Mount Tamalpais, CA Navy Flying Boat Crash, Dec 1944

4 NAVY MEN DEAD, 4 MISSING ON TAMALPAIS.

FLYING BOAT, ON WAY OVER PACIFIC, FLIES INTO MOUNTAIN.

San Rafael, Dec., 2. -- (UP) -- Sheriffs deputies and soldiers today renewed their search through six-foot high underbrush of the wild south slope of Mt. Tamalpais for remaining members of an eight-man navy crew, at least six of whom died in the crash of their Pacific-bound twin-engined flying boat shortly before midnight Thursday.
(An announcement late last night by the 12th naval district in San Francisco said the crash claimed four known dead with four others "missing and presumed dead.")
(The Martin patrol plane was unreported from the time of its takeoff just before the crash from the Alameda naval air station on a ferrying mission, the navy said.)
Searching parties early today had recovered six bodies after a nearly incredible coincidence delayed an official search until last night, deputies said.
Almost simultaneously with the crash an inbound Alameda based plane jettisoned storage gasoline tanks on the 2600-foot mountain to gain altitude in the soupy weather. Nearby residents reported a flash and explosion. The sheriff's office dispatched a searching party to the scene, which was ordered back after the explosion was reported to have been due to "objects from the bomb bay door of a plane."
About 4 p.m. yesterday the wreckage was discovered accidentally by a group of teen-age boys on a mountain hike and reported to the sheriff's office which ordered a second search.
Names of the victims were withheld pending notifications of next of kin, the navy said.

San Mateo Times California 1944-12-02

List of the Casualties:
LT. JOSEPH L. RESLEY.
LT. THOMAS W. OLIVER.
ENS. CHAPIN B. MILLER.
ACMM HARRY L. HOLLAND.
AMM2c RODNEY JEFFERS.
ARM2c THOMAS J. JOYCE.
ARM3c JOHN R. KELLY.
AOM2c WAYNE D. PAXSON.
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!