Bombing

The four engine aircraft left Luganville Airport in Vanuatu on a bombing mission to Tulagi, Solomon Islands. While approaching the target, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and crashed. All 9 crew members were killed.
Crew (11th BG):
Lt Rush E. McDonald, pilot,
2nd Lt John J. Heard, Jr., copilot,
Cpl Joseph H. Wood, bombardier,
2nd Lt Homer W. Vail, navigator,
Sgt William L. Hammack, flight engineer,
Sgt Richard C. Inman, flight engineer,
Cpl Leroy Payne, radio operator,
S/Sgt James E. Briggs, air gunner,
S/Sgt Daniel L. Cross, air gunner.

The crew left RAF Waddington on a bombing mission to Düsseldorf. While overflying Germany, the aircraft went out of control and crashed near Mönchengladbach. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (44th Squadron):
F/Sgt Norman Tetley, pilot,
Sgt Ernest Forman, flight engineer,
Sgt John MacIntyre Macmahon, observer,
Sgt Edward Byron Egan, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Gerard Kelly, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Peter Rix, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Charley Norman Gardner, air gunner.

The aircraft left RAF Upper Heyford at 2157LT on July 28 on a bombing mission to Hamburg, Germany. While overflying the North Sea by night, the aircraft disappeared and crashed into the sea. SAR did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the crew.
Crew (16th OTU):
F/Sgt Richard Elmer Stageman, pilot,
W/O Cecil Charles David Hinks, observer,
Sgt John George Watson, observer,
F/Sgt Prentis Blair Andrew, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Robert Edward Fahey, wireless operator and air gunner.

The twin engine aircraft took off from 7-Mile Aerodrome located near Port Moresby, on a solo mission to shadow an enemy cruiser force in the Gulf of Huon. Two hours after take off, while returning to his base, the crew was attacked by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and tried to escape. Ten minutes later, the aircraft was shot down and crashed in a dense wooded area located near the village of Popogo, in the region of Buna. The wreckage was sited on February 28, 1943. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (32nd Squadron):
P/O Warren Frank Cowan,
P/O David Reid Taylor,
Sgt Russell Bradburn Polack,
Sgt Lauri Edwin Sheard.

Shortly after a night take off, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea some 300-400 meters off shore. Three crewmen were killed while six others were rescued. A first B-17 registered 41-2636 crashed at the same location and in similar circumstances two minutes earlier.
Crew:
Lt Paul D. Lindsay, pilot,
Lt Edward R. Budz, navigator, †
Sgt Ralph Dietz, air gunner,
Sgt Vernon O. Elder, air gunner,
S/Sgt Houston A. Rice, †
S/Sgt James E. Houchins. †

Shortly after a night take off, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea some 300-400 meters off shore. Two crewmen were killed while three others were rescued. A second B-17 registered 41-2655 crashed at the same location and in similar circumstances two minutes later.

The aircraft left RAF Bottesford at 1641LT on July 11 on a bombing mission to Gdansk, Poland. While overflying the North Sea by night, the aircraft disappeared. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew (207th Squadron):
F/Sgt George Henry Duke, pilot,
F/Sgt Kenneth Harry Hart, pilot,
Sgt Frank Routledge, observer,
Sgt Harold Arthur Storey, observer,
P/O Kenneth James Shirley, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt David Adrian Boldy, air gunner,
F/Sgt Allan Percival Cullerne, air gunner.

While cruising off Lae, the twin engine aircraft collided with a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter and crashed into the sea. All six crew members were killed.

Following an uneventful bombing mission over Gibraltar, the crew was returning to his base when he was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to a fuel exhaustion. The aircraft crash landed on a beach located in Valencia. While all seven crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew was returning to the RAF Ford in West Sussex following the attack of a German airbase located near Évreux, France. Following an uneventful mission, the crew was returning to his base when he lost control of the aircraft that crashed in an open field located in the north part of France. While all three occupants were slightly injured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew (23th Squadron):
P/O R. R. Coventry,
Sgt R. R. Gunning,
Sgt W. N. Barlow.