Commando 42-96713

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-96713

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30375

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU911

FATE: Written off

  August 1944 to December 1944

  42-96713 - USAAF (USA)

28 August 1944

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

29 October 1944

Assigned to 20^th Air Force, XX Bomber Command, 2^nd Air Transport Squadron (Mobile), based at RAF Kalaikunda, Bengal, India.

31 October 1944

Moved with 2^nd Air Transport Squadron to Dergaon, Assam, India.

November 1944

Moved with 2^nd Air Transport Squadron to Luliang, Yunnan, China.

16 December 1944

Went missing near Ipin, Sichuan, China (4/4 missing).

Crew:
1^st Lt Robert M. Cole, Pilot
2^nd Lt Robert E. Smith, Copilot
Sgt Charles F. Flynn, Jr, Engineer
Sgt John L. Vousden, Radio Operator

The Commando was operating a cargo flight between Luliang, Yunnan and Hsinching, Sichuan, China. They were last contacted by radio stating they were over Ipin, Sichuan and were neither seen nor heard from again.

19 December 1944

Condemned for salvage.