1Lt Nathan Margolies, B-24 Pilot, MIA after Being Forced to Ditch Plane

SN O-806295

Nathan Margolies was born in Brooklyn, New York to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Morris and Rose (Blast) Margolies, on July 6,1915. He joined two older brothers, Herman and George Margolies, to complete the family. His father, Morris, was a clerk at a law office, and his mother, Rose, was a homemaker.

In the 1940 US Census, Nathan had graduated from high school and was working in the linoleum floor covering business. He was still living at home helping to support his mother, Rose, after his father died in 1939, as were his two older brothers and an uncle.

On May 15, 1942, Margolies enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. He received his wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant in July 1943 at Columbus, Mississippi Air Force Base. Lt. Margolies was assigned to the 9th Bomb Squadron, 7th Bomb Group, 10th Air Force out of Pandaveswar Army Air Base, West Bengal, India.

Lt Margolies was piloting B-24L (tail #44-49607), his 55th mission, on March 24, 1945. Their assignment was an air raid over the Burma-Siam Railroad (Bridge 633). The crew of 10 took off from Pandavewar Army Air Base, West Bengal, India with clear skies flying at an altitude of 2500 ft. They were one hour and forty minutes into the flight when the #1 engine began rapidly losing oil pressure. The plane was forced to reverse course and return to India. Lt Margolies ordered the bombs to be immediately salvoed as well as the bomb bay gas tank, but the plane continued to lose 1000 feet of altitude per minute. Margolies ordered his crew to bail out and he prepared to ditch the plane. Six of the men were able to bail out while Margolies and three others ditched the B-24 in the mangrove swampland of the Ganges Delta near the Hooghly River, India. The crash left 1Lt Margolies “jammed behind the controls with a severely lacerated head injury,” according to TSgt. Stanley P. Sadloski in his statement (MACR 13435) about the crash. TSgt Sadloski saw the plane sink, confirming the final fate of 1Lt Nathan Margolies. He continued piloting the plane …”because he was concerned about making sure of everyone's safety before bailing out himself,” according to TSgt Sadloski. This selfless act saved the lives of six of his men. Neither Lt Margolies nor his B-24 plane was ever recovered. SSgt. Edward Reed died after swimming ashore where his body was recovered. 1st Lt. Edwin F. Scranton and SSgt. John E. Cunningham also died as a result of the crash and was not recovered. The remaining men were rescued the following day.

Awards:

Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Unit Citation, Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars. World War II Victory Medal.

Crew:

1st Lt. Nathan Margolies (pilot) MIA/ditched with aircraft

1st Lt. Arhtur R. Chaffee (co-pilot) Returned to duty

1st Lt. Edwin F. Scranton (navigator) MIA

1st Lt. James W. Meredith (bombardier) Returned to duty

TSgt. Stanley P. Sadloski (engineer) ditched with aircraft/Returned to duty

TSgt James F. Nelson (radio op) Returned to duty

SSgt. Edward Reed (asst engineer) KIA. Ditched with aircraft

SSgt. John E. Cunningham (armorer-gunner) MIA/bailed out very low. The chute did not open

SSgt Leo Moriarity (armorer-gunner) ditched with aircraft/Returned to duty

SSgt. Kenneth W. Herald (armorer-gunner) Returned to duty

UPDATE:

The three MIA crew members were given a military honors memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery on May 26, 2005. Eighteen guests from all three families attended the ceremony, which included some 70 Army personnel, a seven-horse caisson team with a flag-draped mock casket, an escort platoon, pall bearers, a brass band, and a color guard. The service was conducted by both an Army chaplain and a civilian rabbi--the latter for the pilot's family. Following a three-volley gun salute and "Taps," three folded flags were presented to the next of kin from the families. Memorial headstones for Lt. Margolies, Lt. Scranton, and S/Sgt. Cunningham had been installed prior to the ceremony. ATWS member Walt Webb, cousin of Lt. Scranton, organized the event.

Lt Nathan Margolies gave his life in service to his country and should be remembered for his sacrifice and dedication to duty. Today, he is memorialized in two places: A cenotaph marker was placed in 1988 in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia in Section: MF, Grave: 46-D-12 and on the Tablets of the Missing at the Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Philippines.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Together We Served and on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story. If you have any details, photos, or corrections for this story, please email me by clicking on my name.

Debi Lehman - Contributing Author, Stories Behind the Stars

SBTS Project/New York/Kings

Sources:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22055857

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56752739/nathan-margolies..

https://www.fold3.com/Missing Air Crew Report 13435

https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/7th_Bombardment_Group.cfm

https://www.fold3.com/Individual Casuality Questionaire Nathan Margolies

1920 US Census Margolies Family

1930 US Census Margolies Family

1940 US Census Margolies Family

U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 for Nathan Margolies

https://www.fold3.com/record/529967713/nathan-margolies-american-battle-monuments-commission

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/44-49607/index.html

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle 06 Jul 1943, Tue · Page 9

Margolies, Nathan, 1st Lt