Missing Air Crew Report : 2506

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  

               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 615th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course : North - East.
       Target : Oschersleben, Germany.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : visibility good.

4.    Last know date : 11 jan 1944
       time : 11:50
       location : 51° 55' N- 11° 20' East.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : enemy aircrafts

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-37809

7.    Nickname of aircraft : Carolina Queen.

8.    Engines : R-1820-97.

10.  Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

11.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

12.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :

Pilot	Harold Joseph Chapman	1st Lt	0-800354	POW
Copilot	John Lane Peck	2nd Lt	0-748772	POW
Navigator	Harrison Jackson Hurlburt	2nd Lt	0-682185	POW
Bombardier	Donald Gray Wallis	2nd Lt	0-679411	KIA
Radio Operator	Hugh Wilson Chaffin	S/Sgt	35424898	KIA
Engr / Top Turret	Charles Stephen Badura	Sgt	16114314	POW
Ball Turret Gunner	Norman James Fix	S/Sgt	32381348	KIA
Tail Gunner	Francis Leroy Reed	Sgt	15382546	KIA
Left Waist Gunner	Alfred Philip Marshall	Sgt	11114505	KIA
Right Waist Gunner	Denzil David Johnson	Sgt	17159678	POW

13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Crew of Fred D. Grinham     1st Lt.        0729337        615th
-     About 5 minutes before target ( at 1150 ) three or four objects that looked like ammunition boxes came out of
      bomb bay. Other things smaller looking than bombs came out with the boxes.
      We started losing altitude and saw A/C 42-37809 off to our left also losing altitude.
      It was about 1/4 of a mile away , altitude was about 17.000 feet at that time.
      A/C was then lost sight of.

- Your name : HAROLD J. CHAPMAN.
- Rank : 1st Lt.
- Serial number : 0-800354.

- Mission : Oschersleben.
- Target : Aircraft factory.
- Target time : app. 01:00.
- Altitude : 26.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Just before target.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.

- Tell all you know ? : Hurlburt out of nose hatch, co-pilot J Peck out of nose hatch , Engineer C. Badura out
                                        of nose hatch , waist gunner S.S.Johnson out rear door and radio operator Hugh Chaffin
                                        not known.

- Your name : CHARLES STEPHEN BADURA.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 16114314

- Mission : Oschersleben.
- Target time : Noon.
- Altitude : 18.200 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Over target.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Five did and five didn't.
- When did you last see any members : Saw pilot and waist gunner two days after capture and stayed with
                                                                        waist gunner sixteen months.
                                                                        I stayed with the waistgunner at Stalag 17B, Austria.

- Your name : JOHN LANE PECK.
- Rank : 1st LT.
- Serial number : 0-748772.

- Mission : Oschersleben.
- Target time : 11:50.
- Altitude : 21.550 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Within 20 miles of target on target run.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Navigator for sure , Pilot , Top turret and left waist gunner.

- Tell all you know ? : Navigator and Pilot were later contacted either directly or indirectly in Germany.
                                        German intelligence also said that Top Turret - and Left Waist Gunner were POW's.

  

Harold Chapman	Wisconsin		POW		Stalag Luft 1 South
John Peck	Kentucky	1921 -	POW		Stalag 9 C
Harrison Hurlburt	Oregon	1918 -	POW		Stalag 9 C
Charles Badura Jr.	Michigan	1924 -	POW		Stalag 17 B
Denzil Johnson	Missouri	1924 -	POW		Stalag 17 B
Donald Gray Wallis	Washington	1922 - 1944	KIA	ARL	Section 11 , site 750
Hugh Wilson Chaffin	Kentucky	1921 - 1944	KIA
Norman James Fix	New York	1920 - 1944	KIA	NE	D - 8 - 18
Francis Leroy Reed	Indiana	1923 - 1944	KIA
Alfred Philip Marshall	Massachusetts	1923 - 1944	KIA

ARL = Arlington , Virginia, USA      NE = Margraten , Netherlands