Navigator of the crew aboard Army personnel transport plane (C-54E #44-9078 - MACR 16085)

GALLAGHER; JOSEPH F
UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCES
WORLD WAR II
PA
Individual Type Unaccounted For; Missing In Action
Rank 1st Lt
Service Number O-697840
Location North Sea or Tyrrhenian Sea
Date of Loss 6/01/1946
Unit 1377 ARMY AIR FORCE BASE UNIT

From Find A Grave

Husband of Alice Gallagher who resided in Trenton, New Jersey.

Joseph served as a First Lieutenant & Navigator on C-54E #44-9078, 1304th Army Air Force Base Unit, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He was normally assigned to the 1377th Army Air Force Base Unit but was assigned to this flight.

He resided in Pennsylvania prior to the war.

C-54E #44-9078, which was part of the 1304th Base Unit, took off with a crew of 8 and 30 passengers from Payne Field, Cairo, Egypt on a personnel transport mission to Rome, Italy. Pilot 1st. Lt. Michalik discovered a fire under his seat & tried to extinguish it however the cockpit became so full of fumes and smoke that they had to abandon ship. They crashed in the Gulf of Salerno off the coast of Italy after World War II had ended.

Eight of those on the flight were able to bail-out and survived. The remains of Seven others were found. The rest were not recovered.

Joseph was declared "Missing" in the "Line Of Duty" in this crash.

He had previously been awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster" and the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crew that perished on C-54E #44-9078:

Gallagher, Joseph F ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, PA O-697840
Grooms, Ural P ~ FO, Check Pilot, IN T-068020
Ingle, James W ~ 1st Lt, Check Navigator, CA 0-1172018
Michalik, Joseph J ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, IL O-557623

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Passenger that perished on C-54E #44-9078:

Cirelli, Benjamin ~ Tech/3, NY
Copher, William A, Jr ~ Tech/4, TX
Cornett, Warren G ~ Maj, CO
Hookaylo, Morton A ~ S/Sgt, NJ
Isbell, Benjamin B ~ 1st Lt, TN
Keefe, William F ~ Maj, MA
Kostolansky, Joseph L ~ T/Sgt, PA
Laraux, Arthur ~ S/Sgt, AK
Levinsky, Jacob C ~ CWO, NJ
Lindblom, Donald O, Jr ~ 1st Lt, MN
Luna, Cipriano V ~ Tech/4, TX
Lytle, Joseph T ~ Capt, PA
Monahan, William T ~ Civilian
O'Gara, Martin J ~ Capt, Chaplain, DC
Palmer, William M, II ~ 1st Lt, DE
Paul, Louis F ~ Tech/3, AK
Protopappas, Charles D ~ T/Sgt, UT
Rhodes, Charles L ~ Civilian
Reznik, Louis A ~ WTC, Navy
Schweitzer, George F ~ S/Sgt, NY
Simpkins, Troy C ~ Tech/5, MS
Slaven, Victor J ~ T/Sgt, NC
Stanger, John D ~ S/Sgt, IA
Stovall, Cary O ~ 1st Lt, TN
Wagner, William H ~ 1st Lt, IL
Wheeler, Cody H ~ 1st Lt, TX

Bio, Crew Report, & Passenger Listing by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

Joseph F Gallagher