Sergeant Mayer was an aerial gunner aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-17E Flying Fortress #41-9181, serving with the 411th Bomb Squadron, 29th Bomb Group.
He was killed after a mid-air collision with another B-17 in the skies near Kuna, about 10 miles southwest of Gowen Field, Idaho. Ten crewmembers were killed and one parachuted and survived, but with serious injuries. The twelve crewmembers aboard the other bomber survived and returned to the airfield without serious injuries. The pilots of B-17 41-2603 told investigators they didn't see the lights of B-17 41-9181 as it was approaching at a near head-on angle at about 7,000 feet elevation. They made an abrupt pull up, but still 41-9181's cockpit collided with the underside of the tail section, probably causing the severe injury or deaths of the pilots, and Mayer's aircraft went out of control. B-17 41-2603 returned to the airfield.
Killed in service were:
2LT Paul C Painter, O-792625, OH, Pilot
2LT William W Reed Jr, O-735451, WA, Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond A Hay, O-735999, TX, Navigator
2LT Howard H Norton Jr, O-734729, OK, Bombardier
SSGT Raymond A Etherton Jr, 37217143, KS, Asst. Radio Operator
SSGT Rollen H Eubank, 38088357, OK, Flight Engineer
SSGT William J Griffiths, 35353459, IN, Radio Operator
SGT Arthur P Mayer, unknown, NY, Gunner
SGT Pasquale P Patri, 12093429, NJ, Asst. Engineer
SGT Christian F Weinhold, 32267078, NJ, Asst. Radio Operator
~
He was killed after a mid-air collision with another B-17 in the skies near Kuna, about 10 miles southwest of Gowen Field, Idaho. Ten crewmembers were killed and one parachuted and survived, but with serious injuries. The twelve crewmembers aboard the other bomber survived and returned to the airfield without serious injuries. The pilots of B-17 41-2603 told investigators they didn't see the lights of B-17 41-9181 as it was approaching at a near head-on angle at about 7,000 feet elevation. They made an abrupt pull up, but still 41-9181's cockpit collided with the underside of the tail section, probably causing the severe injury or deaths of the pilots, and Mayer's aircraft went out of control. B-17 41-2603 returned to the airfield.
Killed in service were:
2LT Paul C Painter, O-792625, OH, Pilot
2LT William W Reed Jr, O-735451, WA, Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond A Hay, O-735999, TX, Navigator
2LT Howard H Norton Jr, O-734729, OK, Bombardier
SSGT Raymond A Etherton Jr, 37217143, KS, Asst. Radio Operator
SSGT Rollen H Eubank, 38088357, OK, Flight Engineer
SSGT William J Griffiths, 35353459, IN, Radio Operator
SGT Arthur P Mayer, unknown, NY, Gunner
SGT Pasquale P Patri, 12093429, NJ, Asst. Engineer
SGT Christian F Weinhold, 32267078, NJ, Asst. Radio Operator
~
Sergeant Mayer was an aerial gunner aboard U.S. Army Air Corps B-17E Flying Fortress #41-9181, serving with the 411th Bomb Squadron, 29th Bomb Group.
He was killed after a mid-air collision with another B-17 in the skies near Kuna, about 10 miles southwest of Gowen Field, Idaho. Ten crewmembers were killed and one parachuted and survived, but with serious injuries. The twelve crewmembers aboard the other bomber survived and returned to the airfield without serious injuries. The pilots of B-17 41-2603 told investigators they didn't see the lights of B-17 41-9181 as it was approaching at a near head-on angle at about 7,000 feet elevation. They made an abrupt pull up, but still 41-9181's cockpit collided with the underside of the tail section, probably causing the severe injury or deaths of the pilots, and Mayer's aircraft went out of control. B-17 41-2603 returned to the airfield.
Killed in service were:
2LT Paul C Painter, O-792625, OH, Pilot
2LT William W Reed Jr, O-735451, WA, Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond A Hay, O-735999, TX, Navigator
2LT Howard H Norton Jr, O-734729, OK, Bombardier
SSGT Raymond A Etherton Jr, 37217143, KS, Asst. Radio Operator
SSGT Rollen H Eubank, 38088357, OK, Flight Engineer
SSGT William J Griffiths, 35353459, IN, Radio Operator
SGT Arthur P Mayer, unknown, NY, Gunner
SGT Pasquale P Patri, 12093429, NJ, Asst. Engineer
SGT Christian F Weinhold, 32267078, NJ, Asst. Radio Operator
~
He was killed after a mid-air collision with another B-17 in the skies near Kuna, about 10 miles southwest of Gowen Field, Idaho. Ten crewmembers were killed and one parachuted and survived, but with serious injuries. The twelve crewmembers aboard the other bomber survived and returned to the airfield without serious injuries. The pilots of B-17 41-2603 told investigators they didn't see the lights of B-17 41-9181 as it was approaching at a near head-on angle at about 7,000 feet elevation. They made an abrupt pull up, but still 41-9181's cockpit collided with the underside of the tail section, probably causing the severe injury or deaths of the pilots, and Mayer's aircraft went out of control. B-17 41-2603 returned to the airfield.
Killed in service were:
2LT Paul C Painter, O-792625, OH, Pilot
2LT William W Reed Jr, O-735451, WA, Co-Pilot
2LT Raymond A Hay, O-735999, TX, Navigator
2LT Howard H Norton Jr, O-734729, OK, Bombardier
SSGT Raymond A Etherton Jr, 37217143, KS, Asst. Radio Operator
SSGT Rollen H Eubank, 38088357, OK, Flight Engineer
SSGT William J Griffiths, 35353459, IN, Radio Operator
SGT Arthur P Mayer, unknown, NY, Gunner
SGT Pasquale P Patri, 12093429, NJ, Asst. Engineer
SGT Christian F Weinhold, 32267078, NJ, Asst. Radio Operator
~
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