First Lieutenant Drogula was the pilot of
B-25C Mitchell #41-13098, serving with the
379th Bomb Squadron, 310th Bomb Group
from the Greenville Army Air Base,
South Carolina.

On September 22, 1942, during transit to
Europe, he departed the airfield at Presque
Isle, Maine for a flight leg to Gander,
Newfoundland.
Bad weather at Gander forced the group of
bombers to return. But the medium twin
engine bomber crashed, due to a structural
failure, seven miles northeast of Presque
Isle.

That day, two German sympathizers were
arrested at the Presque Isle Army Airfield
for tampering with a B-17.

Another B-25 crashed on the same day,
also from mechanical failure, leading to the
belief that both B-25's were the victims of
sabotage.

The airmen killed were:

1st Lt. Ralph L. Drogula, pilot
2nd Lt. James O Crocker
S/Sgt. Billy J Hill
S/Sgt. Joseph Martino
S/Sgt. Lawrence A Robinson
S/Sgt. George E Simmons
Sgt. William H Finch

First Lieutenant Drogula was the pilot of
B-25C Mitchell #41-13098, serving with the
379th Bomb Squadron, 310th Bomb Group
from the Greenville Army Air Base,
South Carolina.

On September 22, 1942, during transit to
Europe, he departed the airfield at Presque
Isle, Maine for a flight leg to Gander,
Newfoundland.
Bad weather at Gander forced the group of
bombers to return. But the medium twin
engine bomber crashed, due to a structural
failure, seven miles northeast of Presque
Isle.

That day, two German sympathizers were
arrested at the Presque Isle Army Airfield
for tampering with a B-17.

Another B-25 crashed on the same day,
also from mechanical failure, leading to the
belief that both B-25's were the victims of
sabotage.

The airmen killed were:

1st Lt. Ralph L. Drogula, pilot
2nd Lt. James O Crocker
S/Sgt. Billy J Hill
S/Sgt. Joseph Martino
S/Sgt. Lawrence A Robinson
S/Sgt. George E Simmons
Sgt. William H Finch