Missing Air Crew Report : 2273

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  

               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 615th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course : East.
       Target : Frankfurt , Germany.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : 10/10 undercast.

4.    Last know date : 29 Jan 1944
       time : 11:30
       location : 53° 10'N - 08° 35'E.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Enemy aircrafts.

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-31486

7.    Engines : R-1820-97.

9.   Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

10.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

11.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :

Pilot	Donald Thomas Nicklawsky.	2nd Lt	0-803856	POW
Copilot	James John Carter	2nd Lt	0-752178	POW
Navigator	Chris Filler	2nd Lt	0-809565	POW
Bombardier	Neal L. Keller.	2nd Lt	0-676960	POW
Radio Operator	John Arthur Kilbane	S/Sgt	37244825	POW
Engr / Top Turret	Alexander Carl Washinko	S/Sgt	32563249	POW
Ball Turret Gunner	Richard Arnold Killgore	Sgt	18191018	KIA
Tail Gunner	Girard Smith Casparis	Sgt	38250549	POW
Left Waist Gunner	Max Harvey Schmit	Sgt	16149866	POW
Right Waist Gunner	Edward John Meintkewicz	Sgt	32626520	POW

13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Merrit, William E.        S/Sgt.        31203844

- This A/C was one of three lost at the same place, same time.
  We definite indentification of the planes could be made at the time.
  The following is a consolidation of observations made on all three planes, A/C 42-40057 was one of them.

These A/C, comprising an element of the Low Box of the Wing, were attacked by 7 or 8 T/E enemy aircrafts
at about 1130 and just past the target.
One was observed to blow up at once; the other two were damaged and went down simultaneously, one being observed to explode before raching the undercast, top of which was approximately 10.000 Ft the other has been reported as exploding and also as disappearing into the clouds; no chutes were observed on any of the A/C.

- Your name : JAMES JOHN CARTER.
- Rank : 2nd Lt.
- Serial number : 0-752178.

- Mission : Frankfurt on Main.
- Target : Bombing.
- Target time : 1200 Hrs.
- Altitude : 24.000 Ft ?.

- Where were you when you left formation : First turn off target.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.

- Tell more about others : Pilot, Co-pilot bombardier, top gunner and navigator all bailed out nose hatch.
                                                The bombbay was on fire and doors jammed.
                                                Rest of crew went out waist door.

- Where did plane strike the ground ? : About 30 km east of Mainze, Germany.

- When did you last see any members : All members except Sgt. Killgore have returned to the States.
                                                                        Last seen at Camp Lucky Strike, France.

  

Donald Nicklawsky	North Dakota	1916 -	POW		Stalag Luft 1 South
James Carter	Nebraska		POW		Stalag Luft 1 North 2
Chris Filler	Illinois	1917 -	POW		Stalag 9 C
Neal Keller	Nebraska		POW		Stalag Luft 1 North 2
John Kilbane	Missouri		POW		Stalag Luft 3 / stalag 13 D
Alexander Washinko	New Jersey	1918 -	POW		Stalaf Luft 4
Girard Casparis	Texas	1922 -	POW		Stalag 7 A
Max Schmit	Michigan	1922 -	POW		Stalag Luft 3 / stalag 13 D
Edward Meintkewicz	New York	1925 -	POW		Stalag Luft 4
Richard Arnold Killgore	Texas	1921 - 1943	KIA	PA

PA = Palacios ,Texas USA