Mystery USAAF Lieutenant
 

At the bottom of the website http://www.yesteryears.com is a possibility to click for "Lancaster Bomber Aircrash 1945".
Here is told the story on Lancaster RF230 of 514 Sqn crashed 9-5-1945 during Op. Exodus, killing the crew of six and 25 (!) passengers.
One of the passengers was a USAAF Lieutenant whose name was not on the manifest !
There are some websites on this accident, some have 30 casualties, others 31. An e-mail sent to the originator of the site for more info was bounced.
The USAAF Lieutenant - if killed on board this aircraft - was not buried at Clichy; his remains initially may have been buried at the US temp Mil. Cem. at Solèrs near Mélun. On this temp cemetery were two USAAF airmen who died 9-5-1945 but their remains reinterred. Their names:
J.L. ACTON, and
Walter J. GOODMAN (from Ohio).
They could have been reinterred in a US Mil Cem in France or even repatriated to their homeland.
Who has more info on crew and passengers of Lancaster RF230 and this mystery US passenger.
I've all names of the "6" crew and the "24" passengers, all buried at Clichy.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Regards,
Henk.

Re: Mystery USAAF Lieutenant
 

Hi,
For what it is worth http://www.yesteryears.com

Only gave me

this http://www.lifealert.com/

Which was not much help.

However,

Bomber Command Losses 1945 has 9th May 45
514 Sqn Lancaster III "JI-B" Exodus
six crew and 24 passengers all ex POW's.
All are named .
And it is noted that All were buried in Clichy New Communal Cemetery.

Also noted is that for the OUTWARD TRIP the crew included Wing Commander S. Baker.
But for the RETURN TRIP He transfered to another aircraft.

The Price of Peace by Colin Cummings has a little more with regard to the Regiments the ex-pow's belonged to. Also it details the Pilots earlier DSO as he was quite young to have been a recipient of this award at 22yrs.
Three RCAF men were in the Crew .

With regard to 1Lt. Walter J Goodman,
the NARA site has his details as -
Service number O-661307 - DNB - Ohio, Cuyahoga
See:
County.http://media.nara.gov/media/images/29/15/29-1498a.gif

And NARA site has Enlistment details as -
Ft Hayes, 7th November 1941, Born 1919, single.Army serial number 15071147.

See:

http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-d...061223,4813162



If this is your man it is sad that the ref DNB does not do justice to the full story of his final flight.

All for now
Alex

Re: Mystery USAAF Lieutenant
 

Thanks Alex for your additional info.
To read the story on the mystery USAAF lieutenant (who probably was not on the manifest) go to Google Search and write down:
'Lancaster RF230' and click on the first entry.
Regards,
Henk.