Sgt Kenneth Anthony Pettersen
Tokyo Military Prison

Killed in Action While a
Prisoner of War of the
Japanese Government

December 2024

498TH BOMB GROUP (VH), 874th Bomb Squadron
AIRCRAFT COMMANDER
B - 29 SERIAL NUMBER
NICKNAME
1st LT CARL SMITH
42-93999
FILTHY FAY II

 

Kenneth Anthony Pettersen
13 September 1925 - 26 May 1945

Tributes to Sgt Pettersen can be found at
Scott Muselin's

498th Bomb Group Find a Grave

and

Honor States


My thanks to the following for their assistance:

Ed Lawson

Jim Bowman
Scott Muselin

Roy Wall
Randy Watkins

Al Schutte

The Mansell POW Database

POW Research Network Japan

Air Force Historical Research Agency
Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama

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Throughout these pages you will encounter the abbreviation IDPF :

Individual Deceased Personnel File

Sgt Kenneth Anthony Pettersen was born in Jamaica, British West Indies, on 13 September 1925.
His parents were Conrad ( Konrad ) Pettersen and Lucille Alexandria Bryson Pettersen.

They were married in Jamaica in 1924 and divorced at an unknown date prior to 1934.

Within the Introduction section are two documents concerning his mother.

In the first, Declaration of Intention, dated 1934,
she states that her son Kenneth is still residing in Jamaica.

Mrs Pettersen petitioned to become a
naturalized citizen of the United States in August 1936.
Her son was now living in the Bronx, New York.

Based on information found on the internet,
Sgt Pettersen automatically acquired
derivative citizenship once his mother's petition was granted.

Sgt Pettersen enlisted in the US Army Air Force on 10 October 1943.
There is no enlistment record for him within his IDPF nor at the National Archives.

Below is a list of his stations.

The first two are gunnery schools.
His position in the B-29 was Central Fire Control Gunner .

The 498th Bomb Group was activated on 1 December 1943 at Clovis AAF, New Mexico.
The Maintenance Squadrons transferred to Great Bend AAF, Kansas, on 10 December 1943.

In April 1944 the Air Crews were transferred to Great Bend AAF, Kansas.

Sgt Pettersen joined the Lt Carl Smith Crew in early July 1944.

Lt Smith's crew flew 16-18 missions.
Their B-29 was shot down west of Tokyo during the 1-2 April 1945
mission to the Musashino Aircraft Factory.

Details are within the Smith Crew and Mission sections.

Sgt Pettersen was one of 62 POWs who died during the
Tokyo Military Prison fire the night of 25-26 May 1945.


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LIST OF STATIONS
source : Sgt Pettersen's IDPF

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