Bassingbourn AFB

The crew was engaged in a local night training flight when shortly after takeoff from RAF Bassingbourn, the aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height. It hit successively two rows of trees. On the second impact, the airplane broke in two. The front part crashed in a huge explosion while the rear part detached and crashed 100 yards away from the burning wreckage. The three crew members who were seating in the rear compartment were slightly injured while the five crew members who were seating in the forward compartment were killed.

Following a bombing mission over Berlin, the aircraft was returning to the RAF Bassingbourn when it was hit by enemy fire while leaving the German airspace. On approach to the Swedish coast, the captain ordered his crew to bail out as it was impossible to continue the flight. Six crew members were able to bail out before the aircraft crashed into the Baltic Sea off Örnahusen. The last three crew members were killed.

The bomber aircraft left RAF Bassingbourn in the morning bound for Cottbus as its target. En route, it was attacked by enemy fire. Engines number one and three were out of service, and the fourth engine failed shortly later. While approaching the Bornholm Island, the pilot decided to divert to Sweden and instructed all crew to bail out. Unfortunately, his parachute opened in the cabin so he was forced to attempt an emergency landing in an open field located in Vollsjö, south Sweden. The aircraft belly landed and came to rest. All ten occupants were uninjured while the aircraft christened 'Lackin Shackin' was damaged beyond repair.
Crew (91st BG):
1st Lt F. C. Amman, pilot,
2nd Lt F. L. Butler, copilot,
1st Lt H. A. Levin, navigator,
2nd Lt P. H. McNulty, bombardier,
T/Sgt J. J. Lacorazza, top turret gunner,
T/Sgt F. D. Bynon Jr, radio operator and air gunner,
S/Sgt I. F. Kennedy, ball turret gunner,
S/Sgt H. Hornick, right & left waist gunner,
S/Sgt F. Martin, tail gunner
1st Lt P. E. Heacox, observer.

The aircraft left RAF Bassingbourn on a bombing mission to Kassel, Germany. While overflying The Netherlands, it was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter (Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-6) and crashed in a field. Eight crew members were killed while both pilots survived.
Crew:
2nd Lt Keene C. McCammon, pilot,
2nd Lt John P. Bruce, copilot,
T/Sgt Douglas V. Blackwood,
T/Sgt Americo Cianfichi,
1st Lt Robert U. Duggan,
S/Sgt George R. Krueger,
2nd Lt Daniel V. Ohman,
S/Sgt Mike A. Perrotta,
S/Sgt Hermon D. Poling,
S/Sgt Harold R. Sparks .

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to the Chemische Werke synthetic rubber plant located in Hüls. Passing over Bocholt, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Büngern. Eight crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Joseph E. Slattery Jr., pilot, †
2nd Lt Walter Brass, copilot,
T/Sgt William G. Dickson, flight engineer, †
2nd Lt Julius E. Ziegelmeyer, navigator, †
T/Sgt Glenn N. MacDonald, radio operator, †
T/Sgt Bob Brubaker, bombardier,
T/Sgt David F. Fishburn, waist gunner,†
S/Sgt Edward F. Simon, tail gunner, †
Sgt Elmer L. Frederick, waist gunner, †
Sgt Eldridge W. Hulet, ball turret gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to the Chemische Werke synthetic rubber plant located in Hüls. While returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and ditched into the North Sea off the Dutch coast. A crew drowned and nine others were rescued by a RAF Air Sea Rescue boat.
Crew:
1st Lt Buster Peck, pilot,
1st Lt Francis A. Porada, copilot,
T/Sgt Ray R. Thompson, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Gerry B. Williams, navigator,
T/Sgt Jim F. Osborne, radio operator,
2nd Lt Chauncey H. Hicks, bombardier,
S/Sgt Norbert F. Swierz, waist gunner,
S/Sgt William G. Zeigler, waist gunner,
S/Sgt Russell D. Hatton, ball turret gunner,
S/Sgt Evert Lindberg, tail gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to Emden. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Vlagtwedde. Eight crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Lowel L. Wetzel, pilot, †
F/O Earl E. Sutton, copilot, †
2nd Lt C. Hopewell, navigator,
T/Sgt Stacey L. Hendrix, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Carl R. Pearson, bombardier, †
S/Sgt Glenn E. Harding, air gunner, †
S/Sgt C. Rendler Jr., air gunner, †
S/Sgt Bryant M. Loftis, air gunner, †
T/Sgt Russell E. Crisp, air gunner, †
T/Sgt H. C. Kurn, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to Kiel. While returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea off Amrun Island. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt William H. Broley,
2nd Lt Joseph M. Darmiento,
2nd Lt Albert H. Davies,
2nd Lt Armando H. Ambalagi,
S/Sgt Kenneth T. M. Donovan,
S/Sgt Kenneth S. Greer,
S/Sgt Edward H. Jones,
T/Sgt Edward K. Clyne,
T/Sgt Lowell A. Dawson,
Sgt Edward S. Casparriello.

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to a Potez Aircraft Factory near Amiens. After crossing the French coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Allery, 16 km south of Abbeville. Eight crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Lawrence J. Stark, pilot, †
1st Lt John T. Evins, copilot, †
T/Sgt Tom W. Bagwell, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Walter H. Sypherd Jr., navigator, †
1st Lt Neill E. Oakley, observer, †
T/Sgt Wallace Lyle Mooney, radio operator,
2nd Lt Arthur H. Nicholls, bombardier, †
S/Sgt John J. Arihood, air gunner, †
Sgt Robert H. Reynolds, air gunner, †
Sgt Richard K. Wirt, air gunner, †
Sgt Edward Marion Brummal, air gunner.