William A. McCarthy                                                                               Updated:  26 MAY 2009

Airman: r998112.htm Surname: McCarthy Init: W A Rank: 1stLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 601

P_link: p434.htm Plane: B17 102565 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Returned

Crash_d: d300844 Buried_d: r998 C_link: r998.htm At_Next: RETURNED

Kun 1 flyver fra B17 102565 mistede livet den dag, da resten af besætningen forblev i flyet og returnerede til England! En helt speciel historie:

"Under et bombetogt til Kiel (her) den 30. august 1944 blev B17 102565 kl. 16.20 ramt af flak i nærheden af målet. Navigatøren 2nd Lt D.H. Argubright
misforstod pilotens ordre og sprang ud med faldskærm. Han landede i farvandet syd for Langeland og druknede. Hans lig blev fundet ilanddrevet ved
Hellenor, Magleby sogn (omkring her) den 26. september 1944, og den efterfølgende dag fandt begravelsen sted på Magleby kirkegård uden gejstlig
medvirken.

Resten af besætningen returnerede til England og overlevede krigen." (FT 85-80-47)  Pilot, 1st Lt William A. McCarthy var heldig.
Flere links i engelsk version. 11 flyvere.

Only 1 airman from B17 102565 lost his life that day, as the rest of the crew stayed in the plane and returned to England! A very special story:

"Often it was a matter of chance when a plane was hit, and the airmen quickly were to decide whether to bail out or stay in the plane. A wrong decision
or a misunderstanding could be fatal.
Boeing B-17G, 42  102565,  was on a bombing raid to Kiel (here) on 30 August 1944 at 16:20 hit by flak near the target. Navigator 2nd Lt D.H. Argubright
misunderstood the pilot´s order and bailed out with his parachute. He landed in the waters south of Langeland and drowned. His body was found drifted
ashore at Hellenor, the parish of Magleby (about here) on 26 September 1944, and the burial took place the next day in Magleby Churchyard without
ecclesiastical assistance.

The rest of the crew returned to England and survived the war." (FT 85-80-47) Pilot, 1st Lt William A. McCarthy was lucky.

The MACR (Missing Aircrew Report) says:
"Aircraft was hit by flak, Navigator apparently thinking "bail out" signal was given, parachuted out. The remainder of crew stayed with Aircraft and returned to Base."

This B-17 belonged to 601 BS, 398 BG, 1 CBW and 1 BD. See 398th Web Pages. It left from RAF Nuthampstead - USAAF Station 131. 11 airmen.