Pfc Twila Richardson received word over the weekend that the war department had declared her husband, Lt. Donald G. Richardson, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Richardson of Del Norte, killed in action. Lt. Richardson was lost on a bomber mission aver the China Sea in May, 1943. His ship, a B-24, Puck II, was one of three bombers that did not return from attacking a Japanese convoy southeast of Hong Kong. The war department message said the air search crews working in the China theater reported one bomber down at seat near a Jap destroyer in the convoy and two others crashed into the sea returning to the coast.
Lt. Richardson enlisted in December, 1941, and served with the original bomber unit with General Chennault’s 14th air force in China and he was a B-24 pilot. He was once shot down in the interior of China and made his way back to the base after several months with the aid of Chinese guerilla bands. He won the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His wife is in the Marine Corps and is now stationed at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California.
~From an unidentified news clipping found in a scrap book at the Rio Grande County Museum, Del Norte, Colorado by Rosalind Weaver.
1st LT USAAF WWII
308th BG, 373rd B Sq
Pilot
B-24J #42-73317 'Puck' took off from Liuchow headed for the base at Yangkai, China on a Sea Sweep mission. The plane and its entire crew disappeared when attacked by possible anti-aircraft fire at sea. The crew members were~
1st Lt Donald G Richardson, Pilot, from CO
1st Lt Frank L Munson, CoPilot, from NY
1st Lt James P ‘Jim' Gilbert, Navigator, from NJ
1st Lt Linus J Austin, Bombardier, from KS
TSgt Cecil L Olson, Radio Operator, from ID
SSgt Arthur (NMI) Regal, Asst Radio Operator, from CA
TSgt Harold W ‘H W' Case, Engineer, from IL
Cpl Walter S Polchlopek, Gunner/Armorer, from MA
SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, Gunner/Armorer, from OH
Cpl Jordan L Daley, Asst Engineer, from OH
1st Lt Russell T Breckenridge, Sq S-2 Officer, from CA
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for 'B-24J #42-73317 ‘Puck'
Sgt Pasquale 'Patsy' Gerrone, who still survives at the time of this writing, was best friends with Gunner SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, and they were both a part of the B-24 'Puck' crew. Sgt Gerrone was not on the plane the day it disappeared, because the flight surgeon had grounded him due to illness.
After returning from the war, Sgt Gerrone wrote to SSgt Hamilton's widow Elora out of concern for the loss of his best friend. Sgt Gerrone eventually married Elora and raised Hamilton's daughter and four sons of their own.
Lt. Richardson enlisted in December, 1941, and served with the original bomber unit with General Chennault’s 14th air force in China and he was a B-24 pilot. He was once shot down in the interior of China and made his way back to the base after several months with the aid of Chinese guerilla bands. He won the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His wife is in the Marine Corps and is now stationed at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California.
~From an unidentified news clipping found in a scrap book at the Rio Grande County Museum, Del Norte, Colorado by Rosalind Weaver.
1st LT USAAF WWII
308th BG, 373rd B Sq
Pilot
B-24J #42-73317 'Puck' took off from Liuchow headed for the base at Yangkai, China on a Sea Sweep mission. The plane and its entire crew disappeared when attacked by possible anti-aircraft fire at sea. The crew members were~
1st Lt Donald G Richardson, Pilot, from CO
1st Lt Frank L Munson, CoPilot, from NY
1st Lt James P ‘Jim' Gilbert, Navigator, from NJ
1st Lt Linus J Austin, Bombardier, from KS
TSgt Cecil L Olson, Radio Operator, from ID
SSgt Arthur (NMI) Regal, Asst Radio Operator, from CA
TSgt Harold W ‘H W' Case, Engineer, from IL
Cpl Walter S Polchlopek, Gunner/Armorer, from MA
SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, Gunner/Armorer, from OH
Cpl Jordan L Daley, Asst Engineer, from OH
1st Lt Russell T Breckenridge, Sq S-2 Officer, from CA
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for 'B-24J #42-73317 ‘Puck'
Sgt Pasquale 'Patsy' Gerrone, who still survives at the time of this writing, was best friends with Gunner SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, and they were both a part of the B-24 'Puck' crew. Sgt Gerrone was not on the plane the day it disappeared, because the flight surgeon had grounded him due to illness.
After returning from the war, Sgt Gerrone wrote to SSgt Hamilton's widow Elora out of concern for the loss of his best friend. Sgt Gerrone eventually married Elora and raised Hamilton's daughter and four sons of their own.
Pfc Twila Richardson received word over the weekend that the war department had declared her husband, Lt. Donald G. Richardson, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Richardson of Del Norte, killed in action. Lt. Richardson was lost on a bomber mission aver the China Sea in May, 1943. His ship, a B-24, Puck II, was one of three bombers that did not return from attacking a Japanese convoy southeast of Hong Kong. The war department message said the air search crews working in the China theater reported one bomber down at seat near a Jap destroyer in the convoy and two others crashed into the sea returning to the coast.
Lt. Richardson enlisted in December, 1941, and served with the original bomber unit with General Chennault’s 14th air force in China and he was a B-24 pilot. He was once shot down in the interior of China and made his way back to the base after several months with the aid of Chinese guerilla bands. He won the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His wife is in the Marine Corps and is now stationed at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California.
~From an unidentified news clipping found in a scrap book at the Rio Grande County Museum, Del Norte, Colorado by Rosalind Weaver.
1st LT USAAF WWII
308th BG, 373rd B Sq
Pilot
B-24J #42-73317 'Puck' took off from Liuchow headed for the base at Yangkai, China on a Sea Sweep mission. The plane and its entire crew disappeared when attacked by possible anti-aircraft fire at sea. The crew members were~
1st Lt Donald G Richardson, Pilot, from CO
1st Lt Frank L Munson, CoPilot, from NY
1st Lt James P ‘Jim' Gilbert, Navigator, from NJ
1st Lt Linus J Austin, Bombardier, from KS
TSgt Cecil L Olson, Radio Operator, from ID
SSgt Arthur (NMI) Regal, Asst Radio Operator, from CA
TSgt Harold W ‘H W' Case, Engineer, from IL
Cpl Walter S Polchlopek, Gunner/Armorer, from MA
SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, Gunner/Armorer, from OH
Cpl Jordan L Daley, Asst Engineer, from OH
1st Lt Russell T Breckenridge, Sq S-2 Officer, from CA
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for 'B-24J #42-73317 ‘Puck'
Sgt Pasquale 'Patsy' Gerrone, who still survives at the time of this writing, was best friends with Gunner SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, and they were both a part of the B-24 'Puck' crew. Sgt Gerrone was not on the plane the day it disappeared, because the flight surgeon had grounded him due to illness.
After returning from the war, Sgt Gerrone wrote to SSgt Hamilton's widow Elora out of concern for the loss of his best friend. Sgt Gerrone eventually married Elora and raised Hamilton's daughter and four sons of their own.
Lt. Richardson enlisted in December, 1941, and served with the original bomber unit with General Chennault’s 14th air force in China and he was a B-24 pilot. He was once shot down in the interior of China and made his way back to the base after several months with the aid of Chinese guerilla bands. He won the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His wife is in the Marine Corps and is now stationed at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California.
~From an unidentified news clipping found in a scrap book at the Rio Grande County Museum, Del Norte, Colorado by Rosalind Weaver.
1st LT USAAF WWII
308th BG, 373rd B Sq
Pilot
B-24J #42-73317 'Puck' took off from Liuchow headed for the base at Yangkai, China on a Sea Sweep mission. The plane and its entire crew disappeared when attacked by possible anti-aircraft fire at sea. The crew members were~
1st Lt Donald G Richardson, Pilot, from CO
1st Lt Frank L Munson, CoPilot, from NY
1st Lt James P ‘Jim' Gilbert, Navigator, from NJ
1st Lt Linus J Austin, Bombardier, from KS
TSgt Cecil L Olson, Radio Operator, from ID
SSgt Arthur (NMI) Regal, Asst Radio Operator, from CA
TSgt Harold W ‘H W' Case, Engineer, from IL
Cpl Walter S Polchlopek, Gunner/Armorer, from MA
SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, Gunner/Armorer, from OH
Cpl Jordan L Daley, Asst Engineer, from OH
1st Lt Russell T Breckenridge, Sq S-2 Officer, from CA
The crew is listed here in the virtual cemetery for 'B-24J #42-73317 ‘Puck'
Sgt Pasquale 'Patsy' Gerrone, who still survives at the time of this writing, was best friends with Gunner SSgt Clifford T Hamilton, and they were both a part of the B-24 'Puck' crew. Sgt Gerrone was not on the plane the day it disappeared, because the flight surgeon had grounded him due to illness.
After returning from the war, Sgt Gerrone wrote to SSgt Hamilton's widow Elora out of concern for the loss of his best friend. Sgt Gerrone eventually married Elora and raised Hamilton's daughter and four sons of their own.
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