Compiled 11-11-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–11 Aviation Safety Network. USAAF C-47 crashes on hillside, Tripura district, India, 5-17-1946.

–11 Baugher. “1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437).” 9-1-2023 revision.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 14:

“Date: Friday 17 May 1946

“Type: Douglas C-37B-1-DK (DC-3)

“Operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF

“Registration: 43-48308

“MSN: 25569/14124

….

“Crew: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3

“Passengers: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8

“Total: Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11

….

“Location: within India

“Phase: En route (ENR)

“Nature: Military

“Departure airport: Yangon-Mingaladon Airport…Myanmar (Burma at the time)[1]

“Destination airport: Barrackpore Air Base… [West Bengal] India.[2]

“Narrative:

“Crashed on a wooded hillside. The airplane was carrying the remains of allied prisoners of war (POW) from Rangoon to Calcutta-Barrackpore. The pilot radioed Barrackpore at 06:10 UTC to report he had passed over Akyab at 05:30 UTC, was flying on instruments, and expected to arrive at Barrackpore at 08:00 UTC. At 06:15 UTC he called for weather, which Barrackpore had to send twice due to heavy atmospheric interference. At 07:05 UTC the pilot mistakenly responded to a call from Barrackpore to another aircraft and said he had nothing for Barrackpore. This was the last contact with the flight.

“On November 5, 2009, Clayton Kuhles of miarecoveries.org claimed to have located the wreckage near Birmani Kami in Tripura in India. During late 2013, the reported wreckage was investigated by a team from the United States Department of Defense’s JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command). They concluded the wreckage was in fact the crash site of Convair CV-240-7 AP-AEG crashed March 14, 1953.”

Baugher: “….Douglas C-47B-1-DK….48308 (MSN 14124/25569).…Missing en route from Rangoon, Burma to Calcutta, India 17May46 [11MIA]….

“Delivered to USAAF 2Aug44. European Division, Air Transport. “North Africa Division, Air Transport Command..1304th Base Unit, Foreign Service Station Headquarters, India Wing, Air Transport Command, Barrackpore, India….

On 10May45 this C-47 and its crew were sent to Singapore. On 15May they were assigned on temporary duty with US Army detachment in India, APO 465 for duty with the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS).

“On 17May46 the aircraft took off on a flight from Mingaladon airport, Rangoon, Burma bound for Barrackpore near Calcutta, India. The passengers were members of American Graves Registration Service (AGRS). Two passengers were en route to a conference and had in their possession complete information on aircraft crash sites, Japanese executions and isolated burials obtained after weeks of investigations in Burma, Siam, Malay Straits, Java and Andaman Islands. In addition, the cargo consisted of twelve cases containing the remains of 37 individuals from the Rangoon POW prison, plus five unidentified sets of remains exhumed from an isolated location, (crew members of B-24 “Bugs Bunny” 42-73222). The last contact with the C-47 was over Akyab Island (Sittwe) and the pilot radioed that he was heading northeast over land en route to Barrackpore airfield. The plane was never heard from again….”

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1946, p. 14. USAAF C-47 crashes on hillside, Tripura district, India, 5-17-1946. Accessed 11-12-2023 at:

https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19460517-1

Baugher, Joseph F. “1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437).” 9-1-2023 revision. Accessed 11-12-2023 at: https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html

[1] British airport in WW II, named RAF Mingaladon. (Wikipedia. “Yangon International Airport.” 10-26-2023 edit.)

[2] Used as reconnaissance airfield by USAAF during WW II. (Wikipedia. Barrackpore Air Force Sation.” 1-23-2023.

1946 — May 17, USAAF C-47 carrying POW remains hits hillside, Tripura district, India–all 11