Thurleigh AFB

The four engine bomber left RAF Thurleigh in the morning on a bombing mission to Hanover, Germany. Following an uneventful mission and while returning to its base, the aircraft was hit by the German Flak and shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. A crew member was killed while nine other occupants bailed out. Unfortunately, two of them were killed as their parachute did not open properly.
Crew (423th Squadron):
Wes Courson, pilot,
Roy Bronson, copilot,
Ted Grezlak, navigator,
Henry Lynch, bombardier,
John Champion, flight engineer,
Cedric White, air gunner,
Bill Lamb, air gunner,
S/Sgt William G. Dayton, radio operator, †
Sgt Dock G. Thomas Jr., air gunner, †
Sgt Robert C. Stevens, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory located in Bremen. Passing over Lower Saxony, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Greetsiel. Five crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt Bill Casey, pilot,
Ed O'Brien, copilot,
Sgt Wilson Elliott, flight engineer,
Sgt Bill Owens, navigator,
T/Sgt Lewis F. Ayscue, radio operator, †
Sgt Jim McCracken, bombardier,
S/Sgt Joseph R. Borzym, air gunner, †
T/Sgt Morris J. Gecowets, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Charles W. Raidline, air gunner, †
Sgt Frank R. Stetler, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the vicinity of Bremen-Neuenland Airport. Three crew members were killed and seven others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt Craig J. Harwood, pilot, †
Gerry Clymer, copilot,
Lou Enloe, flight engineer,
Harry Whiteman, navigator,
Bob Robel, radio operator,
Frank Wolinski, bombardier,
S/Sgt William S. Buchanan, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Joseph E. Collette, air gunner, †
Clint Collins, air gunner,
Ray Eriksen, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Visbek, 43 km southwest of Bremen. All 10 crew members parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
Bob Miller, pilot,
John Teare, copilot,
Jack Shaaber, navigator,
Jim Shelley, bombardier,
Ed Small, flight engineer,
Joe Spiro, radio operator,
Bill Phillips, air gunner,
Jesse Wade, air gunner,
Edwin Truscott,air gunner,
Milton Williams, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Stotel, 10 km south of Bremerhaven. Five crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
Frank Watson, pilot,
Bob Kemp, copilot,
Roy Livington, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Calvin O. Bjornsgaard, navigator, †
T/Sgt Wilbur R. Giraud, radio operator, †
Bob Hansen, bombardier,
Sgt Reed M. Bottomley, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Lawrence E. Davis, air gunner, †
George Kormish, air gunner,
S/Sgt Arthur J. Sanders, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Erla GmbH aircraft factory at Mortsel, Antwerp, Belgium. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Dinteloord. Seven crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt William H. Parker, pilot, †
1st Lt C. J. Thelen, copilot,
T/Sgt John M. Creatore, flight engineer, †
1st Lt Paul A. Spaduzzi, navigator, †
T/Sgt James E. Gross, radio operator, †
1st Lt A. L. Milbourn, bombardier,
S/Sgt Sydney E. Davis, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Richard E. Haeft, air gunner, †
S/Sgt James S. Clark, air gunner, †
T/Sgt L. J. H. O'Brien, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Erla GmbH aircraft factory at Mortsel, Antwerp, Belgium. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Heikant, north of Antwerp. Three crew members were killed and seven others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt R. W. Seelos, pilot,
1st Lt A. Kramarinko, copilot,
2nd Lt W. W. Saunders, navigator,
T/Sgt Fred Ray Hampton, radio operator, †
2nd Lt James E. Murray, bombardier, †
T/Sgt Stanley P. Stemkoski, air gunner, †
T/Sgt W. H. Keskey, air gunner,
S/Sgt W. E. Baker, air gunner,
S/Sgt R. E. Walls, air gunner,
S/Sgt R. Magee, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the railway marshalling yards at Rennes. Over the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and was abandoned by the crew. The pilot was killed in the attack while nine other crew members parachuted to safety. One evaded and eight became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Otto A. Buddenbaum, pilot, †
1st Lt Warren P. Edris, copilot,
T/Sgt Robert Guthrie, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Sylvester Louis Horstmann, radio operator,
1st Lt Wilson Douglas Biggs, navigator,
1st Lt Joseph Cudarby Wilkins, bombardier,
S/Sgt Robert Stanley Liscavage, air gunner,
Sgt Ernest T. Moriarty, air gunner,
Sgt Donald Robert Huddle, air gunner,
S/Sgt Eulis E. Smith, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to Lorient. Over the target area, it was hot by the German Flak and later abandoned by the crew and crashed in Saint-Jean-Trolimon. A crew was killed, one evaded and eight others became PoW.
Crew:
Maj John Leonard Ryan, pilot,
1st Lt Gerald L. Simmons, copilot, †
T/Sgt Charles E. Perry, flight engineer,
1st Lt Robert B. Hermann, navigator,
S/Sgt Glenn A. Blakemore, radio operator,
1st Lt James A. Laine, bombardier,
S/Sgt William H. Forrester, air gunner,
T/Sgt James Clyde Greene Jr., air gunner,
S/Sgt John R. Chapman, air gunner,
S/Sgt Robert Glen Mumaw, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to Lorient. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Ploemeur. Three crew members were killed, one evaded and six became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Earl Clifford Tunnell, pilot,
1st Lt Robert Edward Biggs, copilot,
T/Sgt Charles Kenneth Kirby Jr., flight engineer,
2nd Lt Mayer Etkin, navigator, †
T/Sgt Robert Anthony Siavage, radio operator,
1st Lt Andrew Jackson Friedrich, bombardier,
T/Sgt George A. Tracy, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Ernest G. Maynard, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Charles David Hill Jr., air gunner,
S/Sgt Donald Tunstall, air gunner.