The memorial at Bakers Creek itself.
Text:
UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE CRASHED SHORTLY
AFTER TAKE-OFF APPROXIMATELY 1 KM N OF
HERE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF BAKERS CREEK
NEAR THE SITE WHERE THE MEATWORKS NOW STANDS.
ON BOARD WERE FIVE CREW AND THIRTY-EIGHT
PASSENGERS WHO WERE RETURNING TO NEW GUINEA
AFTER COMPLETING "R & R" IN MACKAY. THERE WAS
ONLY ONE SURVIVOR.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY THE 46TH TROOP
CARRIER SQUADRON, OF THE 317TH TROOP CARRIER
GROUP WHICH FORMED PART OF THE 5TH AIR FORCE.
THE CRASH OF THE B-17C WAS THE WORST ACCIDENT
INVOLVING A TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT IN THE
SOUTH WEST PACIFIC DURING WORLD WAR II.
THIS MEMORIAL WAS CONSTRUCTED BY THE
PEOPLE OF THE MACKAY DISTRICT IN HONOUR OF
THE FORTY-TWO UNITED STATES MILITARY
PERSONNEL WHO WERE KILLED AND THE ONE
SURVIVOR AND WAS DEDICATED ON THE 11TH MAY 1992.
PERSONNEL ON BOARD
CREW
1/LT VERN J GIDCUMB (PILOT)
F/O WILLIAM C ERB (CO-PILOT)
2/LT JACK A OGREN (NAVIGATOR)
S/SGT LOVELL DALE CURTIS (CREW CHIEF)
S/SGT FRANK E WHELCHEL (CREW CHIEF)
SGT DAVID E TILESTON (RADIO)
PASSENGERS
PFC JEROME ABRAHAM
CAPT JOHN O BERTHOLD
T/5 WILLIAM A BRIGGS
SGT DEAN H BUSSE
T/SGT JAMES A COPELAND
SGT CARL A CUNNINGHAM
T/5 GEORGE A EHRMAN
PVT JAMES E FINNEY
SGT LEO E FLETCHER
T/SGT ALFRED H FREZZA
PFC NORMAN J GOETZ
S/SGT ROY A HATLEN
S/SGT JOHN W HILSHEIMER
PFC VERNON JOHNSON
SGT DONALD B KYPER
SGT CHARLIE O LARUE
PVT RAYMOND D LONGABAUGH
PFC KENNETH W MANN
CPL MARLIN D METZGER
PVT CHARLES D MONTGOMERY
PFC JOHN W PARKER
PFC FRANK S PENSKA
MAJ GEORGE N POWELL
SGT ANTHONY RUDNIK
CPL CHARLES W SAMPSON
PFC ARNOLD SEIDEL
CPL JACOB O SKAGGS JNR
CPL FRANKLIN F SMITH
CPL RAYMOND H SMITH
PFC FREDERICK C SWEET
CPL EDWARD TENNY
PFC DALE VAN FOSSON
PVT RUBEN L VAUGHN
PFC CHARLES M WILLIAMS