Crew / Passengers lost on C-47 #41-7803

23 August 1942

The crew was performing a personnel transport from Prestwick to RAF Atcham on behalf of the 64th Transport Group. While flying northeast of Denbigh, the pilot encountered cloudy conditions and the visibility was poor.

While flying too low, the aircraft hit the north slope of Mt Moel y Gaer located near Bodfari and was destroyed upon impact. A passenger was seriously injured while all 12 other occupants were killed.

Crew (64th TG):

Pilot: 1st Lt Charles Edward Williams, MN

Co Pilot: 1st Lt Richard Pazder, IL

2nd Lt Theodore F. Furness Jr., PA

2nd Lt Morris B. Penner, MO

Passengers:

Pvt Harry R. Adams, MO

T/Sgt Jonathan B. Akers, TX

T/Sgt Robert E. Anderson, IA

T/Sgt Isreal Gross, NY

T/Sgt Herman A. Hermes, CA

T/Sgt Raymond S. Nash, OR

T/Sgt Jesse L. Patterson, IA

T/Sgt George A. Lesikar, TX 1913-2006

Sources:

www.findagrave.com

www.americanairmuseum.com

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL on Moel y Gaer: 12 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (baaa-acro.com)

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (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 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.

Raymond S Nash