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SGT James J Mangini Jr.

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SGT James J Mangini Jr. Veteran

Birth
Death
Dec 1942 (aged 24–25)
Labrador Census Division, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Burial
North Arlington, Bergen County, New Jersey, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Aboard on a B-26 Marauder that had been
dispatched to England to provide their airplane
for British service.

After arriving in Greenland, the crew was
ordered, for reasons not specified, to return
to the U.S.

En-route, they encountered bad weather and
ran out of gas, and had to make a forced
landing in Labrador on December 10, 1942.
All seven aboard B-26B Marauder #41-17862
"Time's Awastin" survived the crash belly
landing.

On 12 December, 1942, the pilot began
making log entries. At one point, he made
an entry that other aircraft flew over them,
and one medium bomber passed over as low
as 600 feet but they were unsuccessful at
gaining that aircrew's attention.

On 27 December, with increasingly colder
sub-arctic temperatures and diminished
hopes of rescue, Lt. Emanuel Josephson, who
was the Navigator, and Lt. Paul Janssen, and
Sgt. Charles F Nolan decided to take the
aircraft's life raft and set out on foot.
They were not seen again. The how and why
the death date of 31 December was affixed
for these three airmen is not known.

The remaining crew sheltered in place.
The pilot logged that they ran out of
food supplies on 17 January, 1943. He
also logged that the temperature was so cold
that the airplane's motor oil was frozen and
could not be burned for heat.

He made his last entry on 3 February, 1943,
stating Sgt. Russell Weyrauch died on that
date, and that the men were very frustrated
and very weak.

On 9 April, 1943, Eskimo hunters found the
downed bomber and the bodies of the four
remaining airmen. The plane was found about
twenty miles inland from the coastal village
of Hebron.

Their bodies were recovered by an Army
team on 18 April, 1943. The bodies of the
three that set out on 27 December were never
found. There was no indication if they ever
made it over the mountain range separating
them from Hebron.

The remains of the B-26 are still in place.
In 1963, a retired Army Air Forces Colonel
erected a monument at the site to the lost
airmen.

The air crew were:

1st Lt. Grover C Hodge, Jr, Pilot
2nd Lt. Paul W Janssen, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. Emanuel J. Josephson, Navigator
Cpl. Frank J Galm, Radio Operator
Cpl. James J Mangini, Jr., Gunner
Sgt. Charles F. Nolan, Passenger
Sgt. Russell Weyrauch, Engineer

***************************************************
U.S. Army Service No. (ASN): #12077708

James J. Mangini, Jr. is listed as Died Non-Battle in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for Bergen County, New Jersey.

***I would like to thank T.V.F.T.H. Find A Grave ID 46496806 for creating this memorial***

***I would like to thank Michael McDonald Find A Grave ID 47371637 for adding his gravesite photo to this memorial***

***I would like to thank LTC(R) Gregory Davis Find A Grave ID 47797634 for adding his photo to this memorial***
Aboard on a B-26 Marauder that had been
dispatched to England to provide their airplane
for British service.

After arriving in Greenland, the crew was
ordered, for reasons not specified, to return
to the U.S.

En-route, they encountered bad weather and
ran out of gas, and had to make a forced
landing in Labrador on December 10, 1942.
All seven aboard B-26B Marauder #41-17862
"Time's Awastin" survived the crash belly
landing.

On 12 December, 1942, the pilot began
making log entries. At one point, he made
an entry that other aircraft flew over them,
and one medium bomber passed over as low
as 600 feet but they were unsuccessful at
gaining that aircrew's attention.

On 27 December, with increasingly colder
sub-arctic temperatures and diminished
hopes of rescue, Lt. Emanuel Josephson, who
was the Navigator, and Lt. Paul Janssen, and
Sgt. Charles F Nolan decided to take the
aircraft's life raft and set out on foot.
They were not seen again. The how and why
the death date of 31 December was affixed
for these three airmen is not known.

The remaining crew sheltered in place.
The pilot logged that they ran out of
food supplies on 17 January, 1943. He
also logged that the temperature was so cold
that the airplane's motor oil was frozen and
could not be burned for heat.

He made his last entry on 3 February, 1943,
stating Sgt. Russell Weyrauch died on that
date, and that the men were very frustrated
and very weak.

On 9 April, 1943, Eskimo hunters found the
downed bomber and the bodies of the four
remaining airmen. The plane was found about
twenty miles inland from the coastal village
of Hebron.

Their bodies were recovered by an Army
team on 18 April, 1943. The bodies of the
three that set out on 27 December were never
found. There was no indication if they ever
made it over the mountain range separating
them from Hebron.

The remains of the B-26 are still in place.
In 1963, a retired Army Air Forces Colonel
erected a monument at the site to the lost
airmen.

The air crew were:

1st Lt. Grover C Hodge, Jr, Pilot
2nd Lt. Paul W Janssen, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. Emanuel J. Josephson, Navigator
Cpl. Frank J Galm, Radio Operator
Cpl. James J Mangini, Jr., Gunner
Sgt. Charles F. Nolan, Passenger
Sgt. Russell Weyrauch, Engineer

***************************************************
U.S. Army Service No. (ASN): #12077708

James J. Mangini, Jr. is listed as Died Non-Battle in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for Bergen County, New Jersey.

***I would like to thank T.V.F.T.H. Find A Grave ID 46496806 for creating this memorial***

***I would like to thank Michael McDonald Find A Grave ID 47371637 for adding his gravesite photo to this memorial***

***I would like to thank LTC(R) Gregory Davis Find A Grave ID 47797634 for adding his photo to this memorial***

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