World

While landing on rough sea, the seaplane was hit by a large swell and sank. Six crew members were killed while three others were rescued.

The four engine aircraft left Guam Island on a flight to Honolulu with an intermediate stop in Kwajalein to refuel. At 1215LT, the crew reported his position at 11'15' N, 174'15' E, this was the last radio contact. The aircraft was lost into the ocean and no trace was ever found. There were on board senior staff that was flying to Honolulu to take part to a high command meeting about plans for the final assault of Japan.
Crew:
F/O James Roy Andersen,
M/Sgt Douglas O. Anderson,
T/Sgt Steve Geist,
T/Sgt Charles T. McInerney,
Pfc Arthur Ofner Jr.
1st Lt Jack M. West.
Passengers:
Lt Gen Millard Fillmore Harmon Jr.,
Col William Ball,
Maj Archibald Dean Anderson,
Maj Francis E. Savage.

In flight, an engine caught fire and the seaplane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. All four crew members were killed.

Forty-five minutes after its departure from North Field AFB (Tinian Island), while cruising, the engine number four caught fire. The aircraft dove into the sea and exploded as it struck the water surface. Only few debris were found on site and all 12 crew members were killed.
Crew (39th Squadron):
Sgt Robert J. Beller, radio operator,
Cpl Harold M. Brown, air gunner,
1st Lt Bernard A. Casaurang, pilot,
Cpl Ralph R. Cima, radar officer,
Cpl Flavio M. Duca, air gunner,
Cpl Charles N. Gentry,
2nd Lt Edward A. Josephson, pilot,
F/O Louis T. Kestner Jr., navigator,
Cpl Joseph J. Kuebler, air gunner,
Cpl Richard V. Leland,
T/Sgt Fred B. Robbins, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Richard J. Scarisbrick, bombardier.

The crew was performing a delivery flight from the Bluie West One Airport located in Narsarsuaq and Reykjavik, Iceland. Enroute, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Atlantic Ocean some 100 km east of Greenland, at coordinates 63°18'00.0"N 38°00'00.0"W. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew:
S/L Z. W. Hirsz, pilot,
P/O D. Washer, copilot,
F/Sgt W. R. Gregory, navigator,
F/Lt H. B. Clarke, wireless operator.

The aircraft left Algiers Airport at 1103LT bound for Florence, Italy. Weather conditions along the route were poor with low visibility, cloud at 2,000 - 3,000 feet and snow falls. At 1506LT, the crew received the permission to descend from 12,000 to 6,000 feet towards Florence. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. It is believed the aircraft may have crash into the Ligurian Sea or on a mountain located somewhere in Corsica.

The crew departed RAF Wymeswold for a routine training mission. It is believed that the airplane crashed somewhere into the North Sea as no trace of it nor the crew was found.
Crew (108th OTU):
F/Sgt Walter William Pinfold, pilot,
Sgt William Dean, navigator,
Sgt James Lindsay Cameron, wireless operator.

The aircraft left Montreal-Dorval Airport at 2359LT on December 29 on a mail and VIP flight to Prestwick on behalf of the Canadian Government Trans-Atlantic Air Service (CGTAS). At 0649LT, the Goose Bay Control Center received a mayday signal when the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 23,000 feet some 600 miles east of Newfoundland. SAR mission was conducted but all operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the five occupants was found.
Crew:
Maurice Gauthier, pilot 3.
Passenger:
Alfred E. Evans, Chief of the British Admiralty Technical Mission in Ottawa.

The aircraft was performing a mail flight from Morocco to the Azores Islands with three passengers on board, a crew of five and mail bags, on behalf of the 168th Heavy Transport Command. As the aircraft never arrived at destination, SAR operations were conducted but suspended after few days as no trace was found. Few mail bags were discovered later.

The single engine aircraft was performing a special flight from the RAF Twinwood Farm, Bedfordshire, to Paris-Le Bourget, with two crew members and the famous American Musician and Director Glenn Miller who was flying to Paris to give a concert to the US, British and French soldiers based in the city of Paris recently released. En route, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into The Channel and no trace of it nor the crew was ever found. Rumors were relayed by British daily newspapers on the fact that the plane may have been shot down mistakenly by British gunfire, but this was never proven.