Polebrook AFB

The airplane was performing a local training flight at RAF Polebrook (Station 110). While circling in the vicinity of the airbase, it collided with a second USAAF Boeing B-17 registered 41-29865 that was also carrying a crew of 10. Following the collision, both airplanes crashed in a field and were destroyed. All 20 crew members in both airplanes were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Roy Snipes,
1st Lt Rupert L. Torrey,
2nd Lt George F. Cotherman,
S/Sgt Charles E. Chadbourne,
S/Sgt Edward G. Cihlar,
S/Sgt Harry J. Kelley,
S/Sgt Maurice R. Marquis,
T/Sgt Harold J. Wellnitz,
T/Sgt Irving L. Berger,
Pvt Carl H. Jorgensen.

The airplane was performing a local training flight at RAF Polebrook (Station 110). While circling in the vicinity of the airbase, it collided with a second USAAF Boeing B-17 registered 41-29491 that was also carrying a crew of 10. Following the collision, both airplanes crashed in a field and were destroyed. All 20 crew members in both airplanes were killed.
Crew:
Maj Keith G. Birlem,
1st Lt Harry L. Bartholomew,
1st Lt Courtland H. Young,
2nd Lt Clarence B. Yunt,
2nd Lt Henry G. Summers,
S/Sgt Robert M. Brooke,
S/Sgt Paul R. Fennel,
S/Sgt Walter D. Lappage,
S/Sgt Oscar R. Tipton,
T/Sgt Thomas S. Broderick.

The airplane departed RAF Polebrook on an operation to Lorient. While cruising at an altitude of 13,000 feet just below the cloud layer, it was attacked by a German fighter and the German Flak that shot away one engine, the ball turret, the top turret, the intercom system and the elevator controls. The airplane was ditched into the sea some 15 km off Brest and floated for about 30 seconds. All 10 crew members were rescued by a French fishing boat and turned over to the Germans as PoW. The airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
1st Lt Milton Stenstrom, pilot,
1st Lt Robert L. Carlberg, copilot,
1st Lt Harold Spire, navigator,
1st Lt Ewart T. Sconiers, bomb aimer,
T/Sgt Roy T. Nalley, flight engineer,
S/Sgt William A. Adams, radio operator,
Sgt William E. Schimke, air gunner,
Sgt Thomas C. Calhoun, air gunner,
Sgt John M. Hughes, air gunner,
Sgt James C. Simmons, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Polebrook on an operation to Lorient. Over Britain, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Douarnenez. Six crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Francis Xavier Schwarzenbek, pilot, †
1st Lt William L. Tingle, copilot, †
T/Sgt William T. Lynch, flight engineer, †
Cpt Joe H. Gray Jr., navigator, †
Sgt Kenneth K. Laud, radio operator,
2nd Lt Harry R. Erickson, bomb aimer,
Sgt Mitchell Small, air gunner, †
Sgt George Whitham Jr., air gunner, †
Sgt Kenneth V. Maeran, air gunner,
Sgt Ned R. Herzstam, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Polebrook to attack the airport of Lorient. Over Britain, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a field located 2 km northwest of Saint-Vougay, bursting into flames. Eight crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt John Morley Bennett, pilot,
1st Lt William F. Galey, copilot, †
Lt Robert E. Jackson, navigator,
Sgt McCleary H. Harper, radio operator, †
S/Sgt George W. Wright, mechanic, †
1st Lt Thomas L. Morgan, bomb aimer, †
S/Sgt Jim D. Combs, air gunner, †
Sgt James D. Hyman, air gunner, †
Sgt Andrew L. Jackson, air gunner, †
Sgt William J. Thompson, air gunner. †

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.

The four engine airplane departed RAF Polebrook at 1030LT on a 30 minutes flight to RAF Burtonwood, carrying eight crew members and three passengers. En route, the bomber impacted the east slope of Mt Berwyn located 8 km northwest of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Wales. The wreckage was spotted few hours later. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 11 occupants were killed.
Crew (97th BG):
2nd Lt Henry L. Gilbert, pilot,
2nd Lt Robert Earl Beers, pilot,
S/Sgt Robert A. Kemp, radio operator,
2nd Lt Lawrence G. Schmitt, navigator,
2nd Lt Leonard Holm Phillips, bombardier,
M/Sgt Stanislas Lepa, air gunner,
Sgt Kenneth H. Branum, air gunner,
Sgt Wallace V. Sidders, air gunner.
Passengers:
Cpl Marvin A. Koepke,
Cpl Stanley G. Aldridge,
Pvt Fidel A. Villarreal.

The airplane departed RAF Polebrook at 0903LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area at an altitude of 32,000 feet, the airplane was attacked by the pilots of two German fighters. The crew was able to evacuate the combat area and later initiated a descent to RAF Roborough located 6 km north of Plymouth. On approach, the airplane crashed near the airfield, bursting into flames. Three crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew (90th Squadron):
F/Sgt Sidney Ambrose, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Michael John Leahy, wireless operator, †
Sgt Harold Needle, wireless operator, †
P/O Sturmey,
P/O Franks,
P/O Mulligan,
F/S Goldsmith.

The airplane departed RAF Polebrook to complete a high altitude test flight. It entered very severe turbulences and this was followed by a structural failure of the right wing. The bomber entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Wilbarston, 4 miles weest of Corby. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (90th Squadron):
F/S Reginald G. Bradley,
F/S Hubert C. G. Brook,
Sgt Robert Henderson,
F/S Ronald C. A. Muir,
Sgt Philip S. Pugh,
Sgt Roy Smith.

The crew departed RAF Upwood on a low-level bombing exercise. After takeoff, the airplane suffered a loss of engine power and crashed two miles east of RAF Polebrook. Both crew members were injured.
Crew:
P/O A. J. Taylor,
P/O T. E. Wootton.