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“Under et bombetogt med Kiel som mål blev en B-24 Liberator ramt af flak
i en motor. Over Nordsøen (53,40N-04,05E) sprang 9 besætningsmedlemmer ud med
faldskærm. De omkom alle.
Den 10. mand ombord, Command Pilot, Major Garrett, kunne ikke forlade
flyet, der var gået i spin. Senere fik han atter kontrol over flyet og fortsatte
mod vest til
benzinen slap op. Major Garrett sprang ud med faldskærm over
England, hvor flyet styrtede ned i et hus i Suffolk.” (FAF)
1st Lt (Bombardier) Gordon T. Matson har ingen kendt grav.
Hans navn findes på Tablets of the Missing,
Cambridge American
Cemetery, England.
Han kom i tjenesten fra New York. Hæderstegn:
Air Medal with 2 Oak
Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart.
(Kilde: ABMC)
10 flyvere.
”On a bombing raid targeting Kiel a
B-24 Liberator was hit by flak in an engine.
Over the North Sea (53,40N-04,05E) 9 members of the crew bailed out.
All of them perished.
The 10th man on board, Command Pilot, Major Garrett, was unable to
leave the plane, which had started spinning. Later he regained control over the
plane and
went on towards west till he ran out of fuel. Major Garrett bailed out
over England, where the plane crashed into a house in Suffolk.” (FAF)
1st Lt (Bombardier) Gordon T. Matson has no known grave.
His name is inscribed on Tablets of the Missing
at
Cambridge American
Cemetery, England.
He entered the Service from New York.
Awards:
Air Medal with 2 Oak
Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart.
(Source: ABMC)
From
34th Bomb
Group Mission Diary for AUGUST 1944: Missions #48-#63
Compiled by Gary
L. Ferrell
B-24J 44-40443 D/D With the 4BS. Pilot: Mackey. Unnumbered Missing Air
Crew Report. 9 Killed in Action, 1 Returned to Duty. This plane was hit by flak
in #1 engine causing considerable loss of fuel. Engineer reported only three
minutes fuel remaining so the crew was ordered to bail out. Nine men did bail
out but Major Garrett was unable to leave when the plane went into a spin. He
was able to right the plane and decided to fly until the fuel ran out. The plane
did reach England and Major Garrett bailed out and the plane crashed into a
house at Holt, Suffolk. Fortunately there were no injuries to anyone on the
ground. Salvaged with battle damage
This
B 24 Liberator
belonged to 34th Bombardment
Group . 4th
BS, 34th BG, 93rd CBW, 3rd BD, 8 AF, USAAF.
It took off from
Mendlesham
Airfield, Station 156.
10 airmen.
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