ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 100075
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| Date: | Monday 18 May 1942 |
| Time: | 05:25 |
| Type: |  Consolidated B-24D Liberator |
| Owner/operator: | 66th BSqn /44th BGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-1117 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1.5 mile south of Barksdale Field, Louisiana -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Barksdale Field AAF, LA |
Although generally overlooked, the 44th Bomb Group was in action against German U-boats even before leaving the U.S. It was patrolling the Gulf of Mexico regularly, even during the operational training of its crews. In fact, one 66th Squadron crew claimed one of these submarines sunk on 10 July 1942 but there is no German loss in the area at this date.
However, on the morning of 18 May 1942, another 66th Squadron aircraft was lost shortly after takeoff en route to its assigned patrol. The Technical Report of Aircraft Accident includes the information that the B-24D 41-1117 crashed at 0525 hours approximately one and one half miles south of Barksdale Field, Louisiana. At that time there was a ceiling of 3,000 feet with visibility of about five miles. A moderate rain was falling and a thunderstorm was in effect with considerable lightning northwest of the field. The plane was carrying depth charges and ammunition in case the enemy was sighted. The plane went down a few minutes after takeoff, exploded and burned, with no one having time to exit the aircraft. All were killed.
Crew (all killed):
2nd Lt Herbert Welcome Frawley, Jr. (pilot)
2nd Lt James RicE Everhart (co-pilot)
2nd Lt Augustus Holman Tate (navigator)
Sgt Mansfield Crabtree (bombardier)
Sgt Lewis J Hepler (engineer)
Sgt Arlo Vincent Werley (radio operator)
Pvt Rudolph McJunkins (assistant engineer)
Pvt Herman R Sanneman (assistant radio operator)
Cpl Stanley C ANdrews (gunner)
These were the first 44th BG casualties of World War II, as these men were attempting to defend the shores of the United States of America while still in the training phase and not fully operational.
Sources:
1. http://www.8thairforce.com/44thbg/lundyroh.pdf
2. https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/May1942.htm
3. https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/102147085/herbert-welcome-frawley
4. https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/84553817/james-rice-everhart
5. https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/126157120
6. https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/119880811
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barksdale_Air_Force_Base
8. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=fr&lat=32.501944&lon=-93.662778&z=15&m=w
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Jul-2015 08:38 | gerard57 | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 19-May-2020 16:28 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-May-2020 07:58 | Reno Raines | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Operator] |
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