Appleby served with the 1174th Pilot Training Squadron from Luke Army Air Base in Arizona. He was one of nine airmen killed when B-17F Flying Fortress #42-29565 crashed into Burro Mountain, approximately 20-24 miles southwest of Springerville, in the White Mountain Range in the Apache National Forest.
The air crew were conducting a cross-country navigational training flight that had taken them from Lockbourne airfield, near Columbus, Ohio, to Portland, Oregon. The flight then continued to Las Vegas, Nevada, then onwards to Tucson, Arizona. The course was then to return to Lockbourne. The airplane went missing. The wreck site was finally discovered on July 12, 1943. The bomber had been off course and crashed into timber on a mountainside, at about the 9,500 foot elevation level, in the Burro Mountains of the White Mountain Range, about 20 miles southwest of Springerville, Arizona. The aircraft was completely destroyed by fire. Investigators believed that the pilots, unaware they were off course, had let down over high terrain attempting to obtain better visuals during stormy weather. All nine aboard perished.
U.S. Senator Harry S. Truman (D-Missouri) inquired on behalf of the family of PFC Arthur to the progress of the search. Because the flight was so far off course, the aircraft was not located for more than four months, after enough snow had melted to spot the crash location.
The service members killed were:
Capt. Keith N Busch, O-401382, OR, Pilot
Capt. Rex K Latham, O-427450, IL, Co-Pilot
Capt. Lynn L Motley, O-423794, TX, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. Darwin H Pfaender, O-429164, MN, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. William H Startzer, O-428870, NE, Co-Pilot
T/Sgt. Clyde L Miller, 14001716, MS, Flight Engineer
Sgt. William R. Appleby, Jr., 19002749, CA, Asst. Engineer
PFC Charles E Arthur, 17044635, MO, Radio Operator
Pvt. Geronimo Medina, 38250151, TX, Passenger
~
From Ventura, California; Service ID: 19002749.
The air crew were conducting a cross-country navigational training flight that had taken them from Lockbourne airfield, near Columbus, Ohio, to Portland, Oregon. The flight then continued to Las Vegas, Nevada, then onwards to Tucson, Arizona. The course was then to return to Lockbourne. The airplane went missing. The wreck site was finally discovered on July 12, 1943. The bomber had been off course and crashed into timber on a mountainside, at about the 9,500 foot elevation level, in the Burro Mountains of the White Mountain Range, about 20 miles southwest of Springerville, Arizona. The aircraft was completely destroyed by fire. Investigators believed that the pilots, unaware they were off course, had let down over high terrain attempting to obtain better visuals during stormy weather. All nine aboard perished.
U.S. Senator Harry S. Truman (D-Missouri) inquired on behalf of the family of PFC Arthur to the progress of the search. Because the flight was so far off course, the aircraft was not located for more than four months, after enough snow had melted to spot the crash location.
The service members killed were:
Capt. Keith N Busch, O-401382, OR, Pilot
Capt. Rex K Latham, O-427450, IL, Co-Pilot
Capt. Lynn L Motley, O-423794, TX, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. Darwin H Pfaender, O-429164, MN, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. William H Startzer, O-428870, NE, Co-Pilot
T/Sgt. Clyde L Miller, 14001716, MS, Flight Engineer
Sgt. William R. Appleby, Jr., 19002749, CA, Asst. Engineer
PFC Charles E Arthur, 17044635, MO, Radio Operator
Pvt. Geronimo Medina, 38250151, TX, Passenger
~
From Ventura, California; Service ID: 19002749.
Appleby served with the 1174th Pilot Training Squadron from Luke Army Air Base in Arizona. He was one of nine airmen killed when B-17F Flying Fortress #42-29565 crashed into Burro Mountain, approximately 20-24 miles southwest of Springerville, in the White Mountain Range in the Apache National Forest.
The air crew were conducting a cross-country navigational training flight that had taken them from Lockbourne airfield, near Columbus, Ohio, to Portland, Oregon. The flight then continued to Las Vegas, Nevada, then onwards to Tucson, Arizona. The course was then to return to Lockbourne. The airplane went missing. The wreck site was finally discovered on July 12, 1943. The bomber had been off course and crashed into timber on a mountainside, at about the 9,500 foot elevation level, in the Burro Mountains of the White Mountain Range, about 20 miles southwest of Springerville, Arizona. The aircraft was completely destroyed by fire. Investigators believed that the pilots, unaware they were off course, had let down over high terrain attempting to obtain better visuals during stormy weather. All nine aboard perished.
U.S. Senator Harry S. Truman (D-Missouri) inquired on behalf of the family of PFC Arthur to the progress of the search. Because the flight was so far off course, the aircraft was not located for more than four months, after enough snow had melted to spot the crash location.
The service members killed were:
Capt. Keith N Busch, O-401382, OR, Pilot
Capt. Rex K Latham, O-427450, IL, Co-Pilot
Capt. Lynn L Motley, O-423794, TX, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. Darwin H Pfaender, O-429164, MN, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. William H Startzer, O-428870, NE, Co-Pilot
T/Sgt. Clyde L Miller, 14001716, MS, Flight Engineer
Sgt. William R. Appleby, Jr., 19002749, CA, Asst. Engineer
PFC Charles E Arthur, 17044635, MO, Radio Operator
Pvt. Geronimo Medina, 38250151, TX, Passenger
~
From Ventura, California; Service ID: 19002749.
The air crew were conducting a cross-country navigational training flight that had taken them from Lockbourne airfield, near Columbus, Ohio, to Portland, Oregon. The flight then continued to Las Vegas, Nevada, then onwards to Tucson, Arizona. The course was then to return to Lockbourne. The airplane went missing. The wreck site was finally discovered on July 12, 1943. The bomber had been off course and crashed into timber on a mountainside, at about the 9,500 foot elevation level, in the Burro Mountains of the White Mountain Range, about 20 miles southwest of Springerville, Arizona. The aircraft was completely destroyed by fire. Investigators believed that the pilots, unaware they were off course, had let down over high terrain attempting to obtain better visuals during stormy weather. All nine aboard perished.
U.S. Senator Harry S. Truman (D-Missouri) inquired on behalf of the family of PFC Arthur to the progress of the search. Because the flight was so far off course, the aircraft was not located for more than four months, after enough snow had melted to spot the crash location.
The service members killed were:
Capt. Keith N Busch, O-401382, OR, Pilot
Capt. Rex K Latham, O-427450, IL, Co-Pilot
Capt. Lynn L Motley, O-423794, TX, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. Darwin H Pfaender, O-429164, MN, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. William H Startzer, O-428870, NE, Co-Pilot
T/Sgt. Clyde L Miller, 14001716, MS, Flight Engineer
Sgt. William R. Appleby, Jr., 19002749, CA, Asst. Engineer
PFC Charles E Arthur, 17044635, MO, Radio Operator
Pvt. Geronimo Medina, 38250151, TX, Passenger
~
From Ventura, California; Service ID: 19002749.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
