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Operation: Heho Aerodrome, Burma (Myanmar)
Date: 18th October 1943 (Monday)
Unit No: 9th Bombardment Squadron (H), 7th Bombardment Group (H), 10th Air Force
Type: B-24D
Serial No: 41-24126
Code: Unknown
Base: Pandaveswar Airfield, India
Location: About forty (40) miles west of Heho Airdrome, Burma (Myanmar)
Pilot: 2nd Lt. William Stewart McHenry Jr. DSC, O-797159 AAF Age 26. KiA (1)
Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. Arthur Walter Zipperian DFC, O-746505 AAF Age 26 KiA
Navigator: 2nd Lt. Irving Raubitschek O-798878 AAF Age 23. KiA
Bomb Aimer: 2nd Lt. Gerald Chester ‘Gerry’ Funk O-671415 AAF Age 25. PoW *
Engineer: S/Sgt. John William Hubbard 34279839 AAF Age 24. PoW *
Radio Operator: T/Sgt. Charles August Pittard 39251123 AAF Age 23. PoW */DED **/MiA (2)
Assistant Radio Op: S/Sgt. Obra Addron Wagoner 35163717 AAF Age 23. PoW *
Armament Gnr: S/Sgt. Horace Benjamin Doyal 14139069 AAF Age 20. PoW *
Armament Gnr: S/Sgt. Benedict Anthony Lukas 32559293 AAF Age 28 PoW *
* Burma #5 (Moulmein & Rangoon Jail)
** DED = Declared dead
REASON FOR LOSS:
A statement provided by S/Sgt. Edward T. Friedmann 6664233 described the mission and the loss of B-25D 41-24126:
“On the 18th of October 1943 I participated in a bombing mission with object being Heho Airdrome. I was flying as rear turret gunner in the last ship in a seven (7) ship formation. During the enemy attack one of the gunners in my own ship reported that one of our own ships had been hit. The crippled ship fell back to about six o’clock on our tail and losing altitude, about that time one man baled out. The ship followed along behind the formation still losing altitude and falling back farther. The enemy seeing this turned the attack towards the crippled ship. One of the passes a Zero fighter made, I saw the left wing blow off and go down in a sheet of flames at the same time the fuselage, with the right wing intact, nose down and was last seen plunging through the clouds. I did not see any more parachutes open”.
Capt. Raymond L. Cawood, O-742283, who was based at Marana Army Air Field, Marana, Arizona, later provided some additional information. During October 1943 when he was stationed at Pandaveswar, India, in the 9th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group. At that time he was acting as Co-Pilot for 2nd Lt. William S. McHenry Jr. combat crew. The other members of the crew were:
Co-pilot: 2nd Lt. Arthur T. Zipperian;
Navigator: 2nd Lt. Irving Raubitachek;
Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Gerald C. Funk;
Engineer: S/Sgt. John I. Hubbard;
Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Charles A. Pittard;
Asst Engineer: S/Sgt. John D. Bonder;
Asst Radio Op: S/Sgt. James M. Mckernan;
Arm Gnr: S/Sgt. Verl E. Coddington;
Arm Gnr: S/Sgt. Obra A. Wagoner.
On the 18th October 1943 he was detailed temporary duty at Agra, India. During his absence 2nd Lt. Zipperian was appointed as Co-Pilot to 2nd Lt. McHenry Jr. On returning to base on the 19th October 1943 I was informed by 2nd Lt. George Elliot, now deceased, of Lt. McHenry’s failure to return from the mission. 2nd Lt. Elliot told me that 2nd Lt. McHenry was flying position #3 in the 1st element and that after leaving the target area, they were attacked by fighters. 2nd Lt. McHenry’s plane was seen to be on fire and begun losing altitude immediately. Two men were seen to leave the airplane by parachute before it disappeared into an undercast.
Note: 2nd Lt. George Truett Elliot O-670990, S/Sgt. John D. Bonder, 33276178 and S/Sgt. Verl E. Coddington, 39832131 were the Pilot, Asst Eng and Arm Gnr respectively and were KiA. Their B-24J 42-73183 was shot down on the 1st December 1943 with all aboard KiA.
Note: S/Sgt. James M. Mckernan, was the Asst Eng aboard B-24J 42-73435 which was lost on the 5th April 1944 .
He had no idea which two members of the crew had baled out. The aircraft was reported to be obviously out of control as it disappeared into the undercast. The position of the place at that time was approximately forty (40) miles west of Heho Airdrome in northern Burma.
(1) 2nd Lt. McHenry Jr. was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) for extraordinary heroism.
Citation: "After his bomber was severely damaged, Second Lieutenant McHenry skilfully controlled his airplane long enough for six members of the crew to bail out before a wing was ripped from the fuselage and his bomber crashed in flames. The personal courage and zealous devotion to duty displayed by Second Lieutenant McHenry on this occasion, at the cost of his life, have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army Air Forces".
(2) 1st Lt. Pittard died (Declared dead (DED) on the 8th June 1944) whilst being held as a PoW at the Burma #5 camp known as the New Law Courts Jail, Rangoon, Burma. A British Military Court convened in Rangoon, Burma between the 6th and 19th June 1946 determined that his death was deemed to be a war crime.
Four (4) members of the Imperial Japanese Army were charged with committing a war crime in that they, at the New Law Courts Jail Annex, Rangoon, Burma, between the 1st March 1944 and 1st May 1945 when members of the Staff of the Jail and were responsible for the well-being of the prisoners in custody there, in violation of the laws and usages of war, were together concerned as parties to the ill-treatment resulting in the deaths of seventeen (17) and other American PoW, and physical suffering to other American PoW in custody at the jail.
The four (4) accused were:
Captain (Rikugun-tai-i) TAZUMI Motozo;
1st Lieutenant (Rikugun-Chūi) ONISHI Akio;
Sergeant Major (Rikugun-Sōchō) UENO Kiyoshi;
Superior Private (Rikugun-Jōtō-Hei) UENO Koigetsu.
Note: the Japanese word Rikugun preceding a rank indicates that it relates to the army.
Capt. TAZUMI was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the Futo Buntai prison, also known as the New Law Courts Jail Annex, from 15th March 1944 until May 1944. Lt. ONISHI was the Medical Officer (MO) at the Jail from the 4th May 1944 to the 15th April 1945.
Sgt Maj. UENO was the Quartermaster in change of purchasing food and drawing rations for the entire personnel for the Jail from March 1944 until the evacuation on or about the 25th April 1945.
Sup Pvt. UENO was a member of the guard at the Jail from the 25th April 1943 to 10th October 1944.
During the period April 1943 to May 1945 approximately one-hundred (100) American PoWs were incarcerated in the Annex where they were kept in confinement under harsh and oppressive regulations without proper or adequate food, covering, sanitation facilities and medical attention. During this time the PoWs were subjected to brutal beatings and maltreatment by members of the staff of the jail and in particular by Sup Pvt. UENO.
The treatment of the PoWs directly contributed the deaths of the following seventeen (17) named Americans, and other PoWs:
Sgt. Norman E. Albinson, Sgt. John E. Leisure, Cpl. Julius F. Yackie, T/Sgt. Charles A. Pittard, S/Sgt. Jack R. Sheets, 1st Lt. Robert D. Drummey, 1st Lt. Burdette C. Goodrich, Capt. Armin J. Ortmeyer, 2nd Lt. Joseph G. Rich, 2nd Lt. Burdette H. Baker, 1st Lt. James M. Grey, S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez, Capt. Wayne R. Westberg, 2nd Lt. Everitt E. Briggs Jr., 1st Lt. Paul E. Almand, FO. Gene Gambale, Sgt. J. Brown. (No corroborated information for a US airman by this name has been found).
The court found TAZUMI guilty of the charge except in the case of the deaths of the seventeen (17) named Americans and other PoWs.
ONISHI was found guilty of the ill-treatment resulting in the death of 1st Lt. Robert D. Drummey and contributing to the deaths of Sgt. Norman E. Albinson, 1st Lt. Burdette C. Goodrich, Capt. Armin J. Ortmeyer, 2nd Lt. Joseph G. Rich, 2nd Lt. Burdette H. Baker, 1st Lt. James M. Grey, S/Sgt. Frank Rodriguez, 2nd Lt. Everitt E. Briggs Jr., 1st Lt. Paul E. Almand and Sgt. J. Brown.
Sgt Maj. UENO and Sup Pvt. UENO were found guilty of the charge except in the case of the deaths of the seventeen (17) named Americans and other PoWs.
The court sentenced TAZUMI, UENO Kiyoshi and UENO Koigetsu to 7 years, 3 years and 15 years imprisonment respectively.
ONISHI was sentence to death, however, upon review on the 14th March 1947 the sentence of death was commuted to imprisonment for life.
The remains of T/Sgt. Charles A. Pittard were recovered on the 5th May 1946 from the Rangoon Cantonment Cemetery by the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS). On the 17th May 1946 their remains were loaded aboard C-47B 43-48308 of the 1304th AAF Base Unit to be transported from Mingaladon in Rangoon to Barrackpore in India. The aircraft failed to arrive at the ETA and despite an extensive air search no trace of any wreckage on land or sea was found and the aircraft, crew, passengers and the remains of this airmen along with another thirty-seven (37) are still missing to this day.
Burial details:
The remains of 2nd Lt. William S. McHenry Jr., 2nd Lt. Arthur W. Zipperian and 2nd Lt. Irving Raubitschek were repatriated and buried in a joint grave on the 19th July 1949.
2nd Lt. William Stewart McHenry Jr. Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), Air Medal (AM). Arlington National Cemetery, Sec 34, Grave 4909, Virginia. Born on the 31st July 1917 in Carneys Point, New Jersey. Son of William S. and Jane H. McHenry of Newburgh, New York. Husband to Cornelia Vanderbilt (née Kissam) McHenry of Newburgh, New York, USA.
2nd Lt. Arthur Walter Zipperian. Distinguished Flying Medal (DFC). Arlington National Cemetery, Sec 34, Grave 4909, Virginia. Born on the 14th March 1917 in Great Falls, Montana. Son of Christ and Sabina A. (née Moigg) Zipperian of Great Falls, Montana. Husband to Carol Leone (née Doherty) Zipperian of Great Falls, Montana, USA.
The gravestone marker inscription has an incorrect spelling of his surname
2nd Lt. Irving Raubitschek. Air Medal (AM). Arlington National Cemetery, Sec 34, Grave 4909, Virginia. Born circa 1921 in The Bronx, New York. Son of Herbert and Sadie Raubitschek of The Bronx, New York. Husband to Sylvia Raubitschek of The Bronx, New York, USA.
Above: T/Sgt. Charles A. Pittard, Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing (Courtesy of the ABMC)
T/Sgt. Charles August Pittard. Air Medal (AM), Purple Heart (PH). Manila American Cemetery, Walls of the Missing. Born on the 13th April 1921 Lawrence, Massachusetts. His father was born in England and his mother in Massachusetts. Husband to Helen l. Pittard of Dracut, Massachusetts, USA.
Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to this crew and their families (Jan 2025).
Other sources listed below:
RS 16.01.2025 - Initial Upload
RS 16.01.2025 - Initial Upload
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