Info sought: 345th BG 500th BS MIA/KIA B-25 crew member

[Taigh Ramey]

Can anyone help her out:


My name is Terri Van Brunt. I am trying to gather information on 2 Lt. Vernon Clayton Buchanan of Indianapolis, Indiana and the United States Army Air Corps, s/n 0-707222, 500th Bomber Squadron, 345th Bomber Group Medium, was killed January 9, 1945. He was serving in the South Pacific during World War II. He is missing or buried at sea and his name is honored on the "Tablets of the Missing" at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines. He was awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal and Purple Heart. He was the only son amongst 6 sisters.

Would you know of anyone that would have photos of his squadron with him in it and possibly of the plane he went down in? My mom is really interested in having this for us (her children) as well as the grandchildren. It is an important part of our heritage. I did find his letter has been engraved on the memorial in Indianapolis.

Any info or photos you could direct me to would be wonderful. I would like to put together this surprise for my mom.

Terri
amazonmom@comcast.net

[Hemiman]

Terri..

Larry Hickey's "WARPATH ACROSS THE PACIFIC" has him on B-25J-11 # 43-36187. Hickey's book would be a good investment for you to learn about the 345th and it's Squadrons.

Bill

[rwdfresno]

I would recomend starting with the 345th Bomb Group Association.
http://web.cortland.edu/van/345thBombGroup.htm

Taigh I will also forward this on to some friends who are members of the group.

Ryan

[victoriahardware]

As was stated earlier, Larry Hickey's "WARPATH ACROSS THE PACIFIC" is a MUST HAVE. Details of the crash are there from the lone surviving crew member.

Go to http://www.345thbombgroup.org/history/m ... eports.php and look in the 500th's Mission Report for Jan 9, 1945 ( pages 217-219). That is the original Army report of the mission which includes initial details of the crash in Luzon.

Also, find a copy of MACR 16290 (Missing Air Crew Report) on the internet. That is the official Army report of the crash and all info pertinent to it. It contains a trail of letters explaining how all the bodies were recovered but it was impossible to figure out who was who. As a result they were re-buried in Manilla and listed as "Unknown # 1" , #2, etc.

The crew members of the plane are listed there. I have been unable to locate the lone survivor, Sgt Walt Nelson, and presume that he has passed away now. The plane was named "Man-O-War" and I have never been able to find a picture of it.

Another member of that crew, Cpl Reggie Dunnavant, was a hometown friend of my Great-Uncle's who happened to be in the 501st Squadron and was KIA himself.

That should get you a good start. Good luck

[dmether]

I live in Angeles City, Philippines, not too far from where this aircraft went down. I've been doing some research into what happened to the crew. I think two B-25s went down in the same general area.

1. 7 Jan 1945: B-25J “SAG HARBOR EXPRESS” #43-36030. MACR?
1945-01-07 Bartlow Jack B. 2-Lt. Copilot
1945-01-07 Browngardt Arthur Jr. 2-Lt. Pilot
1945-01-07 Gilbert Clarence H. T-Sgt. Radio Gunner
1945-01-07 Lebeck Howard C. 2-Lt. Navigator
1945-01-07 Noe William H. S-Sgt. Eng Gunner
1945-01-07 Von Hebel Engelhardt S-Sgt. Gunner

This aircraft crashed into the roof of a church in Angeles City, then landed in front of the Holy Angel Academy. The crew was killed, they were buried by the local priest. In Feb 45 the US recovered them, and they made their way to the US Military Cemetery in Manila.
Parts of this aircraft are on display at the Holy Angel Academy museum and a helmet from it was donated to another local museum.

2. 9 Jan 1945, B-25J #43-36187. MACR 16290
This on had T/Sgt Nelson on board. It went down about 2 miles farther south of the church that the other aircraft hit.
Although the guerillas who rescued T/Sgt Nelson buried three other crewmembers (the other two probably burned with the aircraft) these guys remain MIA.

1945-01-09 Buffington James O 2-Lt. Pilot
1945-01-09 Thompson Richard T. Capt. Copilot
1945-01-09 Buchanan Vernon C. 2-Lt. Bomb Nav.
1945-01-09 Dunnavant Bernard R. Cpl - Eng Gunner
1945-01-09 Hertz Joseph Cpl. Gunner
Nelson Walter

Reading the MACR I don't think it was known that two B-25s went down near each other