42-6087 Royal Flush aka Harper's Ferry aka Aske's Angels
The Flush, also known as “Harpers Ferry” and “Askes’ Angels” flew her final mission on August 11th, 1944. The target that day was the air field and German Stuka dive bombers at Villacoublay, France outside of Paris.
Shortly after noon Flying in the number 2 position in low squadron, and after their bombs hit their targets, the flush took a direct anti-aircraft hit between the number 3 engine and fuselage. The ensuing fire and additional flack hits disabled the damaged aircraft to the degree that it went into a left descending turn out of the formation towards the ground.
Of the crew of 9, only 5 survived.
Co-Pilot- 2nd Lt Charles S. Barber-POW/ESCAPED (from Hospital in Paris along with Nekvasil with the help of French Resistance)
Radio Operator- Sgt Charles M. Nekvasil POW/ESCAPED (from Hospital in Paris along with Lt Barber with the help of French Resistance)
Bombardier- 2nd Lt James D. Magargee POW
Waist Gunner- Sgt Armando F. Consorto POW
Ball Turret Gunner- Sgt Norman C. Fernaays- EVADEE (Last out of the plane, landed on a roof in Meudon and was injured. Hidden by the French Resistance until Paris was overrun by the Americans on August 25th, 1944.)
All five bailed out of the Flush and into a hail of German bullets and flak as the enemy turned their attention from the fatally wounded bomber to those that were now slowly falling to earth.
The four that did not make it were:
Navigator - 2nd Lt Gordon E. Davis- Died in crash
Top Turret/ Flight Engineer-Sgt Robert F. Williams-Killed by Germans while descending in parachute.Tail Gunner- Sgt Stuart R. Allison- Killed by Germans while descending in parachute.
Pilot- 2nd Lt Alf Aske Jr. – Reports surrounding the final moments of the Flush are somewhat contested but eye witness reports describe how Aske controlled the aircraft’s decent and subsequent explosion into a wheatfield avoiding innocent lives in the nearby village of Clamart. Aske and the other airmen that lost their lives that day were taken by the people of Clamart and honorably interred until they were later returned to the US after the war. The grateful people of Clamart erected a monument for those US airmen that were lost that day in appreciation for the efforts to free France and sacrifice shown to save the residents of Clamart. Ironically, the Flush, who was the sole surviving fortress in the Munster raid in 1943 was the only plane lost on what was considered and successful mission over Villacoublay.
N Fix
Delivered Long Beach 18/7/43; Cheyenne 19/7/43.
Assigned 418BS/100BG [LD-Z] Thorpe Abbotts 5/9/43.
Missing in Action (75m) Villacoublay 11/8/44 with Alfred Aske, Navigator: Gordon Davis, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Williams, Tail gunner: Stuart Allison (4 Killed in Action); Bombardier: Jim Magargee, Waist gunner: Armando Consorto (2 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Chas Barber, Radio Operator: Chas Nekvasil, Ball turret gunner: Norman Fernaays (3 Evaded capture & Returned to Duty); flak hit #3 engine and crashed Villebon near Meudon, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 8074. HARPER’S FERRY aka ROYAL FLUSH.
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: 100th Bomb Group 418th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16187460
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 418th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-764584
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 418th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 418th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-1552839
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 418th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33792676
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
11 August 1944 |
Revisions
Added "aka" in the "Nickname" field as a separator to aid readability.
Added a space in front of the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.
https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=aircraft&id=10059…;
"Eighth Air Force", By Donald L. Miller.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 8074 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database