Boaz, Ralph Evans

WILLIAM TUTTLE ORTH and RALPH EVANS BOAZ, on October 23, 1944, while serving in the India theatre. Both of these men had volunteered to help shorthanded aircraft crews parachute medical supplies from their planes to troops in the Burma Front area. While the plane was flying over mountainous regions dropping its load one bundle failed to clear the plane and caught underneath When it finally fell free, the pilot was unable to gain altitude and his ship disappeared from view behind a hill. A battalion located on higher terrain saw the crash and immediately British and Indian personnel set out to rescue the men. They were guided by runners from one of the native villages, but on reaching the scene of the crash, it was found that all aboard had been instantly killed. A memorial service was held for both of the men on November 4th. The Chaplain who conducted the ceremony uttered these appropriate words, "Let us remember before Almighty God, two who have given their lives--- Ralph Boaz and William Orth."

__ AFS Letters No. 31

The inactivity, however, had proved too much for some who wanted to do all they could to help. In this way R. E. Boaz and W. T. Orth lost their lives on 23 October. By then the 5th Division was receiving "all its supplies-food, petrol, medical supplies and ammunition-by air," Captain Marsh reported.

"The supplies are dropped by parachute onto prepared landing places near the various units. The aircraft crew consists of the pilot and copilot and two enlisted men who stand at the door and push the bundles out at the proper time. In order to assist these two, the aircraft carries two additional men whose duty is to push the bundles back to the door where they can be reached by the regular crew members. The additional men have been and are being supplied by volunteers from units stationed near the air strip (in Imphal). British officers and men and members of the AFS have volunteered for this very useful work, and it was on such a mission that Bill and Ralph were killed.

"They both had lunch here at headquarters and in the afternoon went down to the airstrip and signed on as additional members of the crew of a U.S. DC-3 that was to drop supplies to a unit stationed in the hills northeast of Tiddim. The supplies consisted of food, petrol, mortar ammunition, matches, and medical supplies for an ADS that was serving the unit and that happened to be stationed quite near to the dropping ground. Major Bramley Moore of the Canadian Medical Services says that the accident occurred as follows: The last bundle dropped from the plane on its swing-around over the dropping-ground failed to clear the tail, the parachute looping over the port side of the tail and the bundle swinging underneath. The aircraft headed north up the valley, trying to gain altitude, but without success. Suddenly the bundle dropped clear, but the plane, instead of rising, dropped behind a hill and disappeared from view. He received word from the battalion, who were higher up and could see the crash, of the location of the plane, and set out for it accompanied by some British and Indian personnel from the ADS. He was met by runners, sent by the headman of the village of Haupi, near where the crash occurred, who led them directly to the plane. It was still burning when they arrived," but all the men aboard were dead. "It is very sad. Both . . . will be much missed."

__ George Rock. Chapter 16. " India-Burma 2. Return to Burma: To Tiddim and Kalemyo (April to November 1944)" History of the American Field Service, 1920-1955. New York 1956.