43-15795         C47

 

On 22 June 1944, at 1326 hours, a C-47A, # 43-15795, assigned to 10th Air Force, 3rd Combat Cargo Group, 11th Combat Cargo Squadron, departed the airfield at Dinjan, India, to Myitkyina, Burma, on an air supply mission. It was shot down by enemy aircraft, crashed and burned, killing most of the crew. The crew were:

 

                                       Pilot                             2ndLt John H. Roberts                         0-748798

                                       Co-Pilot                       2ndLt Donald N. Glasco                      0-768513

                                       Radio Operator            Cpl Frederick E. Heuss                        15125219

                                       Passenger                     2ndLt William H. O’Kelly                   0-718735

                                       “                                   2ndLt Glenn C. Harris                          0-767540 - 11th Combat Cargo

 

The last contact was by radio at 1433 hours, with Sgt. Jacob F. Rempfer, # 37286073. The hand sketched mapo with the MACR has an “X” marked near a spot near a tributary of the Chindwin River, NE & N of the Mogaung River, north of railroad tracks, and NNE of Mogaung Village. The tracks begin at Myitkyina and proceed WSW (25º 20’ North & 97º 0’ East). A report written by 2ndLt George H. Thompson stated they circled the crashed C-47 several times and were unable to see any survivors. The C-47 had burned except for the tail section. There appeared to be a partially opened parachute about 50’ from the C-47.

 

The radio operator survived. Cpl. Heuss, at the 69th Evacuation Hospital, Ledo, India, reported: The C-47 crashed in the jungle. He was thrown clear and suffered a broken leg and other injuries. An officer was thrown clear and died of a broken neck. While in flight before the crash, two other officers were shot while trying to throw some cargo out of the C-47 to make it lighter. The other officer burned to death when the C-47 burned.

The next-of-kin were listed as:

 

                                                Roberts            Betty J. Roberts, W, 1414 Grace Ave, Lakewood, OH

                                                Glasco             Betty H. Glasco, W, 212 N. Park St, Fairmont, Minn.

                                                O’Kelly           Betty J. O’Kelly, W, 750 N. Cursou St, Hollywood, CA

                                                Heuss              George Heuss, F, 612 Heineman Blvd, Mansfield, OH

                                                Harris              Fern Harris, M, 2122 Lyndale Ave. South, Minneapolis, Minn.

                                                                        Mary Jo Harris, W, 908 SE 7th St, Minneapolis, Minn.