19- Lt. William Canfield's ship received a direct burst of flak over Nantes. Crew also included Col. J. G. Simpson (Group Air Exec.), Lts. Hugo Conforti and James Burns, Sgts. Hamilton Hofmeister, Jack Chidester, Wilburn Hampton, and Ralph Hehl. (Chidester and Hampton later returned as evadees. )

20- Capt. Downs and crew ''missing in action" for three days when they make emergency landing on French Coast due to shortage of gas.

25- "Idiot's Delight" completed 100th mission.

29- Lt. Col. John Samuel assumed command of Group.

30- Lt. Maurice Neher and crew ditch in the Channel. Sgt. Robert Davis failed to clear rapidly sinking ship. Others, escaping injury, were Lts. George Townsend and Wesley Myers and Sgts. Wade Ensminger and Norman Sanford.

August

6- Intense, accurate flak experienced over a fuel dump in the Forest d'andaine. Four squadron ships hit, two crash - landed in France with most of crew killed, other two crash-landed at home without loss. S/Sgt. Emory Roberts survived in crash of Lt. George Smith's plane. Those lost included Lts. Smith and John Furr, S /Sgts. Gerald Bekaert, Jesse Moore, and Lawrence Gable. In Lt. James Sweeney's ship, he, Lt. Douglas Hartranft and T ,/Sgt. George Heiser were killed, while Sgts. Guy Perciballi, Fred Lux, and Melvin Pillow escaped with injuries. Capt. Downs again bailed his crew out and crash-landed-no one hurt. Lt. Al Prestridge landed with hydraulic system shot out. His planes, "Piecemaker,' was damaged beyond repair when it jumped two ditches and a road to come to a halt in a brussels sprout patch. ''Piecemaker" ended career with 99 missions.

12- Capt. Myron Sterngold and crew crash-landed in Normandy. No one injured.

September

6- Lt. Carl Larson and Sgts. Julio Sanchez and Ed Jackson mentioned previously as missing in action returned to squadron temporarily after being liberated by Allied ground troops. Sgts. Jack Chidester and Wilburn Hampton also return.

10- Major George Simler phoned from London. He, Harold Mecke, Charles Blight, and Ed Moser returned after spending two months as evadees, with the aid of the French. Lt., Bob Schoonmaker, from Lt. Gallien's crew, also returned as an evadee.

29- Squadron moves to new base at Beauvais /Tille airdrome, in France. Trip made via air, ground, and water.

October

3- Lt. B. E. Adams made crash-landing in Belgium at A-71. Sgts. Harry Glades and Allen Poyfair injured, Glades seriously.

13- Lt. B. E. Adams' plane received direct hit and all aboard presumed lost. Other crew members were Lt. Wilfred Hollenbeck and Sgts. Lamar Bradford, Herbert Robertson, Samuel Hade, and Eugene Holden. Lt. Adams was the only survivor, becoming a prisoner of war.

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