Flying Fortress 214 Sqn - HB 785

[Uwe Benkel]

Hello,

who is able to help with information about the aircraft and the crew. The plane came down on 21. March 1945 after a bombing mission to Böhlen near Leipzig, germany. The crew is buried on the british Cemetery of Dürnbach. Is there somebody who knows where the aircraft crashed?

I am in contact with a familymember of one of the crew.

Thanks

Uwe Benkel
ARBEITSGRUPPE VERMISSTENFORSCHUNG
Homepage: www.flugzeugabstuerze-saarland.de

[RSwank]

A little info is here:

http://www.cwfww2.com/index.php/foru...man-remembered

[FrankieS]

Baugher says serial = 42-102436
but no more info.

bye, good luck,
FrankieS

[MW Giles]

AM Form 78 shows HB785 arrived in UK 20.03.44 and sent to Scottish Aviation to be modified 31.03.44. Cannot read next entry. Joined 214 Sqn - no date given. Lost 20/21.03.45 Cat E. FB missing

USAAF previous serial 42-102436

Can find at least 49 operations for HB785 while on 214 Sqn, coded BU-A

Lost on night of 20.03.45. Took off at 23:40 from Oulton, one of four 214 Sqn Fortress a/c providing Jostle support for Böhlen raid by 5 Group Lancasters.

Came down near Sulzbach am Main

At 04:58 hrs Fw H Burkhard of 1/NJG5 claimed a B-17 SSE of Aschaffenburg

Crew all killed, can give names if needed

Regards


Martin

[ian hunt]

Hi Uwe

Anything particular you want to find? I've researched all of 214 Sqn's WWII sorties.

I have HB785 listed on 51 sorties between 29/9/1944 and 20/3/1945, with 19 different pilots.

F/O Kingdon RCAF, its final pilot, flew it 6 times.

Regards

Ian

[Wheelsjbl]

This aircraft forms part of a small research project I have been doing into the loss of another aircraft from the same raid. I have a little information on the raid and the aircraft and have even plotted where all the aircraft came down.

In your case
HB785: BU-A B17 Fortress 214 Squadron. (Bomber support) Shot down by Fw BURKHARD at 0458 hrs SSE of Aschaffenburg.
All the crew were killed and they are buried in the Durnbach War Cemetery, Locality Bad Tolz, Bayern Germany. Durnbach is a village 16kms east of Bad Tolz, a town 48kms south of Munich.
Crew:
FS Hilton MacKay Carter, J/94203, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality: Canadian, KIA 21 March 1945, Aged 22
Sgt William Denis Dale, 1594366, Flight Engineer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality: United Kingdom, KIA 21 March 1945
Fg/Off Douglas Nugent Donald, J/47071, Air Bomber, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality: Canadian, KIA 21 March 1945, Aged 23
Fg/Off Robert Verdun Kingdon, J128299, Pilot, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality: Canadian, KIA 21 March 1945
FS Donald Fraser Miller, 1809260, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality: United Kingdom, KIA 21 March 1945
Sgt Donald Parker, 3040675, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality: United Kingdom, KIA 21 March 1945, Aged 19
WO/II James Walter Pellant, J/95470, Air Bomber, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality: Canadian, KIA 21 March 1945, Aged 21
Sgt Walter Perkins, 2223326, Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Nationality: United Kingdom, KIA 21 March 1945, Aged 19
WO/II William Arthur Routley, J/93926, Navigator, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality: Canadian, KIA 21 March 1945, Aged 31
WO/II Robert George Wilson, R/197780, Air Gunner, Royal Canadian Air Force, Nationality: Canadian, KIA 21 March 1945




Cheers

Brian