John P. Toler

1st Lt. John P. Toler, MIA.

On March 5, 1944, three B-25s of the 491^st Bombardment Squadron (341^st Bombardment Group) were supported by five B-25s of the 22^nd Bomb Squadron. The formation was led by Captain George Williams (491^st) in an attack on Chiang Mai, Airdrome, Thailand. One aircraft dropped bombs on the barracks area northeast of the runway, starting two fires. Four other aircraft dropped bombs over the east and west revetment areas and carried out strafing attacks. Shots from 75mm cannons of B-25Hs destroyed one aircraft and one building on the ground. Three aircraft on the ground were set afire and six others believed to be destroyed. One of 491st aircraft strafed the railroad station, a turntable and a water tower in the town. Intense ack-ack seriously damaged three of the aircraft from the 22^nd squadron and one from the 491^st squadron.

Captain Williams’ aircraft failed to return to base, and all crew members remain missing. The five men of the crew have not been accounted for:

Captain George Williams (aka Skeets), pilot
1st Lt. John P. Toler (aka JP), navigator
S/Sgt Harry A. Mozian (aka Mo), engineer/gunner
T/Sgt Irving Pelkey, radio operator
Sgt. Allen Zimmer, photo/gunner

(Information from 491st BS records, photo above from p. 170 of "Diary of a Bomb Squadron" by McKay H. Nelson)