Operation: Chartres Airfield (Mission #508), France

Date: 1st August 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 615th Bombardment Squadron (H), 401st Bombardment Group (H), 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force

Type: B-17G Jeanne

Serial No: 43-37859

Code: IY:D

Location: Poisvilliers north of Chartres, France

Base: Deenethorpe (Station #128), Northamptonshire, England

Pilot: 2nd Lt. Robert Bernard Sproul O-816373 AAF Age 23. KiA

Co Pilot: 2nd Lt. Donald Luttele Bennett O-687733 AAF Age 25. KiA

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Thomas Paul Ellington O-719034 AAF Age 19. KiA

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. James Nicholas Moon O-771956 AAF Age 21. KiA

Engineer: S/Sgt. Frederick Joseph LaPoint 32604193 AAF Age 24. KiA

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Donald Oliver Kotila 32893441 AAF Age 24. KiA

Ball Turret Gunner: Sgt. Kenneth Warren Mark 32928756 AAF Age 23. KiA

Waist Gunner: Sgt. Frederick James Hinderschied 35549111 AAF Age 22. KiA

Tail Gunner: Cpl. Frank Millard Cornwell 34028867 AAF Age 26. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 1st August 1944 the 401st BG took off from Deenethorpe to join a force of 385 B-17s to attack a rail bridge and five airfields near Paris. B-17G Jeanne was assigned to attack Chartres Airfield.

B-17G 42-39873 Stormy Weather was hit by flak over the target. It pulled out of formation to the left and collided with B-17G 43-37859 Jeanne.

The tail section of Stormy Weather came off, the forward section of the aircraft went into a spin and then exploded.

1st Lt. Charles W. Bryant O-750238 a Navigator in the formation glanced out of his bomber to see if all aircraft had dropped their bombs. He witnessed the tail assembly of aircraft 42-39873 Stormy Weather twist sideways and come off. He saw 43-37859 Jeanne go down in a spin and the other aircraft sort of floated down. He definitely saw the tail gunner crawl out of tail section of Stormy Weather and open his chute.

The wreckage of B-17G 43-37859 Jeanne fell to earth at 14:57 hrs near Poisvilliers 10 km (6 mls) north of Chartres. There were no survivors from the Jeanne.

The Initial burial locations for the nine crew were not listed.

Burial details:

Above: Grave marker for 2nd Lt. Robert Bernard Sproul (Courtesy of Andy Swinnen – FindAGrave)

2nd Lt. Robert Bernard Sproul. Purple Heart. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Grave 137. Relocated to the Normandy American Cemetery Plot B, Row 17, Grave 5. Born on the 9th September 1920 in Boston, Massachusetts. Son of James Andrew and Margaret L. (née White) Sproul from Medfield, Massachusetts, USA.

Above: Grave marker for 2nd Lt. Donald Luttele Bennett (Courtesy of Andy Swinnen – FindAGrave)

2nd Lt. Donald Luttele Bennett. Purple Heart. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Grave 136. Relocated to the Normandy American Cemetery Plot B, Row 12, Grave 33. Born on the 16th August 1918 in Minot, North Dakota. Son of Arthur and Videlle Gae Bennett of Minot, North Dakota, USA.

Above: Grave marker for 2nd Lt. Thomas Paul Ellington (Courtesy of Andy Swinnen – FindAGrave)

2nd Lt. Thomas Paul Ellington. Purple Heart. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plots K, Row 7, Graves 135. Relocated to the Normandy American Cemetery Plot A, Row 20, Grave 5. Born on the 28th October 1924 in Jacksonville, Florida. Son of Thomas Hill and Marcia (née Bucholtz) Ellington of Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

2nd Lt. James Nicholas Moon. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Grave 134. Repatriated and laid to rest at the Arlington Park Cemetery, Block 6, Lot 57, Grave 3a in Greenfield, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born on the 27th June 1923 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Son of Arthur Richardson and Flora Mae (deceased November 1942) (née Howe) Moon of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Above: Grave marker for S/Sgt. Frederick Joseph LaPoint (Courtesy of Andy Swinnen – FindAGrave)

S/Sgt. Frederick Joseph LaPoint. Purple Heart. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Grave 131. Relocated to the Normandy American Cemetery Plot A, Row 19, Grave 32. Born on the 10th November 1919 in Newark, New Jersey. Son of Bert Joseph and Virginia (deceased 1930) (née Polomsky) LaPoint. Husband to Mary (née Sagal) LaPoint of Newark, New Jersey, USA.

S/Sgt. Donald Oliver Kotila. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Grave 133. Repatriated to Long Island National Cemetery, Farmington, New York. Born on the 30th December 1919 in Astoria, Oregon. Son of Victor and Hilda Lydia (née Palenius) Kotila of New York, New York, USA.

Above: Grave marker for Sgt. Kenneth Warren Mark (Courtesy of Andy Swinnen – FindAGrave)

Sgt. Kenneth Warren Mark. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Graves 130. Repatriated and laid to rest at the Washington Monumental Cemetery, South River, New Jersey. Born on the 4th November 1924 at South River, New Jersey. Son of Lydia E. Mark of South River, New Jersey, USA.

Sgt. Frederick James Hinderschied. Purple Heart. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Grave 138. Relocated to the Normandy American Cemetery Plot A, Row 19, Grave 23. Born on the 19th October 1923 in Kent, Ohio. Son of Frank Herman and Helena M. (née Kerrigan) Hinderschied of Kent, Ohio, USA.

Cpl. Frank Millard Cornwell. Recovered and reinterred during October 1945 in the US Military Cemetery, St André at Evreux, Plot K, Row 7, Grave 132. Repatriated and laid to rest at the Olla Cemetery in Olla, Louisiana. Born on the 14th February 1918 in Olla, LaSalle, Louisiana. Son of Millard T. and Effie Jewel (née Snow) Cornwell. Husband to Velda Lee (née Tullos) Cornwell of Olla, LaSalle, Louisiana, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew. Thanks also to Andy Swinnen from Remember Our Heroes for permission to use the crew images and grave markers in this report.

Other sources listed below:

Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them. Franklin Delano Roosevelt