Bombing

The aircraft left Mareeba in Queensland and made a fuel stop at Port Moresby-Seven Mile airfield. It then continued to Rabaul on a mission to attack the Vunakanau Airfield. Upon arrival, the bomber was attacked by 11 Japanese Mitsubishi Zero and crashed, killing all nine crew members.
Crew (19th BG):
1st Lt Earl L. Hageman Jr.,
1st Lt Dale E. Hanson,
2nd Lt Angelo P. Bianco,
2nd Lt Wade H. Lowry,
S/Sgt Michael G. Adamow,
Sgt Thomas H. Jack,
Cpl Frank J. Mehock,
Pfc Thomas W. Wilzbacher,
Sgt Frank W. Plunkett, air gunner.

En route, all four engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The captain reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft off Duma Point. While the aircraft sunk by a depth of 60 meters, all eight occupants were able to evacuate the cabin but were captured by Japanese soldiers and executed.

The crew left Honiara-Henderson Airfield to attack Japanese ships cruising off Shortland and Bougainville Islands. While approaching the target, the aircraft christened 'Bessie The Jap Basher' was shot down by the pilots of Japanese fighters and crashed into the sea by a depth of 100 feet off Shortland Island. Eight crew members were killed while the captain was rescued and later executed by Japanese soldiers.
Crew (11th BG):
1st Lt Charles E. Norton, pilot,
1st Lt Bruce S. Barker, copilot,
1st Lt Leo M. Eminger, navigator,
Sgt James R. Mathewson, bombardier,
S/Sgt Peter F. Novak, radio operator,
S/Sgt William L. Hotard, air gunner,
S/Sgt Fred S. Croyle, air gunner,
Sgt Bruce W. Osborne, air gunner,
Pfc Edward A. Carroll, air gunner.

The crew left Garbutt Airfield in Townsville at 2300LT on September 17 on a bombing mission over Rabaul. On the return leg, the weather conditions worsened and the visibility was poor. In a last radio message, the on board operator informed ground that the crew will abandon the aircraft that crashed near Weipa. Eight crew members were rescued by the crew of a Catalina on September 20. Unfortunately, the ninth occupant was killed as his parachute did not open.
Crew (19th BG):
1st Lt Claude N. Burcky, pilot,
2nd Lt Augustin Rapisardi, copilot,
2nd Lt Donald C. Miller, bombardier,
1st Lt William F. Meenagh, navigator, †
Sgt Lloyd Chamberlain,
Pvt John Naglich,
S/Sgt Norris Reynolds,
Sgt Lawrence Johnson,
Sgt George Schmid.

The crew left RAF Bottesford in the evening of September 16 on a bombing mission to Essen, Germany. While approaching The Netherlands by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the North Sea. All seven occupants were rescued and taken POW while the aircraft was lost.
Crew (207th Squadron):
F/Sgt J. D. M. Herron,
Sgt R. A. Stronger,
Sgt G. C. Williams,
Sgt A. R. Barnett,
Sgt I. F. Betts,
Sgt G. F. Mountney,
Sgt J. D. Nicholson.

During the take off run, the aircraft swerved on runway, veered off and eventually collided with a hangar. While the aircraft was destroyed, there was no casualties.

The crew was attacking an enemy vessel off Saumlaki when the twin engine aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the Arafura Sea off Saumlakki. All five occupants were killed.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
F/O Kenneth L. McDonnell,
P/O Kevin J. Ahern,
F/O Victor Treloar,
Sgt Gilbert S. Dobbs,
Sgt Gerald W. Smith.

The crew left RAF Wing at 2353LT on September 13 on a bombing mission to Bremen, Germany. Following an uneventful mission and while overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter. Out of control, it dove into the ground and crashed 2 km west of Elburg. Four crew members were killed while the fifth occupant bailed out and was taken POW.
Crew (26th OTU):
P/O Robert Leo Hage, pilot, †
Sgt Kenneth David Jones, †
Sgt Alexander Knox Smith, observer, †
Sgt Donald Fisher, †
Sgt J. A. Gartlan.

The crew left RAF Lichfield at 2331LT on a bombing mission to Düsseldorf, Germany. Nine minutes after take off, while climbing, the crew informed ground he encountered technical problems with the left engine and attempted to return. On approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed in flames few km short of runway and was destroyed on impact. All five occupants were killed.
Crew (27th OTU):
Sgt William John Percival Fletcher, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Albert Turnbull,
Sgt Frederick William Lewis, observer,
Sgt James Gordon Milne,
Sgt Fairfield Thompson, air gunner.

The crew was returning to his base following a bombing mission to Lae. On landing at Lockhart River-Iron Range Airfield, a tyre burst. The aircraft veered off runway and came to rest in flames. The copilot was killed while all seven other occupants were injured. The aircraft was written off.
Crew (22nd BG):
2nd Lt Walter Krell, pilot,
P/O Graham Brindley John Robertson, copilot. †