December 1944. West Field, Tinian. VPB-111 arcft. #38900 crewed by CAC #6. Standing left to right: 1P Ens E.F. Shields; PPC Lt H.E. Sires; 2P Ens W.E Darsee; PC AMM1c N.G. Hitchcock; 1M AMM1c T.J. Stedman. Kneeling left to right: 1R ARM2c E.C. Frawley; AG S1c Wojciechowski; 2R AR L.M. Cannon; AG S1c R.H. Walsleben; Ord AOM1c W.B. Morrison.

On 5 February 1945, Lt Sires and his crew were lost on patrol while flying aircraft #38900. His last reported position was 24deg 20min north by 123deg 42min east, which would have put him over a large inlet on the west side of Iriomote Jima. This island is approximately 120 NM from the north-east coast of Formosa and approximately 950 miles from Tacloban. If I am not mistaken, Lt Sires and crew were flying out of Tacloban, Leyte. Half the squadron was at Morotai and half at Tacloban until the 6th of February when the entire squadron moved to Tacloban.