Date & Time:
May 21, 1943 at 0420 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-9011
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Dobodura - Port Moresby
MSN:
2483
YOM:
1941
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
After an uneventful bombing mission over the airfield of Rabaul-Vunakanau, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter over the Lihir Island and crashed in Put Put. Seven crew members were killed while four others were taken PoW.
Crew (43rd BG):
Cpt Joseph W. Geddes, pilot, †
2nd Lt Leon S. King, †
1st Lt Leslie W. Neuman,
2nd Lt Saul Albert, †
2nd Lt William A. Bujold, navigator, †
T/Sgt William R. Moore, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Emil Gentry, †
S/Sgt Ernest W. Burnside,
Cpl John J. Mulligan,
Pvt John L. Honold, †
Pvt Robert E. George, 15072338.
Crew (43rd BG):
Cpt Joseph W. Geddes, pilot, †
2nd Lt Leon S. King, †
1st Lt Leslie W. Neuman,
2nd Lt Saul Albert, †
2nd Lt William A. Bujold, navigator, †
T/Sgt William R. Moore, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Emil Gentry, †
S/Sgt Ernest W. Burnside,
Cpl John J. Mulligan,
Pvt John L. Honold, †
Pvt Robert E. George, 15072338.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Japanese fighter.
