MACR 4634

416th Bombardment Group (L)

Missing Air Crew Report 4634

May 12, 1944, Friday

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Report Summary

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(MACR images downloaded from Fold3.)

Aircraft Serial Number (Type): 43-10129 (Douglas A-20J-10-DO Havoc)

9th AF; 416th Bomb Gp; 671st Bomb Sq

Mission # 46; Box: I; Flight: 1; Position: 2; A/C Fuselage Code: 5C-I

Reason: Enemy anti-aircraft

Damage: Exploded and Crashed

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

Location: Beauvoir, France

*Personnel*
Duty	Name	Rank	S/N	Status
Pilot	Stockwell, Robert Edmond	1Lt	O-671710	MIA, KIA
Bombardier/Navigator	Jedinak, Albert NMI	2Lt	O-749848	MIA, POW, RMC, EUS
Airplane Armorer - Gunner	Foster, Hollis Alfred	S/Sgt	37019048	MIA, DED
Airplane Mechanic - Gunner	Rust, Egon Willie	S/Sgt	38365727	MIA, POW, RMC, EUS

Notes:
A/C Seen to Crash. Lost as a result of Enemy Anti-Aircraft. While on bomb run just after the release of bombs, aircraft received direct hit from flak under bomb bay. Flames exploded aircraft [unreadable].

Description:
One plane received a direct hit from flak while in the target area. It burst into flames and crashed a mile west of the target. Two chutes were seen to come out of the plane. Its crew was 1st Lt Robert E. Stockwell, pilot, 2d Lt Albert Jedinak, bombardier-navigator, S/Sgt Hollis A. Foster and S/Sgt Egon W. Rust, gunners. Lt Stockwell had been with the Group almost from the beginning of its existence.
(416th BG History 1944)

See Mission # 46 for additional details

Click on any image to view it larger.

Three photographs in sequence taken by a 9th AF Combat Photographer showing 671st BS A-20J-10-DO, 43-10129, 5C-I falling out of formation
after receiving a direct flak hit in the open bomb bay immediately after releasing their bombs, as well as another flak burst in the tail section.
The crew was Pilot 1Lt Robert E. Stockwell (KIA); B/N 2Lt Albert Jedinak (POW); Gunners S/Sgt Hollis Alfred Foster (KIA) and S/Sgt Egon Willie Rust (POW).

The aircraft orientation in the Left photo (ID "0002" in upper-left corner) and Center photo (No ID) appears similar, but the ground terrain pattern differs between them.
Right photo(ID "0005") shows 43-10129 very small near bottom center of photo; A/C in upper left is 671st BS, A-20G-35-DO, 43-10165, 5C-H

(Courtesy of Captain Francis J. Cachat 416th Photo Collection - Plane Crashes)

These two photographs are believed to have been enlarged, cropped and rotated from the first photo (ID "0002") in the above sequence of three.
Both photos show the same flame and ground terrain patterns, but the rotation angles differ slightly.

Left photo was widely distributed and is found on many websites and publications.
Right photo is believed to have been printed by 416th BG Aerial Photo Officer Captain Francis J. Cachat
for potential use in his "9th Bomb. Division Strikes" Yearbook

(Left: National Museum of USAF; Right: Captain Francis J. Cachat "9th Bomb. Division Strikes" Yearbook)

Newspaper article, The Marshall News Messenger, Marshall, Texas, 18 May 1944, Thursday, Page 1
This photograph and similar captions appeared in numerous newspapers.

(NewsPapers.com)

"Low level attacks took the Nazis by surprise. Though losses were extremely light a few planes like this flak-fired Douglas A-20 were downed by the enemy. - Germany"

(Fold3.com WWII US Air Force Photos, NARA ID: 342-FH-3A20393-53324AC)