Date & Time:
Apr 17, 1943 at 1255 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-5172
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn
MSN:
3711
YOM:
1942
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Beckeln, 28 km southwest of Bremen. Both pilots were killed while eight other crew members parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Harold H. Beasley, pilot,
1st Lt Walter L. McCain Jr., copilot,
Jay Franklin, flight engineer,
Harry Sipe, navigator,
Mark Schaefer, radio operator,
Matt Michaels, bombardier,
Jim Branch, air gunner,
John Cagle, air gunner,
Ed Jediak, air gunner,
Everett Creason, air gunner.
Crew:
1st Lt Harold H. Beasley, pilot,
1st Lt Walter L. McCain Jr., copilot,
Jay Franklin, flight engineer,
Harry Sipe, navigator,
Mark Schaefer, radio operator,
Matt Michaels, bombardier,
Jim Branch, air gunner,
John Cagle, air gunner,
Ed Jediak, air gunner,
Everett Creason, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
