World War II report filed; Wallingford man's plane found
By Dan Champagne, Record-Journal Staff (CT)
WALLINGFORD Ñ John Moore has been waiting more than 60 years for an answer as to the whereabouts of his brother. He's still not sure.
Moore's brother, James Moore, was a B-24 tail gunner during World War II when the plane, on its 120th mission and carrying 11 crewmembers, crashed in the mountains of New Guinea, a large tropical island north of Australia.
Moore recently received a letter from the Department of the Army's Repatriation and Family Affairs Divisions detailing the latest investigation into the crash. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command provided the documents, dated Dec. 27, 2004.
The letter states that the investigation involved, "The 20 November 1943 loss of a B-24D aircraft that crashed near Engati on Mount Eiyawaiy, New Guinea resulting in the loss of 11 crewmen."
According to the letter, an investigation also took place in the area in 1987 where they, "obtained possible human remains" of the Army Air Corps men. But it was recommended that the site be left alone until a safety assessment could be made, which was the point of the latest investigation.
The report states that no human remains or personal effects were found during the 2004 investigation, because the area surrounding the remains of the aircraft was too dangerous.
"Total area excavation in this region would be extremely dangerous since it would destabilize the existing landslide deposits and potentially weaken underlying bedrock," the report states.
The aircraft is in, "a gully complex containing a major landslide measuring over 150-200 meters long" and up to 40 meters wide.
It further described the scene by stating, "wreckage is distributed throughout the landslip with loose fragments of aircraft skin and aluminum visible on the deposit surface and also firmly wedged/crushed" in the ground.
Calls to the Department of the Army's Repatriation and Family Affairs Division were not returned Tuesday.
So what did this report mean for John Moore, who had DNA samples taken in November in hopes of identifying his brother's remains?
"I was quite surprised at the letter, but I was also a little happy because at least they saw the plane," said Moore, 85, who served in the Marine Corps in World War II. "I know in my heart that it's his plane so at least I know he's not Missing in Action somewhere."
But when asked if he was absolutely sure that his brother was killed in the plane crash Moore replied, "I want to wait right until the end and actually see the dog tags."
Other family members had also kept hope alive.
Maureen Moore, John's daughter and James' niece, has said that her grandmother, Mary Ellen, always kept a candle lit because, "she was sure he was going to come back." Maureen Moore could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
John Moore said if his brother's remains are ever identified, he plans to bury them in a plot near his mother in Massachusetts.
But with the latest bit of information that Moore has received, he knows that plan has become less likely.
"I'm not sure that's ever going to happen," Moore said.