DC-3/C-49H - 42-38254 (ex-PAA NC18117) - ID of two DNB

[Leendert]

On 19 April 1942 impressed PAA DC-3 NC18117 (USAAF C-49H 42-38254) of Ferry Command (Africa) had a take off accident at Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Airforcehistoryindex.org gives the following names of (all) killed on board (DNB):

KAEHLER, WILLIAM; YOUNG, HENRY; EDWARDS, DONALD A.; RICHARDSON, JESSE W.; ARNOLD, JOHN C.; CASPER, ALBERT J.; CHAMBERS, EDWIN L.; DEMAREST, THOMAS; EMBERTON, GARVIN; FARMER, WILLIAM L.; GREEN, REXFORD L.; JONES, JAMES N.; MCKEON, JOHN; MCNABB, WALTER A.; SANATORE, ANDREW; WALKOWIAK, THEODORE; CLENDENIN, PAUL; DEVILBISS, JOHN J.; DOERRMAN, CLARENCE; GOUCH, HARVEY; HOLTSAPPLE, FRANK W.; OCHS, ROBERT A.; TAKABIK, JOHN

Passengers were US Army (staff) sergeants, mainly engineers, quartermasters and ordnance corps.

Could trace all names, but still am at a loss regarding Richardson, Jesse W. and Takabik, John. Names spelled (or spelt if you like) correctly?

FYI: Young, Henry = Henry N. Young III, a PAA pilot; Sanatore should be read as Senatore; Holtsapple should be read as Holtzapple; Jones, James E. should be read as Jones, James N. Pilot William Kaehler was from Indiana, not sure if he was military.

Regards,
Leendert

[RSwank]

Kaehler was a Captain in the Army Air Forces.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3284795

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5370...mpa-bay-times/

(Article mentions Kaehler was "on loan" to Pan Am.)


Here is a John Yakubik, died 19 April, 1942. Buried in North Africa

https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/yakubik=john

De Vilbiss is also buried there:

https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/de-vilbiss%3Djon

In fact, ten of the men you listed are buried there. No Richardson, however.

https://www.abmc.gov/database-search..._last_name_ASC


YOUNG was Henry Newton Young, III. He was trained as a PAN AM pilot and may have been the copilot for this flight.

[Leendert]

Thanks, Rolland, for finding John Yakubik and providing further info.


Jesse W. Richardson stays elusive, perhaps also PAA background and being listed among first four men, a possible crew member.



Regards,
Leendert