Mokokchung [Nagaland], August 13 (HornbillTV): The Molungkimong Village Council held a memorial service on 11 August to mark the 77th anniversary of the crash of a United States Army Air Force plane. The service was held at the crash site where there is a memorial erected and dedicated by the Village Council on 22 December 2020.
The crash happened on 11 August 1944 during WWII and the plane was an F-7A Photo Reconnaissance Liberator with tail number 42-64189. It was flying on a combat mission from Jorhat, India to Kunming, China and all twelve on board were killed.
The plane belonged to the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron based in Gushkara, West Bengal and its role was to take aerial photography of uncharted enemy territories which would then be used to make detailed maps crucial to winning the war. However, on this day, it was also carrying three passengers along with cargos comprising of gasoline, bombs and ammunition.
China was completely surrounded by Japanese forces and the only way to keep the supplies flowing to Chinese forces and American forces stationed in China was through the 550 miles air route through the Himalayan mountains from airfields in Assam to Kunming in China.
The altitude, extreme weather condition, icing of wings and presence of Japanese fighters made this route perilous and American pilots nicknamed it, 'the Hump'. Chick Marrs Quin's in her book, The Aluminum Trail lists more than 700 planes that went down in the course of 'The Hump' operation costing some 1,200. Many of them still remain untraced.
At the time of the crash, the hospitality showed to the American search party and the Christian burial accorded by the villagers was something unexpected of a people misconstrued as head hunting savages.
The inscription on the crude cross which the villagers had erected over the grave read, "The noble and brave men of America, like the stars of heaven of their lives, leaving their sweet homes, sacrifice their lives for our country in the falls of this happy shining stream."
Details about the crash were unearthed through research in 2020 and efforts have been made to inform the relatives in America. Although the relatives and countrymen could not attend the memorial service physically, they took part by sending audio and video messages and also by donating flowers to be placed at the memorial. The Americans expressed their gratitude towards to India in general and the Naga Villagers in particular for the memorialization efforts and bringing a closure to their fallen relatives which had remained unknown to them for 76 years.
The fallen crew were First Lieutenant James T Caraway the Pilot, Second Lieutenant Raymond Kurzawski the Navigator, Second Lieutenant Daniel S Longfellow the Co-pilot, Captain Joseph E Haynes, Master Sergeant George B Abbott, Technical Sergeant Glenn B Carnes, Staff Sergeant Leon M Winslow, Staff Sergeant Walter H Jones, Staff Sergeant Alford H Gray, Sergeant A D Whaley, Sergeant Emery D Crouch and Corporal Jerome B Brenner.