44-40243 Tender Foot
Removed association to Alfred Mousette, according to Mousette's obituary on Find a Grave Mousette's assigned aircraft was 44-40205 "The Moose", and as such he is unlikely to have been pictured with 44-40243. Mousette was lost in 44-40243 on 5 June 1944.
Shot down by Flak right after dropping its bombs. Aircraft in flames partially evacuated before exploding in flight. 7 KIA. 3 POW. MACR 5633.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 853rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 853rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12187407
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 853rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 853rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 853rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
Landrethun-le-Nord, France | 5 June 1944 | Crashed in the Lac de Blacourt, commune of Landrethun-le-Nord, Pas-de-Calais, France. |
Revisions
Change - Mission 391 added
Source: My father-in-law, Robert Albert Keller's personal diary.
*** These 2 entries in his diary were written July 20,1945 after his liberation on May 2,1945
June 4, 1944:
The groups second mission; our first. The target was St. Gabriel, France. Encountered no flak & no fighters. Quick & easy mission.
June 5, 1944:
Our second mission. The target was Boulogne, France. We got over the target about 9:10 AM & were shot down about 9:20 AM. Flak hit our #1 & #2 engines & caused our engines, wind, bomb-bay & command deck to burst into flames. Moose gave the order to bail out. I think I was the first to get out. We were at 27,600 ft. when the order to bail was given. I got down safely in a wheat field that outskirted a Nazi held town. I was down only a few minutes when I was surrounded & captured by the German infantry guards. My engineer also got out of that ship & was picked-up shortly after I was. We were kept in solitary in different civilian prisons throughout France & Belgium. We were also interrogated at these different places.
Ringmasters: The 491st Bombardment Group (H). Dallas: Taylor Publishing Co. (1992).
MACR 5633 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database