No_Report

Summary

Aircraft Serial Number (Type): 43-9751 (Douglas A-20G-30-DO Havoc)

9th AF; 416th Bomb Gp; 669th Bomb Sq

Mission # 6; Box: II; Flight: 2; Position: 6; A/C Fuselage Code: 2A-H

Reason: Enemy anti-aircraft

Damage: Crash Landing, Battle damage

Point Of Departure: AAF-170 Wethersfield RAF Station, England

Location: English Coast

*Personnel*
Duty	Name	Rank	S/N	Status
Pilot	Pair, Horace F.	Lt	O-747882	WIA
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Marion, Herbert A.	S/Sgt		WIA
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Adams, Victor P.	Sgt	35048327	WIA

Description:
One of our Pilots would not be with us on the first April mission, however. He was 2nd Lt. Horace F. Pair. Lt. Pair had broken an ankle when he crashed and his plane, returning from a mission in March. On the 4th he was transferred to the 48th General Hospital. ... Among the awards was the DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. It was awarded to Lt Horace F. Pair, who, returning from a flak filled mission over France brought his plane back to England where he crash-landed. His skill and courage saved the lives of himself and his men. One of the guners, S/Sgt Victor P. Adams, forsaking all thoughts of his personal safety, fought to pull Lt Pair, who leg had been broken, from the plane that was already on fire and was threatening to explode. S/Sgt Adams was awarded the Soldiers' Medal for his "heroism in the face of great danger and the devotion shown for his pilot in the peril of death."
(416th BG History 1944)

This time the flak became more accurate, hitting an engine on Lt. Pair's ship. He pulled out of formation and headed back to England. He feathered the prop and crashlanded on the coast. In the meantime his two gunners, S/Sgt. Marion and S/Sgt. Adams, were believed to have bailed out and landed safely. [NOTE: Adams did not bail out, but Both gunners, S/Sgt. Victor P. Adams, and S/Sgt. Herbert A. Marion, received only minor injuries.] Lt. Pair, however, in the crash landing, suffered what was thought at first to be serious injuries, but which later proved to be moderate injuries. Lt. Pair received treatment in the Royal Sussex hospital and was expected that he would return shortly.
("671st Unit History by Jim Kerns" (PDF))

See Mission # 6 for additional details