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Archive Report: US Forces
1941 - 1945

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

We seek additional information and photographs. Please contact us via Helpdesk
8th Air Force
07.07.1944 8th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (L), Mosquito PR.XVI NS537, 1st Lt. John W. Mann

Operation: Weather Reconnaissance, Germany.

Date: 7th July 1944 (Friday)

Unit No: 8th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron (L), 802nd Reconnaissance Group (Special) (Provisional), 8th Air Force

Type: Mosquito PR.XVI

Serial No: NS537

Code: N

Location: English Channel east of Southwold, England

Base: Watton (Station #376), Norfolk, England

Pilot: 1st Lt. John Joseph Mann O-745438 AAF Age 27. MiA

Navigator: 2nd Lt. William Leroy Davis O-865431 AAF Age 22. MiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

In the early morning of 7th July 1944 NS537 took off from Watton on a weather scouting mission for the 1st Bombardment Division.

The intended destination was Lat/Long: 51 23N, 12 24E which is Leipzig in Germany.

The following was the information received by the Flying Control Officers at the RAF 11 Group Air Sea Rescue (ASR) Stations RAF Bradwell Bay and RAF Manston:

At 08:25 hrs the aircraft gave a distress call and said that the Navigator would bale out. The altitude given at this time was 1000 ft.

At 08:30 hrs, the pilot gave a call saying that the navigator was gone and the altitude was 600 ft.

Two ASR boats were immediately dispatched and sighted a form in the sea. This form was motionless and was supported by a Mae West only. Two P-47 Thunderbolts also spotted the man in the sea and radioed back his position. However, before the ASR boats could reach the man he disappeared and was not seen again. The last time the man was seen in the sea was 09:31 hrs and his position was 35 miles, 100 degrees east of Southwold. The search continued until 17:00 hrs, but the only evidence seen was some wreckage 7 or 8 miles east of Southwold, This could not be positively identified as the remains of the aircraft because there was also a lot of wreckage scattered about the sea in this area.

Burial Details:

Above: Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery.

1st Lt. John Joseph Mann. Air Medal, Purple Heart. Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery. Born on the 23rd May 1917 in New York City. Son of Francis Patrick and Mary Magdalene (née Burke) Mann of New York, New York, USA.

Listed as from the 6th Combat Crew Replacement Center Group

Above: Courtesy of The Boston Globe, dated 27th July 1944.

2nd Lt. William Leroy Davis. Purple Heart. Tablets of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery. Born on the 11th July 1921 in Natick, Massachusetts. Son of Leroy and Anna G. Davis of Natick, Massachusetts, USA.

Listed as from Headquarters Squadron of the 802nd Reconnaissance Group

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew.

Other sources listed below:

RS 09.07.2023 - Initial upload

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Acknowledgments: Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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Last Modified: 09 July 2023, 10:58

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