Agay's B-24 Liberator , Var, France |
Pilot : second lieutenant William O. Trotter |
|
Mission |
Date |
May 25, 1944, MACR 5055 |
Base |
Gioia del Colle, Italy |
|
Target |
Bombardment of Givors's railway junction |
Zone of crash |
Esterel's mount, Agay, Var, France |
Plane |
Type |
B-24H-15-CF |
|
Serial |
41-29382 "Lucky Lady" |
Squadron |
15th AF, 55th BW, 464th BG, 777 Squadron |
Crew |
1 |
Pilot |
S/Lt |
|
|
Killed, France |
2 |
Copilot |
Capt |
Robert F. Mc Carty |
|
Killed, USA |
3 |
Navigator |
|
Harry E. Lovelle |
|
Killed, France |
4 |
Bomber |
S/Lt |
Leonard L. Meyer |
|
Killed, USA |
5 |
Radio |
|
Robert A. Jenior |
|
Killed, France |
6 |
Gunner-mechanician |
T/Sgt |
Robert T. Grissett |
|
Killed, USA |
7 |
Gunner |
S/Sgt |
Oakley E. Casey |
|
Killed, USA |
8 |
Gunner |
S/Sgt |
John E. Beck |
|
Killed, USA |
9 |
Nose gunner |
S/Sgt |
|
|
Killed, USA |
10 |
Gunner |
|
Paul J. Hamlin |
|
Killed, USA |
|
|
Thursday
may 25, 1944. During the allied air operations who had to destroy
communication complex of the german occupant in the French south. 2
groups of B-24 Liberator from the 15th Air Force, 55th Bomber-Wing, the
464th and 465th Bomber-Group, had to drop bombs on Givors's railway
junction, city located at 13 miles in the south of Lyon, Rhône's valley.
Four
B-24 Liberator from the 464th BG will be very seriously damaged, 3 will
not return at their temporary base of Gioia-del-Colle, in the Italian's
Pouilles. The groups of American bombers had been hardly attacked on
their return flight, by the Flak and the Luftwaffe, with Messerchmitt
109 and Focke Wulf 190 based in Istres, Salon-de-Provence and
Channoines.
The
1rst B-24 shot down this day serial 41-29382, whose principal tanks had
been hit, crashed in the Estérel's mountain less than 1.5miles south of
a Messeschmitt 109 shot down few seconds before!
Paradoxaly, this plane was nicknamed by his crew : "Lucky Lady"....
Only
4 forms had been seen ejecting from the plane which was not any more
that one terrible flying ball of fire, according to several witnesses,
and inhabitants of the Grenouillet's farm, in Agay.
On
the four men who blow out from the plane, only the pilot second
lieutenant William O Trotter, lands living close to the viaduct of
Anthéor. He was immediately made prisoner, but, too seriously burned,
he was directed to Draguignan by the occupying forces. And then, this
man was moved in a Dijonaise's area hospital, where he die of
septicaemia, August 25, 1944...
On
the three other men, one will be found only during 1945 spring by
loggers, at the state of skeleton, always rolled up in its parachute
which had not opened!
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© Copyright Aéro-Re.L.I.C. / B. Cyvoct 2004. All rights reserved. |
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