Commando 41-24702

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

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-24702

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26623

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU263

FATE: Written off

  September 1943 to January 1944

  41-24702 - USAAF (USA)

19 September 1943

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

16 December 1943

Assigned to ATC India-China Wing.

18 December 1943

Went missing over French Guiana (5/5 missing). [MACR 1244]

The Commando was in South America, being ferried from the USA to Assam, India. It was flying a leg between Georgetown, British Guiana and Belem, Brazil. It was last sighted at 1031 hours, 304 miles southeast of Georgetown, and the last radio transmission from the crew was while flying southeast of Zandery, Surinam on a course which was direct to Amapa, Brazil. Search and Rescue was conducted by Naval Aviation Squadron VB-131 stationed in Zandery, and all transiting aircraft in the area were informed of this missing Commando. They participated in the search by flying set courses with the purpose of covering as much area as possible and performing a thorough search of the area. No trace of the aircraft was found.

Crew:
FO Fred P. Meisenheimer, Pilot
2nd Lt William B. Schmidt, Copilot
2nd Lt Joseph E. McMillan, Navigator
Pfc Roy O. Horn, Radio Operator
Pvt Joseph A. Russell, Engineer

1 January 1944

Condemned for salvage.

Unknown date

Wreckage discovered by locals 18 km southeast of Saul, French Guiana. Crew remains recovered, transfered to Saul and buried there under the supervision of French Missionary Reverend Maurice Didier. [crash site actually described as 5 miles northeast of Balourou, the location of which is fairly vague]

October to November 1946

Crew remains recovered from Saul, French Guiana by a USAAF search party, and transfered to an American military cemetery in Trinidad.