42-101221       MACR 13835

 

On 13 April 1945 a Curtiss C-46D Commando, “Bouncing Beverly,” # 42-101221, assigned to the Combat Cargo Task Force, 4th Combat Cargo Group, 15th Combat Cargo Squadron, departed the airfield at Chittagong, India, on a weather overwatch mission, during monsoon season, for supply drops at Meiktila, Burma. After contact at 1245 hours IST, then no contact with the C-46, commanders surmised that it crashed in the 10,000’ Chin (Chindwin) Hills area. A large search effort was made with no results. The crew was:

                                          Pilot                             Capt. Leonard Robert Land                   0-677784

                                          Co-Pilot                       2ndLt Harry Panagis Papandrew           0-779208

                                          Crew Chief                  Sgt Max A. Green                                  33831927

                                          Radio Operator            SSgt Teddy (NMI) Blazejewski             32701599

The next-of-kin listed were:

                                            Land                Edith N. Land, W, 3311 Burlingdell, Dallas, TX

                                            Papandrew       Penelope P. Papandrew, M, 1001 W. 25th St., Erie, PA

                                            Blazejewski     Michaline Blazejewski, W, 438 Bradford St., Brooklyn, NY

                                            Green              Barbara M. Green, M, 216 E. Union St., Bethlehem, PA

LAND, LEONARD ROBERT, Captain, # 677784, USAAF

 

Leonard R. “Bob” Land was born on 11 June 1919 in Akron, Ohio, to Harry Guthrie Land (1892-1954) (IL) and Ester Margaret (Thatcher) Land (1895-1981) (OH) (married 30 July 1912, St. Louis, MO). Sibling were Harry Thatcher Land (1915-1973) (NC). Living with them in 1920 was a maternal uncle, Stanley M. Thatcher (1897-1971) (Washington, D.C.).

 

He registered for the WWII draft on 16 October 1940, resided at 400 Montreal Ave., Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas, employed by Southwestern Greyhound Lines, and described himself as 5’10”, 150 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. He noted that he had a scar just above his left hand on his wrist. He enlisted in the USAAF in Dallas, Texas, on 8 April 1942. After enlisting in the USAAF, he completed flight instruction through advanced school and was multi-engine rated to fly the Curtiss C-46 Commando. He earned his commission and pilot wings. He was sent overseas to India. On 13 April 1945 a Curtiss C-46D Commando, “Bouncing Beverly,” # 42-101221, assigned to the Combat Cargo Task Force, 4th Combat Cargo Group, 15th Combat Cargo Squadron, departed the airfield at Chittagong, India, on a weather overwatch mission, during monsoon season, for supply drops at Meiktila, Burma. After contact at 1245 hours IST, then no contact with the C-46, commanders surmised that it crashed in the 10,000’ Chin Hills area. A large search effort was made with no results. He is remembered on the tablets of the missing in the Manila American Cemetery & Memorial, Philippines. A memorial was placed in the Laurel Land Memorial Park, Dallas, Dallas Co., Texas.