Harry’s first and only mission following the German surrender in May 1945 was to travel with the 440th Port Company American military baseball team entertaining troops. During the afternoon of the completed mission on November 16, 1946, the team members were flying back to Iwo Jima after having taken part in a tournament in Guam. Aboard the Curtis C-46F Commando [44-78961] transport plane, piloted by Captain James C. Queen, were four other crew members, four United States Army personnel-including Harry Edmonds- and the 15 African-American members of the baseball team.
Aboard the Curtis C-46F Commando [44-78961] transport plane, piloted by Captain James C. Queen, were four other crew members, four United States Army personnel-including Harry Edmonds- and the 15 African-American members of the baseball team.
The 440th Port Company baseball team:
Sgt. Joseph Bowers (Camden, SC)T/4
Fred Brown (Ama, LA)T/5
Robert L. Goins (Logansport, IN)
S/Sgt. Vivien L. Harris (Newark, NJ)
T/5 Emanuel M. Jackson (Occoquan, VA) - 3527th Transportation Corps
T/5 Jessie L. Glover (East St. Louis, IL)
T/5 Carnell Boyd (Hickory Valley, TN)
Pfc John T. Eatmon (Brooklyn, NY)Pfc Jonathan Culbertson (Baltimore, MD)
Pfc Clarence W. Brown (New York, NY)Sgt. Earnest Flowers (Chicago, IL)
Cpl. Harry L. Edmonds (Canton, MS) - 3527th Transportation Corps
Pfc L.C. Hollins (Ore City, TX) - 536th Quartermaster Company
Pfc William Jenkins, Jr. (South Charleston, OH) - 536th Quartermaster Company
Pfc Robert Hillman, Jr. (Thomaston, GA)
Crew members:
Cptn. James C. Queen
1/Lt. George Eisenhaur
1/Lt. Richard G. Davis
Sgt. Earl C. Glass
Sgt. Stanley Brudney
Passengers:
Pfc George A. Knoll
2/Lt. Dwight K. Gilbert
WOJG Alfred J. Di Pietro
Pfc Arthur Brown
With its crew of 7 and 16 passengers, it crashed on November 16, 1946 at sea 6 miles east of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, soon after last radio contact, which was 1613302, at 23:20 hours. Pilot contact Iwo Jima tower and stated he had land in sight, tower reported aircraft made 360 degree turn then disappeared. Emergency rescue plane dispatched immediately but returned because of air conditions and negative results. One B-17 dispatched and sighted wreckage with no survivors in sight.
The following excerpt accounts the details prior to announcing all players, crew, and army personal as M.I.A.:
"There was a team of black soldiers in it. They were coming back from Japan. They went there to play baseball. At the time, I was Staff sergeant with the 3605th HAM Shop Co, and they had made me acting first Sergeant. over the company. I was outside the orderly room with technician 5th grades John Willinghoff and Walker. The plane we could hear it, it was coming in on Airfield No. 3 approaching north to south. It was way too high and missed the field. It came to our left about 600 feet away. It went on down to the water. It hit about 1,200 feet out in the water to the left of the main office for the island. Col. Thomson was the top man in the office at that time. We saw it hit the water. Record shows that this plane went down about 15 miles out into the water. This plane had 20 enlisted men on it, also Capt. Queen was flying it.”
Map of Iwo Jima with airfield locations and major hills indicated
Indicated are Mount Suribachi, Motoyama No. 1 (Airfield No. 1, Chidori, Central Field, South Field), Motoyama No. 2 (Airfield No. 2, Central Field, Iwo Jima Airport), Motoyama No. 3 (Airfield No. 3)
Credit: USMC Date: 1945
Map
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was the largest and heaviest twin-engine aircraft in service with the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) in World War II. The Command was used in every theater of World War II including the Pacific. In China-Burma-India (CBI), the Commando transported cargo over Himalayan Mountains dubbed "The Hump" into China. Postwar, the C-46 remained in service with the U. S. Air Force (USAF) until retired in 1969. Many C-46s were sold to civilian operators and remained in use as cargo aircraft with some still flying today.
Diagram of WHAT G.C.A. Crew Saw related to the loss of C-46 44-78961 six miles off Iwo Jima
"We saw plane, (C-46, Army 8691 [sic 8961 C-46 44-78961]), at 13 miles 070 degrees from the field. This was radar contact.
Gave position report at 1335 Zebra as follows: "Army 8961 from Central Zippo - for your information you are now 8 miles east of Field." 8691 acknowledged.
Plane continued heading 250 degrees until four miles where it turned right and headed 035 degrees. We lost contact of 8691 on scope at spot marked (X), six miles from the field heading 035 degrees.
If 8691 had requested G. C. A. we would have been able to give a more exact report. at no time did we know the plane's altitude.
Witnessed by following:
Philco Tech Reps. Edward C. Jarrett
Wilford B. Bell (signed)
Credit: USAAF Date: 2016
B&W
At the end of World War II, 78,750 Americans were listed as Missing In Action (MIA) with roughly half in Indo-Pacific as a result of the Pacific War.
Aerial view of Motoyama No. 1 (Chidori, Central Field) and Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima
Credit: Gareth W. Rosson Date: 1947
B&W
American aircraft wreckage abandoned near Motoyama No. 1 on Iwo Jima
Credit: Gareth W. Rosson Date: 1947
B&W
S/Sgt Gareth W. Rosson near quonset huts on Iwo Jima
Credit: Gareth W. Rosson Date: 1947
B&W
Heavy cloud cover made the approach to Iwo Jima difficult and as the twin-engine plane approached Airfield No. 3 it was too high and missed the runway. The plane still descending hit the water just off the island and rapidly sank with all on board losing their lives including Cpl. Harry L. Edmonds, a member of the 3527th Transportation Corps.
After the loss, a search mission was flown by the Emergency Rescue B-17 on November 17 at 1:00am, searching the area the C-46 was lost on radar flying at 1,000 feet, then returned thirty minutes later due to low clouds and mist. At 6:00am a second search was flown, and sighted ten miles east of the island was an oil slick which covered a five mile area. A photograph of debris was taken. An LST was directed to the area by smoke bombs dropped from the aircraft. Also, another twenty mile search for survivors was conducted, without results.