Date & Time:
Sep 6, 1942 at 1845 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24445
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Polebrook - Polebrook
MSN:
3130
YOM:
1942
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane named 'Southern Belle' departed RAF Polebrook to bomb the Potez aircraft factory located in Méaulte, France. After passing the French coast, it was attacked by a German fighter. Three engines had been hit and disabled by the time the bomber dropped its bomb load, the fourth engine propeller was feathered. The vertical stabilizer was damaged, as was the intercom and oxygen systems. Rapidly losing altitude, the plane crash landed in a wheat field in Flesselles. The right wing was torn off and the ball turret was ripped out through the tail on impact. All 10 crew members became PoW.
Crew:
2nd Lt Clarence W. Lipsky, pilot,
1st Lt David C. Howard, pilot,
Sgt George Mow, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Matson, radio operator,
2nd Lt David McCorkle, navigator,
Sgt Paul D. Drain, bomb aimer,
Sgt William F. Peltier, air gunner,
Sgt Charles A. Travinek, air gunner,
Sgt William B. Dunbar, air gunner,
Sgt William H. Warren, air gunner.
Crew:
2nd Lt Clarence W. Lipsky, pilot,
1st Lt David C. Howard, pilot,
Sgt George Mow, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Matson, radio operator,
2nd Lt David McCorkle, navigator,
Sgt Paul D. Drain, bomb aimer,
Sgt William F. Peltier, air gunner,
Sgt Charles A. Travinek, air gunner,
Sgt William B. Dunbar, air gunner,
Sgt William H. Warren, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
