Delivered Long Beach 21/9/43; Gt Falls 13/10/43; Assigned 457BG Glatton 20/2/44; transferred 367BS/306BG [GY-Y] Thurleigh 12/3/44. While on cross-country navigation mission to Nutts Corner airfield, Belfast, it encountered foggy conditions and crashed Pearlwick Bay, near Glen Chase, Isle of Man, UK 15/4/45 with Bob Vieille, Co-pilot: Colin Liersch, Navigator: Howard LeCompte, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ernie Gallion, Radio Operator: Chester Smailczewski, Bill Starbuck; plus passengers: Capt Bradley Butterfield (sq ops), Capt George Cubberly (sq exec), Darrell Jones, Austin Parrish and American Red Cross officer Emily Rea. All 11 were killed in the crash; sal. COMBINED OPERATIONS.



Read the extensive research that the family of the pilot have undertaken into this tragic accident here: http://306bgus.apollohosting.com/CORRESPONDENCE/4allcorrespondence/leco…