01 AUGUST 1943 · SUNDAYMissing in Action
Mission 115.
Operating Group
93rd BG
2BD
Takeoff Base
Benghazi (Benina Main)
The formation.
17 aircraft · tap a ship for its crew
CP2Lt Lawrence H. Lancashire
NS/Sgt W. L. Thompson
ROT/Sgt Howard O. Ford
BTGSgt Leo Sharp
WGSgt John P. English
WGS/Sgt Jack Reed
TGSgt James W. Barker
The aircraft was on its second mission when it was struck by heavy anti-aircraft fire and ground machine gun fire approximately eight miles past the target at Ploesti, Romania. The plane crashed at approximately 3:00 PM on August 1, 1943. No crew members bailed out; the entire crew crashed with the plane. The aircraft did not explode on striking the ground. Several enlisted men and two officers were wounded before the crash. Following the crash, all crew members were eventually accounted for and freed except for the bombardier, 1st Lt. J. Little, who was buried at Senia (Sinaia), Romania.