Albert W Moore, 34102085, Passenger
Pvt. Atwell E Moore, 20467595, Passenger
S/Sgt. Charles B Baxter is listed by one website as having been one of the victims, however his name does not appear on the USAAF fatalities list for this flight and his date of death is different.
~
Penick was the co-pilot of B-17E #41-2421 with the 19th Bombardment Group. The plane was carrying personnel of the 104th Anti-Aircraft Artillery AW Battalion as well as 19th BG ground crew and equipment to repair a damaged plane at Horn Island airfield. It was windy and dark when the plane arrived and they weren't able to land at the first try, so the pilot attempted a go-around at low level. The plane's wing tip dug into the ground and the B-17 cartwheeled into the nearby scrub and erupted in flames. All aboard were killed.
He was killed just two days after his wife, Ruth Erma (Garrett) Penick, gave birth to their son Gerald Lee Penick.
The crewmembers were initially buried near the crash site on Horn Island. Their remains were exhumed and re-buried at the U.S. cemetery at Townsville, on April 1, 1943. On July 14, 1945, they were again reburied at Ipswich USAAF Cemetery at Brisbane. Postwar, all servicemembers were repatriated to the United States.
~
Entered the service from Texas; Service ID: O-413487.
Enlisted at Lubbock, TX, September 9, 1940.
Inscription
1LT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
Gravesite Details
Burial November 4, 1949.
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