ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 243566
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Monday 29 May 1944 |
| Time: | 02:10 LT |
| Type: |  Consolidated B-24D-70-CO Liberator |
| Owner/operator: | 801th BGp /406th BSqn USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-40550 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Ashage, Aaigem, Erpe-Mere, East Flanders -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Harrington, Northamptonshire |
The crew consisted of nine men. Next to Lieutenant Henry W. Wolcott sat his co-pilot 1st Lt Robert F. Auda. There were two navigators on board. Next to the regular navigator, 1st Lt William G. Rijckman was also 2nd Lt Carmen D. Vozella bent over charts. He had only recently been assigned to the unit and was to fly a mission with an experienced crew as an exercise. There were also the radio operator, T/Sgt Dale S. Loucks, the bomb aimer, 1st Lt Wallis O. Cozens, the waist gunner S/Sgt Frederick A. Tuttle, the tail gunner S/Sgt Richard G. Hawkins and the back turret gunner T/Sgt Dervin Deihl. The latter also had the function on board of "dispatcher".
Whilst on its way out to drop supplies for the Belgian underground (drop zone ‘Osric 60’), the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Josef Krahforst of the 2./NJG 4, who was flying from Florennes airfield.
The tail gunner did not survive and was buried at the cemetery of Aaigem.
All eight survivors found shelter with people from the region. It is a strange coincidence that a Carpetbagger crew, which was responsible for dropping equipment for the Belgian resistance, was in turn helped by that same resistance.
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part three
https://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/lberator-te-aaigem
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/7459
Google Maps
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Oct-2020 17:48 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 27-Jan-2021 11:53 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 26-Jun-2022 21:39 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 29-May-2023 06:09 | redsix | Updated [[Location]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation