Bombardier/Gunner S/Sgt. Wayne R. Blackham
Hometown:
Squadron: 576th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters
Pilot 1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese
Target: Practice Mission
CASUALTIES NOT LISTED IN MACR
Date Lost: 5-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-28731,
Aircraft Model B-24H
Aircraft Letter: "V"
Aircraft Name:
Location: near the village of Foxley, Norfolk England
Cause: Accident Crew of 5 Killed 5 not on the mission
A practice mission involving the 14th, 2nd, 20th, and 95th Combat Wings was scheduled for this day. According to the 2nd Air Division teletype, "New crews and element leaders needing formation practice will be used. Emphasis will be placed on formation flying and timing. A Group commander or air executive will monitor each formation." The "target" was the center of the airfield at Suttonbridge; "bombing" was to be done visually by squadrons at 14,500 feet and an "actual run will be simulated including open bomb doors." The 392nd provided 36 planes for this practice mission--9 planes from each squadron. During this practice mission, two 392nd planes collided, resulting in five deaths from 1/Lt Reese's crew and six deaths from 2/Lt Fidel's crew. The circumstances leading to the collision are unknown.
Since this was just a local training mission to practice formation flying, S/Sgt Donald Schumaker recounted that he, the other three gunners (Sgt Wayne Blackham, Sgt Chester Ellis, and Sgt Henry DeKeyser) and bombardier 2/Lt John Walters did not have to fly. Instead they went to a movie at a local theater and on their return to base found out that their crew and airplane were involved in a mid-air collision. S/Sgt Schumaker did not witness the crash as it occurred before his return to base. However, base personnel must have thought he was aboard the plane as his locker had been cleaned out.
Wayne Blackham finished as a Staff Sgt E-6 after 35 missions over Germany. He was the Armorer / Bombardier on Lt. Reese crew. Near the end of his tour the flight crew including engineer and radio op. died on a practice mission. Since the gunners were not needed that morning Wayne and the other crew members survived and finished the war as replacements for other crews, all eventually returning home. Three of the guys called themselves the "Half Moon Tri" Blackie, Hank, and Don and completed their 35 missions.
The #41-28731, crew
1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese Pilot
2nd/Lt. Joseph S. Iannotta Co Pilot
Fl/Of. William O. Minzenberg Navigator
S/Sgt. Marion Thornton Jr.
T/Sgt. Ralph O. E. Butzmann
Crew not aboard the mission.
S/Sgt. Wayne R. Blackham Gunner
S/Sgt. Chester Ellis Gunner
S/Sgt. Donald H. Schumaker Gunner
S/Sgt.Henry A. Dekeyser Gunner
son of George and Julia Blackham
Hometown:
Squadron: 576th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters
Pilot 1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese
Target: Practice Mission
CASUALTIES NOT LISTED IN MACR
Date Lost: 5-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-28731,
Aircraft Model B-24H
Aircraft Letter: "V"
Aircraft Name:
Location: near the village of Foxley, Norfolk England
Cause: Accident Crew of 5 Killed 5 not on the mission
A practice mission involving the 14th, 2nd, 20th, and 95th Combat Wings was scheduled for this day. According to the 2nd Air Division teletype, "New crews and element leaders needing formation practice will be used. Emphasis will be placed on formation flying and timing. A Group commander or air executive will monitor each formation." The "target" was the center of the airfield at Suttonbridge; "bombing" was to be done visually by squadrons at 14,500 feet and an "actual run will be simulated including open bomb doors." The 392nd provided 36 planes for this practice mission--9 planes from each squadron. During this practice mission, two 392nd planes collided, resulting in five deaths from 1/Lt Reese's crew and six deaths from 2/Lt Fidel's crew. The circumstances leading to the collision are unknown.
Since this was just a local training mission to practice formation flying, S/Sgt Donald Schumaker recounted that he, the other three gunners (Sgt Wayne Blackham, Sgt Chester Ellis, and Sgt Henry DeKeyser) and bombardier 2/Lt John Walters did not have to fly. Instead they went to a movie at a local theater and on their return to base found out that their crew and airplane were involved in a mid-air collision. S/Sgt Schumaker did not witness the crash as it occurred before his return to base. However, base personnel must have thought he was aboard the plane as his locker had been cleaned out.
Wayne Blackham finished as a Staff Sgt E-6 after 35 missions over Germany. He was the Armorer / Bombardier on Lt. Reese crew. Near the end of his tour the flight crew including engineer and radio op. died on a practice mission. Since the gunners were not needed that morning Wayne and the other crew members survived and finished the war as replacements for other crews, all eventually returning home. Three of the guys called themselves the "Half Moon Tri" Blackie, Hank, and Don and completed their 35 missions.
The #41-28731, crew
1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese Pilot
2nd/Lt. Joseph S. Iannotta Co Pilot
Fl/Of. William O. Minzenberg Navigator
S/Sgt. Marion Thornton Jr.
T/Sgt. Ralph O. E. Butzmann
Crew not aboard the mission.
S/Sgt. Wayne R. Blackham Gunner
S/Sgt. Chester Ellis Gunner
S/Sgt. Donald H. Schumaker Gunner
S/Sgt.Henry A. Dekeyser Gunner
son of George and Julia Blackham
Bombardier/Gunner S/Sgt. Wayne R. Blackham
Hometown:
Squadron: 576th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters
Pilot 1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese
Target: Practice Mission
CASUALTIES NOT LISTED IN MACR
Date Lost: 5-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-28731,
Aircraft Model B-24H
Aircraft Letter: "V"
Aircraft Name:
Location: near the village of Foxley, Norfolk England
Cause: Accident Crew of 5 Killed 5 not on the mission
A practice mission involving the 14th, 2nd, 20th, and 95th Combat Wings was scheduled for this day. According to the 2nd Air Division teletype, "New crews and element leaders needing formation practice will be used. Emphasis will be placed on formation flying and timing. A Group commander or air executive will monitor each formation." The "target" was the center of the airfield at Suttonbridge; "bombing" was to be done visually by squadrons at 14,500 feet and an "actual run will be simulated including open bomb doors." The 392nd provided 36 planes for this practice mission--9 planes from each squadron. During this practice mission, two 392nd planes collided, resulting in five deaths from 1/Lt Reese's crew and six deaths from 2/Lt Fidel's crew. The circumstances leading to the collision are unknown.
Since this was just a local training mission to practice formation flying, S/Sgt Donald Schumaker recounted that he, the other three gunners (Sgt Wayne Blackham, Sgt Chester Ellis, and Sgt Henry DeKeyser) and bombardier 2/Lt John Walters did not have to fly. Instead they went to a movie at a local theater and on their return to base found out that their crew and airplane were involved in a mid-air collision. S/Sgt Schumaker did not witness the crash as it occurred before his return to base. However, base personnel must have thought he was aboard the plane as his locker had been cleaned out.
Wayne Blackham finished as a Staff Sgt E-6 after 35 missions over Germany. He was the Armorer / Bombardier on Lt. Reese crew. Near the end of his tour the flight crew including engineer and radio op. died on a practice mission. Since the gunners were not needed that morning Wayne and the other crew members survived and finished the war as replacements for other crews, all eventually returning home. Three of the guys called themselves the "Half Moon Tri" Blackie, Hank, and Don and completed their 35 missions.
The #41-28731, crew
1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese Pilot
2nd/Lt. Joseph S. Iannotta Co Pilot
Fl/Of. William O. Minzenberg Navigator
S/Sgt. Marion Thornton Jr.
T/Sgt. Ralph O. E. Butzmann
Crew not aboard the mission.
S/Sgt. Wayne R. Blackham Gunner
S/Sgt. Chester Ellis Gunner
S/Sgt. Donald H. Schumaker Gunner
S/Sgt.Henry A. Dekeyser Gunner
son of George and Julia Blackham
Hometown:
Squadron: 576th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters
Pilot 1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese
Target: Practice Mission
CASUALTIES NOT LISTED IN MACR
Date Lost: 5-Jul-44
Serial Number: #41-28731,
Aircraft Model B-24H
Aircraft Letter: "V"
Aircraft Name:
Location: near the village of Foxley, Norfolk England
Cause: Accident Crew of 5 Killed 5 not on the mission
A practice mission involving the 14th, 2nd, 20th, and 95th Combat Wings was scheduled for this day. According to the 2nd Air Division teletype, "New crews and element leaders needing formation practice will be used. Emphasis will be placed on formation flying and timing. A Group commander or air executive will monitor each formation." The "target" was the center of the airfield at Suttonbridge; "bombing" was to be done visually by squadrons at 14,500 feet and an "actual run will be simulated including open bomb doors." The 392nd provided 36 planes for this practice mission--9 planes from each squadron. During this practice mission, two 392nd planes collided, resulting in five deaths from 1/Lt Reese's crew and six deaths from 2/Lt Fidel's crew. The circumstances leading to the collision are unknown.
Since this was just a local training mission to practice formation flying, S/Sgt Donald Schumaker recounted that he, the other three gunners (Sgt Wayne Blackham, Sgt Chester Ellis, and Sgt Henry DeKeyser) and bombardier 2/Lt John Walters did not have to fly. Instead they went to a movie at a local theater and on their return to base found out that their crew and airplane were involved in a mid-air collision. S/Sgt Schumaker did not witness the crash as it occurred before his return to base. However, base personnel must have thought he was aboard the plane as his locker had been cleaned out.
Wayne Blackham finished as a Staff Sgt E-6 after 35 missions over Germany. He was the Armorer / Bombardier on Lt. Reese crew. Near the end of his tour the flight crew including engineer and radio op. died on a practice mission. Since the gunners were not needed that morning Wayne and the other crew members survived and finished the war as replacements for other crews, all eventually returning home. Three of the guys called themselves the "Half Moon Tri" Blackie, Hank, and Don and completed their 35 missions.
The #41-28731, crew
1st/Lt. Robert L. Reese Pilot
2nd/Lt. Joseph S. Iannotta Co Pilot
Fl/Of. William O. Minzenberg Navigator
S/Sgt. Marion Thornton Jr.
T/Sgt. Ralph O. E. Butzmann
Crew not aboard the mission.
S/Sgt. Wayne R. Blackham Gunner
S/Sgt. Chester Ellis Gunner
S/Sgt. Donald H. Schumaker Gunner
S/Sgt.Henry A. Dekeyser Gunner
son of George and Julia Blackham
Inscription
S SGT US ARMY AIR FORCES
WORLD WAR II
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