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| USN PatWing 4 VP-41  IJN June 3, 1942 |
Pilot Lt(jg) Jean C. Cusick, O-137105 (MIA / KIA) Joliet Township, IL Crew AP1c Clark W. Morrison, 3720054 (MIA / KIA) CO Crew RM3 John F. Collins, 4008873 (MIA / KIA) MA Crew AMM2c Alton J. Davis, 2744074 (MIA / KIA) LA Crew AMM2c Burdette B. Siler, 3821380 (MIA / KIA) CA Crew ARM2c Louis E. Yurek, 2832603 (MIA / KIA) OH Crew Ensign Wylie M. Hunt, 104905 (POW, survived) CO Crew AOM3c Carl E. Creamer, 3685081 (POW, survived) Portis, KS Crew Sea2c Joseph R. Brown, 3375466 (POW, survived) Bell City, MO Ditched June 3, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PBY Catalina bureau number unknown. This Catalina was likely PBY-5 bureau number 7282, 7292, 04979, 04993, 05008 or PBY-5A Catalina 04443, 04436, 04457, 04490 or 04511. Assigned to Patrol Wing Four (PatWing 4) to Patrol Squadron 41 (VP-41). No known nickname, nose art or markings. Mission History On June 3, 1942 took off from Dutch Harbor Seaplane Base piloted by Lt(jg) Jean C. Cusick on a patrol mission. At roughly 10:00am over the Bearing Sea spotted and intercepted by A6M2 Zeros from Junyō 1st chutai led by Lt. Yoshio Shiga and claimed as shot down by pilots Kobota and Hasegawa and ditched on fire approximately 200 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor. Six of the crew died in the interception or force landing and presumably went down with the Catalina. Three of the crew survived the crash and deploy a life raft. Fates of the Crew The three surviving crew: Hunt, Creamer and Brown were at sea for approximately five hours before they were spotted and rescued by Takao and became Prisoners Of War (POW) and were transported to Japan and detained at Ofuna. Afterwards, the Japanese photographed one of the prisoners, likely Creamer after capture and published in Japan. At the end of the Pacific War, Hunt was detained at Osaka Main Camp Chikko Osaka 34-135. Creamer was detained at Tokyo POW Camp Branch #2 (Kawasaki) Tokyo Bay Area 35-139. Brown was detained at Zentsuji POW Camp (Hiroshima #1) Shikoku Island 34-133. All three survived captivity until the end of the Pacific War and were liberated and returned to the United States. Creamer passed away on August 23, 2012. He was buried on August 28, 2012 at Jacksonville National Cemetery in Jacksonville, FL. Memorials The six crew lost in the crash are listed as Missing In Action (MIA) and were officially declared dead November 25, 1945. All are memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Cusick and Collins and Davis on court 5. Morrison court 1. Yurek and Siler court 2. Hunt has an unknown burial in the United States. Creamer was a life-member of the American Ex-Prisoners of War Association, and a frequent speaker at POW-MIA ceremonies. On August 23, 2012 died at age 91 and was buried at Jacksonville National Cemetery at section 9, space 893. Brown died November 4, 2014 at age 92. He is buried at Gravel Hill Cemetery in Toppertown, MO. References Kodochosho Junyō June 4, 1942 [Tokyo time, interception at 23:27 June 3, 1942] translation by Minoru Kamada War History , Patwing 4, 8/11/41 TO 11/1/42 page 8-9 (Page 8) 3 June - Missing from patrol in area where a Japanese carrier is known to have been operating: (Page 9) 3 Jun (Cont'd) VP-41 Lt(jg) Jean C. Cusick..." U.S. Navy Overseas Loss List - June 4, 1942 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jean C. Cusick American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Clark W. Morrison American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John F. Collins American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alton J. Davis American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Burdette B. Siler American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Louis E. Yurek FindAGrave - LtJg Jean C Cusick (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AP1C Clark W Morrison (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - John F Collins (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Alton J. Davis (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AMM2 Burdette B Siler (photos, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ARm2 Louis E Yurek (courts of the missing photo) NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - Wylie M Hunt NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - Carl Edward Creamer NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File - Joseph Rust Brown FindAGrave - Carl Edward "Ed" Creamer (photos, grave photo) FindAGrave - Joseph Rust Brown (grave photos) Thanks to Jim Sawruk and Minoru Kamada for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 9, 2026 |
 PBY Photo Archive MIA / POW 6 Missing 3 Prisoners |
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