Date & Time:
Apr 11, 1944 at 1054 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-39820
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Deenethorpe - Deenethorpe
MSN:
6563
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Deenethorpe in early morning bound for a synthetic oil refinery in Pölitz, Germany, as target. While cruising west of Bielefeld, the aircraft was hit by Flak and crashed in a prairie located in Steinhagen, some 9 km southwest of Bielefeld. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair while all ten occupants were taken POW.
Crew (614th Squadron):
1st Lt Samuel Phillips Wilson, pilot,
2nd Lt Elgin Volney Gattis, copilot,
1st Lt Lawrence Herman Sudakov, navigator,
1st Lt John Joseph Daly, bombardier,
T/Sgt Homer Cecil Kelley, radio operator,
T/Sgt Jesse Cromwell Corley, engineer and Top turret,
S/Sgt Beryle A. Corntassel, Ball Turret Gunner,
S/Sgt Leonard Edward Sokol, tail gunner,
Cpl John Elmer Morrissey, Left Waist Gunner,
S/Sgt William George Wolf, Right Waist Gunner.
Crew (614th Squadron):
1st Lt Samuel Phillips Wilson, pilot,
2nd Lt Elgin Volney Gattis, copilot,
1st Lt Lawrence Herman Sudakov, navigator,
1st Lt John Joseph Daly, bombardier,
T/Sgt Homer Cecil Kelley, radio operator,
T/Sgt Jesse Cromwell Corley, engineer and Top turret,
S/Sgt Beryle A. Corntassel, Ball Turret Gunner,
S/Sgt Leonard Edward Sokol, tail gunner,
Cpl John Elmer Morrissey, Left Waist Gunner,
S/Sgt William George Wolf, Right Waist Gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by Flak.
