Ensign James M Wallace US Navy April 1943
 

hello all

can any one account for the death of an Ensign James M WALLACE who its seems died on or before 7th April 1943, in a dive bomber training crash off the Florida coast. I'm not finding him listed on any US Navy casualty source, ABMC, US Navy WW2 Casualty books and the various Ancestry.com databases.

So, of course he may have been recovered and buried in his native New Jersey.

He and his two brothers Lt Cmdr Daniel J Wallace USN and 2/Lt William F Wallace USAAF were killed in plane accidents during the war.

Daniel:
http://www.vf31.com/pilots/wallace.html

William (my website)
http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/42-31420.htm

Re: Ensign James M Wallace US Navy April 1943
 

Ens. J. M. Wallace was killed on 6 April 1943 when his SBD-1, BuNo 1621, failed to pull out of a dive. He was assigned to the Daytona Beach Operational Training Unit.

Re: Ensign James M Wallace US Navy April 1943
 

Thanks so much. Can I ask how you were able to dig it out. I suppose I could have if I did some decent research.

Was there a gunner with him?

Was it out at sea and thus likely the body lost.

Re: Ensign James M Wallace US Navy April 1943
 

Dennis,

The accident report shows the location as at sea off Ormond Beach, FL. The rearseatman, PFC Nicholas Papp was also killed.

It mentions that the day was hazy and Wallace had previously been warned for low pull-outs!

Re: Ensign James M Wallace US Navy April 1943
 

Again many thanks.

I would have thought both Papp and Wallace would appear on ABMC if neither body was recovered.

Their not recorded on ABMC, nor in the two volume Navy, MC and CG casualty book, or Rosters of WW2 dead. Same with Daniel J Wallace. I must read up again on the remit of the ABMC and the other sources.

Re: Ensign James M Wallace US Navy April 1943
 

I found some listings for Nicholas PAPP in the ancestry database, US Marine Corp Muster Rolls, 1798-1958 including,


Name: Nicholas Papp
Muster Date: 1 Apr 1943 to 30 April 1943
Rank: Private First Class
Station: Training Squadron Nine, Marine Aviation Detachment, N.A.T.T.Cen, Jacksonville, Fla

The muster role states:

DIED
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS
1 PAPP, NICHOLAS
See footnote F; 6, died at 9:00 a.m., killed in airplane accident 8 miles at sea off Ormand beach, Fla. Body not recovered; GO 20 does not apply; char Exc

Footnote F: STAD, AOTC, NAS, Daytona Beach, Fla

Re: Ensign James M Wallace US Navy April 1943
 

Dennis,

No real further details, but just to add that in an overview in the May 16, 1944 edition of the Troy (NY) Times Record of thus far killed alumni of the Rensselaer (NY) Polytechnic Institute it says:

"Ensign James M. Wallace, 42. Killed in a plane crash at sea according to word received from the Navy Department by his parents".

The 42 must be his graduation year.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has an online picture of SBD-1 BuNo 1621 when operated by MAG-11.

Nicholas Papp is mentioned on accident-report.com under the USN names, but the aircraft loss on 6 April 1943 is not in the list...

Regards,

Leendert