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Eugene Campbell

MACR-9662

Sgt. Eugene B. Campbell was a waist gunner in the 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was not a crew member of 42-99949 but witnessed the mid-air collision on 21 September 1944 from his position in another aircraft in the formation.

In his statement dated 24 September 1944, Campbell described observing the aircraft in the 3-2 position flying erratically when clouds were encountered. He saw the nose of the 3-2 aircraft knock off the tail assembly of the 3-3 aircraft. Campbell also photographed the formation with a K-20 camera shortly before the accident.

Sortie Log

5 CATALOGUED SORTIES
12 SEP 1944 — 12 OCT 1944

The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.

8AF Mission

Date

Target

Aircraft

HemmingstedtO/R

Commanding officer 1st Lt. Richard Baginski listed at top of block; left-side pilot entry marked with strikethrough and illegible

B-24J serial 42-99949, nicknamed 'Naughty Man' (with a Warga Girl drawing on the side), was assigned to the 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, based at Hardwick. On 21 September 1944 the aircraft departed Hardwick on an operational mission to Koblenz, Germany. At approximately 1256 hours, at coordinates 50 53N 03 18E at 16,000 feet over Belgium, the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision while forming up in clouds. The nose section of 42-99949 struck the tail assembly of another B-24 (plane 'C', flying in the 3-3 position). The collision sent 42-99949 into a left bank and then into an unrecoverable spin. Pilot Lt. Johnson was thrown half out of his seat and unable to open the escape hatch. He was flung clear when the forward bomb bay door opened under his weight. The radio operator escaped through a large hole in the nose section. The aircraft crashed and two bombs exploded on the ground. The fuselage from the nose section to the waist windows was completely demolished. Four crew members did not survive: the tail gunner (found half out of his turret), the bombardier, the waist gunner (both found at the rear escape hatch), and the navigator and nose gunner (found near the nose section). The other B-24 involved in the collision (plane 'C') crashed approximately 1/4 mile away. Unmatched crew (not in DB): Johnson Everett (pilot, RTD).

Naughty Nan42-99949

B-24J serial 42-99949, nicknamed 'Naughty Man' (with a Warga Girl drawing on the side), was assigned to the 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, based at Hardwick. On 21 September 1944 the aircraft departed Hardwick on an operational mission to Koblenz, Germany. At approximately 1256 hours, at coordinates 50 53N 03 18E at 16,000 feet over Belgium, the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision while forming up in clouds. The nose section of 42-99949 struck the tail assembly of another B-24 (plane 'C', flying in the 3-3 position). The collision sent 42-99949 into a left bank and then into an unrecoverable spin. Pilot Lt. Johnson was thrown half out of his seat and unable to open the escape hatch. He was flung clear when the forward bomb bay door opened under his weight. The radio operator escaped through a large hole in the nose section. The aircraft crashed and two bombs exploded on the ground. The fuselage from the nose section to the waist windows was completely demolished. Four crew members did not survive: the tail gunner (found half out of his turret), the bombardier, the waist gunner (both found at the rear escape hatch), and the navigator and nose gunner (found near the nose section). The other B-24 involved in the collision (plane 'C') crashed approximately 1/4 mile away. Unmatched crew (not in DB): Johnson Everett (pilot, RTD).

Naughty Nan42-99949

Target unrecorded

Unexpected Visitor, The42-51248

Lead aircraft (circle-1 marker)

Unexpected Visitor, The42-51248