This aircraft wreck was found south of Seremban town which most of her bigger parts were taken away by POWs which Japanese ordered the salvage parts send to Singapore for evaluation.
Some small parts still found scattered on a small abandoned paddy field.
Mission History
This plane was operating out Kharagpur, India to bombed Japanese drydock at Singapore
harbour in 11 January 1945. The aircraft came under attack from a number of Japanese aircraft
enroute to India. Several Japanese planes were shot
down by Postville Express crews. The Japanese attacks put the Central Fire Control system out of order, making most of the B-29's guns useless. The attacks also started a fire in the Number 3 engine, a fire that could not be extinguished.
Major Humphrey cannot stayed the formation and
turned inland and hope that all crews can be bailed
out and evade capture with the help of underground
anti-Japanese guerrillas.
Approximately 10 miles south of Seremban, Major
Humphrey ordered all crews to prepared for bailed
out while he and Sgt Kundrat help Col. Robinson
which he was wounded from the Japanese fighter
attack. Later the burning wing gave away and the
plane plunged uncontrolled toward ground. He and
several of the crews managed to get away from the
burning plane.
Evading Captivity
Humphrey, Duffy, Saltzman, Spratt and Hansman
successfully reached the ground but Spratt died
later from burning injuries. He was buried near the
wreck site. The surviving men walked away to the
jungle and were assisted by guerrillas. While under
hidings, Hansman was captured by Japanese and
executed on 14 February 1945. McDonald, Gillett, Govednik, and Lindley were ultimately captured and spent the rest of the war as POWs in the prison at Singapore.
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Robinson and Kundrat were found dead near or in the crashed aircraft. The Missing Air Crew Report for this loss is #10879. Humphrey, by the way, was from Postville, Iowa. His previous aircraft, which was sent home as war weary in late December 1944, was named "Postville Express." Their new aircraft was apparently never named, although Humphrey referred to it as "Postville Express" in a postwar account.
B-29 Superfortress
B-29 "Postville Express" serial number 42-24704
793rd Bomb Sqn.
468th Bomb Group
- Pilot-Maj. Donald J. Humphrey
- Command Pilot-Lt. Col Robinson Billings
- Navigator-Capt. Carl A. Hansman
- Bombadier-1st Lt. William F. Duffy
- Flight Engineer-1st Lt. Ernest C. Saltzman
- Radar-1st Lt. Martin J. Govednik
- Radio-T/Sgt. Michael A. Kundrat
- Senior Gunner-S/Sgt John MacDonald, Jr.
- Left Gunner-T/Sgt. Harold D. Gillett
- Right Gunner-T/Sgt. Ralph C. Lindley
- Tail Gunner-S/Sgt. Rouhier E. Spratt
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B-29 Superfortress
