Death of VX136033 T/Capt. Francis Edgar Williams.

[Col Bruggy]

Leendert,

Your help is much appreciated, Thanks.

Col.

[Leendert]

All in all the conclusion is that 41-18651 was nose "76" as opposed to findings on pacificwrecks.com?

1st Lt Walter B. Thompson had O-662199, he was from Nebraska.

On findagrave.com some more details about T Sgt Willis Cheek.

Regards,

Leendert

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

l too had O-662199 for 1st Lt Walter Bion Thompson initially. l then found one O-662199 Capt Walter Bion Thompson (Nebraska) DoD 5th May 1944!

http://usaafdata.com/

To help clear this up; 1st Lt Walter B Thompson USAAF was the recipient of a DFC, 1 OLC, and a Silver Star. If you can show me that they are one and the same, l'll gladly accept him as the pilot of 41-18651.

Col.

[Leendert]

Col.

See http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/reside...earch=Thompson

or the wwiimemorial website under Walter B. Thompson, Cuming County, Nebraska.

More: http://militarytimes.com/citations-m...ipientid=50203

Regards,

Leendert

[Leendert]

There's also a picture on findagrave.com of Lt Thompson's gravestone in Nebraska saying 12 May 1943, so usaafdata appears to be in error here with 5 May 1944.

Regards,

Leendert

[Leendert]

And finally both a Nebraskan and Australian connection with Walter B. Thompson and his DFC award on http://www.pentagon.kappamuepsilon.o...pring_1943.pdf

Go to page 83 of the publication.

Regards,

Leendert

[Col Bruggy]

Leendert,

That's what l needed to see!

The usaafdata info on Thompson is obviously incorrect.

It's not so much that l doubt you Mate. But if l can't verify information from at least one other source, l won't use it.

You have been very helpful. Thanks once again

For others following this thread, further information on Capt F E Williams, can be found here:

http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs235.aspx

and...

http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120559b.htm

Col.

[Edward]

Hello all,

We have managed to put up a page on the loss of the 33rd TCS C-47 on 12 May 1943. As you have already determined there were two 374th TCG C-47 losses on the same day, one 21st TCS and one 33rd TCS.

It was the 33rd plane that was named Chattanooga Choo Choo.

We are starting to add the full passenger list for C-47 #41-18661 of the 21st Squadron.

Thanks for sharing all the great research here.

Edward

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/c...choo-choo.html

[RSwank]

Edward,

I noticed in your write-up on Pacific Wrecks you don't have the internment site for Cheek listed. He was buried in Valley View Cemetery, New Castle, PA. in 1948 (New Castle News, 27 August, 1948).



https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7741...w-castle-news/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...k-willis-cheek

[Edward]

RSwank - Thanks for the links about T/Sgt Cheek.

Again - Great work by Col. Bruggy and Leendert concerning the passengers on C-47 #661.

The ANGAU reports about the two visits to the site are quite fascinating to read.

Hoping to locate a full passenger list for this flight. I expect that one exists somewhere at the NA Australia.

Regrettably the flight crew is still listed as MIA which likely means they are all interred as unknowns in Manila.

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/c-47/41-18661.html

Edward