42-37963 & 42-31370 - B-17G collision, 449 & 450 BS, 385th BG

On Monday 21st. February 1944 the 385th. BG, part of the 4th. Bombardment Wing, 8th. Air Force was tasked to provide 34 aircraft to carry out a diversionary raid on the Diepholz aircraft depot in N.W. Germany while the main force would attack an aircraft components works at Brunswick in Lower Saxony.

Two of the aircraft that took off from USAAF Station 155 at Great Ashfield, near Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk to fly to Diepholz were B-17G, 42-31370, coded SG-O, from the 550th. BS commanded by Capt. John Hutchison and B-17G, 42-37963, coded XA-O, from the 449th. BS commanded by 1st. Lt. Warren Pease. The Hutchinson crew were flying on their 25th. combat mission and cameraman 'Bud' Creegan was aboard to capture the completion of their tour of duty. Hutchinson's regular bombardier, Ed Gamble had been ill and his place was taken by Clarence Soucek, but during the briefing Gamble asked Soucek to swap as he didn't want to miss the 25th. mission.

German defences were light and despite inclement weather severe damage was inflicted on the target.

At 15.39 the returning bombers crossed the East Anglian coast at a height of 8,000 ft. at 52-43N, 01-41E, north of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. The cloud base was at 4,000ft and was up to 3,000 ft. thick. The weather conditions were poor and Lt. Col. James McDonald, group leader that day, reduced the danger of collision by ordering the descent through the cloud in three-ship elements.

Capt. Hutchinson led one vic of three aircraft, Lt. Pease flew off his starboard wing and Lt. John Terrace flew on the port wing. Due to his position in the cockpit Lt. Terrace gave command of his bomber to Lt. Eugene St. John who had a better view of the lead bomber from his co-pilots seat. In the cloud, with no horizon, each pilot had to fly on their instruments. In the cloud it is thought that Lt. Pease may have suffered virtigo and lost control of his aircraft which entered a spin. To recover from a spin full rudder is applied in the opposite direction and the aircraft is placed in a dive, when the turn-and-slip indicator is centred the aircraft is pulled up and returned to level flight. The flight manual requires that the manoeuvre must be 'smooth and gradual' but with low height Pease and his co-pilot were struggling to do this.

When the formation emerged from the cloud St. John notice Pease's bomber was missing, then the bomber broke cloud in a very steep dive astern of Hutchinson's aircraft. With the altitude now at less than 1,000 ft. Pease flew under his leader and pulled up sharply into the path of the on-coming bomber. The starboard propeller (No. 3) of Hutchinson's bomber tore into the spine of Pease's aircraft completely severing the tail section that fell to earth. Seeing this happening St. John instinctively broke hard to port to save his aircraft. Continuing upwards, the front two-thirds of Pease's aircraft looped uncontrollably above Hutchinson's aircraft before cutting back onto it and breaking it in half, sending it crashing to the ground at Mill Dyke where it exploded on impact. The tail-less Pease aircraft swung 180 degrees towards the village of Freethorpe, miraculously flying level and making as if to crash land near Decoy Carr. The bomber slithered across the marsh before smashing into a dyke edge and exploding.

All twenty-one crew on the two bombers were killed.

 

B-17G Flying Fortress 42-37963, 449th BS, 385th BG

 

Pilot: 1st. Lt. Warren Jay Pease. Service number O-677864. Air Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster. Purple Heart. Buried at Cambridge American Cemetery in Plot B Row 5 Grave 40. He was born 19th. March 1922, at Juniata, Adams County, Nebraska. He married Marcia Kraschel in 1943.

 

Co-pilot: 2nd. Lt. Edward Blase Brown. Born 17th. Service number O-682781. February 1918 at Fort Benton, Chouteau, Montana and appears to have been repatriated to Fort Benton and buried in Riverside Cemetery. Enlisted in the Army Air Corps at San Francisco on the 17th. April 1942 as a Private, service number 19884120. He was single without dependants, had completed 4 years of college and worked as a clerk in a general office.

 

Navigator: 2nd. Lt. Bernard Kaplan. Service number O-808074. Born in Canada on 14th. June 1914. The body was returned to the States and reburied in Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida. On 2nd. January 1949 the body received a military escort from the US to the Beth Isreal Cemetery & Memorial Garden, Burnaby, Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, Canada where it was reburied in Row 54 A.

 

Bombardier: 2nd. Lt. Robert E. Jenkins. Service number O-683138. Born 25th. August 1921 at Taylor, Pennsylvania, enlisted at Greensburg, Pennsylvania on the 25th. March 1943, as Private 33441288. He was single with dependents. He had completed 4 years of high school and his occupation in civilian life was classified as semi-skilled mechanic & repairman. His body was returned to the US and reburied at Taylor Cemetery, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

 

Flight engineer./top turret gunner: Tech. Sgt. William R. Clift. Service number 14134324. Air Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster. Purple Heart. He is buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery in Grave A.7.17, having come from Hamilton County, East Tennessee. Born 1921 in Tennessee, enlisted on the 17th. August 1942 at Camp Forrest, Tennessee as Private 14134324. A married man who had completed 4 years of high school, he worked as a carpenter in civil life.

 

Radio operator: Tech. Sgt. William Gill Jr. Service number 15324283. Born 13th. October 1924 at Triadelphia, West Virginia. Enlisted on 7th. November at Columbus, Ohio. The body was returned to the US and he is now buried in Saint Clairsville Union Cemetery, Belmont, Ohio.

 

Ball turret gunner: Staff Sgt. Franklin Charles Owsley. Service number 19056375. The body was returned to the states and interred at Alamosa Municipal Cemetery, Alamosa, Colorado. He was born on the 27th. May 1910 at Grain Valley, Jackson County, Missouri. Single without dependents, he enlisted at Fort Macarthur, San Pedro, California on the 21s.t February 1941 as Private 19056375. He had previously been an actor and had completed 3 years of college.

 

Tail gunner: Staff Sgt. Junior Matthew Falls. Service number 35539769. The body was returned to the US and now rests in the Oak Grove Cemetery, at Bowling Green, Wood County, Ohio. He is buried next to his brother, Lt. James R. Falls, who also died in combat. He was born on the 10th. October 1922 at Cygnet, Wood County, Ohio. Single and without dependents, he enlisted at Toledo, Ohio, on the 2nd. January 1943 as Private 35539769. He had completed 3 years of high school. Prior to enlistment his employment was classified as “semiskilled structural and ornamental metal worker”.

 

Left waist gunner: Staff Sgt. Harold E. Dickason. Service number 35339290. Air Medal. Purple Heart. Buried in Cambridge American Cemetery. Born Illinois in 1921, enlisted at Toledo, Ohio on the 8th. September 1942 as Private 35339290. A married man who had 1 year of college education, his civilian employment was classified as “semi-skilled occupations in manufacture of miscellaneous lumber products”.

 

Right waist gunner: Staff Sgt. Gail Farrell Bruner. Service number 17166484.The body was returned to the US and was buried at Ruhamah Cemetery in Rantoul, Franklin County, Kansas. He was born on the 6th. September 1919. Enlisted in November 1942.

 

B-17G Flying Fortress 42-31370, 550th. BS, 385th. BG.

 

Pilot: Capt. John Neal Hutchinson Jr. Service number O-795135. The body was subsequently returned to the US and buried at Greenville Cemetery, Washington County, Mississippi. He was born on the 10th. February 1920 and enlisted at Jackson, Mississippi on the 17th. January 1942 as an Aviation Cadet. His serial number was 14070803. He had completed 2 years of college and was working as a farm hand. He was single and without dependants.

 

Co-pilot: 2nd. Lt. Charles Gordon Curtis. Service number O-742971. Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters. Purple Heart. Born 13th. December 1923 at Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, is buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery in Plot F, Row 3, Grave 22. Enlisted at Boston on the 7th. April 1942 in the Army Air Corps as Private 11068766. Single, without dependants, he had completed 4 years of high school and was then working as a semi-skilled mechanic and repairman.

 

Navigator: 1st. Lt. John Ellis Epps. Service number O-673516. Born 5th. February 1918 at Richmond City, Virginian. Buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery.

 

Bombardier: 1st. Lt. Edmond J. Gamble. Service number O-669266. The body was subsequently returned to the US and now lies in the Mausoleum at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan. The memorial plaque records that he was born in Michigan in 1918. Enlisted at Detroit on the 14th. April 1941 and was given service number 36110224. Single, and without dependants, he was a machinist prior to signing up.

 

Flight engineer./top turret gunner: Tech. Sgt. Roy Clark Kitner. Service number 33237387. Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart. Born 3rd. November 1921 at New Bloomfield, Perry County, Pennsylvania, buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery, Plot C Row 6 Grave 40. He is also remembered in the Bloomfield Cemetery. Enlisted at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on the 31st. July 1942. He was previously a farm hand and was single without dependants.

 

Radio operator: Tech. Sgt. William Jerry Dukes. Service number 14108210. The body was subsequently returned to the US and now rests in Potomac Cemetery, Potomac, Vermilion County, Illinois.. He was born on 11th February 1921 at Collison Illinois. Enlisted at Fort McClellan, Alabama on the 17th. July 1942 as Private 14108210. Single and without dependants, William is stated to have completed 4 years of high school and his previous job was classified as “general farmer”.

 

Ball turret gunner: Staff Sgt. John Homer Erhardt. Service number 13023397. The body was returned to the US and now rests in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia in Section 12, Site 8122. He was born on the 9th. June 1920 in Washington, District of Columbia. Enlisted at Washington on the 4th. June 1941. Single and with no dependants, he had completed one year of high school and was then working as an insurance salesman.

 

Tail gunner: Staff Sgt. Joseph John Carpoinette. Service number 33349646. Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart. Born 7th. August 1920 at Sugar Notch, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery, Plot A Row 3 Grave 12. Enlisted at Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on the 25th. July 1942. He’d completed 4 years of High School, was single without dependants and his civilian occupation was recorded in the group “managers and officials”.

 

Left waist gunner: Staff Sgt. Emilio M. Corgnatti. Service number 11009774. Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart. Born 2nd. October 1915 in Springfield, Massachusetts and is buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery in Plot B, Row 6, Grave 59. Enlisted at Springfield, Massachusetts on the 23rd. January 1942. Single and without dependents, he was educated to grammar school level, and had previously worked as a machinist.

 

Right waist gunner: Staff Sgt. Peter Bobulsky Jr. Service number 35324186. Air Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters. The body was returned to the States in 1948 and he now rests in Holy Spirit Cemetery, Parma, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, He was born 26th. April 1921. Enlisted in Cleveland on the 9th. September 1942. Single and without dependents, he had completed 4 years of high school. It’s not known what his pre-enlistment occupation was.

 

Photographer: Staff Sgt. Frank Leo Creegan Jr. Service number 17075825. The remains were returned to the US and he is now at rest in El Reno Cemetery, El Reno, Canadian County, Oklahoma. He was born in Henryetta, Oklahoma on 13th. April 1922. Enlisted at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri on the 13th. July 1942. Single and without dependents, he had completed 2 years of college, and his previous job was classified as “unskilled occupations in printing and publishing”.

 

The crash sites were excavated at various times from January 1964 to July 1978. The engine and collision scared propeller from the Hutchinson B-17 are displayed at Parham airfield, near Framlingham, Suffolk. Other artefacts can be seen in the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton, Suffolk and the 100th. Bomb Group Museum at Thorpe Abbotts, near Diss, Norfolk.

The Channel 4 TV programme 'Time Team' did an episode on this crash, first broadcast 21st. February 1999. Series 6, Episode 8.

 

The memorial is on Riverside in Reedham and is placed next to the village war memorial.

Done