Perry Bovee Cartwright was born on 30 August 1918, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. His parents are Fred & Miriam (Bovey) Cartwright, of Baltimore, Maryland. Perry B. Cartwright was a brakeman with the Erie Railroad Company. He was also a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. In 1938, he married Betty G. (Wilson), in Delaware. Betty’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Ray Wilson of Marion, Ohio.
Together Perry and Betty had a daughter, Linda Loa, age 6 at the time of Perry’s death.

Perry B. Cartwright was inducted into service 10 May 1942, from Marion, Ohio. Perry attended basic at Keesler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi. He received his wings at Las Vegas Army Air Field, Las Vegas, Nevada. In March 1943, Perry was sent overseas. He would have served time in North Africa and/or Italy. He was assigned to the 12th Bombardment Group, which in February 1944 was sent to the China-Burma-India theater.

Staff Sergeant (SSgt.) Perry B. Cartwright was assigned to the 82nd Bomber Squadron, 12th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force. He was on a crew of a B-25J, Mitchell. On 20 June 1944, SSgt. Cartwright and crew flew in a formation to deliver ammunition to Palel. He and his crew were aboard B-25, #43-3961, which departed Pandaveswar Airfield in the morning. During the flight the formation had to separate due to cloud cover. SSgt. Cartwright’s aircraft became lost and unaccounted for. On 26 July 1944, the crew was declared Missing in Action. It was not until 11 February 1946, that SSgt. Perry B. Cartwright would be officially declared dead.

I was the formation leader of a three-ship formation scheduled to fly ammunition into Palel on the morning of June 20, 1944.
I took off from Pandaveswar Airfield at approximately 0705, June 20, 1944, joined the formation and set course for Palel via Silchar and Imphal, flying at an altitude of about 1,000. As I continued on course a stratus cloud layer began developing, so that by 0740 I was flying at an altitude of 3,000 above a low broken stratus cloud deck (1,500 – 2,500) and a higher broken strato-culumus deck (5,000 – 12,000). Bij 0800 it appeared that the two cloud decks were merging. Therefore at about 0830, without having encountered instrument conditions but with instrument conditions eminent at my flight level, I signaled for the wingman to break formation. The left wingman turned left immediately and the right wingman (Missing aircraft AAF No. 43-3961, Sq. No. 41) turned right a moment later. I held course about 30 seconds then turned left inside of the left wingman and began to climb in an irregular rate and course. Upon reaching about 8,000 another B-25 was in view for the ensuing two or three minutes, but was not identified as to aircraft number. Thus the late time fo positively seeing A/C #41 was at the point of the formation break-up which was at about June 20, 1944 approximately 20 Miles Southwest of Silchar at an altitude of 3,000.
I continued my flight to Palel and return to Comilla without flying instruments at any time.
All the above times and locations are from my own calculations, not the navigators.

Statement from Duane L. Crosby, 2nd Lt, Air Corps:

SSgt. Perry B. Cartwright’s remains were never recovered. He is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing, Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Perry B. Cartwright is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park, in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; and on the World War II Veterans Memorial Wall, at the Marion Cemetery.

Crew members of B-25, #43-3961
2nd Lt Richard D. Kizer, Pilot
2nd Lt Jack V. Burkett, Co-Pilot
1st Lt Celso R. Mosteiro, Bombardier/Navigator
S/Sgt Perry B. Cartwright, Engineer/Gunner
T/Sgt William T. Dalton Jr., Radio Operator/Gunner
Cpl Charles Kelliher, Armorer/Gunner