97th BG a/c loss confirmation.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Have come up with the following.

42-30436 - 03/04/1944(4th March, 1944).
Lost over Gara, west of Czatalja,Hungary.
Pilot: 2Lt. V. G. HARRIS.
MACR ?

And also -

42-30436 04/01/1944(1st April,1944).
Mia Budapest.
Pilot HARRIS.
MACR 3962.

Alex

[Rottler]

Hello Alex,

according to the MACR 3962, dated 6 April 1944, the B-17 F 42-30436 was lost on 3 April 1944. The crash place was on Hungarian territory between Gara and Csàtalja, 160 km south of Budapest. All ten of the 2nd Lt Harris crew bailed out and were captured by the 8. SS-Kav. Division "Florian Geyer". The engineer T/Sgt Bechtel escaped during the transport. This is confirmed by the German documents in the file ME 1045 (Abschussnummer/casualty no.). Translations are in the MACR 3962 documents.

Regards
Leo

[RSwank]

MACR 3962 can be viewed here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90950866

On this link (Search for Bechtel) : http://www.reddog1944.com/97th_BG_Co...orrections.htm
is this comment:

"42-30426 B-17F 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron, 15th Air Force, shot down April 3, 1944 on mission #257 over Budapest Hungary (MARC #3962) Crew became POWs - Pilot - 2Lt. Virgil Grant Harris (Stalag Luft 1) / Copilot - 2Lt. David E. Cadmus (first mission with this crew; Stalag Luft 1 ) / Navigator - 2nd Lt Herbert (NMI) Schubert (Dulag Luft as Mess Officer) / Bombardier - 2LT William H. Echert / Flight Engineer - T/SGT George K. Bechtel (escaped from a moving train in Yugoslavia but recaptured) / Radio - S/SGT Vernon S. Anderson / Starboard Waist Gunner - S/SGT Lucien G. Bergez (Stalag 17B ) / Port Waist Gunner - Sgt. James C. Ready / Ball Turret Gunner SGT James N. Apolzan / Tail Gunner SGT Perry W. Hitchcock."

[Alex Smart]

Thank you both for the details.
Wonder why the discrepancy over the date ?
So only the one event after all.
Alex

[HGabor]

Just some correction: the landed crewmen initially were captured by Hungarian police- and (Danube) naval-patrols and just later were handed over to the 8. SS Florian Geyer, which at the time was stationing at nearby Baja. The police at Gara had 1o members, they captured 4, others captured another 5 crewmen. A Hungarian police-truck came from Baja with another 2 policemen (with rifles) who collected the POWs and took them to Baja. The plane was burning at a spot called Sóstó (Salt-Lake) where in a few weeks later, on May 5, 1944 a Ju 88 belly landed too. In 1993 the pilot had returned to Gara and recognized a few locals and they hugged each other and discussed the old stories. (An old grandma immediately recognized the old veteran saying: "Jeez, this is the American pilot!!!" - as he had so characteristic, unforgetable face even after 49 years.

https://roncskutatas.com/node/8664
Gabor

[RSwank]

The pilot, Virgil Grant Harris, died in 1953 in a crash of a B-25 at Pine Mountain, GA.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...l-grant-harris

Search for Harris:
https://www.koreanwar.org/html/units...eNum_Looking=3


Looks like the co-pilot Cadmus, died in 1987.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...avid-e_-cadmus