43-4905           B25

 

On 17 October 1944, a B-25H, # 43-4905, assigned to 10th Air Force, 341st Bomb Group, 490th Bomb Squadron, departed its airfield on a bombing mission over Nawnghkio Air Base. Its last contact was by radio with 1stLt Harry A. Fisher, 0-750362, at about 1500 hours while in the target vicinity. Its crew were:

                                       Pilot                                         1stLt Robert D. Drummey                   0-815670

                                       Navigator/Bombardier            1stLt Franklin J. Stom                          0-685137

                                       Engineer-Gunner                     Pvt Michael F. Foley                            32382310

                                       Radio Operator-Gunner          Sgt James S. Nara                                 33165016

                                       Armorer-Gunner                      SSgt John Andrews                              39612333

One B-25 and eight P-47s were sent on a search mission by 10th Air Force. 1stLt Fisher reported that he led a flight of three B-25s on the mission during bad weather. About 5 minutes from the target, they went through a cloud for about 20 seconds and encountered mild turbulence. Upon cloud exit, his right wing-man was missing. The other two completed the bomb run. About 15 minutes away from the target, the missing bomber contacted him. He directed him to go ahead and make his bomb run. The reply was “Okay” and about 5 minutes later, Fisher tried to contact him again but was unsuccessful.

Those listed on the next-of-kin list were:

                                       Drummey        Florence M. Drummey M, 11 Miller Ave, East Braintree, Mass.

                                       Stom                Eva My Stom, M, 380 Tyler St, Gary, IN

                                       Andrews          Helen Andrews, W, East Missoula, Montana

                                       Nara                Ruth Helen Nara, M, 74 Delaware Ave, Uniontown, PA

                                       Foley               Olive Foley, M, 228 Spencer St, Ithaca, NY

DRUMMEY, ROBERT DAVID, First Lieutenant, # 0-815670, USAAF

Robert D. Drummey was born in 1922 in Massachusetts to Christopher A. Drummey (1895-    ) and Florence Marion (Bennett) Drummey (1896-1992) (married 1917, Boston, MA). Siblings included Catherine Mary Drummey (1918-    ), Mary Elizabeth Drummey (1920-    ), Florence Marion (Drummey) Grant (1923-2014), Christopher Anthony Drummey Jr. (1925-2002), Jean Frances (Drummey) Boyle (1927-2007), and Richard Drummey (1929-    ). He died 12 January 1945, a POW of the Japanese in the Rangoon Cantonment (former British prison).

 

After enlisting, he completed flight instruction through advanced schools and was multi-engine rated. He earned his commission and pilot wings. He was sent overseas to India. On 17 October 1944, a B-25H, # 43-4905, assigned to 10th Air Force, 341st Bomb Group, 490th Bomb Squadron, departed its airfield on a bombing mission over Nawnghkio Air Base, Burma. Its last contact was by radio with 1stLt Harry A. Fisher, 0-750362, at about 1500 hours while in the target vicinity. One B-25 and eight P-47s were sent on a search mission by 10th Air Force. 1stLt Fisher reported that he led a flight of three B-25s on the mission during bad weather. About 5 minutes from the target, they went through a cloud for about 20 seconds and encountered mild turbulence. Upon cloud exit, his right wing-man was missing. The other two completed the bomb run. About 15 minutes away from the target, the missing bomber contacted him. He directed him to go ahead and make his bomb run. The reply was “Okay” and about 5 minutes later, Fisher tried to contact him again but was unsuccessful. The B-25 crashed in Burma. He was captured and a POW of the Japanese.