42-5431 L'il Abner
Delivered Cheyenne 8/12/42; Morrison 6/2/43; Assigned 368BS/306BG [BO- ] Thurleigh 8/2/43. Missing in Action on the 5 April 1943 mission to the ERLA Frontreparaturwerk (Front Repair Works), Antwerp, Belgium, with Pilot Clarence E. Fischer, Co-pilot: James Crouch Jr, Navigator: Joseph E. Consolmagno, Bombardier: William A. Moses, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Francis L. Eastham, Radio Operator: Henry B. Compton, Ball turret gunner: Walter R. Kuczynski, Left Waist gunner: Lee Sanders, Right Waist gunner: Norris R. Phifer, Tail gunner: William C. Rhodes. All 10 made Prisoners of War. Shot down by Major Priller, crashed Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium. No Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) issued for this loss. After the mission, the Belgian Ambassador to the U.S. protested about the inaccurate bombing that resulted in many civilian casualties (936 dead, among them hundreds of Belgian factory workers and 209 schoolchildren).
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: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33121634
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11044073 at enlistment, then O-724020
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18060772 at enlistment, then O-726196
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 38069648
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18057854 at enlistment, then O-726216
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Missions
- Date: 5 April 1943