Thomas William “Tom” Dunlava was born in 1923, in Carthage, Jefferson County, New York. He was the son of Robert J. Dunlava and Lillian Gilmore Dunlava. He served in the 173rd Air Liaison Squadron as a First Lieutenant and Pilot of UC-78 Bobcat #42-58507 during World War II.

On December 6, 1944, a UC-78 Bobcat went down near the commune of Éméville, about 11 kilometers northeast of Crépy-en-Valois in France’s Oise department. The aircraft had departed from airfield A-47 in Orly at 08:55 on a personnel dispatch mission to Brussels, Belgium. Approximately 20 minutes later, around 50 miles into the flight, the plane encountered dense fog that extended below the treetops. The accident report indicates that the pilot had likely switched to single-engine operation due to suspected carburetor icing. The aircraft collided with trees on a hillside and was destroyed on impact. Tragically, both crew members lost their lives in the crash.

1Lt Dunlava is now buried in the Fairview Cemetery, Carthage, Jefferson County, New York, USA.

Source of information: http://francecrashes39-45.net/