B-24 Liberator - type J - s/n 44-40471 Carré-X |
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| Capitaine | Jack G W COOPER | Pilot | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| 2nd Lieutenant | Frank N HANCOCK | CoPilot | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| 2nd Lieutenant | Joseph L Jr MONTAGUE | Navigator | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| 2nd Lieutenant | James C DILLON | Navigator | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| 2nd Lieutenant | Carl A NORD | Bomber | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| T/Sergeant | John E ERICKSON | Radio | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| S/Sergeant | Orley W MILLS | Mechanic | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| Sergeant | James D TUOHY | Gunner | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| Sergeant | Earl D KOENIG | Gunner | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
| Sergeant | Cornelius SNOEY | Gunner | Died - Tablets Cim Brit Am St-James |
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Composition du 493rd Bomb Group basé à Debach Station 152 |
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AIR SQUADRONS |
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| 860th Bombardment Squadron | 861st Bombardment Squadron | ||
| 862nd Bombardment Squadron | 863rd Bombardment Squadron | ||
GROUND/SUPPORT UNITS |
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| 330th Station Complement | 480th Sub Depot | ||
| 18th Weather Squadron | 280th Medical Dispensary (Aviation) | ||
| 2117th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon (Aviation) | 2971st Finance Detachment (Provisional) | ||
| 1143rd MP Company (Aviation) Det A | 1788th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Company (Aviation) | ||
| 1227th QuarterMaster Company (Service Group) | 878th Chemical Company | ||
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It was the very first combat mission for the 493rd Bomb Group, based in Debach, England. Thirty-six B-24’s took off for their target on June 6, 1944. But when they reached their objective, a road and railroad crossing at Lisieux, France, it was completely covered by cloud. The decision was made for the group to return to England without dropping their ordnance. Somewhere over the English Channel, at 10:28 AM, two of the B-24’s collided. A witness stated “the right wing of A/C (aircraft) 471 struck the tail of A/C 789. A/C 471 was seen to disintegrate and both A/C 471 and A/C 789 were seen to disappear into the overcast. One to two chutes were seen out of both A/C 471 and A/C 789. |
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| INFORMATION SOURCES |
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