West Flanders

While taxiing, the twin engine went out of control, ground looped and came to rest on its nose. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from Ostend, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed on a beach located in Middelkerke, about 3 km from the airfield. The aircraft was written off and all six occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Enroute, the pilot encountered technical problems and was unable to receive Radio Navigation Directional Bearings. To avoid any fuel shortage, he decided to ditch the aircraft off Knokke-Heist in the early morning. The aircraft landed about 100 yards offshore and sank. While all three crew members were able to swim to the beach, the passenger, a Norwegian citizen, was drowned. The aircraft was carrying a load of grapes.

In flight, the aircraft collided with another USAAF B-17 registered 43-38273 and also carrying a crew of nine. Both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field near Ostend. All 18 crew members on both aircraft were killed. They were engaged in a bombing mission to Ulm, Germany.
Crew (42-38035):
1st Lt Charles Joseph Armbruster,
2nd Lt Robert W. Davis,
Sgt Arthur W. Herold,
Sgt Joe F. Jones,
Sgt Robert A. Mason,
S/Sgt Allan M. Saarnio,
Sgt Charles J. Slavin,
S/Sgt John R. Stringi,
2nd Lt Howard M. Tripp Jr.

Crew (43-38273):
T/Sgt Charles L. Abney Jr.,
2nd Lt George C. Burger,
S/Sgt Harry E. Clabaugh,
S/Sgt James W. Hendon Jr.,
2nd Lt Robert E. Keenan,
S/Sgt Stanley J. Lejkowski,
1st Lt Alexander Rusecky,
T/Sgt Vincent L. Verderame,
S/Sgt Thomas K. Welch.

In flight, the aircraft collided with another USAAF B-17 registered 42-38035 and also carrying a crew of nine. Both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field near Ostend. All 18 crew members on both aircraft were killed. They were engaged in a bombing mission to Ulm, Germany.
Crew (43-38273):
T/Sgt Charles L. Abney Jr.,
2nd Lt George C. Burger,
S/Sgt Harry E. Clabaugh,
S/Sgt James W. Hendon Jr.,
2nd Lt Robert E. Keenan,
S/Sgt Stanley J. Lejkowski,
1st Lt Alexander Rusecky,
T/Sgt Vincent L. Verderame,
S/Sgt Thomas K. Welch.

Crew (42-38035):
1st Lt Charles Joseph Armbruster,
2nd Lt Robert W. Davis,
Sgt Arthur W. Herold,
Sgt Joe F. Jones,
Sgt Robert A. Mason,
S/Sgt Allan M. Saarnio,
Sgt Charles J. Slavin,
S/Sgt John R. Stringi,
2nd Lt Howard M. Tripp Jr.

While cruising some 15 km east of Bruges, the aircraft christened 'Able Mable' was shot down by the German Flak, dove into the ground and crashed in the quarter of Saint Joseph, in Bruges. It seems there was no casualties on the ground but all ten occupants were killed.
Photo: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/2728

The crew left his base in UK at 2205LT on May 12 on a bombing mission to Leuven. The target was attacked between 0028 and 0035LT. At this time, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a German Messerschmitt Me.110 and crashed in a wooded area located south of Geraardsbergen. All eight occupants, members of the RCAF, were killed.
Crew (426th Squadron):
F/S W. B. Bentz, pilot,
F/O T. W. Taylor, navigator,
F/O C. S. Phillips, bomb aimer,
AC1 J. E. McIntyre, wireless operator,
Sgt R. Ellerslie, flight engineer,
F/S J. E. J. G. Arbour, mid-under gunner,
Sgt F. Roach, rear gunner,
Sgt J.W. Summerhayes, mid-upper gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 1710LT on an operation to Munich. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Schaapbalie. Three crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Derrick Brinkhurst, pilot, †
Sgt Harry John Elsom, flight engineer,
F/Sgt John Alexander Shepherd, navigator,
F/Sgt Stanley Percival Leedham, bomb aimer,
Sgt Trevor Mellors, wireless operator, †
Sgt Cecil Ward, air gunner,
F/Sgt Victor Greenwood, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1400LT on an operation to Courtrai-Wevelgem Airport. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near the airfield. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Philip Rex Barr, pilot,
F/O Walter Barford, navigator,
P/O Thomas Trotter, wireless operator,
W/O Neil Seymour Hunter Phillips, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1127LT on an operation to Pont-à-Vendin, near Lens. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Houthulst. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Henry Philemon Collings, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Tebbutt, navigator,
Sgt Stanley Walter Nash, wireless operator,
Sgt Francis Rex Pickering, air gunner.