Delivered Cheyenne 5/8/43; Gr Isle 14/8/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 5/9/43; Missing in Action Bordeaux 5/12/43 with Paul Todd, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Chas Simco (2 Prisoner of War); Navigator: Roland Bowman, Bombardier: Ray Lull, Radio Operator: Art Stiles, Waist gunner: Herb Schuman, Waist gunner: Art Matheiu, Ball turret gunner: Bill Morris,Tail gunner: Jim Douglas, foto-Bill Davis (8 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Clarry Willingham (evaded capture); flak, crashed Cognac, Fr; Missing Air Crew Report 5022 & 7325. OLE BASSAR.

From Joe Baughers listing of USAAF aircraft.

42-30837 (MSN 5951) Accepted by USAAF 31Jul43. United Air Lines, Modification Center #10, Cheyenne Municipal Airport, WY 5Aug43. Operational Training Unit, 17th Bomber Operational Training Wing, Grand Island Field, NB 14Aug43. 561st Bomb Squadron [S], 388th Bomb Group, Knettishall (Station 136), Suffolk 5Sep43.  Named "Ole Bassar". {first combat mission 8Oct43}. 

Damaged on a mission to the port area of Bremen, Germany 13Nov43 (11RTD). The pilot aborted from 27,000ft when the No.4 propeller oversped and could not be feathered. There were terrific  vibrations and oil was running out. While descending, the No.4 engine caught fire at 7,000ft. 

The pilot prepared to ditch and sent out an SOS, but the fire went out in further descent. Soon after this,  lightning struck the plane and disabled the radio. Now, with the fire out, the pilot decided to bring the aircraft back to base and landed safely. 

Failed to return (FTR) from a mission to the Luftwaffe air depot at Mérignac, Bordeaux, France 5Dec43 (8KIA:2POW:1EVD). 

When the target was found to be completely obscured, the Group turned to its secondary target, the Luftwaffe airfield at Cognac. Finding this target also obscured and facing a fuel shortage, the planes began jettisoning their bomb loads. 

Meagre flak along the route intensified over target and about a dozen fighters attacked. 

Damaged by flak, dropped out of formation north of the target with No.1 propeller feathered and was shot down by Fw 190 fighters. The pilot ordered the crew to bail out but only three airmen managed to escape before the bomber crashed near Cognac, France. {11 missions}. MACR 5022 and 7325.  

Both MACRs wrongly identify the plane as 43-30637.