Capt. George William Stivers, Jr., USMC
Flight 19 Pilot of FT-117

​​​Flight 19 - The Lost Squadron
Great Aviation Mysteries

George William Stivers, Jr., was born April 1920, in Piedmont, Missouri. George graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

In 1942, as a fresh 2nd Lieutenant he was part of the Marine platoon in the 1st Raider Battalion, then part of the 3rd Raider Battalion in 1943. About 5,000 Marine Corps Raiders of World War II were legendary in the South Pacific. The Raider Battalions were developed as a Marine Corps special force with a three-fold mission: spearhead larger amphibious landings on beaches thought to be inaccessible, conduct raids requiring surprise and high speed, and operate as guerrilla units for lengthy periods behind enemy lines. The Raiders were organized in January 1942, and disbanded just two years later. 

During the Battle of Tarawa in 1943, George was General J. C. Smith's Aide de Camp, in the 2nd Marine Division.  He was cited for gallantry, twice on Guadalcanal, and once on Tarawa.

In 1944, he became an air cadet. That same year, he received his wings from NAS Corpus Christi. He then transferred to NAS Fort Lauderdale, to train in the TBM/TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. He had 374.7 flight hours.

On the fateful day of 5 December 1945 at NAS Fort Lauderdale, George (along with 13 other crewmen), was assigned to a training squadron of 5 Avenger aircraft that would be known as Flight 19. The squadron was to perform a routine navigation exercise, and mock bombing run over the Hen and Chickens shoals in the Bahamas, and then return to the NAS Fort Lauderdale. The planes never returned. Neither did a PBM Mariner rescue seaplane with 13 crewmen aboard, that was dispatched to search for their lost colleagues.  In total, 6 aircraft and 27 men disappeared that afternoon.

Captain George William Stivers Jr., USMC was the Pilot on FT-117. His Gunner was Sgt. Robert Francis Gallivan, USMCR. The Radioman was Pvt. Robert Peter Gruebel, USMCR. Aircraft was a TBM-1C with BuNo 73209.  Capt George William Stivers Jr., was 25 years old.

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Marines resting at Guadalcanal. Public domain image.

Capt. George William Stivers, Jr., USMC

Photo: Frank Frezza. Tarawa Beach.
Japanese landing barges and a tank can be seen on the beach.

​Flight 19 Project Research by Matthew J. Bloom,
Curated by Benjamin Walter-Range & Minerva Bloom

• Flight 19 Complete Naval Report: Get the naval investigation from original microfilm, published  in book form (proceeds go to Museum).
• Support Project Mariner: An Expedition of the NAS Fort Lauderdale Museum.