I'm seeking living relatives of Richard M. Wallace who was the lower gunner on B-25C 41-12470 assigned to the 90th Squadron of the 3rd Bombardment Group based at Charters Towers Australia. He entered the military from Texas. His aircraft was shot down on July 26, 1942 on a mission over Buna, Papua New Guinea. He was initially declared MIA then there was a finding of death at the end of the war when his remains were assessed not to be recoverable. Information I've recently found in Australian archives indicate that the wreckage of the aircraft was found in 1943 and remains were recovered. The remains of the Australian co-pilot were re-buried at an Australian war cemetery. It is possible that the remains of the four US crewmembers are in US hands and are held as unidentified. I've initiated a search through the US Army's Casualty and Memorial Affairs Operations Center and am seeking to notify family members of all of the crewmen lost. I'd like to hear from you if you are related to Cpl Wallace. Together we can be more effective in getting a resolution to this unsolved mystery.

I am not a relative, but doing research on all the men listed on a memorial plaque here as killed in WW II. I have very little on him, only a few local newspaper articles on his service and death. His mother, Mrs. Anna Wallace, lived here during the war.

David Pike
Timpson, Texas

It's good to hear from you. Anything you could provide me would be appreciated. Since my initial posting I've had the good fortune to have two Australians raised in New Guinea provide me with a short video of their trip late last year to the village of Isoge, where the plane went down. Natives showed them wreckage, artifacts from the plane, and a burial site that they indicated an Australian's remains had been removed from. This fits with the story of the downing of Wallace's B-25, but can not be confirmed by serial numbers or any other hard facts. I'm attaching a report of the shootdown, a photo of the wreckage, and a photo of the burial site.

Sorry, I didn't attach two of the photos correctly. Here they are.