Date:	Thursday 20 May 1943
Time:	20:25
Type:	Grumman TBF-1 Avenger
Owner/operator:	US Navy
Registration:	06476
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	NAS San Diego -   United States of America
Phase:	Unknown
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Missing TBF-1 Avenger from VC19 flying out of NAS North Island, San Diego, during night glide bombing practice west of Imperial Beach Silver Strand. Three men lost their lives, LTJG. James Will Taylor, Donald Bennett Ellis, ARM3e V-6, USSR Horace Dell West, S1c, V-6, USSR. Although no-one was recovered, a deflated life raft was found by a fishing boat that was later identified by markings as having come from a VC-19 aircraft. All three were at the time listed as missing.

http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/navyserials.html
Navel incident report 48 0951, 20 May 1943

My editing is based on VC19 report of deaths dated May 23, 1943 and Crash Report no.20-1 dated 5/20/43 from Navy Archives. My Uncle, ARM3c Donald B. Ellis, was the radioman on this flight.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Nov-2010 11:55	ASN archive	Added
10-Feb-2020 07:49	Pete	Updated [Time, Registration, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Narrative]
07-Jan-2024 07:41	jellis00	Updated [Registration]