Delivered Long Beach 26 May 1943; Denver 4 June 1943; Dow Field 28 June 1943; Assigned 563BS/388BG Knettishall as "WENATCHEE SPECIAL" 4 July 1943. (Also named "Sky Shy"). Missing in Action Stuttgart 6 September 1943 with Pilot Myron A. Bowen; Co-pilot: Warren W. Woods; Navigator: Arthur E. Copeland Jr; Bombardier: Edward W. Hasson; Ball turret gunner: Theodore J. Czygier; Waist gunner: Harry E. Richards; Waist gunner: Albert H. Smith; Tail gunner: James Frankenfield (8 Prisoner of War). Flight engineer/top turret gunner: David E. Wiesner; Radio Operator: Joseph H. Redmond (2 Killed in Action). Hit by fighters and Flak. Crashed Germany heading for Switzerland, Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 3121. According to German local researcher Peter Lindenthal at the thread under http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-24620.html :

"S/Sgt. Redmond, who apparently had problems with his parachute, did NOT!!! leave the aircraft (at this point, as a result of my investigation, I am contrary to the MACR report). After his comrades had left the plane, he took the pilot's seat and flew the still burning Flying Fortress from Ulm / valley of the river Blau towards Stubersheim, Weiler ober Helfenstein. Referring to eye-witnesses, he circled Weiler ober Helfenstein (a small number of farms) 2-3 times for finding an appropriate touch-down area and approached to land in a flat angle with the landing gear down. Doing this, he apparently overlooked a mound of two meters height. The landing gear broke off, the craft hit the ground hard and slid over the meadow, where it broke to pieces. Due to this crash landing, S/Sgt. Redmond's head was thrown against the cockpit screen of the plane what caused him most severe head injuries (according to a contemporary witnesses, who also was pilot with the German Armed Forces, that landing was an aeronautical masterstroke).

Despite their fear of the still smoking wreckage, the local community members, like the farmer family, that lived just a few 100 meters away from the place of the disaster, hurried to the scene immediately, gave a first aid to the still alive, severely injured Redmond and recovered him from the wrecked cockpit. Redmond cried out loud for water all the time. The sister of the eye witness I talked to cared for the wounds and gave him something to drink. The doctor, who was called to the scene instantly, stated most severe head injuries and immediately induced S/Sgt. Redmond to be brought to the hospital of nearby Geislingen, where he died of his severe head injuries the next day."