MISSION REPORT - RESCUES - 05

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27 JULY 1944
On the first operational mission, 1st Lt. John S. "Rusty" Denison and his crew took off for Geelvink Bay, New Guinea in aircraft 44-33876, in search of a B-24 crew reported to have gone down early on the morning of 26 July 1944. Lieutenant Denison searched the area for seven hours, finally sighting a raft about two miles off the starboard wing. He circled the raft and identified it as a US Air Force life raft. He landed downwind (1 degree 30'S, 135 degrees E) and taxied up to the survivors and took them aboard at 1600. Five men were in the raft, all uninjured. They reported that while on a mission over the Southern Celebes, one engine was shot out by a projectile of large caliber which ripped through the hull, seriously wounding the bombardier in the abdomen. As the disabled ship proceeded toward its base, another engine which had also been damaged, cut out and they were forced to ditch in the bay about ten miles off shore. Four crewmembers went down with the ship. The wounded bombardier was recovered but died during the night. These men had been in the raft 30 hours and were in fairly good physical condition. After being taken aboard the rescue ship the survivors were given hot drinks and food and returned to their base.

Read the original Mission Report submitted to Headquarters. See a photo sequence of this rescue!

See the story written by Andrew Hendrie in a book called "FLYING CATS.
" Read the statement written by Lieutenant William Rush.


RESCUED B-24 CREW:
(Pilot) 1st Lt. William J. Amos
(Co-Pilot), 2nd Lt. W. A. Rush
(Navigator), 2nd Lt. Louis Moore
(Engineer), Staff Sergeant H. W.Talley
(Radio), Staff Sergeant B. M. Gonzales

AIRCRAFT TYPE: OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO:
44-33876 (CV-326)**
CALLSIGN:
  "Daylight 13"
CREW:
(Pilot) Lieutenant John S. Denison; (Co-pilot) Lieutenant Eric A. Lakes; (Navigator) Lieutenant Peter F. "Fred" Naylor; (Engineer) T/Sgt John Y. Cunningham; (Radio Operator) Corporal Raymond B. Bean; (Radar Operator) Sergeant George E. Bock; (Surgical Tech) Sergeant Franklin E. Besse

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The narrative of these rescues was compiled and published in April 1946 from logbooks of pilots, notes, letters, and other information by secretary Marina G. de Guzman in Pampanga, Philippines.

* Aircraft produced at Canadian Vickers Ldt, Cartierville, Quebec, Canada
** Canadian Vickers contract number that was unique to each aircraft produced by at the Cartierville, Quebec plant
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