John served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-25D Mitchell #42-87295, 17th Squadron, 71st Reconnaissance Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Gaston County, North Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 9, 1942 at Hamilton Field, California. He was note, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the manufacture of textiles and also as Single, without dependents.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-25 during the Battle of Cape Waios was hit by enemy flak and crashed in the sea during the war. He was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and a Purple Heart.
Service # 14188380
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #42-87295
Alves, Robert J ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, California
Bell, Crawford W ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Kentucky
Nevens, Robert E ~ 2nd Lt, Observer, Massachusetts
Tennille, William G, Jr ~ Major, Pilot, North Carolina
Wagstaff, John R ~ Sgt, Gunner, North Carolina
Wilburn, Reed S ~ Sgt, Gunner, Maryland
( Above Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Previously added to record, source unknown
B-25 bomber crew roster:
Pilot Major William Grant Tennille, Jr., 0-396485 C.O. 17th TRS (MIA / KIA) NC
Co-Pilot 1st Lt Robert J. Alves, O-733773 (MIA / KIA) CA
Observer 2nd Lt. Robert J. Nevins, O-746904
Radio Sgt Crawford W. Bell, 35476697 (MIA / KIA) KY
Armour/Gunner Sgt Reed S. Wilburn, 33181412 (MIA / KIA) MD
Photo/Gunner Sgt John R. Wagstaff, 14188380 (MIA / KIA) NC
Status:
MIA June 8, 1944
Aircraft History:
Built by North American. Delivered to the U. S. Army serial number unknown, possibly #42-87295. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to the Pacific.
Wartime History:
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. No known nickname or nose art.
Mission History:
On June 8, 1944 took off from Wakde Airfield, leading a strike by ten B-25s (Mission #160 B-310) tasked with attacking six Japanese destroyers bound for Biak during the Battle of Cape Waios. The formation, flying in a "V of V's", located the convoy headed due east at 0° 50' E 132° 50' E, then broke up into two ship elements to attack. According to the B-25s, the convoy consisted of two cruisers and four destroyers and they met intense anti-aircraft fire.
This B-25 was attacking a ship claimed to be a cruiser & the plane flew over it and landed in the water, presumed lost to anti-aircraft fire. Last seen 50 miles north of Cape Waios (False Cape) on the Vogelkop Peninsula on Dutch New Guinea. Approximate location 0045 S and 13245 E.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Gaston County, North Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 9, 1942 at Hamilton Field, California. He was note, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the manufacture of textiles and also as Single, without dependents.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-25 during the Battle of Cape Waios was hit by enemy flak and crashed in the sea during the war. He was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and a Purple Heart.
Service # 14188380
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #42-87295
Alves, Robert J ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, California
Bell, Crawford W ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Kentucky
Nevens, Robert E ~ 2nd Lt, Observer, Massachusetts
Tennille, William G, Jr ~ Major, Pilot, North Carolina
Wagstaff, John R ~ Sgt, Gunner, North Carolina
Wilburn, Reed S ~ Sgt, Gunner, Maryland
( Above Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Previously added to record, source unknown
B-25 bomber crew roster:
Pilot Major William Grant Tennille, Jr., 0-396485 C.O. 17th TRS (MIA / KIA) NC
Co-Pilot 1st Lt Robert J. Alves, O-733773 (MIA / KIA) CA
Observer 2nd Lt. Robert J. Nevins, O-746904
Radio Sgt Crawford W. Bell, 35476697 (MIA / KIA) KY
Armour/Gunner Sgt Reed S. Wilburn, 33181412 (MIA / KIA) MD
Photo/Gunner Sgt John R. Wagstaff, 14188380 (MIA / KIA) NC
Status:
MIA June 8, 1944
Aircraft History:
Built by North American. Delivered to the U. S. Army serial number unknown, possibly #42-87295. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to the Pacific.
Wartime History:
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. No known nickname or nose art.
Mission History:
On June 8, 1944 took off from Wakde Airfield, leading a strike by ten B-25s (Mission #160 B-310) tasked with attacking six Japanese destroyers bound for Biak during the Battle of Cape Waios. The formation, flying in a "V of V's", located the convoy headed due east at 0° 50' E 132° 50' E, then broke up into two ship elements to attack. According to the B-25s, the convoy consisted of two cruisers and four destroyers and they met intense anti-aircraft fire.
This B-25 was attacking a ship claimed to be a cruiser & the plane flew over it and landed in the water, presumed lost to anti-aircraft fire. Last seen 50 miles north of Cape Waios (False Cape) on the Vogelkop Peninsula on Dutch New Guinea. Approximate location 0045 S and 13245 E.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John served as a Sergeant & Gunner on B-25D Mitchell #42-87295, 17th Squadron, 71st Reconnaissance Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Gaston County, North Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 9, 1942 at Hamilton Field, California. He was note, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the manufacture of textiles and also as Single, without dependents.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-25 during the Battle of Cape Waios was hit by enemy flak and crashed in the sea during the war. He was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and a Purple Heart.
Service # 14188380
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #42-87295
Alves, Robert J ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, California
Bell, Crawford W ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Kentucky
Nevens, Robert E ~ 2nd Lt, Observer, Massachusetts
Tennille, William G, Jr ~ Major, Pilot, North Carolina
Wagstaff, John R ~ Sgt, Gunner, North Carolina
Wilburn, Reed S ~ Sgt, Gunner, Maryland
( Above Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Previously added to record, source unknown
B-25 bomber crew roster:
Pilot Major William Grant Tennille, Jr., 0-396485 C.O. 17th TRS (MIA / KIA) NC
Co-Pilot 1st Lt Robert J. Alves, O-733773 (MIA / KIA) CA
Observer 2nd Lt. Robert J. Nevins, O-746904
Radio Sgt Crawford W. Bell, 35476697 (MIA / KIA) KY
Armour/Gunner Sgt Reed S. Wilburn, 33181412 (MIA / KIA) MD
Photo/Gunner Sgt John R. Wagstaff, 14188380 (MIA / KIA) NC
Status:
MIA June 8, 1944
Aircraft History:
Built by North American. Delivered to the U. S. Army serial number unknown, possibly #42-87295. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to the Pacific.
Wartime History:
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. No known nickname or nose art.
Mission History:
On June 8, 1944 took off from Wakde Airfield, leading a strike by ten B-25s (Mission #160 B-310) tasked with attacking six Japanese destroyers bound for Biak during the Battle of Cape Waios. The formation, flying in a "V of V's", located the convoy headed due east at 0° 50' E 132° 50' E, then broke up into two ship elements to attack. According to the B-25s, the convoy consisted of two cruisers and four destroyers and they met intense anti-aircraft fire.
This B-25 was attacking a ship claimed to be a cruiser & the plane flew over it and landed in the water, presumed lost to anti-aircraft fire. Last seen 50 miles north of Cape Waios (False Cape) on the Vogelkop Peninsula on Dutch New Guinea. Approximate location 0045 S and 13245 E.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Gaston County, North Carolina prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on December 9, 1942 at Hamilton Field, California. He was note, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the manufacture of textiles and also as Single, without dependents.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-25 during the Battle of Cape Waios was hit by enemy flak and crashed in the sea during the war. He was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, and a Purple Heart.
Service # 14188380
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-25D #42-87295
Alves, Robert J ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, California
Bell, Crawford W ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Kentucky
Nevens, Robert E ~ 2nd Lt, Observer, Massachusetts
Tennille, William G, Jr ~ Major, Pilot, North Carolina
Wagstaff, John R ~ Sgt, Gunner, North Carolina
Wilburn, Reed S ~ Sgt, Gunner, Maryland
( Above Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Previously added to record, source unknown
B-25 bomber crew roster:
Pilot Major William Grant Tennille, Jr., 0-396485 C.O. 17th TRS (MIA / KIA) NC
Co-Pilot 1st Lt Robert J. Alves, O-733773 (MIA / KIA) CA
Observer 2nd Lt. Robert J. Nevins, O-746904
Radio Sgt Crawford W. Bell, 35476697 (MIA / KIA) KY
Armour/Gunner Sgt Reed S. Wilburn, 33181412 (MIA / KIA) MD
Photo/Gunner Sgt John R. Wagstaff, 14188380 (MIA / KIA) NC
Status:
MIA June 8, 1944
Aircraft History:
Built by North American. Delivered to the U. S. Army serial number unknown, possibly #42-87295. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to the Pacific.
Wartime History:
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 17th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. No known nickname or nose art.
Mission History:
On June 8, 1944 took off from Wakde Airfield, leading a strike by ten B-25s (Mission #160 B-310) tasked with attacking six Japanese destroyers bound for Biak during the Battle of Cape Waios. The formation, flying in a "V of V's", located the convoy headed due east at 0° 50' E 132° 50' E, then broke up into two ship elements to attack. According to the B-25s, the convoy consisted of two cruisers and four destroyers and they met intense anti-aircraft fire.
This B-25 was attacking a ship claimed to be a cruiser & the plane flew over it and landed in the water, presumed lost to anti-aircraft fire. Last seen 50 miles north of Cape Waios (False Cape) on the Vogelkop Peninsula on Dutch New Guinea. Approximate location 0045 S and 13245 E.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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