John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.

[Tony Kambic]

This is becoming more complicated. I re-read the story about the last flight of 42-5793. It was on a special mission to use the British developed H2S airborne radar system. The aircraft was flown to RAF Defford in March 1943 where it remained while the Brits trained the Americans on the use of the radar as well as installing it in the B-17. This aircraft was then assigned to the 482nd BG that was a specialist PFF (Pathfinder Force).

To complicate this all, in the text of the story, the writer has the name as co-pilot John J. Russell, that differs from the crew manifest I sent earlier from the rear of the book, John K Russell. The aircraft had #1 engine catch fire on takeoff and crashed near a village, killing 4 civlian construction workers on the ground as well as the crew of 13. Extra crewmen supported the H2S system.