Néchin

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh to attack the Compagnie de Fives steel plant in Lille. It bombed the secondary target of the Luftwaffe airfield at Courtrai, Belgium.While approaching the target area, it was hit by the German Flak, causing the engine n°3 to catch fire. The copilot managed to extinguish the fire as the plane went over the target when four bombs hung up preventing the closing of the bomb bay doors. With only three engines operating, the formation made a 360° turn over enemy territory, encouraging enemy fighters to attack. The bomber started to lag behind the formation and tried to reach the English coast as it was being attacked by four Fw 190s. In an attack 20mm cannon shells ripped into the cockpit as the pilots lost control sending the plane into a flat spin. Some of the crew bailed out before it crashed near the village of Néchin. Six crew members were killed, two evaded and one became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt John W. Olson, pilot, †
2nd Lt Joseph N. Gates, copilot, †
T/Sgt Thomas W. Dynan Jr., radio operator, †
T/Sgt Erwin Derold Wissenback, mechanic,
2nd Lt William John Gise Jr., navigator,
2nd Lt Albert W. LaChasse, bomb aimer,
S/Sgt Bert E. Kaylor, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Bruce C. Nicholson, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Truman C. Wilder Jr., air gunner. †