In a remarkable discovery, the Cranfield Forensic Insтιтute, in partnership with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), has successfully identified the remains of Second Lieutenant Allan W. Knepper, a United States Air Force pilot who went missing in action during World War II. The recovery and identification of Knepper’s remains, which were lost for over 80 years, took place near Caltagirone, Sicily, where his aircraft was downed during the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

P-38 fighter aircraft. Public Domain

On July 10, 1943, Second Lieutenant Allan W. Knepper, 27, took off from a base in Tunisia in his P-38 Lightning aircraft as part of a mission to support U.S. Army beach landings in Sicily. The P-38, a single-seat, twin-engine fighter-bomber, played a crucial role in various aerial combat operations during World War II. Knepper’s squadron was ᴀssigned to attack Axis forces in Caltagirone to hinder their movement and protect the Allied forces landing on the beaches.

As Knepper’s squadron approached their target, they encountered intense anti-aircraft fire from Axis forces. According to another pilot’s account, Knepper’s aircraft was struck and plummeted to the ground. There was no evidence of a parachute deployment, leading to the ᴀssumption that Knepper was still inside the aircraft when it crashed. Consequently, he was declared missing in action.

For decades, the location of Knepper’s crash site remained unknown. However, researchers at the DPAA made a breakthrough in their investigation when they uncovered a German report from July 10, 1943. This report detailed that two P-38 aircraft had been sH๏τ down and crashed west of Caltagirone, Sicily, which contradicted initial reports suggesting a location closer to Palagonia. This crucial information directed the archaeological teams to the correct area for further investigation.

Reconnaissance P-38 with bold black and white invasion stripes participating in the Normandy Campaign. Public Domain

Between 2015 and 2023, a team of archaeologists and researchers from the DPAA, Cranfield University, and several partner organizations, including the University of Illinois, American Veterans Archaeological Recovery, and Geoscope Services Limited, conducted extensive research, investigations, and excavations at the suspected crash site. The efforts were led by Dr. David Errickson, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Anthropology at Cranfield University’s Forensic Insтιтute. Dr. Errickson described the meticulous process involved in locating and identifying the wreckage. “We start using methods like metal detection,” he explained, “There are even signs in the soil that can be identified. For example, if a plane has burned upon impact, you can still find traces of that in the earth decades later.”

Once the crash site was pinpointed, the team carefully excavated the area, recovering fragments of the aircraft and other material evidence. Dr. Errickson emphasized the importance of identifying specific parts of the plane, such as data plates or radio call plates, to ensure they had located the correct aircraft. “Comparatively speaking, lots of P-38 Lightnings went down in mainland Italy and Sicily. That means you need to try and locate fragments like data plates or radio call plates to make sure that you’ve found the exact plane you’re looking for,” he stated.

The recovery process is often complex and time-consuming, especially when dealing with historical sites that have undergone significant landscape changes over the decades. “Everything found at the crash site has to be meticulously recorded and handed over to the local authorities—in this case, the Italian police—who will then transfer the evidence over to either the US Embᴀssy or directly to the DPAA lab for DNA analysis and identification,” explained Dr. Errickson.

After eight years of painstaking work, the DPAA officially confirmed the identification of Second Lieutenant Allan W. Knepper in 2023. His remains were subsequently returned to his hometown of Lewiston, Idaho, where he was laid to rest on August 2, 2024. A rosette has been added next to his name on the Tablets of the Missing at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, signifying that he has now been accounted for.

The successful identification of Second Lieutenant Knepper is a significant achievement for the DPAA and its partners. Dr. Errickson highlighted the ongoing commitment to recovering missing American servicemen from World War II, noting that there are still more than 72,000 American servicemen and women unaccounted for.

Cranfield University