Edward Paul Alciatore
Second Lieutenant Edward P. Alciatore was a trainee Marine Corps torpedo bomber pilot.
He was killed in a mid-air collision near MCAS Santa Barbara on 3 October 1943.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-20576
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
CONUS Loss
Because this individual died within the limits of the continental United States, they are not tracked by the DPAA.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
October 25, 1922
at New Orleans, LA
Parents
Edward Paul Alciatore
Sophie (Haydel) Alciatore
Education
Loyola University
Occupation & Employer
Progressive Tobacco Company
Service Life
Entered Service
July 22, 1942 (Navy)
March 24, 1943 (commission)
Home Of Record
21 Lakalor Place
Metairie, LA
Next Of Kin
Wife, Mrs. Dorothy Alciatore
Military Specialty
Pilot
Primary Unit
MBDAG-42
Campaigns Served
None
Individual Decorations
—
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Second Lieutenant Edward Alciatore was a pilot assigned to Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group (MBDAG) 42 at MCAS Santa Barbara. He was part of a training unit learning to fly torpedo bombers, including the latest TBF and TBM Avenger models.
On the afternoon of 3 October 1943, pilots from the Torpedo Bomber Training Unit took off from Santa Barbara for a practice flight. The schedule included formation flying and mock torpedo runs against a target boat. All went according to plan until Lieutenants Alciatore and Maynard W. Sailor lined up to take their turn. Horrified pilots watched as the fatal accident unfolded. “One plane overtook and collided from below with the other,” they reported, “cutting the latter almost in half. Both planes spun into the sea from approximately 3,500 feet.” Most shocking of all, one of the pilots was ejected from the wreckage and hit the water without a chance to deploy his parachute.
Search and rescue operations were of no avail, and both pilots were reported as dead following the crash.
Burial Information or Disposition
Crashed at sea; remains not recovered.
Memorials
None known.
Next Of Kin Address
Permanent address of wife, Mrs. Dorothy Ackerman Alciatore.
At the time of the crash, Dorothy was living in Santa Barbara.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of the crash, four miles south of Santa Barbara Point.
