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 28
DECEMBER 1944 - First Lieutenant Robert L. "Bob" Rohlfing, pilot of
"Playmate Four Two", departed Morotai
at 0635 with orders to cover strikes on Tarakan, Borneo, and pick up Dutch prisoners of
War. At 1033, he received an urgent message to investigate report of two rafts with
survivors off Natanel Point on the Island of Basilan located at 06°10'N, 122°45'E. He
sighted empty life rafts and proceeded with search. At 1335 mirror flashes and two flares
were sighted. Lieutenant Rohlfing proceeded to the survivors, landed in a rough sea and
took five survivors aboard. All were members of the 822nd Bomb Squadron, 38th Bomb Group
and are listed as follows: Second Lieutenant Alfred Sqingel,
Second Lieutenant John C. Mealks,
Second Lieutenant Howard Holton,
Staff Sergeant Clarence Landry, Sergeant Dillison J. Holton. Lieutenant Sqingel had a deep laceration of his
left leg. Lieutenant Holton's lip was cut, and Sgt Landry had a badly sprained back. The pilot
stated that while on a bombing and strafing mission over Zamboanga, Southern tip of
Mindanao, one engine quit and they crashed into the sea, killing the tail gunner and
injuring three. The ship went down in 25 minutes. They had ditched their ship at 1430 on
27 December 1944. Lieutenant Rohlfing returned to Morotai at 1745 and transferred the injured to
the 155th Station Hospital.
RESCUED
PERSONNEL:
2Lt Alfred Sqingel, 2Lt John C. Mealks, 2Lt Howard Holton, S/Sgt
Clarence Landry, Sgt Dillison J. Holton, 822nd Bomb Squadron, 38th Bomb Group
AIRCRAFT
TYPE:
OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO:
44-33879
(CV-330)**
CALLSIGN:
"Playmate
Four Two"
CREW:
(Pilot) 1Lt Robert L. Rohlfing,
(Co-Pilot) 2Lt Richard A. Costine, (Navigator) 2Lt
Wayne K. Warner, (Engineer) Pfc Mark M. Rose, (Radio) S/Sgt Zewart,
(V) S/Sgt Albert A. Kurto, (Surgical Technician) Pfc Murphy
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*
Aircraft produced at Canadian Vickers Ldt, Cartierville, Quebec, Canada
** Canadian Vickers contract number that was unique to each
aircraft produced by at Cartierville
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