Reynolds Hill Knotts

Captain Reynolds Knotts was a Marine Corps transport pilot assigned to Utility Squadron (VMJ) 153. From April to December 1943, he made countless flights across the South Pacific carrying wounded men to hospitals, military personnel to liberty, and spare parts and cargo to airfields in the Solomon Islands.

On 27 December 1943, Knotts took off on a thoroughly routine flight: an afternoon ferry hop from Tontouta, New Caledonia, to Espiritu Santo. Four other Marines – the crew of R4D-5 #12432 – were aboard; the cargo compartment was full of Navy flyers returning to duty from a Christmas holiday in Australia. The transport took off from Tontouta without incident, but never arrived at its destination. Radar operators reported losing track of the flight over the Loyalty Islands.

A three-day search discovered small pieces of wreckage off the southern tip of Ouvéa, and identified parts of the missing R4D-5. Investigators met with a French-speaking islander, who told of seeing the aircraft spin down and crash. A fire in the crew compartment was tentatively blamed for the accident, but no survivors could be found to provide more information.