1LT Benjamin Franklin Edwards (1919-1944) - Find A Grave Memorial

Born 17 January 1919 in Eddyville, Iowa. Enlisted as a Private in the Army Coast Artillery Corps on 9 April 1941 at Fort MacArthur near San Pedro, California. Transferred to the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet and completed Pre-Flight Training. Graduated from Aerial Navigation School Training and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.

Underwent B-29 aircraft transition and Navigator combat crew training at Walker Army Air Field near Hays, Kansas. Deployed to the Central Pacific Theatre of Operations and was assigned to 20th Air Force, XXI Bomber Command, 73rd Bomb Wing, 500th Bombardment Group, 881st Bomb Squadron stationed at Isley Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

On 3 December 1944, he flew as the Navigator aboard a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, nicknamed "Rosalia Rocket" (Serial #42-24656) Tail Code Z-Square-1.

Z-SQ-1 was one of 86 aircraft launched in a multi-group formation to bombard the Musashino Aircraft Works and Nakajima Aircraft Engine Factory near Tokyo, Japan. Flak from anti-aircraft artillery was fairly heavy over the target area, and enemy fighter aircraft attacks were described as moderate, with 75 passes reported. After bombs away, his aircraft was attacked by a band of about 14 Mitsubishi A6M3 "Hamp" fighter planes, inflicting damage to the #2, #3, and #4 engines, and setting the forward fuselage on-fire.

His aircraft crashed in a rice paddy near Kamishiro village approximately 45 miles north of Tokyo. Unable to escape the burning bomber, he was killed in the crash.

https://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/Plaque.aspx?honoreeID=2353858

Benjamin F Edwards