Commando 41-24694

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24694

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26615

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU255

FATE: Written off

  September 1943 to June 1944

  41-24694 - USAAF (USA)

15 September 1943

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

18 January 1944

Assigned to ATC India-China Wing based at Station 11, Missamari, Assam, India.

27 May 1944

Went missing over India (3/4 fatalities). [MACR 5323]

Crew:
1^st Lt Murray K. Jacobs Jr., Pilot (missing, pictured below left)
2^nd Lt Franklin J. Murphy, Copilot (missing, pictured below right)
SSgt John M. Franklin (missing)
Lee M. Shull (survived)

Crashed in unknown circumstances enroute from Chittagong, Bengal, India to Imphal, Manipur, India. Three crew members were killed while the fourth was rescued. [suspicions that the aircraft may have crashed in the region of Missamari, Assam, India seem unfounded as this would be very far away from the planned route]

9 June 1944

Condemned for salvage.

Right: Indian troops boarding 41-24694.
Photo credit: Weapons of WWII / Aircraft & Air-launched Weapons