Unknown twinengined A/C loss on June 30th, 1944
 

Gentlemen I need your help.

The police report of a small local town in the area southeast of Vienna states an aircraft loss on June 30th, 1944. The aircraft had two engines and three crewmembers were recoverd only dead. No further information is available.

Since I don't know either the nationality of that aircraft, nor the type of it I already checked some sources:

1.) Combat Chronology of USAAF for June 30th, 1944:
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS
(Fifteenth Air Force):Bad weather causes 450+ bombers and 150+ fighters to abort missions. 188 B-17s and B-24s, escorted by 138 fighters, hit an airfield at Zagreb, Yugoslavia and targets of opportunity in Hungary and Yugoslavia, including marshalling yards at Kaposvar, Osztopan and Split, a highway bridge at Brac Island, airfield at Banjaluka, and the city of Budapest, Hungary.

2.) Verluste der deutschen Luftwaffe in Österreich September 1943 bis März 1945, Sonderheft 30, ÖFH Nachrichten (List of losses of the German Luftwaffe on Austrian territory September 1943 until March 1945): No single loss on that date.

3.) Searchengine of armyairforces.net: lists 18 MACR for June 30th, 1944 but one one aircraft with two engines AND more than one crewmember. That is the B-25, Serial 42-64977, MACR 6575 of the 41st Group.

So now I am looking for this MACR or details about this aircraft loss. I doubt that this B-25 is the aircraft I am looking for so please contact me or post here if you have further information about events on June 30th, 1944.

Gentlemen, thanks for your interest.

Regards,

Kurtl

Re: Unknown twinengined A/C loss on June 30th, 1944
 

Kurtl,
this B-25 was lost somewhere in the Pacific Theatre...

Have you checked the RAF-losses in the MTO on this date? According to the KU-Summaries, at least one Wellington was lost over the Ostmark ("Saugraben, 3 km SE of Wienerbrück, community Annaberg, county Lilienfeld, Niederdonau").

Regards

Heuser

Re: Unknown twinengined A/C loss on June 30th, 1944
 

Probably Wellington of No 150 Sqn, the only loss No 205 Group had on the night of 29/30 June 1944. Three crew members buried in Klagenfurt Cemetery, I don't know what happened to other two (Sgt. Pearce, G.M. and Sgt. Gooda, J.A. (or Goods). The target was Fuersbrunn.

Re: Unknown twinengined A/C loss on June 30th, 1944
 

Thanks to Heuser and Schenck for your quick response to my question. The place where this Wellington crashed sounds right to me. Could you tell me where I can search for aircraft losses of the RAF? I would like to find out more about this Wellington. - Kurtl

Re: Unknown twinengined A/C loss on June 30th, 1944
 

Sgt. Horn - Pilot, Sgt. Parnaby - Air Gunner and Sgt. Varcoe - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner rest at Klagenfurt War Cemetery. I attached pictures of the grave stones. They rest side by side in peace.

I am not sure what function an "Wireless Operator" describes. Is it the radio operator on board?

Kurtl

Re: Unknown twinengined A/C loss on June 30th, 1944
 

Kurtl,

G.M. Pearce and J.A. Good were taken prisoner.
Source: POW list on www.rafcommands.com

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Unknown twinengined A/C loss on June 30th, 1944
 

Kurt -
The Wireless Operator
was Radio Operator.
Mike