| Built at the Glenn L Martin factory at Baltimore, Maryland as a B-26B-50-MA. Accepted by the Army Air Force on 15/11/43. Next listed at Washington, D.C (ATC) from 11/12/43, and Patterson Field, Ohio (ATC) from 12/12/43. Then went to Godman Field, Fort Knox, Kentucky (from 13/12/43), and assigned to the 391st BG. Flown overseas to the UK via the Southern Ferry Route (Listed as Carribean Wing), departing the USA on 10/1/44. The aircraft record card then lists, SOXO A (Europe - 8th AF) on 10/1/44, and SOXO R (Europe - 8th AF) from 19/2/44. Original group aircraft flown over from the USA by 2nd Lt. Raymond B Smith. Shot down by flak on the 25/3/44 mission to the Hirson marshalling yards. The aircraft flown by Capt. Harry Douglas Gubner Jnr was hit by flak batteries near Laon-Athies airfield, France, which took out the starboard engine. The pilot managed to feather the prop and salvo the bomb load and three to five chutes were observed before the aircraft went into a spin, exploding before it hit the ground about 2 miles north west of Sevigny, 20 miles east of Laon, France. The only crew member killed was the tail gunner, S/Sgt. William F Reagan, possibly when his chute caught on the aircraft, or failed to open properly, the rest of the crew were captured as POW's. The final entry on the aircraft record card lists, SOXO 9AF CON AFMSC (MIA) on 26/3/44. |