ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 109314
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| Date: | Friday 18 December 1942 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Martin B-26B Marauder |
| Owner/operator: | 320th BGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-17791 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Aircraft missing |
| Location: | South Atlantic Ocean, ATL -
 Atlantic Ocean
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Wideawake Field, Ascension Island |
| Accra |
In December 1942 the flight crews of 320th BG left the USA to fly their B-26s across the Atlantic and join their ground crews, that had reached by boat Algeria on 21 November via England. Delayed while their B-26s were being prepared, flights of Group Marauders finally began leaving Morrison December 1st. Their route took them down South America through Puerto Rico, British Guinea, and Belem and Natal, Brazil. From there the B-26s jumped over water to tiny Ascension Island in the middle of the South Atlantic. Then they went on across to the African Gold Coast. Proceeding north up the coast, they stopped in Liberia, Bathurst, Gambia, and Marrakech, French Morocco. The first Marauders of the 320th reached Tafaraoui on 27 December, and the last on 2 January 1943. The 320th brought fifty-nine B-26s safely across, losing just one en route, a far better achievement that the two other B-26 units using the same route, the 17th and 319th BG.
The only loss suffered by 320th BG occured on 18 December 1942. On this date the B-26B 41-17791 of 444th BS piloted by 2nd Lt. William R. Telesmanic took off at 0706 hrs GMT from Wideawake Field, Ascension Island to fly to Accra, African Gold Coast. The Marauder roared down the runway, disappeared into the haze, and was never seen again. An extensive search failed to find a trace of it. A former All-American tackle from the University of San Francisco, Telesmanic and his crew apparently went down in the ocean.
Crew (all lost):
1st Lt William R. Telesmanic O-727944
2nd Lt Clayton R. Blessing O-791266
S/Sgt Bruister H. LeNoir 14055616
T/Sgt Joseph P. Hunter 11041138
Pvt Duer R. Heyman 35169652
Sources:
http://320thbg.org/memorial_pages/mem_telesmanic_william.htm
http://320thbg.org/accident_reports_pdf/41_17791.pdf
http://www.b26.com/guestbook/2011.htm
http://320thbg.org/history_mcdill.html
http://320thbg.org/history_tafaraoui.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_Island
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=-1.889306&lon=-7.734375&z=5&m=w
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Dec-2015 18:17 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 27-Jan-2021 16:23 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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