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.