C-47 losses

[spitty80]

Hi all,

I am searching for all kind of information about a C-47 crash on sept. 21 1944.
Stephenson crew.

I am working on all the crashes in my municipality Mol, Belgium to build a Memorial plate for all thos man who gave their lives for our freedom...

Regards,
Wim

[Larry]

No doubt this aircraft was involved with Operation Market Garden, but do you know if it was RAF or USAAF aircraft?

Also what is the next biggest town to Mol as often crashes are recorded as near... (name of town)

RAF Dakota KG516 of 271 Sqn crashed near Moleneind on 21st Sept. Is Mol nearby?

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Have checked 9th AF losses and only could find zero info for this a/c.
42-92895.

All these -
MACR's
Did not have crewman with name Stephenson.
21st- MACR - 10264; 10135; 10026;
19th- MACR - 9912; 9919; 10173; 10693; 11179.

RAF Dakota's
A couple of crews were evaders or Pow's.
19th-KG401; KG428; KG374; KG488; KG388; FD865(Mediterranean).

20th - KG324; KG418.

21st- FZ615 ( no info);FZ620; FZ656; LJ928; KG340; KG346; KG376; KG387; KG389(no info); KG399; KG404; KG417; KG444; KG489; KG512; KG516; KG566; KG579; KG586; KG587;KG589(no info).
Again none had crewman named Stephenson as far as I could find.
There are only ten recorded as POW's in the RAFCommands Forum.
Maybe he is one of them ?
CWGC have no Stephenson registered for the 21st or dates either side.
Maybe the name or the date is wrong ?

Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello Wim,
Think I found him.
Stevenson.
Dakota 42-100555 - MACR 9921 Date was 19th though.
436TCG/81TCSqn.
On Glider Tow.
Seen to be hit by AA and on fire but continued to LZ. Released Glider just North of Eindhoven, turned away then went down, time 15.15 hrs.
Five crew, Three bailed and pow.
Stevenson and the Navigator being killed.
Crew
P - Stevenson, Charles Wellington. Capt - O-729261.
CP - Moore, Robert Max. 2Lt - O- 706228.
N - Okeson, Kenneth Norman. 1Lt - O- 814124.
C/Chief - Perry, Clinton Henry. T/Sgt - 11021132.
RO -'Borland, Lawrence Robert. Cpl - 13076025.
23 pages of the MACR are in Fold3.

Alex

[RSwank]

Alex, this link seems to give a crash site as near Son, Netherlands.

https://aviation-safety.net/database...?id=19440919-5

The three men who bailed out were captured immediately in Holland, short of the drop zone.

[Alain57]

Hello ,

I have this , not much , but perhaps a start

21/09/1944 Mol
C-47
Market Garden
315TCG
M6-


Regards
Alain57

[RSwank]

I found 3 MACRs for planes from the 315th TCG lost on the 21st. The planes are
42-93029, 43-15339, 43-15612. All carried Polish paratroopers and all three seem to be lost near the drop zone near Arnhem.

I did find another listing:

http://www.harringtonmuseum.org.uk/A...q=carpetbagger

On the above link on page 409 (or search for Stephenson) there is listed the loss of a C-47 with pilot F. K Stephenson on 21 September. The plane was 42-93064. The location given is Holland
at "Bezel gebied". That could mean in the area of Bezel or it might be a typo for "Bezet gebied" (Occupied Area).

The plane also shows up here with a Netherlands area location:

https://aviation-safety.net/database...?id=19440921-6


Ahhhh.... It is "Bezet gebied" as the crash can also be found on this list:
https://www.defensie.nl/binaries/def...ister-1944.pdf


Update: Now it gets a little more interesting. On this page, look at the entry for the 21 Sept:
http://www.315group.org/309history.htm

Sept. 21. Today’s activities saw the ending of our lucky streak. Quite a few of our planes were shot up; our C.O. Lt. Col. Smylie W. STARK, was wounded in the chest, Capt. STEPHENSON crash landed in Belgium and escaped serious injury, but 1st Lts. BIGGS and PIERCE, 2nd Lt. YENNER and Sgts. ABENSHOEN and HERBST were shot down in flames. They have been listed as “missing”. Fellow pilots say that they didn’t see how anyone could have escaped as the plane was a raging inferno when it struck the ground.

Then on NOV 15, it mentions Stephenson again (when he goes home) and references a crash in Holland. So.... what to make of this???????


Here is another reference to Stephenson:

http://www.kilroywashere.org/003-Pag...AubreyRoss.htm

"Captain F. K. Stephenson's plane was riddled by flak and was burning as he skillfully crashed landed in a wooded area. Stephenson, along with his 309th crew of Lt. Garber, Lt. Arnold, T/Sgt. Berotti, and S/Sgt. Maxwell, escaped serious injury. C-47 no. 6132, another 309th plane, crewed by Lt. Biggs, Lt. Pearce, Lt. Yenner, T/Sgt. Abendschoen, and S/Sgt. Herbst, burst into flames when hit by flak and exploded as it crashed into the ground near Elst. All were killed."

[Alex Smart]

Well Done Roland,
You found the correct Stephenson and aircraft.
Alex

[RSwank]

OK, I think mystery solved: a "Stevenson vs Stephenson" problem

Again on this link: http://www.315group.org/309history.htm
but search for Berotti

Capt. STEVENSON, pilot; 2nd Lt. HARIES co-pilot; 2nd Lt. ARNOLD, navigator; Sgt. BEROTTI, crew chief; Sgt. MAXWELL, radio operator; were flying south from the DZ after having dropped their troopers. They were hit and one engine was put out and the plane caught fire. Capt. STEVENSON did a marvelous job of crash landing two miles north of Moll in Belgium. He had little time to look for a field and so just more or less laid his plane down on the tree-tops. His crew was all uninjured, and having gotten out of the Aircraft, was picked up by a British tank patrol. Capt. STEVENSON had the tank commander fire some incendiary shells into the wrecked plane. The tank took the men to Moll and thence to Brussels.


Note: In this crash landing nobody was killed. There is no MACR as nobody was "missing" either.

I believe the correct name is "Captain Frederick K (Kenneth?) Stephenson" from Garden City NY.

[spitty80]

Thanks for the reply's!
I have all the info that i need,

regards,
Wim