500th BS, 345th BG loss on 30 March 1945
 

Hello,

On 30 March 1945 a B-25 of 500th BS was shot down while attacking Japanese shipping in Yulin Bay, Hainan. I have a narrative and the list of crew (3 KIA, 2 POW of which one did not survive captivity) but I am lacking the aircraft serial.

Can someone provide it? The book "Warpaths across the Pacific" should have the answere but I don't have it.

Thanks in advance

Laurent

Re: 500th BS, 345th BG loss on 30 March 1945
 

McGuire's B-25J-22 44-29350.

Re: 500th BS, 345th BG loss on 30 March 1945
 

Laurent,

This may well be 44-29350, MACR 15450.
Crew list:
James Mc Giure
William T Boyce
Eugene Harviell
Harvey Baron
William P Coffman

Reported lost off Hainan Island.

345th BG also lost 43-36176 that day (MACR 16235).

Regards,

Leendert

Re: 500th BS, 345th BG loss on 30 March 1945
 

Thanks to both of you.

In this case I have to say I have been a bit unlucky. A check of the MACR list available here (http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/s.../45MarMACR.htm) shows no 345 BG losses, but when you use the MACR search function you find both a MACR for both aircraft serials you give, both on the right date. Seems their monthly list is out of date...

By the way 43-36176 is shown as being a 499th BS aircraft, flown by a pilot named Walker. 44-29350 was the ship of 500th BS I was interested into.

Best regards

Laurent

Re: 500th BS, 345th BG loss on 30 March 1945
 

Laurent,

The full story of that crew, and the experiences of the men at the POW camp where one of them died just as the war was ending, are in my book, "Warpath Across the Pacific." I worked closely with McGuire to get this story, and it is one of the most poignant in the book.

Regards,