George R. Dall, born in 1920 at Ohio. NOTE: the photo is thought to be of Lt. Walling's B-24 Liberator aircrew (Lt. Dall is in standing row).

Graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 1941, and later enlisted as a Private in the Army Air Forces on 24 November 1942 at Los Angeles, California.

From April through September 1944, underwent B-29 aircraft transition and combat crew training at Pratt Army Air Field, Kansas.

In Nov 1944, deployed to the Central Pacific Theatre of Operations and was assigned to 20th Air Force, XXI Bomber Command, 73rd Bomb Wing, 497th Bombardment Group, 871st Bomb Squadron stationed at Isley Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

On 13 Dec 1944 his crew took-off at 1909hrs aboard "Dixie Darling" on a XXI BC weather strike mission (WSM #23A), but returned at 0950hrs on 14 Dec 1944 with engine trouble and without hitting the target.

On 18 December 1944, he flew as the Flight Engineer aboard a Boeing B-29 Superfortress nicknamed "Dixie Darling" (Serial #42-63413) Tail Code: A-Square-45.

It was one of 89 aircraft launched in a multi-group formation to bombard the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Company and Aircraft Engine Plants near Nagoya, Japan.

However approximately 80 nautical miles west of Iwo Jima, his aircraft was last sighted leaving the formation at a geographic location of 24 degrees +33 minutes North and 139 degrees +50 minutes East. Weather at the time was under-cast with a ceiling of 10,000 feet and less than 3 miles of visibility at sea level.

His aircraft never returned to Saipan and was presumed to have been forced to ditch due to mechanical problems. A routine sea search failed to reveal any trace of the plane or survivors.

George R Dall