43-4955 B25H Ostermayer
Two of five B-25s departed the airfield at Panagarh, India, at 0830 hours, 17 October 1945, for Bangalore, India. Lost to a crash and another missing (crashed) were (1) 43-4955 – 1stLt. Lawrence J. Ostermayer, # 0-831256, Engineer, Cpl Bertram A. Ivancich, # 19141564, and (2) 43-4904 – 1stLt. William Powers, # 0-771795, Engineer, SSgt George D. Keefer, # 33271314.
Three B-25s flown on 19 October 1945 to search for the two missing B-25s also went missing (crashed). Those crew were:
Major Richard J. Christian 0-662540
1stLt Howard T. Coe 0-740369
Cpl Ansel R. Smart 11093841
Pvt James A. Green 6579577
1stLt Donald A. Hoffmeister 0-835693
2ndLt Arnold M. Nathanson 0-835693
Sgt Dominick S. Esposito 33595582
Sgt George D. Worschak 32460990
Major Charles S. McDougall 0-407107
1stLt Clovis Ketron 0-818068
1stLt Walter R. Weston 0-875894
Cpl Joseph L. Mackey 14159207
T/4 Corle E. Ryle 37499807
B-25, # 43-4955, was located, crashed 13 miles from Udayagiri, India. On 23 October 1945, a jeep and 3 officers (Chaplain Capt. Claude T. Ennis, 1stLt Robert Clark, Operations Officer, and 1stLt Jack L. McAnally, Provost Marshal) were sent by C-47 to Vizigapatam, India, for a ground investigation. The aircraft and fragments of the crew but positive identification were made. The remains were given a Christian burial in the Mallikpodi Christian cemetery.
This MACR in fold3.com was unique in that it holds numerous pages of Q&A of several witnesses under oath with investigators who recommended disciplinary actions against two officers, including a USAAF Colonel, Group Commander, for dereliction of duty for failing to ensure the aircraft were sufficiently maintained and prepared for flight and manned with sufficient and qualified USAAF personnel, leading the aircraft aloft to be vulnerable to navigational and pilot errors and resulted in crashes and deaths.