Second Lieutenant Wigness served with
the 804 Bomb Squadron, 471 Bomb Group
from Westover Field, Mass.
Piloting B-24H Liberator #42-7525 on a
two-ship training flight from Westover
Field, the crew departed at 1440 EWT.
The aircraft was on a high altitude
mission which was to take them to Montauk
Gunnery Range area.
At 1645 Wigness'es airplane reported to it's
sister ship that it was suffering engine
trouble and was breaking off. His airplane
was last seen about 70 miles south of
Montauk Point, Long Island, heading north.
After all contact with the subject aircraft
was lost, a search was undertaken. Despite
an extensive search by aircraft and ships,
no trace of the missing B-24 and it's
eleven-man crew was ever found.
The B-24 was believed to have crashed into
the sea due to an in-flight explosion or
failure of a wing due to on board fires.
The lost aircrew were:
2Lt. Kenneth E. Wigness, Pilot
2Lt. Gene W Sloan, Co-pilot
2Lt. Martin J Kew, Instructor/Navigator
2Lt. Rufus Ronald Nelson, Navigator
2Lt. Frederick G Rhodes, Bombardier
Staff Sgt. Edward J Clancy, Radio operator
Staff Sgt. Joseph Albert Jachim, Gunner
Staff Sgt. Robert G McLaughlin, Engineer
Sgt. Joseph L Hartzel, Radio operator
Sgt. Chester Webb, Radio operator
Sgt. George W Wilson, Jr, Gunner
the 804 Bomb Squadron, 471 Bomb Group
from Westover Field, Mass.
Piloting B-24H Liberator #42-7525 on a
two-ship training flight from Westover
Field, the crew departed at 1440 EWT.
The aircraft was on a high altitude
mission which was to take them to Montauk
Gunnery Range area.
At 1645 Wigness'es airplane reported to it's
sister ship that it was suffering engine
trouble and was breaking off. His airplane
was last seen about 70 miles south of
Montauk Point, Long Island, heading north.
After all contact with the subject aircraft
was lost, a search was undertaken. Despite
an extensive search by aircraft and ships,
no trace of the missing B-24 and it's
eleven-man crew was ever found.
The B-24 was believed to have crashed into
the sea due to an in-flight explosion or
failure of a wing due to on board fires.
The lost aircrew were:
2Lt. Kenneth E. Wigness, Pilot
2Lt. Gene W Sloan, Co-pilot
2Lt. Martin J Kew, Instructor/Navigator
2Lt. Rufus Ronald Nelson, Navigator
2Lt. Frederick G Rhodes, Bombardier
Staff Sgt. Edward J Clancy, Radio operator
Staff Sgt. Joseph Albert Jachim, Gunner
Staff Sgt. Robert G McLaughlin, Engineer
Sgt. Joseph L Hartzel, Radio operator
Sgt. Chester Webb, Radio operator
Sgt. George W Wilson, Jr, Gunner
Second Lieutenant Wigness served with
the 804 Bomb Squadron, 471 Bomb Group
from Westover Field, Mass.
Piloting B-24H Liberator #42-7525 on a
two-ship training flight from Westover
Field, the crew departed at 1440 EWT.
The aircraft was on a high altitude
mission which was to take them to Montauk
Gunnery Range area.
At 1645 Wigness'es airplane reported to it's
sister ship that it was suffering engine
trouble and was breaking off. His airplane
was last seen about 70 miles south of
Montauk Point, Long Island, heading north.
After all contact with the subject aircraft
was lost, a search was undertaken. Despite
an extensive search by aircraft and ships,
no trace of the missing B-24 and it's
eleven-man crew was ever found.
The B-24 was believed to have crashed into
the sea due to an in-flight explosion or
failure of a wing due to on board fires.
The lost aircrew were:
2Lt. Kenneth E. Wigness, Pilot
2Lt. Gene W Sloan, Co-pilot
2Lt. Martin J Kew, Instructor/Navigator
2Lt. Rufus Ronald Nelson, Navigator
2Lt. Frederick G Rhodes, Bombardier
Staff Sgt. Edward J Clancy, Radio operator
Staff Sgt. Joseph Albert Jachim, Gunner
Staff Sgt. Robert G McLaughlin, Engineer
Sgt. Joseph L Hartzel, Radio operator
Sgt. Chester Webb, Radio operator
Sgt. George W Wilson, Jr, Gunner
the 804 Bomb Squadron, 471 Bomb Group
from Westover Field, Mass.
Piloting B-24H Liberator #42-7525 on a
two-ship training flight from Westover
Field, the crew departed at 1440 EWT.
The aircraft was on a high altitude
mission which was to take them to Montauk
Gunnery Range area.
At 1645 Wigness'es airplane reported to it's
sister ship that it was suffering engine
trouble and was breaking off. His airplane
was last seen about 70 miles south of
Montauk Point, Long Island, heading north.
After all contact with the subject aircraft
was lost, a search was undertaken. Despite
an extensive search by aircraft and ships,
no trace of the missing B-24 and it's
eleven-man crew was ever found.
The B-24 was believed to have crashed into
the sea due to an in-flight explosion or
failure of a wing due to on board fires.
The lost aircrew were:
2Lt. Kenneth E. Wigness, Pilot
2Lt. Gene W Sloan, Co-pilot
2Lt. Martin J Kew, Instructor/Navigator
2Lt. Rufus Ronald Nelson, Navigator
2Lt. Frederick G Rhodes, Bombardier
Staff Sgt. Edward J Clancy, Radio operator
Staff Sgt. Joseph Albert Jachim, Gunner
Staff Sgt. Robert G McLaughlin, Engineer
Sgt. Joseph L Hartzel, Radio operator
Sgt. Chester Webb, Radio operator
Sgt. George W Wilson, Jr, Gunner
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