United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to Romilly-sur-Seine. Passing east of Paris, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Villeroy. A crew was killed, nine others parachuted to safety, eight became PoW and the pilot evaded.
Crew:
1st Lt John R. McKee, pilot,
2nd Lt Leornard Eugene Hamaker, copilot,
Sgt Helmuth V. Roeder, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Francis John Hess, radio operator,
1st Lt Thomas S. Marchant, navigator,
2nd Lt George Lloyd Mathews, bomb aimer,
T/Sgt Stanley Clark Garner, air gunner,
Sgt Walter Wynn, air gunner,
Sgt Carl H. Warheit, air gunner, †
Sgt Darwin Wissenback, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress in Le Mée-sur-Seine: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942 at 1240 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

41-24489

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

3174

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was engaged in an operation to Romilly-sur-Seine. Passing west of Melun, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Seine River near Le Mée-sur-Seine. Three crew members were killed and seven others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Lewis Robert McKesson, pilot,
2nd Lt Quentin Webster Burgett, copilot,
S/Sgt Stanley J. Milik, flight engineer, †
1st Lt Sidney Berk, navigator, †
T/Sgt Delmar Leslie Swyers, radio operator,
1st Lt Robert M. Freeman, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Ludvik V. Dejnozka, air gunner,
Sgt Richard Eugene Cox, air gunner,
Sgt Lucien Bedard, air gunner,
Sgt Fletcher Merton De Wolf, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress in Orgeval: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

41-24452

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

3137

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was on an operation to Romilly-sur-Seine when it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Orgeval, west of Poissy. Three crew members were killed and seven became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert Smith English, pilot, †
1st Lt Charles E. Mendel, copilot,
T/Sgt Allen Woodrow Haynes, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt James Clifton Tyler, radio operator,
1st Lt Robert RAymond Brunn, navigator,
1st Lt Spalding Berdanotte Anderson, bomb aimer,
S/Sgt Ralph John Tomek, air gunner,
Sgt Steve Stefula, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Raymond A. Slominski, air gunner,
Sgt Vincent J. Jacoby, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-30-BO Flying Fortress in Les Orbies: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

42-5071

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Thurleigh - Thurleigh

MSN:

3610

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh at 0930LT on an operation to Romilly-sur-Seine. Approaching Provins, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in an open field in Les Orbies. Seven crew members were killed, two became PoW and one evaded.
Crew:
1st Lt Danton J. Nygaard, pilot,
1st Lt Daniel Dulany De Butts Jr., copilot, †
Sgt Arthur A. Bloom, flight engineer, †
S/Sgt Robert B. Sandlin, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Frank Bob Leasman, navigator,
2nd Lt John S. Trost, bomb aimer,
S/Sgt Cecil J. Floyd, air gunner, †
Sgt Stephen Ross, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Arnold E. Pearson, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Edwin Adam Simoncek, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-25-BO Flying Fortress off Dieppe: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

41-24566

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Molesworth - Molesworth

MSN:

3251

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Molesworth on an operation to Romilly-sur-Seine. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Dieppe. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Orville S. Witt Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Francis M. McMurtry Jr., copilot,
T/Sgt Lyle C. Woods, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Thomas F. Bachom, radio operator,
S/Sgt Warner E. Renner, radio operator,
1st Lt Donald H. Brightbill, navigator,
1st Lt Wilmer Eugene Dyar, bomb aimer,
Sgt Harold A. Kinsey, air gunner,
Sgt Bernerd W. Millett, air gunner,
S/Sgt Laurence W. Thomas, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a North American B-25D Mitchell into the Coral Sea: 11 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942

Type of aircraft:

North American B-25 Mitchell

Operator:

Registration:

41-29706

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Charters Towers - Port Moresby

MSN:

87-7871

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Charters Towers Airport on a transit flight to Port Moresby-Jackson (7 Mile Drome). En route, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the Coral Sea some 112 km north of Osprey Reef, off Queensland. The airplane burst into flames upon impact and all 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Donald K. Emerson,
1st Lt Lloyd C. Miller,
T/Sgt Paul R. Ervin,
S/Sgt Ernest R. Fanta,
S/Sgt Albert Belcher, pilot,
S/Sgt Everett E. Walker,
Sgt Donald D. Ruth,
Sgt Richard H. Saint Sauveur,
Sgt Stephen L. Taylor,
Pfc Delmar A. Klemmer,
Pvt William S. Vidmar.

Crash of a Douglas C-53-DO Skytrooper in Assam: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

41-20098

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

4868

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area of the State of Assam. It failed to arrive at destination and was declared as missing. The wreckage was found by a hunter in August 1977.
Crew:
Cpt Warren C. Peterson,
Pfc Forrest C. Reynolds,
Pvt George R. Lingenfelter.

Crash of a Lockheed A-29-LO Hudson in Brownsville

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

41-23327

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

414-6144

YOM:

1941

Location:

Brownsville

Texas

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane crashed on takeoff and was damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Martin B-26B-1 Marauder in Chatham

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

41-17782

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Due to a fuel exhaustion, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in Chatham. The airplane crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Grumman OA-9 Goose near Deer Lake: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Grumman G-21A Goose

Operator:

Registration:

38-557

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1023

YOM:

1939

Location:

Deer Lake

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in hilly terrain some 20 km northwest of Deer Lake. At least one crew member was killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Earl Eugene Jordan.

Subscribe to United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947)