Maurice Ainsley Mc LAUGHLIN

 B-17-F immatriculé 42-2838
The Concho Clipper

Macr : 16399

Mission : St-Nazaire (44)

Lift Off station 110 Polebrook, Northamptonshire

Shot by flak and hunters
Focke Wulf 190 

CEMTERY TEMPORARY of  St James N°3578

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of St James American Cemetery

Maurice is born in Weston (Maine), he is the fifth of the family's ten sons. Her father is a farmer, her mother is a stay-at-home mom caring for her boys courageously.

He attended Weston schools and then graduated from Danforth High School.

He joined the Air Corps in September 1942, joined the Air Base in Sioux City where he improved as a gunner. 

He joined the 351^st Bomber Group in December and the 509^th Bomber Squadron on the Biggs Field Texas base.

After three months of training, in March 1943, the advanced unit on B-17 moves to Pueblo AAB Colorado for the preparation of the departure to Europe.

The crews will begin their transfers on 1 April, the ground units will leave the United States for England by sea on 12 April.

The first bombers arrive on 15 April at the USAAF 110 station in Polebrook (Northamptonshire), the Group is assigned to the 94^th Bombardment Combat Wing within the 1^st Air Division of the 8^th US Air Force.

The Group's first mission takes place on 14 May. Maurice and his crew are taking part in this mission, which targets a Luftwaffe airfield in Kortrijk, Belgium.

Two B-17s will not return, these are the first casualties of the unit. Maurice is a central gunner.

The second mission for Maurice takes place on 15 May with the target being a railway station in Germany in Emden. A bomber will be missing when they return to base.

On May 19, the third mission, again at Emden station, a bomber will not return.

On May 21, for the Group's fourth mission, Maurice and his bomber did not participate.

On May 29 the fifth mission is presented, the formation of the 509^th leaves Polebrook at 13:50; the main objective: the locks of the port of Saint-Nazaire; no difficulty encountered on the road, the time approaching France is clear.

The initial point of the target is reached by the formation; the flak triggers the defense of the zone; the bombs are dropped on the target.

Maurice's B-17, piloted by 1st Lieutenant Russell, has just dropped his bombs, he is then hit by an 88 shell that reaches the bomb bay still open; the explosion kills Sgt Nader in the turrett ball, also the radio operator T/Sgt Welk and the two central machine gunners T/Sgt Baldwin and Maurice...

The bomber begins to lose altitude and has to leave the formation; it is immediately attacked by FW 190 fighters who touch it directly to the goal. Engines 3 and 4 are taken out of service, the rest of the crew evacuates and parachutes, they will be taken and taken prisoner.

The mission was a success, but 4 B-17s, including Maurice's, did not return that day.

The 351^st BG will lose 175 B-17 and crews during World War II. Among them two men will receive the medal of honor posthumously: Lieutenant Walter E. Truemper and Archibald Mathies.

They tried to land their totally damaged B-17 to save the life of their seriously injured pilot who was unable to land.

Both will be killed in this attempt to land at Polebrook Air Force Base.

Crew of  B-17-F immatriculé 42-2838
"The Concho Clipper"