B-17G " Sac Hound "    42-31467    613th

2 March 1944   Mission #29   Target: Frankfurt


                  2 March 44 , 0800 hours , engines are on.
                  36 aircraft were airborne by 0915 , mission #29 , target today is a Engineering Plant in Frankfurt , Germany.

                  The plane was forced down when attacked by a swarm of German fighters.
                  The pilot , Lt. Sheahan, his bombardier, Lt. D. M. Conway, and his Engineer, T/Sgt. R. W. Rickey, escaped capture
                  and were hidden for five months in Belgium.

Missing Air Crew Report : 2742

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  
               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 613th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course :West.
       Target : Frankfurt , Germany.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : 1/10 undercast - broken.

4.    Last know date : 2 Mar 1944
       time : 13:54
       location : 5028 - 0515 E.

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

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-38002

7.    Nickname of aircraft : --

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 William George Sheahan 2nd Lt. 0-746438 Evaded
Copilot Elliott Burleigh Ogden 2nd Lt 0-687202 POW
Navigator Robert Orval Davis 2nd Lt 0-808000 POW
Bombardier Douglas Martin Conway 2nd Lt 0-685775 Evaded
Radio Operator Donald W. Silverstein T/Sgt 12156493 POW
Engr / Top Turret Richard Waldo Rickey T/Sgt 15054437 Evaded
Ball Turret Gunner Hazard Justice S/Sgt 15340143 KIA
Tail Gunner John William O'Mara S/Sgt 15063833 KIA
Left Waist Gunner Seymour Falk S/Sgt 17037059 POW
Right Waist Gunner Roger Thomas Leking Sgt 35348050 KIA
13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Clyde A. Lewis          1st Lt.          O-800905        615th
William M. Eaton      1st Lt.         O-736661        615th
Emmett S. Sutton     2nd Lt.        O-684790        615th

-     Aircraft was attacked by 6 or 7 fighters ( me 109's ) which shot up tail badly.
      A/C went into steep dive for 800 ft and leveled off, pulling back into formation when 2 more fighters hit him.
      Ship nosed up , 4 or 5 chutes came out , then it went into a spin and another chute came out.
      After another 3000 feet drop one more chute was seen.
      When last observed ship was about 1 mile behind formation.




Mission to Frankfurt, germany, Aircraft was attacked by 6 or 7 fighters ( me 109's ) which shot up tail badly.
Chrashed near St Gerard, Belgium.




Will be continued soon



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