Clark AFB (Angeles City)

Assigned to the 581st Air Resupply and Communications Wing, Kadena AB, Okinawa (91st SRS), was shot down by MiG's during a leaflet dropping mission on January 13, 1953. One of the most sensational missions of the 581st in Korea occurred on 12 January 1953, when a 581st ARC B-29 (tail number 44-62217) on its first leaflet drop mission with the 581st ARC Wing Commander, (as well as the operations commander of the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing) on board, was shot down on their last leaflet target just south of the Yalu River in far northern Korea near the Chinese town of Antung. At the time, Russian fighter squadrons, some equipped for night flying, were supporting and supplying the Chinese with airpower, including the Russian-made MiG-15 Fagot. Twelve Russian MiG-15s from the 351st (and perhaps the 535th) Fighter Air Regiments (IAP) intercepted a lone Superfortress of the 581st ARCW south of the Yalu River, about 15 miles from the Chinese border. The MiGs were scrambled and vectored to the bomber's location by Russian radar-controlled searchlight units stationed near Antung, China. The searchlights illuminated the unarmed Superfortress and several MiGs engaged the bomber. Russian MiG pilot of the 351st IAP was credited with the intercept and downing of the B-29. Although US sources believe the B-29 was flying in North Korean airspace at the time of its mayday call, a belief that is strongly disputed by the Chinese and Russian authorities, crew members who bailed and landed believe they were in North Korean territory. Upon capture, the crew was rounded up, blindfolded and put aboard trucks, subsequently transported into China and later charged as CIA spies (the Chinese subsequently learned of the CIA connection with the ARCW units). During the highly publicized Chinese trial in Peking in October 1954, the surviving crew members, along with captured CIA agents, who were imprisoned two years earlier after they had been shot down while attempting to pick up their Chinese double agent, were given prison sentences ranging from 5 years to life. Not until 4 August 1955, two years after the Korean War Armistice, were the surviving crew members released from Chinese prison. These crew members held the distinction of being the longest held POW USAF captives of the war.
Crew:
Col John K. Arnold Jr.,
Maj William E. Baumer,
A2c Harry M. Benjamin Jr.,
T/Sgt Howard W. Brown,
1st Lt Wallace L. Brown,
Cpt John W. Buck,
A1c Alvin D. Hart Jr., †
A1c Steve E. Kiba,
Cpt Elmer F. Llewellyn,
A1c Daniel C. Schmidt,
A2c John W. Thompson III,
Cpt Eugene J. Vaadi,
1st Lt Paul E. Van Voorhis, †
1st Lt Henry D. Weese. †
Source: http://www.joebaugher.com

While cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet in low visibility, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Tabeyoc (9,322 feet high) located about 150 km north of the Clark AFB. The wreckage was found two days later in an isolated area and all 38 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to clouds in the area and the crew was unable to distinguish the mountain.

The crew was returning to his base in Clark AFB after taking part to a refueling mission of the B-50 christened Lucky Lady II and registered 46-010 and engaged in a world tour. On the return trip, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when control was lost. The aircraft crashed 58 miles from Clark AFB and was destroyed. All nine crew members were killed.

Lost without trace on a flight from Clark AFB to Bayug Airfield, Leyte.
Crew:
1st Lt Sam T. Barr,
Cpl Steve P. Brawner,
F/O Eugene D. Crow,
T/Sgt Henry L. Heberlee,
Cpt Charles Lamon.

The aircraft departed Leyte Island at 0700LT on a flight to Clark Field. Near Manila Bay, the flight ran into rough weather as it flew through clouds for about 30 minutes. Still over water the crew became lost. The radio operated radioed several messages but did receive any response. Meanwhile, the cabin was prepared for a ditching. At 1210LT the crew spotted two small islands and prepared to land on an airstrip there. A USAAF P-51 Mustang pilot was circling in the area because another P-51 had gone down in the water near the islands and the pilot knew the island was occupied by Japanese forces. He decided to prevent the C-47 to land on the occupied island and opened fire, hitting the right hand engine of the C-47. The P-51 returned and fired at the left hand engine. The airplane was flying low, stalled and hit the water about 300 yards from the shore. All aboard got out into three rafts. They paddled out to sea to avoid machine gun and rifle fire from the shore. They were joined by the P-51 pilot that had been shot down earlier. The next morning all were rescued by a Catalina.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450210-3

While approaching Manila at an altitude between 500 and 1,000 feet, the aircraft was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire. A wing broke, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near the Nichols AFB, killing all 10 occupants. The pilot may have entered the battle zone on purpose as he made remarks on the day of the accident that he wanted to take photos of the battle scene.
Crew:
Cpl Max L. Greene,
T/Sgt Herschel H. Hickman,
F/O David G. Jolly,
2nd Lt John K. Myers.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450210-4

The crew was completing a local training flight at Clark AFB when the pilot lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed. Both occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Rexford R. Kinsley +1.