Memorial to the crew of B 24, Liberator, 42-52445, 22 April 1944

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 25 Apr 2015

B24 Liberator, 42-52445, of 467 Bomb Group, 791st Bomb Squadron out of Rackheath, was shot down by an intruder 22/04/1944. (Night of the Intruders) https://media.geograph.org.uk/files/fe9fc289c3ff0af142b6d3bead98a923/Night_of_the_Intruders.pdf Returning from bombing the railway marshalling yards at Hamm (Germany) the craft was shot at from the rear by ME-410 intruder aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 51, which had entered the landing pattern of returning aircraft. The crew (killed): Pilot; 1Lt., Stalie C. REID, Co-pilot; 2Lt., Warren W. MASON, Navigator; 2Lt., James G. FERGUSON, Flight Engineer; T/Sgt., Sylvio L. DERY, Radio Op. / Mech. / Gunner; T/Sgt., Walter W. KOVALENKO Bombardier; 2Lt., Louis A. ALIER, Gunner; Sgt., Edward W. HOKE, These three gunners bailed out safely, two of whom were later killed in action. Left Waist Gunner; S/Sgt., John H BIGGS bailed out to be KIA 06/08/1944 Right Waist Gunner; Sgt., George HAMILTON bailed out to be KIA 08/05/1944 Gunner; Sgt., Mervyn SHANK, bailed out and survived the war. The Night of the Intruders, on 22nd April 1944 when American bombers suffered their highest ever loss to German intruders. The German bomber fighters followed the air armada home after the raid, picking individual bombers off on their return over Europe and then over England as the American force struggled to land. Over a period of only twenty minutes, ten aircraft, nine of them B-24 Liberators, were shot down and 61 men killed for the loss of only two Me 410s.

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