Missing Air Crew Report : 1871

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  

               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 614th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course : Heading of 80.
       Target : Bordeaux, France.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : Scattered clouds, visibility fair to good.

4.    Last know date : 31 dec 1943
       time : 12:00
       location : 44° 5'N - 1° 10'W. rear and SW.

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

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-37770

7.    Nickname of aircraft : " Flak Rat ".

8.    Engines : R-1820-97.

9.   Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

10.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

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

Pilot	Homer Ernest McDanal	2nd Lt	0-803840	RTD
Copilot(Sq.C.C.)	Ivan Wayne Eveland	Major	0-392811	RTD
Navigator	Lucas Harry Sprinker	2nd Lt	0-690688	POW
Bombardier	Daniel Hughes Goetsch	2nd Lt	0-729472	RTD
Radio Operator	Donald Lee Jerue	S/Sgt	16086210	KIA
Engr / Top Turret	Joseph Lloyd Kirkner	S/Sgt	13114971	RMC
Ball Turret Gunner	Hubert J. Reasoner	Sgt	18183085	KIA
Tail Gunner	Morton Arinsberg	Sgt	33577903	KIA
Left Waist Gunner	Francis Gene Kelly	Sgt	32312328	KIA
Right Waist Gunner	Harold Wesley Sanders	Sgt	35167939	KIA

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

Could , George.        1st Lt        0-900201

- At approximately 44° 5'N - 1° 10'W. aircraft was attacked by an enemy aircraft.
  The plane ( Flak Rat ) began smoking and peeled off to the left.
  It was then attacked by 3 more E/A, one of which was shot down.
  One parachute was observed coming out of plane as it dived into the clouds.

Crew of 2nd Lt Kaufman , Richard H.        0-802121    614th

- At approximately the same position as above , aircraft was observed to have been attacked by E/A.
  The ship lost some altitude and appeared to be heading for the clouds.
  No particular damage was observed ( fire evidently went out ) and ship seemed to be under control.
  A very short time after the ship was seen to emerge from the clouds still under control but lossing some altitude
  and falling behind.
  When last seen it was being pursued by enemy fighters, heading in the direction of Spain.

- Your name : HOMER E. McDANAL.
- Rank : Capt.
- Serial number : 0-803840.

- Mission : Bombing Bordeaux 1. Cognac 2.
- Target time : 12:15.
- Altitude : 18.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Due west of Bordeaux.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : All mebers ahead of bombbay bailed, do not know about others.

- Tell all you know : Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator, Bombardier, Engineer, bailed out of navigator`s escape hatch.
                                     All others no knowledge.

- Where did your aircraft strike the ground ? : Believe near Morcenx, France.

- More information : All damage to A/C was done back of the bombbay ( to the best of my knowledge ).
                                    Some of the men may have been injured. No communication was made after being hit.
                                    Lt Goetsch had been making regular contact with them prior to the time of being hit.
                                    Jean Laborde, a French farmer with whom I spend some time said that 3 bodies had been
                                    found in my airplane (No proof that it was mine as several others went down near there)
                                    They were buried on Sunday January 2, 1944 by the French people.

- Your name : JOSEPH LLOYD KIRKNER.( Died 24 Jun 1998 )
- Rank : T/Sgt.
- Serial number : 13114971

- Mission : 1st Bordeaux.
- Target : 2nd Cognac.
- Target time : Approx. 12:30.
- Altitude : 20.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : On I.P. Just ready to bomb.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Four others to my knowledge.
- Were when did you last see all members ? : Just before take-off , all in good health.

  

Homer McDanal	Colorado		RTD
Ivan Eveland	Montana		RTD
Daniel Goetsch	Wisconsin	1916 -	RTD
Joseph Kirkner	Pennsylvania	1924 - 1998	RTD
Lucas Sprinker	Washington	1921 -	POW		Stalag Luft 1 South
Donald Lee Jerue	Michigan	1922 - 1943	KIA	RH	C - 9 - 7
Harold Wesley Sanders	Indiana	1917 - 1943	KIA	RH	A - 5 - 20
Hubert J. Reasoner	Texas	1924 - 1943	KIA	NG
Francis Gene Kelly	New York	1920 - 1943	KIA	LI	J - 16079
Morton Arinsberg	Pennsylvania	1923 - 1943	KIA

RH = France , Rhone        LI = Long Island National Cemetery , NY , USA        NG = New Gordon, Texas, USA