42-93329         C47

 

On 18 January 1945, a C-47, # 42-93329, assigned to 10th Air Force, Combat Cargo Task Force, 3rd Combat Cargo Group, 9th Combat Cargo Squadron, departed the airfield at Warazup, Burma, on an air supply drop mission. The C-47 crashed into a mountain while dropping supplies to ground troops at Hua-Lin, Burma, five and one-half miles from Namhkam (coordinates 23º 46’ North & 97º 40’ East. The crew, all killed in action, were:

 

                                               Pilot                             2ndLt Robert L. DeLanoit                    0-776244

                                               Co-Pilot                       2ndLt Michael P. Prete                         0-825276

                                               Radio Operator            Sgt James S. Wallace                           17060454

                                               QM Dropper               SSgt Dominic Scala                              12011972

                                                “                                  Cpl Arnold J. Boers                             39194356

                                                “                                  Pvt Lyle A. Lanz                                  36476196

Quartermaster crewman were assigned to the 1st Air Cargo Resupply Squadron.

The next-of-kin listed were:

 

                                          Prete                Joseph A Prete, 734 N. St. Louis Ave, Chicago, IL

                                          DeLanoit         Pulton DeLanoit, RR # 1, Badger, Iowa

                                          Boers               Nona J Boers, W, 203 30th St, Seattle, WA

                                          Wallace            Ferris Wallace, 601 Kickapoo St, Leavenworth, KS

                                          Scala                Andrew Scala, 96 Applegate St, River Plaza, Red Bank, NJ

                                          Lanz                Emma Lanz, RR # 1, Normal, IL

DELANOIT, ROBERT LOUIS, Second Lieutenant, # 0-776244, USAAF

 

Robert L. DeLanoit was born on 8 September 1921 in Lorimor, Union Co., Iowa, to Pulton “Pete” DeLanoit (1896-1978) (Belgium) and Marie Louisa (Van Steenberge) DeLanoit (1894-1976) (Belgium) (married 17 August 1920, Boone Co., IA). Siblings included Paul Leroy DeLanoit (1923-1988), Flora Elaine (DeLanoit) Phillips (1924-1988), Clarence Leon DeLanoit (1926-    ), Alice Lorraine DeLanoit (1927-    ), Marie Louise DeLanoit (1929-    ), Walter Richard DeLanoit (1930-    ), Delores Marguerite (DeLanoit) Wolf (1931-2014).

 

He enlisted (# 17112156) in the USAAF on 20 February 1943. After enlisting in the USAAF, he completed flight instruction through advanced school for the C-47 Skytrain and was multi-engine rated. He earned his commission and pilot wings. He was sent overseas to India on about 21 August 1944. On 18 January 1945, a C-47, # 42-93329, assigned to 10th Air Force, Combat Cargo Task Force, 3rd Combat Cargo Group, 9th Combat Cargo Squadron, departed the airfield at Warazup, Burma, on an air supply drop mission. The C-47 crashed into a mountain while dropping supplies to ground troops at Hua-Lin, Burma, five and one-half miles from Namhkam (coordinates 23º 46’ North & 97º 40’ East. After recovery from Kalaikunda air field cemetery, India, his remains were buried in the Corpus Christi Cemetery, Fort Dodge, Iowa.