“Sweet Chariot”.Over Eindhoven.

Capt. John H. Geer was the pilot of B-24J 42-50829 on the 18 September 1944 supply mission to Eindhoven. He was in his seat on the flight deck when the aircraft ditched. The Air/Sea Rescue Officer noted that Geer was extremely Air/Sea Rescue conscious and checked his crew before every mission. He did not survive the ditching and was reported missing in action.

2nd Lt. George G. Karian served as pilot/navigator aboard B-24J 42-50829 on 18 September 1944. He had his back to the pilot's seat prior to ditching and sustained a leg wound from small arms fire during the mission. Karian was either thrown clear or floated clear of the wreckage after impact and was one of three survivors recovered by Royal Navy surface craft. He returned to duty and is identified as the surviving navigator in the Air/Sea Rescue Officer's statement.

Major Henry K. Segars Jr. was the command pilot aboard B-24J 42-50829, acting as co-pilot on the 18 September 1944 mission. He handled all radio communications during the emergency, transmitting distress calls to Air Sea Rescue that were received by the surface vessels that recovered the survivors. Segars was in his seat on the flight deck at the time of ditching. He did not survive and was reported missing in action.

1st Lt. James H. Marshall Jr. served as navigator aboard B-24J 42-50829 on 18 September 1944. He was reportedly positioned with his back to the pilot's seat prior to ditching. Marshall did not survive the ditching and was reported missing in action. His name appears variously spelled in the MACR copies as 'Marshal' and 'Marshel'; 'Marshall' is the most probable correct spelling.

1st Lt. George G. Blankenship was the bombardier aboard B-24J 42-50829. He sustained a leg wound from small arms fire during the mission. The radio operator, rather than taking his ditching station, remained occupied treating Blankenship's wound up to the moment of impact. Blankenship was seen in the water after the ditching impact by the flight engineer, who could not reach him. He was not recovered and was reported missing in action.

T/Sgt Robert R. Lamoureux served as right waist gunner and flight engineer aboard B-24J 42-50829. He was standing between the pilot and co-pilot prior to ditching. Before impact he confirmed he could see two surface craft heading toward the aircraft. After the violent ditching impact, Lamoureux got out of the aircraft. He saw Lt. Blankenship in the water but could not reach him. Lamoureux was one of three survivors recovered by Royal Navy surface craft and returned to duty.

T/Sgt Neil R. Reed served as radio operator aboard B-24J 42-50829. Rather than taking his ditching station prior to impact, he was treating Lt. Blankenship's leg wound. His first name appears as 'Hell' and 'Emil' in OCR-corrupted copies; 'Neil' is the correct reading from the clearest copy. Reed did not survive the ditching and was reported missing in action.

T/5 Albert Runetzky served as drop master aboard B-24J 42-50829 on the 18 September 1944 supply mission to Eindhoven. As a drop master he was an Army enlisted specialist responsible for the supply containers being air-dropped as part of Operation Market Garden. Runetzky did not survive the ditching and was reported missing in action.

S/Sgt Joseph A. Sciegaj served as left waist gunner aboard B-24J 42-50829. Prior to ditching he had his back against the ball turret wall. He was on the opposite side of the aircraft from the other two survivors and was the crew member who spotted the inflated dinghy in the water. He was one of three survivors recovered by Royal Navy vessels and returned to duty. His name is OCR-corrupted to 'Solegaj' in one copy.

S/Sgt Raymond M. Tompkins served as tail gunner aboard B-24J 42-50829 on the 18 September 1944 supply mission to Eindhoven. Tompkins did not survive the ditching and was reported missing in action.

S/Sgt Ervin R. Janiszewski served as top turret gunner aboard B-24J 42-50829. He had not assumed a ditching position at the time of impact. Janiszewski did not survive the ditching and was reported missing in action. His name is spelled 'Janaszewski' in one copy of the MACR; 'Janiszewski' is the consistent spelling across the cleaner copies.