MACR PILOT: 2Lt John G. Gossage O-798486
MACR #: 00778
Fiche #: 00257
Organization
Location: AAF Station #139
Group: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF
Squadron: 349th BS
Command: VIII AF
Detachment:
Detail
Departure/Base: AAF Station #139
Initial Course: 230
Intended Destination: Practice Mission
Mission Type: Practice
Weather
Weather: Overcast
Give
Date: September 24, 1943
Time: 16:30
Location: 5325 - 6500E
Specify: Forced down
Confirmed or believed reason for loss
Loss due to: Enemy aircraft
Other reason for loss:
Engines
Model: R-1820-97
A: 43-60133
B: 43-60382 (?)
C: 43-60??8
D: 43-57395
Weapons
A: 144513
B: 384286
C: 494884
D: 212758
E: 494502
F: 435250
G: 364086
H: 304467
I: 323627
J: 142866
L: 365?02?
Persons are listed as
Casualty Type: Battle casualty
Number of persons on board
Crew: 10
Pass: 0
Total: 10
Personnel
Use your thumb to scroll through the results box below.
| Position | Name | Rank | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | |||
| P2 | John G. Gossage | 2Lt | O-798486 |
| CP | William Spencer Grier | 2Lt | O-681395 |
| NAV (N) | J. Ward Dalton | 2Lt | O-673491 |
| BOM (B) | Theodore J. Don | 2Lt | O-676883 |
| RAD | Mitchell W. Gillen | TSgt | 32391944 |
| ENG | William S. Humphrey | TSgt | 16043348 |
| BAL | Francis J. DeCooman | SSgt | 36264332 |
| WG (W) | Ralph Shulte | SSgt | 35339324 |
| WG (W) | Clyde O Lovell | SSgt | 34137223 |
| TG (T) | Bruce E. Alshouse | SSgt | 17051757 |
Persons who are believed to have last knowledge of aircraft
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| Name | Knowledge | Rank | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack R. Swartout | Last sighted | Capt | O-728936 |
| William G. Lakin | Last sighted | 1Lt | O-740930 |
| Maruice R. Beatty | Last sighted | 2Lt | O-797954 |
Personnel who are believed to have survived
Reason: Any other reason
Other: Survivors picked up. Seriously wounded died in hospital.
Eyewitness description of crash
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| Last Name | First name | Report |
|---|---|---|
| A/C #259 went down with #3 engine on fire at 1620 hours. This aircraft was heading west when last seen. No chutes were seen (Capt. Jack Swartout) One B-17 of the lead squadron with #3 engine on fire peeled to the right at 10,000 feet and started down under the 6,000 feet cloud color. (Lt. Larken) | ||
| No Data | There are two (2) MACRs regarding John Gossage: On 24/9/43 a rather sudden practice mission was scheduled and it was discovered that this crew's regularly assigned A/C was still loaded with bombs from a mission scrubbed earlier that day. Another A/C was assigned the crew and in the rush to take off at the proper time, it was not immediately discovered that the ten machine guns were stored in the nose compartment. While over the North Sea on the practice mission, about 10/15 enemy fighters jumped the formation and left Gossage's ship badly shot up and #3 engine and part of the right wing burning fiercely. Gossage ordered the crew to bail out but he rode the ship to a crash landing in the sea. After about an hour in the water, Gossage, Don, Humphrey, Gillen and Alshouse were picked up by Air-Sea Rescue. Bodies of Schulte & DeCooman were never recovered and their names are inscribed on the Wall Of The Missing at Cambridge, Eng. Bill Grier is buried in the Cambridge Cemetery. On 3/3/44, Gossage flying with a new crew was shot down on a mission to Berlin and became a POW. Sgt. Humphrey, with the crew of R. D. Vollmer, went down on that same mission and became a POW |
Description of search effort
Detail: No search made.
Preparing Officer
Prepared by: Claude L. Hosford 1st Lt., AC Personnel Officer
Date prepared: September 25, 1943
