Supports 1 fact
Escape and Evasion Report 1615
Military Record · United States Army Air Forces · 1944 · Escape and Evasion Reports
The crew.
§ 7 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
1LtMilton Teltser
Pilot
Station 1
0792633
—
Completed his tour
Returned
→
2LtWillard R. Beaumont
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-670491
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Completed his tour
Returned
→
2LtSanford Reback
Navigator
Station 3
O-796598
Providence County, Rhode Island
Killed in action
Returned
→
SgtBernard A. Higgins
Ball Turret Gunner
19080947
Los Angeles County, California
Killed in action
Returned
→
SgtFrancis W. Doll
Waist Gunner
Station 8
17060485
Kansas City, Missouri
Completed his tour
Returned
→
S/SgtRichard R. Murray
Tail Gunner
Station 9
14064053
Polk County, Florida
Killed in action
Returned
→
S/SgtVance Taylor
Top Turret Gunner
37333802
CO
Killed in action
Returned
→
In their own words.
§ 7 entries
Milton TeltserPilot
1st Lt. Milton Teltser served as pilot on the Ploesti mission of 1 August 1943. He is referenced in E&E Report No. 1618. His aircraft was shot down during the raid and he was reported missing in action.
Willard R. BeaumontCo-Pilot
2nd Lt. Willard Beaumont served as co-pilot on the Ploesti mission of 1 August 1943. He is referenced in E&E Report No. 1618. His aircraft was shot down during the raid and he was reported missing in action.
Sanford RebackNavigator
2nd Lt. Sanford Reback served as navigator on the Ploesti mission of 1 August 1943. He is referenced in E&E Report No. 1618. His aircraft was shot down during the raid and he was reported missing in action.
Bernard A. HigginsBall Turret Gunner
S/Sgt. Bernard Higgins served as ball turret gunner on the Ploesti mission of 1 August 1943. He is referenced in E&E Report No. 1618. His aircraft was shot down during the raid and he was reported missing in action.
Francis W. DollWaist Gunner
S/Sgt. Francis Doll served as waist gunner on the Ploesti mission of 1 August 1943. He is referenced in E&E Report No. 1618. His aircraft was shot down during the raid and he was reported missing in action.
Richard R. MurrayTail Gunner
S/Sgt. Richard Murray served as tail gunner on the Ploesti mission of 1 August 1943. He is referenced in E&E Report No. 1618. His aircraft was shot down during the raid and he was reported missing in action.
Vance TaylorTop Turret Gunner
T/Sgt. Vance Taylor served as top turret gunner/engineer on the Ploesti mission of 1 August 1943. He is referenced in E&E Report No. 1618. His aircraft was shot down during the raid and he was reported missing in action.
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
The Record
ResultMissing in Action
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
Notes.
§ From the Record
On August 1, 1944, the aircraft was hit by fighter attack and flak while on a mission departing from Bengazi at approximately 07:30. Sgt. Milligan was killed by fighter action before the crash. Sgt. Doll and Sgt. Higgins were wounded by flak, and the co-pilot Lt. Beaumont was wounded by fighter action. The plane crash-landed on fire at approximately 15:30, approximately 30 miles west of Bucharest, Romania. The aircraft was a total loss and exploded on striking the ground. No crew members bailed out; all survived or perished in the crash landing. Romanian witnesses reported that crew members not accounted for by survivors were dead, with some bodies described as carbonized. The plane was burning before and after the crash. The aids box was destroyed in the crash, and the crew's purse and escape materials were taken by Romanians. Survivors Lt. Teltser, Lt. Bassett, Sgt. Locky, and Sgt. Doll were confirmed alive after reaching the ground, all wounded. Lt. Beaumont was taken to a hospital with burns and leg wounds. He was eventually repatriated via Bari, Italy, and departed for the UK by air on September 5, 1944, arriving September 6, 1944.
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