Re: Lobo Crew-photo

LAWRENCE N SMITH, WILLIAM GOTCHER

Posted By: Randy Starkey (email)
Date: 5/22/2019 at 15:50:34

In Response To: Re: Lobo Crew-photo (Bob Askew)

Bob Askew,

Thanks for your message !

Attached is a link to my own researched narrative describing the events of the mission on 1 December 1943, which recorded the loss of three B-24's of the 90th Bomb Group of the 5th Air Force, based at Port Moresby, New Guinea at that time.

http://iagenweb.org/boards/iowa/biographies/index.cgi?read=631333

Please click on the following link to see a photo of the Captain Lawrence Neil Smith crew, in which S/Sgt William Gotcher was gunner when their B-24 was shot down on 1 December 1943, near Wewak, New Guinea. My father, 1st Lieutenant Earl E. Starkey, was co-pilot of the Lt. Harold Mills crew in a B-24D directly behind the Lawrence Smith B-24 when it was shot down. They were flying in formation with other B-24 of the 320th Bomb Squadron during the raid on Wewak.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/82242463/lawrence-neil-smith

I do not know which man is S/Sgt William Gotcher in the photo. If you find out, please let me know at k4jjj@aol.com

Neither the wreckage, nor any crew remains from that aircraft have ever been found.

Regards,

Randall (Randy) Starkey

Messages In This Thread

• Looking for Lawrence N. Smith`s Family (views: 612)
  SMITH
  Randy Starkey -- 3/2/2017 at 13:20:23
  • Re: Looking for Lawrence N. Smith`s Family (views: 466)
    SMITH
    Sandy Ficken -- 3/2/2017 at 16:22:25
    • Re: Looking for Lawrence N. Smith`s Family (views: 553)
      SMITH
      Sandy Ficken -- 3/6/2017 at 14:59:49
  • Re: Lobo Crew-photo (views: 246)
    SMITH
    Bob Askew -- 5/22/2019 at 15:50:34
    • Re: Lobo Crew-photo (views: 364)
      LAWRENCE N SMITH, WILLIAM GOTCHER
      Randy Starkey -- 5/22/2019 at 15:50:34