Keith Kingsley

Nav-Bomb: O-696107Charles K Kingsley 1Lt OHIO 19-2-1945 B-29 #42-24692 Z-SQ-12

Keith Charles Kingsley (1916-1945) - Find a Grave Memorial

Born Charles K. Kingsley on 21 March 1916 at Celina, Ohio.

Celina High School Class of 1934.

1935 pre-medical studies at Ohio State University.

1936 Freshman premedical student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Keith enlisted as a Private in the Army Air Corps on 31 May 1941 at Fort Hayes near Columbus, Ohio.

Selected for the Aviation Cadet Program, he attended the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

23 Oct 1943: Completed 18 weeks of thorough training in the art and science of flying by the stars, by instruments, by landmarks, and by radio. Graduated with the Aerial Navigation School Class 43-15 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Air Forces at San Marcos AAF, Texas.

15 Jan 1944: Graduated from Bombardier Training Class 44-01 at Roswell Army Air Field, New Mexico.

Underwent B-29 aircraft transition and combat crew training at Walker Army Air Field, Kansas. Deployed from Mather Field, California to the Central Pacific Theatre of Operations with stopovers at John Rodgers Field, Hawaii and Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

On 18 November 1944, reported to 20th Air Force, XXI Bomber Command, 73rd Bomb Wing, 500th Bombardment Group (VH), 881st Bomb Squadron stationed at Isley Field on Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

On 19 February 1945, he flew as the Navigator-Bombardier aboard a Boeing B-29-45-BW (Boeing Wichita) Superfortress, tail code: Z-Square-12, serial #42-24692 (originally Z-SQ-8 "WABASH CANNONBALL").

As part of a diversionary strike in support of the invasion of Iwo Jima, it was one of 150 aircraft launched in multi-group formations to bombard the Musashino Aircraft Works near Tokyo, Japan. During the bomb run between Mt. Fuji and the target, a twin-engine Kawasaki Ki-45 “Nick” fighter plane dove into his aircraft just behind the wings and forward of the aft bomb-bay, causing it to break apart.

Excerpt from The 500th Bomb Group Day By Day – Part 2 - Combat

"2/Lt Osamu Hirosi, carefully positioned his twin-engine Ki-45 "Nick" ahead and above the bomber formation, picked his target, and dove almost straight down. The young Japanese pilot squarely struck the lagging Z-SQ-12 with the veteran Samuelson crew. 2/Lt Hirosi hit the bomber just behind the wing at the rear pressurized compartment. The Nick disintegrated and the B-29 broke in two, with the tail section further breaking up and the forward section heading vertically toward the ground trailing smoke and flames. About 10,000 or 15,000 feet below, the left wing broke off and what was left of the B-29 was then lost in the low clouds."

The aircraft was last sighted disappearing into the clouds below at a geographic location of 35+53N and 139+40E. He was killed when the aircraft crashed on Nishihara Village in Yamanashi Prefecture on the west side of Tokyo, Japan.