Warbird Down, Pilot Missing

In WWII when a military aircraft went down in US territory on land with
missing aircrew:

Was it considered any big deal to the military - considering the war effort
going on overseas?
What kind of search would there be?
Which branch of the military would search?
What size search team would be dispatched, if any? and what would be the
rank of the most senior member of the team?
Would bombsights, guns, etc be retrieved, demolitioned on the spot or left?

Any firsthand or accurate info appreciated.

HJ