Warbird Information Exchange

I don't have a lot of I formation on him except for the following:

Name: Francis John McGlogan
MIA: December 12, 1944
Location: Over the North Sea retuning from a bombing run over Germany.

He is a distant cousin and I recently meet his daughter a few years ago while doing doing some research on the family tree. She was only five when he died and does not have a lot of information on him. I would like to help her find more if possible. If anyone knows how I can find his BG, missions on that date and loses, etc. I would appreciate it as would she.

Thank You!

P.S. I know this might not be the right place to post here but there are so many WWII researchers on this site I m hoping someone can help.

Francis J. McGlogan
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # O-716917
704th Bomber Squadron, 446th Bomber Group, Heavy
Entered the Service from: Minnesota
Died: 12-Dec-44
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery
Cambridge, England
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart


From American Battle Monuments website: www.abmc.gov

_________________
Sur Le Nez

MACR 16135 under Mc(space)Glogan

Thank you so much, I would love to find the name of the plane he flew on the day he went missing. This is a great start!

Well, the good news is, I found the MACR in the Fold3 archives. The bad news is, this is hands down the most incomplete MACR I have ever seen, bar none... only thing filled out is the group, squadron, and 5 crew names. No base, no date, no time, no serial, no type, no info on the engines or guns, nothing about when last seen, no witness statements, nothing. And it doesn't even say which position each lost crewman was in- pilot, copilot, radio, or anything. Just an almost completely blank form.

I'm really curious now to know if that was standard in the 466th... why wouldn't they at least take the time to note the basic info?

I'll keep digging, I'm rather intrigued now, particularly as 12/12 is my birthday- I'm always interested to know about historical events on that date.

Lynn

EDIT: Found it!!! From the 466th BG website (http://www.466bg.org):

"December 12: Hanau
The marshalling yards were hit with good results. One plane, "Wedding Belle" (42-95178), crashed in the channel, killing all 11 on board."

11 killed, but only five listed in the MACR:

2LT Francis J McGeogan
2LT John A Bettner
Sgt Joseph F Lubomski
Sgt George E Peck
Sgt Richard J Quigley

What happened to the other six?

EDIT 2: How about a pic? From http://www.b24bestweb.com/weddingbelle2.htm:



There's a different crew in the pic, but it's the same plane.

And from http://www.dvrbs.com/monuments/audubon/AudubonWW2-RichardJQuigley.htm:

"Richard J. Quigley was killed in action on December 12, 1944, while returning from a raid on the railroad marshalling yards at Hanau, Germany. Sergeant Quigley's plane, a B24-J nicknamed "Wedding Belle" (42-95178) crashed into the North Sea at about 15:04 GMT, shortly after taking off. Three of the crew, including co-pilot Second Lieutenant Robert S. Skinner, were not killed instantly by the impact. They were picked up by air/sea rescue but died before being brought ashore." (That explains 8 crewmen- 466BG.org says 11?)

And the last piece of the puzzle on the aircraft ID, from http://www.aviationmuseum.net/aircraft_of_the_446.htm:

she was coded FL-N, and had completed 74 missions before 12 Dec 44.

So, there we go.

If they were not killed instantly in the crash that means that it was walk-away-able.

That means if I am correct that the 5 drowned in the plane while trying to get out.

Which also means there is a B-24 at the bottom of the North Sea with 5 dead Americans inside of her.

_________________
My racing will fund my warbirding. Hopefully...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/ChristopherDeshongRacing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisDRacing

ABMC lists for 704 BS 446 BG show the following with date of death 12DEC44:

0-0 notation references listing on the Wall of the Missing at the cemetery indicated (CA) Cambridge.

GORE JOHN B SGT 35141246 IN 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA

RIGG KENNETH R SGT 12086297 NY 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA

SWEIGART JACOB C SGT 13091805 PA 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA
===========================================================
SKINNER ROBERT S 2LT O-778979 CA 12-Dec-44 (GRAVE) D 7 98 CA
===========================================================
QUIGLEY RICHARD J SGT 32078529 NJ 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA

BETTNER JOHN A 2LT O2065494 NY 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA

LUBOMSKI JOSEPH F SGT 13168192 PA 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA

MCGLOGAN FRANCIS J 2LT O-716917 MN 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA
============================================================
PECK GEORGE E SGT 31332334 CT 12-Dec-44 0 0 CA (Peck was 707 BS 446 BG)

There are a few scenarios to account for the presumed missing two names:

1: They survived

2: They were recovered alive by ASR (as was Skinner) and died before reaching shore...were buried...but repatriated to USA by family after the war. Thus they would not show up in the ABMC lists since they are not buried overseas. (Perhaps contributor with access to records of 446 could check for other personnel losses in other components for 12DEC44?)

3: Were members of some organization other than the four Squadrons of the 446th. (Note: ABMC does not have a separate listing for HQ/446 as many other BGs do. All four Sqns were checked for the date specific and that is how Peck was located.

4: The reference to the number of crew lost is a mathematical typo/error. (McGlogan's daughter lists him (on NWW2 Memorial site) as a Bombardier/Navigator. Why would the crew have 11 men? A lead ship? Extra Navigators as for a Mickey ship? Extra Radar/Radio crew?

Here's number 10...

ASN: 36870870
Rank: Sgt
Name: Arata, Joseph A
State: MI
(Wayne County---Detroit area)
Day: 12
Month: 12
Year: 1944
Details:
B-24H # 42-95178

He is listed KIA in NARA...if he had died after recovery it would be more likely that he would be listed DOW. (Died of Wounds)

http://www.aviationmuseum.net/images/AK43.jpg

Color pic of the nose art...the girl is the June 1944 gatefold from Esquire...classic VARGA!

Here's number 11:

O-720437 Kenneth C Christensen 2L UT 12 12 1944 42-95178

Listed in NARA Books as

CHRISTIANSEN, K C

2 LT K. C. Christiansen
ID: 0-720437
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Sanpete County, UT
Status: KIA

http://image1.findagrave.com/photos250/ ... 433668.jpg

Rule 1: Always double check your sources....Rule 2: Triple check when possible

NOTE: His name is misspelled on the Group website as well....I will go with the correct spelling on the headstone.

ya know, the WIX from time to time, has suffered from flak damage (arguements) in several posts over the years, and it has continued to be patched up and it soldiered on through a few engine changes, and the loss of a few navigational components (posters). This site continues to amaze me in the wealth of information that you guys have and give it to us when we are in search.

As a Next of Kin, she can also go here http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/
and obtain his Official Military Records as per

"If you are a veteran or next-of-kin of a deceased veteran, you may now use vetrecs.archives.gov to order a copy of your military records. For all others, your request is best made using a Standard Form 180. It includes complete instructions for preparing and submitting requests. Please Note: All requests must be in writing, signed and mailed to us at the address shown below."

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63138

Thank you guys.

God luck and good hunting

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

You all never cease to amaze me! This is all great information and I'm intrigued by Claudia's (his daughter) listing. Where did you find it?




Thank You Again! I hope we can find a picture of him.

42-95178 is listed as being an RCM ship, so the extra crewmember was presumably the RCM Operator.

_________________
Paul Bellamy

401BG Association Historian & Honorary Life Member
401BG Historical Society (UK) Member
1st Air Division HQ Historical Society (UK) Founder Member
Director of Archives & Collections, Airfield Research Group Archive, Alconbury
RAF Alconbury Base Historian

Pathfinder and Paul, thanks for your efforts to fill in the blanks- this has been a great collective effort! I'll add a note to the MACR in Fold3 with all the info about the other crew and circumstances of the crash. And EXCELLENT WORK on finding an actual color photo of the nose art- that was seriously impressive.

Cheers!

Lynn