MIA Bombardier’s insignia grouping

[Witt]

Nice pinback pair of Sterling Bombardier wings made by A.E. Co. of Utica, NY




This little grouping of USAAF insignia was given to me by a distant relative. These were from his uncle who was missing for 17 years after their B-24 disappeared over Kings Canyon National Park. I believe there was more items that were sent home, but this is all he had possession of.
The insignia belonged to 2nd Lt. Ellis H. Fish of the 461st Bomb Group, 765th Bomb Squadron. He was born in Minnesota in 1916 later moving to La Crosse to attend college. He began pilot training at Fort Snelling in February 1942 although he was redirected to bombardier training after washing out. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in August 1943 and training as a bombardier at Hammer Field in Fresno, California. The night of December 5, 1943 they took off from Hammer Field in B-24E #41-28463 for a nighttime training mission eastward towards Kings Canyon National Park. They were reported missing after failing to return to the airfield. Dozens of searches turned up empty over the next 16 years. It wasn’t until July 17, 1960 when two geologists came across some of the wreckage. The plane had crashed into the Sierra Nevada mountains and sunk into Hester Lake below. Two military expeditions in the following months had the wreckage and remains pulled up from the 110ft depths of the lake. The recovery was incredibly difficult due to freezing water temps, deep depth, and the remote location of the lake above 11,000ft within the Sierra Nevada range. The six crew members were finally put to rest at Arlington 17 years after being killed in the crash.


The resting site of Lake Hester and the impact site of the B-24 above it.




Starboard nose panel where the pilot’s tube arm was attached





Crew:
-Navigator, 2nd Lt. William T. Cronin 15.10.19
-Bombardier, 2nd Lt. Ellis H. Fish 12.6.16
-Co Pilot, 2nd Lt. Robert M. Hester 13.12.19
-Radio Op, Sgt. Howard A. Wandtke 30.11.23
-Pilot, 2nd Lt. Charles W. Turvey 23.7.21
-Flight Engineer, S/Sgt. Robert O. Bursey





Ben

[MAP]

Very interesting Ben. Thanks for sharing

[BlackCat1982]

Very poignant group. Nice to see that the crew now rest in peace together at Arlington. A tragic story.

[paulscoot]

It really is incredible how many servicemen on all sides perished without firing a single shot in anger. Nice that you became custodian of this poignant grouping. Regards Paul

[AZPhil]

Very nice grouping.
Thanks for keeping their memories alive.

Semper Fi
Phil