401st Bomb Group (H) Association
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Re: Aircraft damage reports

Posted:
By: Sam McMurray
On: 11/19/2009
I stumbled on this page and found your response above.My father,J. Richard McMurray,was the co-pilot of that plane,and told me of the deaths of the bombardier and navigator,which occurred during a long flight over Berlin,and was attributed to anoxia,as you said.His story of the events were fascinating,because no one was sure if the plane's oxygen was malfunctioning.In fact,my father resuscitated the waist gunner and discovered the dead officers.A literal fistfight ensued between my father and Capt. McCord,as to whether they should drop below 12,000 ft.When they landed,anoxia was deemed the cause,but my dad always maintained that there was something else amiss,perhaps that they were literally scared to death due to the heaviest flak they ever encountered.There's more to the story,which has to do with the two deceased officers wanting to transfer because they felt they wee being victimized by rampant anti-Semitism (apparently they wee the only two Jewish officers in the BG).Anyway,my dad had some stories to tell.Regards