Supports 5 facts
Escape Through Enemy Territory
Book · Arthur B. Cox, Jr. · 1988
Sortie1BWB-24Missing in Action
“Big Eagle”.Over Lille.
Mission 14 · 09 October 1942 · Lille, France
Serial
41-23678
B-24D
Fuselage Code
AG
Squadron
330th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
10
men
The crew.
§ 10 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
CaptAlexander Simpson
“Alex”
Pilot
Station 1
—
—
Prisoner of war
Returned
→
LtNicholas H. Cox
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-442744
—
Prisoner of war
Returned
→
2LtCarl N. Garrett
Navigator
Station 3
O-789241
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
2LtWilliam A. Marsh
Bombardier
Station 4
O-660382
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
T/SgtArthur B. Cox Jr.
“A.B”
Engineer / Top Turret
Station 5
14063517
Fountain City, TN
Completed his tour
Returned
→
T/SgtMichael L. Reardon
“Mickey”
Radio Operator
Station 6
20313252
Corliss, Pittsburgh
Prisoner of war
Returned
→
S/SgtClayton C. Kammerer
Waist Gunner
Station 8
35125371
Sedamsville, Hamilton County, Ohio
Killed in action
Returned
→
S/SgtArthur M. Torrey
“Art”
Waist Gunner
Station 8
33111291
Warren, Warren County, Pennsylvania
Killed in action
Returned
→
S/SgtStephen J. Eppolito
“Epp”
Tail Gunner
Station 9
16038095
—
Killed in action
Returned
→
SgtJames Detoris
Gunner
32174174
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York City, New York
Killed in action
Returned
→
In their own words.
§ 10 entries
Alexander SimpsonPilot
Pilot, per Colin N. Jones letter and plane record
Nicholas H. CoxCo-Pilot
Co-Pilot per NARA E&E Report No. 47's crew roster (p.1), 6 July 1943.
Carl N. GarrettNavigator
Navigator per NARA E&E Report No. 47's crew roster (p.1), 6 July 1943 (spelled "Garrott" there).
William A. MarshBombardier
Bombardier per NARA E&E Report No. 47's crew roster (p.1), 6 July 1943.
Arthur B. Cox Jr.Engineer / Top Turret
Added per NARA E&E Report No. 47 (Sgt. Arthur B. Cox Jr.), 6 July 1943, source id 76f17be4-82a9-4935-86e3-cd0ba6d919b0. Cox was excluded when this sortie was first recorded (his crew member record did not yet exist); this report confirms him as engineer/gunner aboard Big Eagle on this mission and documents his evasion after bailing out.
Michael L. ReardonRadio Operator
Radio operator, per Colin N. Jones letter
Clayton C. KammererWaist Gunner
Waist Gunner per NARA E&E Report No. 47's crew roster (p.1), 6 July 1943.
Arthur M. TorreyWaist Gunner
Waist Gunner per NARA E&E Report No. 47's crew roster (p.1), 6 July 1943.
Stephen J. EppolitoTail Gunner
Tail Gunner per NARA E&E Report No. 47's crew roster (p.1), 6 July 1943 (spelled "Eppolite" there). Flew this mission in place of regular crewman Sgt. Helman, per Colin N. Jones's letter.
James DetorisGunner
Listed as "Tunnel Gunner" in NARA E&E Report No. 47's crew roster (p.1), 6 July 1943 - recorded here as generic Gunner since no exact role option exists for this early B-24D belly-gun position.
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
LilleIndustrial Area
LocationLille, France
Notes.
§ From the Record
Big Eagle (41-23678), the 93rd Bomb Group's first combat mission and first combat loss. Took direct hits inbound near/north of Lille - per Sgt. Arthur B. Cox's own account (corroborated by his NARA E&E Report No. 47 and by "An Ever-Increasing Might"), the number 2 engine was hit by cannon or flak fire and burst into flames, sending the aircraft into a severe, uncontrolled dive. (A separate secondary account instead describes the number 4 engine being hit with fire in the bomb bay; see the linked Fact for details.) Six crew killed, four survived (three POW, one - Sgt. Arthur B. Cox - evaded capture to Spain).
Read the records.
2 documents
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.
Supports 2 facts
E&E Report No. 47 - Sgt. Arthur B. Cox, Jr.
Military Record · July 1943 · Escape and Evasion Reports
Cited at pp. 1, 2