Date & Time:
May 17, 1943 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-29627
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Rougham - Rougham
MSN:
4741
YOM:
1942
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Rougham (Bury St Edmunds) on an operation to Lorient. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Kervellec, north of Morlaix. An air gunner was killed, five crew members became PoW ans four evaded.
Crew:
1st Lt Edward J. Spevak, pilot,
2nd Lt Donald Lee Nichols, copilot,
T/Sgt Frederick James Ford, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Lewis Jay Taney, radio operator,
2nd Lt Homer Contopidis, navigator,
2nd Lt Allen Murphy Posey, bombardier,
S/Sgt Joseph C. Melaun, air gunner, †
S/Sgt John Henry Wells, air gunner,
S/Sgt Donald C. Parks, air gunner,
Sgt Walter E. Minor, air gunner.
Crew:
1st Lt Edward J. Spevak, pilot,
2nd Lt Donald Lee Nichols, copilot,
T/Sgt Frederick James Ford, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Lewis Jay Taney, radio operator,
2nd Lt Homer Contopidis, navigator,
2nd Lt Allen Murphy Posey, bombardier,
S/Sgt Joseph C. Melaun, air gunner, †
S/Sgt John Henry Wells, air gunner,
S/Sgt Donald C. Parks, air gunner,
Sgt Walter E. Minor, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
