B-24J Liberator #42-50975 took off from Westover Field, at Chicopee, Massachusetts for a gunnery training mission over the Atlantic Ocean off Montauk Point, Long Island, New York. As the bomber reached the area, the crew radioed the airfield of their arrival to the area.
At sometime around 13:10 hours, the Liberator crashed into the sea.
A civilian pilot spotted debris on the surface and reported it to the Coast Guard. When vessels arrived in the area, two crewmembers' bodies were recovered. Investigators believed that the pilots could not discern the horizon from the ocean surface and flew into the water while in a banking turn.
All twelve airmen aboard were killed:
2LT Howard B Tolle, Pilot (body recovered)
FLT O George F Ruf Jr., Co-Pilot
2LT Ramon G Bushee, Bombardier
2LT David H Richey, Navigator
CPL Philip W Ayers, Radio Operator (body recovered)
CPL William F Budka Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Carl E Carlson Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Charles R Clark Jr., Flight Engineer
TSGT Harold E Falk, Engineer Instructor
CPL Donald J Finger, Asst. Engineer
CPL John W Sedlock Jr., Gunner
CPL Russell L White, Gunner
~
Enlisted at Boston April 15, 1943 from Massachusetts; Service ID: 31310846.
At sometime around 13:10 hours, the Liberator crashed into the sea.
A civilian pilot spotted debris on the surface and reported it to the Coast Guard. When vessels arrived in the area, two crewmembers' bodies were recovered. Investigators believed that the pilots could not discern the horizon from the ocean surface and flew into the water while in a banking turn.
All twelve airmen aboard were killed:
2LT Howard B Tolle, Pilot (body recovered)
FLT O George F Ruf Jr., Co-Pilot
2LT Ramon G Bushee, Bombardier
2LT David H Richey, Navigator
CPL Philip W Ayers, Radio Operator (body recovered)
CPL William F Budka Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Carl E Carlson Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Charles R Clark Jr., Flight Engineer
TSGT Harold E Falk, Engineer Instructor
CPL Donald J Finger, Asst. Engineer
CPL John W Sedlock Jr., Gunner
CPL Russell L White, Gunner
~
Enlisted at Boston April 15, 1943 from Massachusetts; Service ID: 31310846.
B-24J Liberator #42-50975 took off from Westover Field, at Chicopee, Massachusetts for a gunnery training mission over the Atlantic Ocean off Montauk Point, Long Island, New York. As the bomber reached the area, the crew radioed the airfield of their arrival to the area.
At sometime around 13:10 hours, the Liberator crashed into the sea.
A civilian pilot spotted debris on the surface and reported it to the Coast Guard. When vessels arrived in the area, two crewmembers' bodies were recovered. Investigators believed that the pilots could not discern the horizon from the ocean surface and flew into the water while in a banking turn.
All twelve airmen aboard were killed:
2LT Howard B Tolle, Pilot (body recovered)
FLT O George F Ruf Jr., Co-Pilot
2LT Ramon G Bushee, Bombardier
2LT David H Richey, Navigator
CPL Philip W Ayers, Radio Operator (body recovered)
CPL William F Budka Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Carl E Carlson Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Charles R Clark Jr., Flight Engineer
TSGT Harold E Falk, Engineer Instructor
CPL Donald J Finger, Asst. Engineer
CPL John W Sedlock Jr., Gunner
CPL Russell L White, Gunner
~
Enlisted at Boston April 15, 1943 from Massachusetts; Service ID: 31310846.
At sometime around 13:10 hours, the Liberator crashed into the sea.
A civilian pilot spotted debris on the surface and reported it to the Coast Guard. When vessels arrived in the area, two crewmembers' bodies were recovered. Investigators believed that the pilots could not discern the horizon from the ocean surface and flew into the water while in a banking turn.
All twelve airmen aboard were killed:
2LT Howard B Tolle, Pilot (body recovered)
FLT O George F Ruf Jr., Co-Pilot
2LT Ramon G Bushee, Bombardier
2LT David H Richey, Navigator
CPL Philip W Ayers, Radio Operator (body recovered)
CPL William F Budka Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Carl E Carlson Jr., Asst. Radio Op.
CPL Charles R Clark Jr., Flight Engineer
TSGT Harold E Falk, Engineer Instructor
CPL Donald J Finger, Asst. Engineer
CPL John W Sedlock Jr., Gunner
CPL Russell L White, Gunner
~
Enlisted at Boston April 15, 1943 from Massachusetts; Service ID: 31310846.
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