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.

So we have John Russell with the middle initial of either E, J, or K.

Does anyone who has more expertise than I, have access too USAAF records that can clarify this? Or perhaps point me in the right direction.

[shooshoobaby]

David -
8th AF Roll Of Honor has John K. Russell.
ABMC has John E. Russell
Must be a Typo on the ROH - all other info Fits.
I Don't have a Scanner - maybe another Member could
send Photo from Bishop's Book.
Mike

From another site Hugh Halliday provided the following information.

I can now confirm that John Edmund Russell was an American citizen who enlisted in the RCAF in Montreal, 15 July 1941. He qualified as a pilot at No.4 SFTS, 7 November 1941 and after further training in Canada was posted overseas in June 1942. He was commissioned in the RCAF (12 May 1943) and was discharged from the RCAF (presumably on transfer to American forces) on 10 June 1943.

I can find no connection for W.S. Treacy to the RCAF, and the frequency of names like "R. Wright" in the record makes it difficult to make an RCAF connection.