Romulus served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24D #41-24186, Headquarters Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Cabarrus County, North Carolina prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on November 18, 1942 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Salesperson and also as Single, without dependents.

He was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant on October 10, 1943.

B-24D #41-24186 took off, with a crew of 11 and other B-24's, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission over Rabaul, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.

During the bombing of Rabual the B-24s were attacked by Japanese fighter aircraft and ground anti-aircraft fire.

After a successful bombing mission it was noticed by other B-24's, while returning to base, that B-24D #41-24186 was not able to close their bomb bay doors and that one of their engines was also on fire. The crew was given the order to bailout near New Ireland Island, New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea..

After bailing out some of the crew were able to swim to shore and they soon became POW's of the Japanese. (see below for more)

Romulus was first declared "Missing In Action" on this mission.

He was later found to have become a POW of the Japanese Army and was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152.

Romulus was "Executed" by the Japanese in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.

He was awarded the Prisoner Of War Medal, Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred in Papua New Guinea and was later repatriated here on March 21, 1950.

Service # 14187785

Romulus also has a "Cenotaph" in the Mulls Chapel Cemetery, Cooksville, North Carolina with his family.
" Click Here " for that record.

The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldiers & sailors were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.

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Airmen who perished from B-24D #41-24186:

Bixler, Roy E ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Constantin, Edward T ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NC
Fessenger, Thomas B ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, CA
Gillis, John J, Jr ~ Sgt, Gunner, IL
Koebig, Frederick K ~ Maj, Navigator, CA
Kuhn, Anthony ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, ND
Mull, Romulus F ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NC
Schaffran, Albert ~ S/Sgt, Photographer, PA
Stewart, Lawson ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, MS
Wasilevski, Vincent ~ Sgt, Gunner, PA

Note: In May 2018 this B-24 was found on a hillside where it crashed on New Ireland Island. There have been no remains discovered at this crash site.

After bailing out of this B-24 eight of the crew members were seen, and photographed, by search planes on a beach in the area. They were:

S/Sgt. Constantin, 1st Lt. Fessenger, Sgt. Gillis, Maj. Koebig, 1st Lt. Kuhn, S/Sgt. Mull, S/Sgt. Stewart, and Sgt. Wasilevski all became POW's of the Japanese and were held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152.

S/Sgt. Constantin, Maj. Koebig, 1st Lt. Kuhn, S/Sgt. Mull, S/Sgt. Stewart, and Sgt. Wasilevski were all six executed by the Japanese while being held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152 as part of what was known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre".

To see those who were executed in the "Tunnel Hill Massacre": " Click Here "

Col. Marion D. Unruh (Pilot) became a POW of the Japanese and was held at Osaka Main Camp, Chikko, Osaka 34-135 and survived the war.

( Bio, Family Links & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )

Special thanks to: ShaneO
for submitting this record for bio updates!

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