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MISSION REPORT - RESCUES -
05
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27 JULY 1944
On the first operational mission,
1st Lt. John S. "Rusty" Denison and his crew took off
for
Geelvink Bay, New Guinea in aircraft
44-33876, in search of a B-24 crew reported to have
gone down early on the morning of 26 July 1944. Lieutenant Denison searched the area for
seven hours, finally sighting a raft about two miles off the starboard wing. He circled
the raft and identified it as a US Air Force life raft. He landed downwind (1
degree 30'S,
135 degrees E) and taxied up to the survivors and took them aboard at 1600. Five
men were in the raft, all uninjured. They reported that while on a mission
over the Southern Celebes, one engine was shot out by a projectile of large
caliber which ripped through the hull, seriously wounding the bombardier in
the abdomen. As the disabled ship proceeded toward its base, another engine
which had also been damaged, cut out and they were forced to ditch in the
bay about ten miles off shore. Four crewmembers went down with the ship. The
wounded bombardier was recovered but died during the night. These men had
been in the raft 30 hours and were in fairly good physical condition. After
being taken aboard the rescue ship the survivors were given hot drinks and
food and returned to their base.
Read the
original Mission Report
submitted to Headquarters. See a
photo sequence of this rescue!
See
the story
written by Andrew Hendrie in a book called
"FLYING CATS."
Read the statement
written by Lieutenant William Rush.
RESCUED B-24 CREW:
(Pilot) 1st Lt. William J.
Amos
(Co-Pilot), 2nd Lt. W. A. Rush
(Navigator), 2nd Lt. Louis Moore
(Engineer),
Staff Sergeant H. W.Talley
(Radio), Staff Sergeant B. M. Gonzales
AIRCRAFT
TYPE:
OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO:
44-33876
(CV-326)**
CALLSIGN:
"Daylight
13"
CREW:
(Pilot) Lieutenant John S. Denison;
(Co-pilot) Lieutenant
Eric A. Lakes;
(Navigator)
Lieutenant Peter F. "Fred"
Naylor; (Engineer) T/Sgt John Y. Cunningham; (Radio Operator)
Corporal Raymond B. Bean;
(Radar Operator) Sergeant George E. Bock; (Surgical Tech) Sergeant
Franklin E. Besse
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The narrative of these rescues was compiled and published in April 1946 from
logbooks of pilots, notes, letters, and other information by secretary
Marina G. de Guzman in Pampanga, Philippines.
*
Aircraft produced at Canadian Vickers Ldt, Cartierville, Quebec, Canada
** Canadian Vickers contract number that was unique to
each
aircraft produced by at the Cartierville, Quebec plant
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