Supports 1 fact
Missing Air Crew Report 15212
Military Record · United States Army Air Forces · 1944 · Missing Air Crew Reports
Sortie2BDB-24Missing in Action
41-25590.Over Watton.
Mission 284 · 29 March 1944
Serial
41-25590
B-24H
Squadron
330th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
9
men
The crew.
§ 9 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
2LtRobert Mcfetrich
Pilot
Station 1
O-744154
—
Returned
→
Harry J. Cassel
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-756535
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
2LtWilliam Lowery
Navigator
Station 3
O-797340
TN
Killed in action
Returned
→
SgtAlbert A. Blood
Ball Turret Gunner
13097332
—
Completed his tour
Returned
→
S/SgtCarl Mead
Radio Operator
Station 6
35406158
—
Returned
→
William R. Sloom
Waist Gunner
Station 8
19146431
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
SgtOrland Watson
Waist Gunner
Station 8
18065065
—
Returned
→
James Scanlon
Tail Gunner
Station 9
—
—
Completed his tour
Returned
→
S/SgtClifford White
Top Turret Gunner
18050232
OK
Returned
→
In their own words.
§ 9 entries
Robert McfetrichPilot
2nd Lt. Robert L. McFetrich served as pilot of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was killed in action on 29 March 1944 when his aircraft collided in flight with another B-24 over Halesworth Station, England.
Harry J. CasselCo-Pilot
2nd Lt. Harry Cassel Jr. served as co-pilot of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was killed in action on 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Halesworth Station.
William LoweryNavigator
2nd Lt. William H. Lowery served as navigator of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was killed in action on 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Halesworth Station.
Albert A. BloodBall Turret Gunner
Sgt. Albert A. Blood served as ball turret gunner of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He survived the collision on 29 March 1944 and returned to duty. The MACR notes that parachutes were used.
Carl MeadRadio Operator
S/Sgt. Carl J. Mead served as radio operator of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was killed in action on 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Halesworth Station.
William R. SloomWaist Gunner
Sgt. William R. Sloom served as left waist gunner of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was killed in action on 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Halesworth Station.
Orland WatsonWaist Gunner
Sgt. Orland J. Watson served as right waist gunner of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was killed in action on 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Halesworth Station.
James ScanlonTail Gunner
Sgt. James E. Scanlon served as tail turret gunner of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He survived the collision on 29 March 1944 and returned to duty. The MACR notes that parachutes were used.
Clifford WhiteTop Turret Gunner
S/Sgt. Clifford E. White served as engineer and top turret gunner of B-24H 41-25590, 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was killed in action on 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Halesworth Station.
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
The Record
ResultMissing in Action
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Formation
Flew with330th Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
Watton
As the log wrote itWatton
Notes.
§ From the Record
B-24H serial 41-25590, assigned to the 330th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, departed Hardwick on 29 March 1944 on a bombing mission to Watton. At approximately 1015, the aircraft was lost over Halesworth Station as the result of a mid-air collision with another aircraft. Seven of the nine crew members were killed in action; two survived and returned to duty. Weather at the time of loss: 10/10 cloud cover with tops at 6,500 ft and a base at 800 ft; wind east-northeast at 5 mph. An eyewitness report from AAF Station F-365 Flying Control described seeing two B-24s collide at approximately 1030 hrs., with the crash site approximately five miles south-east of the base. An explosion occurred around 1130 hrs., injuring several people on the ground from the blast.
Read the records.
1 document
Original documents behind what this page says about this sortie — reports, records, and histories the archive holds and is free to reproduce. Check the sources for yourself.
Sources.
§ Provenance
United States Army Air Forces · National Archives and Records Administration · 1944
Official record