I received an E-mail today concerning the USS New Mexico Kingfisher Scouting Plane Project from a Veteran U.S. Navy Diver, Mr.Dan Farnham. The Following is some information about the history surrounding the project and an e-mail from Dan. I would love to help him out in this project, thus, I am offering him some space on my website to try and reach out to locate family members or persons with knowledge that can help them along in the project.

FYI
During January 1944 USS New Mexico returned to the Central Pacific. This time it was the Marshall Islands, which extend over six hundred miles of water and screen the island of Truk, then the key Japanese naval fortress in the Carolines. USS New Mexico sailed from Pearl Harbor on 22 January 1944, arriving off Kwajalein Atoll on 31 January 1944 to participate in the pre-invasion bombardment. She bombarded Ebeye and Kwajalein Islands before she retiring late in the afternoon on 1 February 1944. It was here that USS New Mexico she suffered her first casualty of the war.
USS New Mexico’s two Kingfisher scouting planes were operating over Kwajalein. The aviators relayed topographical information and target locations to the battleship’s gunners. One of them, piloted by Lieutenant Forney O. Fuqua, USNR, with Radioman Second Class Harrison D. Miller as passenger, was struck by enemy shellfire over Kwajalein’s eighty-mile long lagoon. Fuqua radioed his ship: “Cockpit full of gasoline fumes … hit very badly … am making emergency landing.” Taking over the controls Miller brought the damaged plane down on the surface, but it overturned before landing. A minesweeper operating inside the lagoon rescued Radioman Miller, but the Kingfisher sank before Lieutenant Fuqua’s body could be recovered.

A Portion of the E-mail from Dan:
Dear Mr. Marturano,
My name is Dan Farnham, and I just found your page 'The Silent Defenders'. I found your page in the course of researching the YMS-383.
I currently live at Kwajalein Atoll, where I have resided for the past 5 1/2 years. I am a veteran, as well as a diver and WWII historian/researcher.
I am attempting to locate any surviving crew members that were on the YMS-383 at Kwajalein Atoll, on 1 Feb. 1944. On that date, a Kingfisher scout plane from the USS New Mexico crashed in the lagoon, west of Loi island. The pilot went down with the plane, but YMS-383 rescued the radioman.
I and a dedicated team of veterans/wreck divers have been searching for the Kingfisher. Kwajalein Lagoon is, simply put, massive. "West of Loi Island" covers many square miles of lagoon. We have been using a side-scan sonar to sweep the lagoon in the area west of Loi, but it takes four to six hours to cover each square mile.
I am hoping to locate a veteran from YMS-383 who was there that day, and maybe can tell us where the plane hit the water and they picked up the radioman.
We would like to locate the plane, and determine if any human remains are there. If so, we will immediately notify JPAC in Hawaii, and the site's location will be a strictly held secret.
I know that your site lists those who have passed away. On your list is three crewmen from YMS-383. It is my hope that their surviving families may know others from the crew, and that you might have contact information for either the families or other crewmembers from YMS-383.
Kindest regards,
Dan Farnham
Kwajalein Atoll


This seems to be an important project. If you Know of anyone who served on USS YMS-383 or can contact any of the family members who may have historic information to help out, Please contact me using the contact webmaster link below. Let's Help spread the word.Thanks!

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The Navy MSO Association is a group of former MSO Sailors that have a goal to preserve the memory of our beloved MSO's, all 101 of them, as a memorial to the men who served on any of those sweeps, anywhere in the world and in many foreign countries. We are dedicated to the Brotherhood of all past MSO Sailors as well as the education, focus, and the raising of awareness through Internet Websites and personal memories concerning the History of MSO's and their role in preserving and keeping the world's sea-lanes and harbors safe and free of mines.

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