World

The aircraft was engaged in a night maritime patrol flight over the Japan Sea, and was attached to the USS Essex. En route, a propeller fell away from an engine and the crew decided to reduce his altitude and to ditch the aircraft about 165 km east of the North Korean coast (39°05'N - 130°11'E). The aircraft sank and was lost, five crew members were rescued while two others, R. J. Perkinson and K. K. Hathorn, were killed.

While performing a maritime patrol flight over the Japan Sea, the aircraft was shot down by several Soviet Lavochkin La-11 and crashed into the sea. All 10 crew members were killed. According to US Authorities, the aircraft was flying over the international waters when it was shot down. On their side, Soviet Authorities reported the aircraft was flying illegally over Vladivostok, was shot down and crashed about 30 km off the city.

The aircraft was engaged in a bombing mission over the Yalu River when it was attacked by the pilot of MiG. The crew was able to evacuate the area but the airplane eventually crashed into the Yellow Sea. Few crew members were able to bail out and four were rescued while nine others were killed.
Crew:
S/Sgt Joseph S. Dougherty, †
Cpt Emil B. Goldbeck,
Sgt William A. Gross,
T/Sgt Robert W. Hamblin, †
Lt Col Julius E. O'Neal, †
1st Lt Roger W. Penninger, †
Cpt Thomas L. .Shields, †
Cpt Ted W. Smith,
Cpl Paul E. Stainbrook Jr.,
1st Lt James G. Vretis, †
1st Lt Edward C. Wahlgren, †
Cpl Edward A. Webb, †
Cpl Carl E. West. †

While on a bombing mission over the Taechon Airport in North Korea, the bomber was attacked by 2 or 3 MiG's at 1517LT. The engine number one failed and the hydraulic system went out. The pilot was able to leave the combat area but eventually, all 12 crew members abandoned the aircraft that crashed into the Yellow Sea. The airplane was lost while all 12 occupants were rescued. Two of them were wounded.

The four engine aircraft left Frankfurt-Main Airport at 0936LT on October 14 bound for Lajes where it landed at 1603LT. After refueling, the airplane left Lajes at 1851LT bound for Westover AFB, Massachusetts. About an hour later, the crew informed ground about technical problems with radio compas and radio altimeters and decided to return to Lajes where it landed safely at 2019LT. According to duty time and rest time, the crew decided to pass the overnight in Lajes and took off on October 15 at 0843LT bound for the US. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but were eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.

The crew was completing a leaflet mission when he encountered technical problems with the engine. The pilot elected to ditch the aircraft that crashed into the Japan Sea. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 14 crew members was found.

The four engine aircraft left Vancouver at 1853LT bound for Tokyo-Haneda with an intermediate stop in Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. While cruising along the Alaskan shore, vertical to the Cape Spencer, near Elfin Cove, the crew informed ground about his position and gave an estimate about 0000LT vertical to Yakutat. This was the last message as the airplane disappeared few minutes later. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Anchorage, SAR operations were conducted but no trace of the aircraft nor the 37 occupants was found. All operations were eventually suspended on October 31, 1951.

The aircraft was apparently attacked by the pilot of a MiG-15 fighter over the Korean War front. With two engines inoperative, the pilot evacuated the combat area to return to Kadena AFB, Okinawa. While overflying the East China Sea, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea. No trace of the airplane nor the 12 crew members was ever found.
Crew:
Cpl Leland L. Buttler,
Cpl Robert P. Domaleski,
1st Lt Charles W. Harris,
Cpl Keith J. Harview,
Sgt Theodore J. Hoffman,
1st Lt Ray F. Jardine,
Col Payne Jennings Jr.,
Cpl Deloraine M. Kingsbury,
2nd Lt Kenneth L. Nosk,
S/Sgt Thomas W. Ritter,
1st Lt Leonard P. Vogt,
S/Sgt Merle E. White.

At 1915 Zulu, on Wednesday, the 21st of March, 1951, the C-124 commanded by Major Robert J. Bell of the 2nd Strategic Support Squadron departed Walker AFB, loaded with aircrews and equipment of the 509th Bomber Group, final destination was RAF Lakenheath, England. At 2212 Zulu, they touched down at Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, Louisiana where they remained overnight. On Thursday, the 22nd of March Brigadier General Paul T. Cullen and his staff joined the other passengers and boarded the aircraft. BG Cullen was the commander of the newly established 7th Air Group assigned to England. The flight took off at 0425 Zulu, destination Loring AFB, Limestone, Maine. Following an uneventful eight hour flight, the C-124 touched down at Loring, time: 1230 Zulu. While the aircraft was being refueled, the pilots and navigators went to base ops where they received an updated weather briefing. They filed the flight plan for the final leg: Limestone direct Gander, great circle (rumb line) to RAF Lakenheath (some sources reports RAF Mildenhall, both in Suffolk, UK). The flight route was over the weather ships that linked the American continent to the British Isles. Along the route, they checked in with each ship, giving a position report, status on board, and receiving updated weather. At 0100 Zulu, Friday the 23rd of March, 1951, they checked in with the British weather ship 4YJ stationed at 52 degrees north latitude, 20 degrees west longitude. The C-124 radio operator gave their position report (approximately 800 miles southwest of Ireland). Shortly thereafter, the C-124 gave out a Mayday call, reporting a fire in the cargo crates. They began jettisoning the crates and announced they were ditching. The C-124 ditched at the approximate grid 50 degrees 45 minutes North, 24 degrees 03 minutes West. The aircraft was intact when it touched down on the ocean. All hands excited the aircraft wearing life preservers and climbed into the inflated 5 man life rafts. The rafts were equipped with cold weather gear, food, water, flares, and Gibson Girl hand crank emergency radios. The USAF 509th element stationed in England launched a B-29 to search for the survivors. Captain Muller was the pilot in command. He located the men when they fired several flares. The B-29 was not carrying any rescue equipment that could be dropped to the survivors. Captain Muller radioed back that he had located the men and would remain on station until bingo fuel. They continued circling and hoping for rescue aircraft to arrive but to no avail. Reaching critical fuel, Captain Muller was forced to abandon his fellow airmen and return to base. When the first rescue craft reached the scene 19 hours later, all that was found was a burned briefcase and a partially deflated life raft. Despite the largest air and sea search up to that time, not one body was found. Not one ship or a single aircraft returned to the position given by Captain Muller until Sunday, the 25th of March, 1951. When the ships arrived all they found were some charred crates and a partially deflated life raft. Ships and planes continued searching for the next several days but not a single body was found. The men of C-124 #49-0244 had quite simply disappeared. The flight was performed for the US Strategic Air Command and among the 53 occupants was the Brigadier General Paul Thomas Cullen, first commander of the 7th Air Division of Strategic Air Command and deputy commander and chief of staff of the 2nd Air Force. Later it was revealed that Soviet submarines and surface vessels were active in the area. It has been speculated that Cullen and his companions were taken aboard Soviet submarines and brought to Russia for interrogation. Due to their expertise in nuclear and other defense matters, Cullen and the other men on the airplane would have been an intelligence windfall to the Soviets. Cullen had been the air service's leading expert on aerial reconnaissance and aerial photography. He also was the head of photography at the Crossroads atom bomb tests in the Pacific in the late 1940s. He also had served as commander of the 2nd Operations Group on two occasions during World War II.

Crew (509th Wing, 2nd Strategic Squadron):
Maj Robert J. Bell, pilot,
Cpt Emmette E. Collins, pilot,
2nd Lt Howard P. Mathers, pilot,
S/Sgt Robert D. Amsden, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Charles E. Green, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Karl R. Armstrong, navigator,
Cpt Francis N. Davis, navigator,
S/Sgt Homer Jones Jr., radio operator,
S/Sgt Martin C. Bemis, civil engineer,
Sgt Joseph D. Broussard, civil engineer,
M/Sgt Everett D. Scarbrough, civil engineer,
Cpl Arthur F. Chute,
Cpl Jack R. Crow.

Passengers:
S/Sgt Glenn E. Adler,
Cpt Phil B. Adrean,
Sgt George W. Ambrose,
Cpl Sterling L. Ambrose,
Pvt Dwight A. Berenberg,
Sgt Robert R. Bristow,
Cpt John E. Counsell,
Brig Gen Paul Thomas Cullen,
Cpt Mark O. Dubach,
Cpt Miezyslaw Dudek,
S/Sgt Gene D. Dughman,
1st Lt Jack R. Fife,
2nd Lt William E. Fisher Jr.,
Col Kenneth N. Gray,
T/Sgt Charles E. Green,
S/Sgt Thomas E. Green,
Lt Col James I. Hopkins,
Cpt Robert F. Kampert,
Cpt Thomas R. Kelly,
Cpt Carl N. Krawiec,
2nd Lt Max D. Lee,
S/Sgt Nicolo A. Lengua,
Bbr Samuel P. Lutjeans,
Sgt Ronald D. McGee,
Lt Col Edwin A. McKoy,
Sgt Frank A. Meckler,
Cpt Walter T. Peterson,
Cpt Calvin Porter,
Lawrence E. Rafferty,
Maj Gordon H. Stoddard,
Cpl Clarence G. Swisher,
Cpl Bobby G. Thomas,
M/Sgt Taylor H. Vangilder,
Cpt Roger S. Vincent,
Walter A. Wagner Jr.,
M/Sgt H. C. Williamson,
Bbr Raymond L. Witkowski,
Cpt Edwon D. Zabawa,
Cpt Frank B. Zalac,
Cpt John C. Zweygarti.

Source:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57408636

http://www.wafbmuseum.org/alumni-stories/last-flight-the-missing-airmen-march-1951/

The crew was performing a flight from Gibraltar to Lisbon to assist the crew of a RAF Halifax that diverted to Lisbon. While flying over the Atlantic Ocean, weather conditions deteriorated and the pilot decided to divert to Tangiers and later to Cadix. As the aircraft was short of fuel, he was forced to ditch the airplane 56 km south of Cadix and the radio operator was able to send a brief message before the aircraft impacted water and sank. All three crew members and two passengers took refuge in a dinghy while a third passenger drowned.
Crew (224th Squadron):
F/O Wilson, pilot,
F/O Ferguson, navigator,
F/Lt Joseph Charles Laurier Roger Labelle, wireless operator.
Passengers:
F/O Miller, †
Sgt Dobbs,
SAC C. Chambers.