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General Posts #422

PostedMessage
Paul Bellamy


2/25/2007 1:54:47 PM
Following a scrubbed mission on the 12th June 1944, the bomb load of B-17G 42-107210 of the 614th BS was being unloaded at Dispersal No.3.
"The ground crew of the aircraft, together with the ground crew of another, were engaged in unloading the clusters of M41 bombs from the bomb racks.
A shackle holding three of the bombs to one end of the support for a cluster of six was loose or broken, and during the handing down of the cluster the three bombs fell to the concrete

Paul Bellamy

donaldbyers


4/17/2007 9:30:54 AM
Found this on another site taken from accident report. The names of those who were killed that day.

T/S James Franklin Bradsher
Sgt G J Hecht, Jr
Sgt R T Humphrey
Cpl A Milune
PFC J H Oliver
Cpl Lee B Weber

Don Byers
Lubbock Texas

Sgt. Donald C. Byers, 613th Bomb Squadron, Togglier, 42-97344 Carrie B II, KIA 08/24/1944.
Paul Bellamy


5/14/2011 2:27:13 PM
From the 614th's Unit Diary for June 1944:

On June 12th a serious accident occurred on the line. While unloading some 20lb fragmentation bombs from an A/C, one was dropped.
It exploded, killing six and injuring eleven men of the ordnance and armament sections.

The Squadron salutes these men who died or were injured in the line of duty:

Sgt. Royal T. Humphrey - Pickton, Texas - Dead - Ordnance Section
Cpl. Anthony Milunic - Laverne, Pennsylvania - Dead - Armament Section
Cpl. Lee B. Weber - Mokane, Missouri - Dead - Armament Section
Pfc. James H. Oliver - Glenn Ellyn, Illinois - Dead - Armament Section
T/Sgt. James F. Bradsher - Milton, North Carolina - Dead - Armament Section
Sgt. Alvin B. Hecht, Jr. - Chicago, Illinois - Dead - Armament Section

Pfc. Henry E. Cabana - Waterbury, Connecticut - Wounded - Armament Section
Cpl. Walter H. Wilson - Lawrence, Massachusetts - Wounded - Armament Section
Pfc. James A. Shipman - Dexter, Missouri - Wounded - Ordnance Section
Pfc. William D. Patterson - Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - Wounded - Armament Section
Sgt. James A. Wright - Groesbeck, Texas - Wounded - Engineering Section
S/Sgt. Clifford Steep - Boisie, Idaho - Wounded - Ordnance Section
Sgt. Harold J. Burch - Akron, Ohio - Wounded - Ordnance Section
Sgt. Albert V. Opgenorth - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Wounded - Ordnance Section
Pvt. Raymon Rosales - San Antonio, Texas - Wounded - Ordnance Section
Pfc. George F. Wark - Hartford, Connecticut - Wounded - Ordnance Section
Cpl. Herbert C. Jones - Altoona, Pennsylvania - Wounded - Armament Section

A copy of the Colonel's commendation for efficiency in this emergency is attached herewith.


I'll add the commendation, and links to any further information, when possible.

Paul

Paul Bellamy

Paul Bellamy


5/14/2011 3:03:38 PM
From the Group Medical Department history:

Tragedy visited the 614th Squadron on 12 June.
A defective fragmentation bomb, being unloaded by the Armament Section dropped to the concrete hardstand and exploded,
killing four men instantly, two others died subsequently from serious injuries and injuring eleven others.
The injured were all given first aid treatment at the Sick Quarters and then evacuated to the 303rd Station Hospital.
It was a sad accident.


The 303rd Station Hospital were the nearest main medical facility, based at Lilford Hall near Oundle.

Paul

Paul Bellamy