#41: Loss - Hugh C. Rogers Formally Declared Dead

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (2021-11)

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them. The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com. The prompt for the week of March 21 is "Loss."  So today, March 27, I am going to write about the loss of Capt. Hugh C. Rogers during World War II.

Hugh is the son of Asa Lloyd and Delphia Olivia Epps Rogers and was born on October 26, 1921.  He was the youngest of the three children, all born in Timmonsville, SC.  

After graduation from Florence High School, he attended The Citadel and graduated in 1942.   Hugh enlisted in the US Army on June 30, 1942, as an engineer and quickly transferred to the Air Corps.  He was attached to the to 5th Fighter Group, 29th Fighter Squadron.  He Married Medora Dowdle on November 8, 1942, and they had one child before he left for overseas duty in October 1944 to the Pacific theater.  

On Thursday, December 21, 1944, Hugh was piloting, alone, his P-40 after taking off from Chinkiang (now known as Zhenjiang), China.  

Curtis P-40N on Ground.  GFDL, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

"While going down to make a strafing pass¹ on a little village along the road and railroad I noticed black smoke trailing Captain Rogers airplane in front of me as he finished strafing the village. Then Captian Rogers called on the radio to the effect that he was hit and was going to bail out or crash land.

"He then proceeded to make a normal crash landing.  The plane was torn up pretty badly except for the cockpit area.  While circling the area about 5 minutes later I noticed him running from the plane with what looked like blood flowing down his head and neck."

Quote from R.K. Spencer, 2nd Lt., Air Corps. in Form129 Missing Air Crew Report.

A map from the Form 129 Missing Air Crew Report for Hugh C. Rogers showing the approx. location of the crash site.

It appears that Lt. Spencer later also had to bail-out from his aircraft.  And after successfully returning, provided additional information regarding Hugh.  Apparently, he was told by Chinese Guerrillas that Hugh was captured by the Japanese from Chinese civilians and taken to Nanking (now called Nanjing).

Interestingly, Hugh's brother-in-law Joseph Davidson, who was also overseas and stationed in China, recounted this story in his own memoir:  

"During my stay in China I had a short visit to Kunming to the China headquarters of AACS.  While there I overheard some men talking about an experience they had recently had when a fellow pilot had been shot down.  I found after talking with them that this pilot was Hugh, Sally’s brother.  One of these men was flying in the same group of planes when Hugh’s plane was hit.  He was seen running away from his plane (a P-40) holding his head. "

Unfortunately, no official notification was ever received by the US Army of Hugh being captured and held as a prisoner of war.  So on March 27, 1946, his status was changed from being Missing In Action to Dead.

To date, no other news about Hugh has turned up.  But Hugh was memorialized in two locations.  

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How I'm "related" to Hugh:

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References: 

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74130885/hugh-rogers-florence-morning-news-5/

         ¹ From Wikipedia:  Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons.