Crash of a Consolidated B-24L-5-FO Liberator near Spinazzola: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1945 at 1120 LT
Operator:
Registration:
44-49278
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
4133
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Venosa AAF, while climbing, a life raft deployed accidentally in the cabin, went through the left door intentionally let opened and hit the port stabilizer. The captain ordered his crew to bail out and three of them were able to abandon the aircraft before it crashed in a field located 13 km northeast of Spinazzola, about 25 km east of Venosa. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and seven other crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Erwin W. Bussick, navigator, †
T/Sgt Richard H. Callaham Jr., flight engineer, †
1st Lt William Craven Jr., †
Maj Philip Edward Cummings, pilot, †
S/Sgt Aloysius F. Gasiorek, †
1st Lt Glenn Wilson Jones, copilot, †
S/Sgt Mike J. Kovich, air gunner, †
T/Sgt George Kavanaugh, radio operator,
S/Sgt Richard Peath Ball, air gunner,
Lt Argie Simmons, bombardier
Probable cause:
Inadvertent deployment of a life raft in the cabin during initial climb.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator in Belfast

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
FL928
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
246
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Swerved on landing, lost its nose gear and came to rest. All crew members escaped unhurt but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-10-FO Liberator off Grado: 11 killed

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
42-51642
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
3173
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a mission consisting to bomb bridges over the Isarco - Albes railroad, in the region of Bolzano. In flight, the aircraft was hit by the German Flak and the captain left the combat area and elected to fly to Trieste to ditch the aircraft. Eventually, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Adriatic Sea, off Grado. All 11 crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Howard Hanson, pilot,
S/Sgt Albert L. Acampora,
2nd Lt Edward H. Betz,
T/Sgt Lawrence W. Brady,
S/Sgt James S. Cox,
2nd Lt Clarence L. Dragoo,
2nd Lt Darrell E. German,
2nd Lt Richard M. Horwitz,
S/Sgt Thomas M. McGraw,
T/Sgt Lawrence F. Nally,
S/Sgt Adolph Turpin.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-1-FO Liberator near Burnley: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
42-50668
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
North Pickenham - Burtonwood
MSN:
2553
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While performing a flight from RAF North Pickenham to RAF Burtonwood, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Black Hameldon located near Burnley. Eight occupants were killed while three others were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed.
Crew (854th Bombing Squadron):
1st Lt Charles Albert Goeking, pilot,
2nd Lt George H. Smith, copilot, †
1st Lt Frank E. Bock, navigator, †
T/Sgt Howard E. Denham, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Leslie E. Johnson, radio operator.
Passengers:
2nd Lt Joseph B. Walker III, †
2nd Lt Elmer R. Brater, †
F/O Gerald Procita, †
F/O David A. Robinson, †
Sgt Randolph R. Mohlhenrich, †
Sgt Robert D. Hyett.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24L-10-CO Liberator in Cunderdin: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1945 at 0604 LT
Operator:
Registration:
A72-124
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cunderdin - Cunderdin
MSN:
5593
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Cunderdin Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft reached the altitude of 30 feet when it drop back to the ground. It hit the ground 3 times and skidded through a fence about 800 feet from the end of the strip and exploded. Five crew members were killed while six others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The cause of the crash was unknown although one private theory was that the squadron had an absolute minimum of training flights.
Crew (25th Squadron):
F/O Francis Leo Hannah, pilot,
F/Sgt Francis Gregory Coman, copilot,
F/O Claremont Logie Taylor, navigator,
Sgt Bernard McTernan, flight engineer,
Sgt Francis Joseph Naughton, air gunner, †
Sgt Roy Higginbottom, air gunner, †
Sgt Kenneth William Uhr, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Charles Ronald Taylor, wireless operator and air gunner, †
F/Sgt Brian John Troy Johnson, bombardier, †
Sgt George Keith Leroy, air gunner,
F/Sgt Campbell Edward Earle Verey, wireless operator and air gunner.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/wa07.htm

Crash of a CConsolidated B-24L-10-CO Liberator in Tocumwal: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
A72-112
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tocumwal - Tocumwal
MSN:
5600
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night training mission at Tocumwal Airport. On final approach, the aircraft crashed in a desert area located one mile east of the airport, lost its four engines and came to rest. Two crew members were killed.
Crew (7th OTU):
F/O G. N. Broughton, pilot,
W/O Allen Leslie Jones, †
Sgt Raymond Dalwood Johnston. †
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/nsw05.htm

Crash of a Consolidated C-109 Liberator Express in Kunming

Date & Time: Feb 11, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
44-49025
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
3880
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Collided in flight near Kunming-Wujiaba Airport with a USAAF Curtiss C-46A-40-CU Commando registered 42-107328. The exact circumstances of the inflight collision remains unknown but at least two crew members were killed, 1st Lt George H. Murray in C-46 and Cpt Hobart T. Walker Jr in Liberator.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24H-15-CF Liberator in Bron: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1945 at 0247 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-29505
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Harrington - Harrington
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night training exercise when approaching Lyons, an engine failed, forcing the captain to divert to Lyons-Bron Airport to attempt an emergency landing. Due to low visibility, the crew completed several circuits over Lyons when the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in the district of Terraillon, near Bron. A crew member was injured while eight others were killed.
Crew (857th Squadron):
Sgt Mose C. Boren Jr., air gunner,
2nd Lt Merrill Burt, copilot,
2nd Lt Charles H. Edwards, pilot,
F/O Edwin London, bomber,
Sgt James D. Matthews, flight engineer,
Sgt James O. Melotte, radio operator,
2nd Lt Gerard L. Roy, navigator,
Sgt John L. Strickey, air gunner,
Sgt Russell G. Wolfersberger Jr, air gunner.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator in Hamilton: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
KL386
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Following a relative short takeoff roll, the airplane took off but encountered difficulties to gain height. It stalled, struck an embankment and crashed, bursting into flames. Five crew members were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24L-5-CO Liberator in Fenton: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1945 at 2355 LT
Operator:
Registration:
A72-88
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fenton - Fenton
MSN:
5396
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft crashed when attempting to land at Fenton Airfield, in the Northern Territory, following a bombing raid on Japanese shipping targets in Timor. The Liberator was out of fuel and losing height rapidly. It was just before midnight and conditions were very hazy and the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Arthur Cambridge, could not see the runway flare path. On his first approach to land, he was too far to the left of the runway. He was advised of this by radio contact with ground control. On his second attempt to land, three of the four fuel pressure gauges dropped to zero and the Liberator swung violently to port. Cambridge ordered the crew to crash positions and with his undercarriage still retracted the Liberator crashed through some trees 3 kilometers from Fenton Airfield and struck the ground in a more or less level attitude. A fire broke out below the flight deck, possibly due to damage to the auxiliary power unit. Two crew members were killed while nine other occupants were rescued.
Crew (24th Squadron):
F/Lt Arthur Aram Cambridge, pilot,
W/O F. Crawford, copilot,
F/Lt John Richard Parkinson, bombardier, †
F/O Ivan Fernley Coward, navigator,
F/O Geoffrey Wallace Rhodes, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Allen George Cullen, flight engineer,
F/O John McPherson Pitt, air gunner, †
F/Lt Victor Charles Edward Scanlon, air gunner,
P/O Geoffrey Neil Johnson, radio operator,
Sgt Ernest Lancelot Francis, air gunner,
Sgt Ernest William Jennings, air gunner.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/nt29.htm
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion on final approach.