This aircraft, along with evidence of human remains, was located December 2010 by MIA Recoveries, Inc. Remains have not as yet (2018) been recovered and/or identified.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit:
PRESS RELEASE | Aug. 2, 2022
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Pickup, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Merle L. Pickup, 27, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 20, 2022.
In May 1944, Pickup was assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 373rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), stationed in Yangkai, China. He was a passenger onboard a B-24J Liberator bomber on a ferrying mission from China to Chabua, Assam, India. The plane never made it to its destination after encountering bad weather, and the Army reported the plane as missing.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency.
Pickup's personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XerkEAC.
Contributor: 48612389
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PICKUP, Merle L, Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces, Service# 39832953, Enl: Utah, d. 25-May-1944
Parents, Clarence Ray Pickup and Vilate Celestia Batty Pickup
Another cenotaph memorializing CPL Pickup
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merle served as a Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Utah County, Utah prior to the war.
He was a passenger on B-24J #42-100184, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
Merle enlisted in the Army on September 8, 1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-100184 took off, with a crew of 7 and 3 passengers, from Yangkai, China on a ferrying mission to Chabua, India. The last heard from them was a radio transmission noting they were 30 minutes east of Chabua.
They crashed, for an unknown reason near Cheppe, Arunachal Pradesh, India during the war.
Merle was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-100184:
Bernstein, Eugene L ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Bridge, Raymond J ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, PA
Byron, John B ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Clare, Thomas H ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
King, Robert M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Pickup, Merle L ~ Corp, Passenger, UT
Reed, Garland J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
Regan, John J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Riley, Robert R ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
Smith, Earl L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Bottom bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit:
PRESS RELEASE | Aug. 2, 2022
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Pickup, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Merle L. Pickup, 27, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 20, 2022.
In May 1944, Pickup was assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 373rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), stationed in Yangkai, China. He was a passenger onboard a B-24J Liberator bomber on a ferrying mission from China to Chabua, Assam, India. The plane never made it to its destination after encountering bad weather, and the Army reported the plane as missing.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency.
Pickup's personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XerkEAC.
Contributor: 48612389
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PICKUP, Merle L, Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces, Service# 39832953, Enl: Utah, d. 25-May-1944
Parents, Clarence Ray Pickup and Vilate Celestia Batty Pickup
Another cenotaph memorializing CPL Pickup
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merle served as a Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Utah County, Utah prior to the war.
He was a passenger on B-24J #42-100184, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
Merle enlisted in the Army on September 8, 1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-100184 took off, with a crew of 7 and 3 passengers, from Yangkai, China on a ferrying mission to Chabua, India. The last heard from them was a radio transmission noting they were 30 minutes east of Chabua.
They crashed, for an unknown reason near Cheppe, Arunachal Pradesh, India during the war.
Merle was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-100184:
Bernstein, Eugene L ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Bridge, Raymond J ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, PA
Byron, John B ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Clare, Thomas H ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
King, Robert M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Pickup, Merle L ~ Corp, Passenger, UT
Reed, Garland J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
Regan, John J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Riley, Robert R ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
Smith, Earl L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Bottom bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett
This aircraft, along with evidence of human remains, was located December 2010 by MIA Recoveries, Inc. Remains have not as yet (2018) been recovered and/or identified.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit:
PRESS RELEASE | Aug. 2, 2022
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Pickup, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Merle L. Pickup, 27, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 20, 2022.
In May 1944, Pickup was assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 373rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), stationed in Yangkai, China. He was a passenger onboard a B-24J Liberator bomber on a ferrying mission from China to Chabua, Assam, India. The plane never made it to its destination after encountering bad weather, and the Army reported the plane as missing.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency.
Pickup's personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XerkEAC.
Contributor: 48612389
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PICKUP, Merle L, Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces, Service# 39832953, Enl: Utah, d. 25-May-1944
Parents, Clarence Ray Pickup and Vilate Celestia Batty Pickup
Another cenotaph memorializing CPL Pickup
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merle served as a Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Utah County, Utah prior to the war.
He was a passenger on B-24J #42-100184, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
Merle enlisted in the Army on September 8, 1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-100184 took off, with a crew of 7 and 3 passengers, from Yangkai, China on a ferrying mission to Chabua, India. The last heard from them was a radio transmission noting they were 30 minutes east of Chabua.
They crashed, for an unknown reason near Cheppe, Arunachal Pradesh, India during the war.
Merle was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-100184:
Bernstein, Eugene L ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Bridge, Raymond J ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, PA
Byron, John B ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Clare, Thomas H ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
King, Robert M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Pickup, Merle L ~ Corp, Passenger, UT
Reed, Garland J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
Regan, John J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Riley, Robert R ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
Smith, Earl L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Bottom bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggested edit:
PRESS RELEASE | Aug. 2, 2022
Airman Accounted For From World War II (Pickup, M.)
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces Cpl. Merle L. Pickup, 27, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 20, 2022.
In May 1944, Pickup was assigned to the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 373rd Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), stationed in Yangkai, China. He was a passenger onboard a B-24J Liberator bomber on a ferrying mission from China to Chabua, Assam, India. The plane never made it to its destination after encountering bad weather, and the Army reported the plane as missing.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil, find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or https://www.linkedin.com/company/defense-pow-mia-accounting-agency.
Pickup's personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000XerkEAC.
Contributor: 48612389
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PICKUP, Merle L, Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces, Service# 39832953, Enl: Utah, d. 25-May-1944
Parents, Clarence Ray Pickup and Vilate Celestia Batty Pickup
Another cenotaph memorializing CPL Pickup
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merle served as a Corporal, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Utah County, Utah prior to the war.
He was a passenger on B-24J #42-100184, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
Merle enlisted in the Army on September 8, 1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24J #42-100184 took off, with a crew of 7 and 3 passengers, from Yangkai, China on a ferrying mission to Chabua, India. The last heard from them was a radio transmission noting they were 30 minutes east of Chabua.
They crashed, for an unknown reason near Cheppe, Arunachal Pradesh, India during the war.
Merle was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-100184:
Bernstein, Eugene L ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, NY
Bridge, Raymond J ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, PA
Byron, John B ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Clare, Thomas H ~ Capt, Passenger, CA
King, Robert M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, KS
Pickup, Merle L ~ Corp, Passenger, UT
Reed, Garland J ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
Regan, John J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Riley, Robert R ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CA
Smith, Earl L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NJ
Bottom bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett
Inscription
PICKUP MERLE L - CPL - 373 BOMB SQ 308 BOMB GP (H) - UTAH
Gravesite Details
Remains Recovered (2010) and identified (2022)
Other Records
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