Missing in Action: The Accra WACs
WACs in the 1400th Army Air Forces Base Unit in London, England, 1945. These women were on the other three planes which made it safely to their destination on 30 May 1945. They waited hours for news of the third plane at the meeting point before having to continue on their journey.
Their Impact Continues...and So Does the Search
Forty-nine of the original sixty-seven WACs traveled safely to London, England and their new assignment. They continued on in their work with the Air Transport Command, beginning to rebuild in Europe and keeping the war effort moving in the Pacific. Though they carried on the mission, they lived with the trauma of losing colleagues and friends for the rest of their lives. As she prepared for a WAC reunion in 1984, Kay Wiest recalled the Accra crash, stating "all were friends of hers; all died."
The loss of so many at once was a tragedy, but with no sign of the aircraft since, there has been no closure. As the search for the missing aircraft continues, we hope that one day closure can be offered to the families of those 21 who gave their lives in service.
In Memoriam
