Charles L Rhodes

an American Employee aboard Military Transport which crashed near Italy From FIND A GRAVE https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56313400/charles-demitrios-protopappas passenger on C-54E #44-9078 (MACR 16085) traveling from Cairo, Egypt on a flight to Rome, Italy. C-54E #44-9078, which was part of the 1304th Base Unit, took off with a crew of 8 and 30 passengers from Payne Field, Cairo, Egypt on a personnel transport mission to Rome, Italy. The pilot discovered a fire under his seat & tried to extinguish it however the cockpit became so full of fumes and smoke that they had to abandon ship. They crashed in the Gulf of Salerno off the coast of Italy after World War II had ended. Eight of those on the flight were able to bail-out and survived. The remains of Seven others were found. The rest were not recovered. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Crew that perished on C-54E #44-9078: Gallagher, Joseph F ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, PA 0-697840 Grooms, Ural P ~ FO, Check Pilot, IN T-068020 Ingle, James W ~ 1st Lt, Check Navigator, CA O-1172083 Michalik, Joseph J ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, IL O-557623 Crew that survived: CO-PILOT 1st LT Robert Keyes 0-820032 RADIO OPERATOR SSGT Stanley E Moore 11024394 ENGINEER MSGT Edward L Ignotis 11040785 Flight Traffic Clerk PFC Ralph H Parker 31438965 ​