Supports 1 fact
Missing Air Crew Report 15201
Military Record · United States Army Air Forces · 1944 · Missing Air Crew Reports
Sortie2BDB-24Missing in Action
42-110033.Over Watton.
Mission 284 · 29 March 1944
Serial
42-110033
B-24J
Fuselage Code
AG
Squadron
330th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
10
men
The crew.
§ 10 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
1LtChester D. Makinster
Pilot
Station 1
O-860448
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
2LtRobert M. Trask
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-806013
OR
Killed in action
Returned
→
2LtEarl J. Norris
Navigator
Station 3
O-6898756
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
2LtRobert J. Poe
Bombardier
Station 4
O-678452
WV
Killed in action
Returned
→
S/SgtHerman E. Larson
Engineer / Top Turret
Station 5
37307236
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
William Franks
Ball Turret Gunner
—
—
Returned
→
S/SgtKenneth L. Gurney
Radio Operator
Station 6
32369378
—
Returned
→
SgtSteve T. Klovis
Waist Gunner
Station 8
35335109
—
Returned
→
SgtStephen Remias
Waist Gunner
Station 8
12137453
NY
Killed in action
Returned
→
S/SgtThomas Q. Byrd
Top Turret Gunner
35367815
IN
Killed in action
Returned
→
In their own words.
§ 10 entries
Chester D. MakinsterPilot
Pilot of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944 in a mid-air collision with A/C 41-28590 during formation assembly over Malesworth Station. Name confirmed as 'Makinster' in the eyewitness statement and 3rd Indorsement.
Robert M. TraskCo-Pilot
Co-pilot of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Malesworth Station.
Earl J. NorrisNavigator
Navigator of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944. Name confirmed as 'Norris' (not 'Morris' as in MACR 15201) per HQ AAF letter and 3rd Indorsement.
Robert J. PoeBombardier
Bombardier of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944 in the mid-air collision over Malesworth Station. Serial O-678452 per MACR 15201 (MACR 15202 lists O-878452, likely OCR transposition).
Herman E. LarsonEngineer / Top Turret
Engineer/gunner of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944. Serial 37307236 consistent across both MACRs.
William FranksBall Turret Gunner
Ball turret gunner of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944. Last name spelled 'Franks' in MACR 15201 and 'Franke' in MACR 15202. Serial 32761973 is consistent across both MACRs.
Kenneth L. GurneyRadio Operator
Radio operator of B-24H 42-110033. The sole survivor of the collision on 29 March 1944. Per the 3rd Indorsement (HQ 93rd Bomb Group, 30 October 1944): 'Only one crew member, S/Sgt. Kenneth L. Gurney, Radio Operator was able to bail out, and was the only survivor.' Status listed as 'SIA' on both MACR copies.
Steve T. KlovisWaist Gunner
Left waist gunner of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944. Last name appears as 'Alovis' in MACR 15201 and 'Klovis' in MACR 15202 — 'Alovis' preferred. Serial 35335109 per MACR 15201.
Stephen RemiasWaist Gunner
Right waist gunner of B-24H 42-110033. No middle initial (NMI). Killed in action 29 March 1944. Serial 12137453 per MACR 15201 (MACR 15202 lists 12137483).
Thomas Q. ByrdTop Turret Gunner
Top turret gunner of B-24H 42-110033. Killed in action 29 March 1944. Middle initial 'Q' per MACR 15201; MACR 15202 lists 'G'. Serial 35367815 per MACR 15201.
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 42-110033 (MACR documents cite 41-110033; corrected to 42-110033 per 3rd Indorsement, HQ 93rd Bomb Group, 30 October 1944), assigned to the 330th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, departed Hardwick on 29 March 1944 for a bombing mission to Watton. During formation assembly over Malesworth Station at approximately 1015 hours, the aircraft collided with A/C 41-28590 (pilot Lt. Robert L. McPetrich). The nose of one B-24 struck the fuselage of the other aft of the right wing near the waist window. The aircraft hit in the waist lost its entire tail section and dived spinning. The aircraft with the dented nose entered a spin to the right, briefly pulled out, then entered the lower cloud deck at a 45-degree angle. No parachutes were observed by the eyewitness. Only one crew member, S/Sgt. Kenneth L. Gurney (radio operator), was able to bail out and survived. All other nine crew members were killed in action. Eyewitness statement provided by 2nd Lt. George F. Hase, 330th Bombardment Squadron, dated 16 April 1944. Complete details were submitted on an Aircraft Accident Report (AAF Form 14) on 16 April 1944.
Read the records.
1 document
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Sources.
§ Provenance
United States Army Air Forces · National Archives and Records Administration · 1944
Official record