Lt Col Keith N. Allen - KIA 21 Sep 1944 - Murmansk

[Leendert]

Lt Col Keith Allen (O-303121) flew special missions from RAF Leuchars within the USAAF detachment there led by Col Bernt Balchen.
On 21 Sep 1944 Allen's B-24 was shot down over Murmansk by Russian naval flak.
Story here: https://images.findagrave.com/photos...3e1d560af.jpeg

Apparently no MACR filed. Who has the s/n of the B-24? Allen was the only one who got killed, rest of crew had bailed out.

Thanks for info.

Leendert

[Laurent Rizzotti]

No MACR because nobody was missing.
No accident card because it was not an accident.

Good luck to find the serial.

https://www.fold3.com/memorial/65780...303181#stories has the same story for his loss than findagrave, but provides more for his life and service before.

http://www.usaafdata.com/ has an entry for him on 19 September 1944, so I wonder if this loss occurs during the night of 19-20 or 20-21. See http://www.usaafdata.com/?q=node/186158

As the B-24 took off from RAF Leuchars according to the narrative, maybe there is something on the ORB of the RAF station.

[Buckeye30]

Looks like B-24H 41-28654 "Consolidated Mess"; Allen is noted as on 1403rd BU (ATC) on the 801/492BG roster; date given 20th. for death. Balchen's "Operation Ball" lost 3 B-24s, 2 mechanical and 1 to Russian fighter / flak.; 1st. mission 22 June 44.
Regards
Nick


http://www.b24bestweb.com/consolidatedmess-v5-3.htm


https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/ar...ret-air-force/

[Leendert]

May be a hard nut to crack indeed.
Allen's fatality was on 21 Sep 1944. Meanwhile see https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5682...bjectPage=1876 and especially https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5682...bjectPage=1877

I gathered 6 B-24's were detached to Leuchars.

Leendert

[Leendert]

Was writing #4 not aware of Buckeye's message on #3. Thanks for info/lead. Will try to find out more about this B-24.

Leendert

[Laurent Rizzotti]

On http://www.801492.org/Air%20Crew/Downloads.htm, there are two files on Leuchars Ball Project. In the first one (Log, Excel format), you can find:
_ line 108
IDA II 20-sept-44 2J 6C 3P ID 69d 38' N 29d 42' E Successful drop - 1 KIA & A/C 654 lost

_ line 121
654 41-28654 ex-453rd 'Consolidated Mess' Lost 20 Sep 44

https://www.harringtonmuseum.org.uk/...Operations.pdf provides no serial but puts the loss on night of 19-20 September 1944.

The morning report (your link) says the crew departed on 20 September and Allen died on 21st, same date as on his grave, so the date of 19-20 is probably false.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Just checked a Soviet naval chronicle available online (https://proza.ru/2023/02/26/771). No mention of the B-24 being shot down (on this date or on the 20th) but it was a bad day for friendly fire in the area, with the submarine Sch-402 being sunk by a Soviet aircraft according to official Soviet history.