42-107329       C46

 

On 29 September 1944, a Curtiss C-46A Commando, # 42-107329, “Ridge Runner,” assigned to 20th Air Force, 2nd Air Transport Squadron (Mobile), at Kalaikunda, India, departed the airfield at Changtu, China, for the airfield at Hsian, China. Last contact was by radio at 1545Z, SW of Shunhwa, China, after which it crashed into a mountain 40 miles north of Hsian, China, possibly due to map error(s) and poor weather. The crew and passengers were:

 

                                             Pilot                             Capt. Joseph G. Paxton                        0-409025

                                             Co-Pilot                       2ndLt James D. O’Neill                       0-1288107

                                             Radio Operator            SSgt Joseph T. Mahon                         33351167

                                             Engineer                      SSgt John M. Lincoln                           18134704

                                             Passenger                     1stLt George W. Smith                        0-863257  Hqs, 2nd ATS

                                              “                                  Cpl Luther M. Turpin                          34764272

 

The next-of-kin listed were:

 

                                           Paxton             Joseph F. Paxton, F, P.O. Box 171, Tellecon, AZ

                                           O’Neill             W, 258 E. 203rd St, NY, NY

                                           Mahon             W, 515 Adler St, Scranton, PA

                                           Lincoln            Evelyn C. Lincoln, Rte 1, Bentonville, AR

                                           Smith               Constance N. Smith, W, 47 S. Madison St, Allentown, PA

                                           Turpin             Anazea S. Turpin, M, 644 Elizabeth Plc NW, Atlanta, GA

C-46A Commando over the Himalayas