Agay's B-24 Liberator , Var, France
Pilot : second lieutenant William O. Trotter
Mission
Date May 25, 1944, MACR 5055
Base Gioia del Colle, Italy
Target Bombardment of Givors's railway junction Zone of crash Esterel's mount, Agay, Var, France
Plane Type B-24H-15-CF
Serial 41-29382 "Lucky Lady"
Squadron 15th AF, 55th BW, 464th BG, 777 Squadron
Crew
Pilot S/Lt William O. Trotter Killed, France
Copilot Capt Robert F. Mc Carty 0-727746 Killed,
Navigator Harry E. Lovelle Killed, France
Bomber S/Lt Leonard L. Meyer
Killed,Radio Robert A. Jenior Killed, France
Gunner-Mechanic T/Sgt Robert T. Grissett Killed,
Gunner S/Sgt Oakley E. Casey Killed
Gunner S/Sgt John E. Beck Killed,
Nose gunner S/Sgt Dale W. Jones Killed,
Gunner Paul J. Hamlin Killed, USA
Thursday may 25, 1944. During the allied air operations who had to destroy communication complex of the german occupant in the French south. 2 groups of B-24 Liberator from the 15th Air Force, 55th Bomber-Wing, the 464th and 465th Bomber-Group, had to drop bombs on Givors's railway junction, city located at 13 miles in the south of Lyon, Rhône's valley.
Four B-24 Liberator from the 464th BG will be very seriously damaged, 3 will not return at their temporary base of Gioia-del-Colle, in the Italian's Pouilles. The groups of American bombers had been hardly attacked on their return flight, by the Flak and the Luftwaffe, with Messerchmitt 109 and Focke Wulf 190 based in Istres, Salon-de-Provence and Channoines.
The 1rst B-24 shot down this day serial 41-29382, whose principal tanks had been hit, crashed in the Estérel's mountain less than 1.5miles south of a Messeschmitt 109 shot down few seconds before!
Paradoxaly, this plane was nicknamed by his crew : "Lucky Lady"....
Only 4 forms had been seen ejecting from the plane which was not any more that one terrible flying ball of fire, according to several witnesses, and inhabitants of the Grenouillet's farm, in Agay.
On the four men who blow out from the plane, only the pilot second Lieutenant William O Trotter, lands living close to the viaduct of Anthéor. He was immediately made prisoner, but, too seriously burned, he was directed to Draguignan by the occupying forces. And then, this man was moved in a Dijonaise's area hospital, where he die of septicaemia, August 25, 1944...
On the three other men, one will be found only during 1945 spring by loggers, at the state of skeleton, always rolled up in its parachute which had not opened!
Pilot : second lieutenant William O. Trotter
Mission
Date May 25, 1944, MACR 5055
Base Gioia del Colle, Italy
Target Bombardment of Givors's railway junction Zone of crash Esterel's mount, Agay, Var, France
Plane Type B-24H-15-CF
Serial 41-29382 "Lucky Lady"
Squadron 15th AF, 55th BW, 464th BG, 777 Squadron
Crew
Pilot S/Lt William O. Trotter Killed, France
Copilot Capt Robert F. Mc Carty 0-727746 Killed,
Navigator Harry E. Lovelle Killed, France
Bomber S/Lt Leonard L. Meyer
Killed,Radio Robert A. Jenior Killed, France
Gunner-Mechanic T/Sgt Robert T. Grissett Killed,
Gunner S/Sgt Oakley E. Casey Killed
Gunner S/Sgt John E. Beck Killed,
Nose gunner S/Sgt Dale W. Jones Killed,
Gunner Paul J. Hamlin Killed, USA
Thursday may 25, 1944. During the allied air operations who had to destroy communication complex of the german occupant in the French south. 2 groups of B-24 Liberator from the 15th Air Force, 55th Bomber-Wing, the 464th and 465th Bomber-Group, had to drop bombs on Givors's railway junction, city located at 13 miles in the south of Lyon, Rhône's valley.
Four B-24 Liberator from the 464th BG will be very seriously damaged, 3 will not return at their temporary base of Gioia-del-Colle, in the Italian's Pouilles. The groups of American bombers had been hardly attacked on their return flight, by the Flak and the Luftwaffe, with Messerchmitt 109 and Focke Wulf 190 based in Istres, Salon-de-Provence and Channoines.
The 1rst B-24 shot down this day serial 41-29382, whose principal tanks had been hit, crashed in the Estérel's mountain less than 1.5miles south of a Messeschmitt 109 shot down few seconds before!
Paradoxaly, this plane was nicknamed by his crew : "Lucky Lady"....
Only 4 forms had been seen ejecting from the plane which was not any more that one terrible flying ball of fire, according to several witnesses, and inhabitants of the Grenouillet's farm, in Agay.
On the four men who blow out from the plane, only the pilot second Lieutenant William O Trotter, lands living close to the viaduct of Anthéor. He was immediately made prisoner, but, too seriously burned, he was directed to Draguignan by the occupying forces. And then, this man was moved in a Dijonaise's area hospital, where he die of septicaemia, August 25, 1944...
On the three other men, one will be found only during 1945 spring by loggers, at the state of skeleton, always rolled up in its parachute which had not opened!
Agay's B-24 Liberator , Var, France
Pilot : second lieutenant William O. Trotter
Mission
Date May 25, 1944, MACR 5055
Base Gioia del Colle, Italy
Target Bombardment of Givors's railway junction Zone of crash Esterel's mount, Agay, Var, France
Plane Type B-24H-15-CF
Serial 41-29382 "Lucky Lady"
Squadron 15th AF, 55th BW, 464th BG, 777 Squadron
Crew
Pilot S/Lt William O. Trotter Killed, France
Copilot Capt Robert F. Mc Carty 0-727746 Killed,
Navigator Harry E. Lovelle Killed, France
Bomber S/Lt Leonard L. Meyer
Killed,Radio Robert A. Jenior Killed, France
Gunner-Mechanic T/Sgt Robert T. Grissett Killed,
Gunner S/Sgt Oakley E. Casey Killed
Gunner S/Sgt John E. Beck Killed,
Nose gunner S/Sgt Dale W. Jones Killed,
Gunner Paul J. Hamlin Killed, USA
Thursday may 25, 1944. During the allied air operations who had to destroy communication complex of the german occupant in the French south. 2 groups of B-24 Liberator from the 15th Air Force, 55th Bomber-Wing, the 464th and 465th Bomber-Group, had to drop bombs on Givors's railway junction, city located at 13 miles in the south of Lyon, Rhône's valley.
Four B-24 Liberator from the 464th BG will be very seriously damaged, 3 will not return at their temporary base of Gioia-del-Colle, in the Italian's Pouilles. The groups of American bombers had been hardly attacked on their return flight, by the Flak and the Luftwaffe, with Messerchmitt 109 and Focke Wulf 190 based in Istres, Salon-de-Provence and Channoines.
The 1rst B-24 shot down this day serial 41-29382, whose principal tanks had been hit, crashed in the Estérel's mountain less than 1.5miles south of a Messeschmitt 109 shot down few seconds before!
Paradoxaly, this plane was nicknamed by his crew : "Lucky Lady"....
Only 4 forms had been seen ejecting from the plane which was not any more that one terrible flying ball of fire, according to several witnesses, and inhabitants of the Grenouillet's farm, in Agay.
On the four men who blow out from the plane, only the pilot second Lieutenant William O Trotter, lands living close to the viaduct of Anthéor. He was immediately made prisoner, but, too seriously burned, he was directed to Draguignan by the occupying forces. And then, this man was moved in a Dijonaise's area hospital, where he die of septicaemia, August 25, 1944...
On the three other men, one will be found only during 1945 spring by loggers, at the state of skeleton, always rolled up in its parachute which had not opened!
Pilot : second lieutenant William O. Trotter
Mission
Date May 25, 1944, MACR 5055
Base Gioia del Colle, Italy
Target Bombardment of Givors's railway junction Zone of crash Esterel's mount, Agay, Var, France
Plane Type B-24H-15-CF
Serial 41-29382 "Lucky Lady"
Squadron 15th AF, 55th BW, 464th BG, 777 Squadron
Crew
Pilot S/Lt William O. Trotter Killed, France
Copilot Capt Robert F. Mc Carty 0-727746 Killed,
Navigator Harry E. Lovelle Killed, France
Bomber S/Lt Leonard L. Meyer
Killed,Radio Robert A. Jenior Killed, France
Gunner-Mechanic T/Sgt Robert T. Grissett Killed,
Gunner S/Sgt Oakley E. Casey Killed
Gunner S/Sgt John E. Beck Killed,
Nose gunner S/Sgt Dale W. Jones Killed,
Gunner Paul J. Hamlin Killed, USA
Thursday may 25, 1944. During the allied air operations who had to destroy communication complex of the german occupant in the French south. 2 groups of B-24 Liberator from the 15th Air Force, 55th Bomber-Wing, the 464th and 465th Bomber-Group, had to drop bombs on Givors's railway junction, city located at 13 miles in the south of Lyon, Rhône's valley.
Four B-24 Liberator from the 464th BG will be very seriously damaged, 3 will not return at their temporary base of Gioia-del-Colle, in the Italian's Pouilles. The groups of American bombers had been hardly attacked on their return flight, by the Flak and the Luftwaffe, with Messerchmitt 109 and Focke Wulf 190 based in Istres, Salon-de-Provence and Channoines.
The 1rst B-24 shot down this day serial 41-29382, whose principal tanks had been hit, crashed in the Estérel's mountain less than 1.5miles south of a Messeschmitt 109 shot down few seconds before!
Paradoxaly, this plane was nicknamed by his crew : "Lucky Lady"....
Only 4 forms had been seen ejecting from the plane which was not any more that one terrible flying ball of fire, according to several witnesses, and inhabitants of the Grenouillet's farm, in Agay.
On the four men who blow out from the plane, only the pilot second Lieutenant William O Trotter, lands living close to the viaduct of Anthéor. He was immediately made prisoner, but, too seriously burned, he was directed to Draguignan by the occupying forces. And then, this man was moved in a Dijonaise's area hospital, where he die of septicaemia, August 25, 1944...
On the three other men, one will be found only during 1945 spring by loggers, at the state of skeleton, always rolled up in its parachute which had not opened!
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Illinois.
Family Members
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