5 X 5 bomb crew lost 1943

[Alex Smart]

Hello again NUPPOL,
Just to follow up on this thread.
By looking through the books I have to hand there seems to be some confusion about this a/c and its fate.

"Heavy Bombers of the Mighty Eighth" by Andrews & Adams, page 342
"338190 - 493 - 863 - M - Sweet Sue.
08-07-44 A1, 03-08-44 AOS, 00-00-44 G.
30-12-44 FTR DIT English Channel (?).
15-01-45 MID 338244 RG ?
25-02-45 FTR LOC A-95 Lt. Bernard E. Vaughan - 5 KIA, 4 RTD - MACR 11253.
00-00-45 RG, 26-11-45 Kingman, Arizona.
See: FREN 2- NASA 62285AC (?) - SMIB 201 - U493".
Explanations -
A1 - A/c added to AAF inventory.
AOS - A/c arrived or assigned overseas.
G - Gained.
FTR - failed to return.
DIT - Ditched.
MID - Mid air collision.
RG - Regained.
FREN 2 - Roger A. Freeman, "Combat Profile: B17 Flying Fortress in World War 2", Ian Allan 1989.
NASA 62285AC(?) - number identifies a b&w photograph.
SMIB - David J. Smith "Action Stations No 3" 1981 and page number.
U493 - USAAF "493rd BG: A Pictorial Review of Operations in the ETO" San Angelo, Texas: Newsfoto Publishing Co 1946.

Roger A. Freeman's "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", pages 243/4.
"43-38190 - Del Cheyenne 5/7/44; Kearney 16/7/44; Dow Fd 3/8/44; ass 863BS/493BG Debach 4/8/44; b/d Nuremberg 25/2/45 w/?; f/l Nancy A/fd, Fr; MACR 1253; rep & ret gp; ret US Bradley 1/7/45; 4168 BU Sth Plains 4/7/45; RFC Kingman 26/11/45. Sweet Sue".
And ref to 43-38244 ( see above ref to a collision )
"43-38244 - Del Cheyenne 12/7/44; Kearney 21/7/44; Grenier 7/8/44; ass 861BS/493BG Debach 9/8/44; ret US Bradley 5/7/44; 4185 BU Independence 4/8/44; RFC Kingman 2/1/46". ( I think year dates here are suspect ).

And also the following two books by Andrews and Adams,
"The Mighty Eighth Combat Chronology".
Page 261
"30 December 1944
3rd Air Division
338190 - 493 - 864 - M - Sweet Sue - RFO - RAF Woodbridge - Note:5 baled out over water - fate unknown".

And page 294
"25 February 1945
3rd Air Division
338190 - 493 - 863 - M- Sweet Sue - FTR LOC - A-95 AF Nancy/Azelot, France - Lt. Bernard E. Vaughan - Note: 5 KIA - 4 RTD - MACR 11253".

And page 363
"3rd January 1946
338244 - 493 - 861 - F - Kingman, Arizona"

But in
"The Mighty Eighth Combat Chronology Supplement".
Could find no mention of 43-38190.

Also
See this thread for further info -
http://www.armyairforces.com/493bg-8...e-m108742.aspx

Over to you,
Good luck
Alex