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This C-47 aircraft of the 10th AF was assigned to the post-war American Graves Registration Service (AGRS). Very early in the morning on 17 May 1946, it departed Mingaladon Airport in Rangoon, Burma for Barrackpore / Calcutta, India. The aircraft had a crew of 3 from the 1304th Air Force Base Unit and 8 passengers, including a 6-man AGRS team. The aircraft was transporting 34-37 sets of known US remains and 5 sets of unknown US remains which were recently recovered by the AGRS team from POW cemeteries in Burma.
A heavy storm was developing over the Bay of Bengal that day, and the aircraft was running into the storm on its course. The pilot was known to dislike flying over water. He told personnel at Mingaladon that he could not fly over water on this flight because he did not have enough life jackets aboard, and he planned to follow the coast. The pilot further stated that if he encountered a storm over Akyab, he would fly north or northeasterly to avoid it.
The pilot radioed Barrackpore at 0610Z to report he had passed over Akyab at 0530Z, was flying on instruments, and expected to arrive at Barrackpore at 0800Z. At 0615Z he called for weather, which Barrackpore had to send twice due to heavy atmospheric interference. At 0705Z the pilot mistakenly responded
to a call from Barrackpore to another aircraft and said he had nothing for Barrackpore. This was the last contact with 8308. The plane was never heard from again. Dead: 11 plus 39-42 sets of US POW remains.
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