850th/859th BSs
Maxwell Crew

Shown above at Mountain Home AAF in the summer of 1944, the Maxwell crew arrived at Harrington from the 8th AF Replacement Depot at Stone during the first half of August 1944. They arrived in time for a few Carpetbagger missions and the gas haul period of late September 1944. Transferred to the 859th BS later in the year, they left for the MTO in December of 1944 as an eight-man crew augmented by William W. Elliot, leaving Carella, Radcliff, and Tinsley behind. The 8-man crew was KIA over Yugoslavia. At Harrington, they had flown seven gashaul missions.

Back Row, L-R:
Kyle B.    Jones         - Gunner         ASN 34728758    (KIA)
Lionel A.  Tetzloff      - Engineer       ASN 17109621    (KIA)
Harry A.   Tinsley       - Gunner         ASN 18083488    (Orphaned)
Dale S.    Radcliff      - Gunner         ASN 15331450    (Orphaned)
William P. Kavenaugh     - R.O.           ASN 14201481    (KIA)
Theodore   Carrella      - Gunner         ASN 32892802    (Orphaned)

Front Row, L-R:
Robert C.  Jackson       - Bombardier     ASN 0718102     (KIA)
Francis I. Cervantes     - Navigator      ASN 0703606     (KIA)
Frank S.   Marcus,Jr.    - Copilot        ASN 0823411     (KIA)
Robert W.  Maxwell       - Pilot          ASN 0823426     (KIA)

Not Pictured:
William W. Elliot        - Gunner         ASN 33686693    (KIA)

ASNs so-colored for EMs link to their NARA Enlistment Records.

The following report of their incident was filed:

B-24 42-7563 departed its base at 1019 hours on 9 February 1945 on a day operational mission. No W/T or radio telephone contact was ever established with the A/C.

Interrogation of other crews of the group who had returned from the same mission revealed that two crews had seen what they thought to be an explosion in mid-air at approximately 44° 46'N and 14° 56'E. The crews also reported seeing a large fire on the ground a moment later at the same coordinates... James A. Seccafico, Capt, Air Corps, Operations Officer.

From the Fifteenth Special Group (Provisional)
Unit History for the month of February 1945

Picture courtesy Gary Mailander, nephew of Robert Maxwell.

Incident Aircraft: B24 42-7563 "Hell's Warrior"