Disappeared On Patrol In September Of 1943

Richard S. Ryrholm Jr. was flying a combat patrol mission out of New Guinea during WWII when he and his airplane disappeared. More than 60 years later, the wreckage of the aircraft was discovered on a steep hillside near the city of Lae, along with the remains of the pilot.

Ryrholm was interred over the weekend in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Arlington, MA, bringing closure to his family who had waited for it since September of 1943.

According to the Boston Globe, the five-year investigation resulted in the recovery of some bone fragments as well as a few personal effects, including a gold ring and Ryrholm's pilot's wings. A military report finalized last August indicated that Ryrholm was engaging the enemy at the time he went down, but the crash was not attributed to enemy fire. Rather, the report says that a friendly aircraft, in accordance with protocol, dropped an empty external fuel tank which impacted Ryrholm's airplane. The accident was said to have caused a change in procedures regarding jettisoning tanks.

The site where the plane went down was discovered in 2005, but not excavated until three years later. Of the four Ryrholm children to serve in WWII, Richard was the only one who did not return.

FMI: www.dtic.mil/dpmo