USAAF
5th AF
19th BG
30th BS
September 6, 1942
Pilot Major William R. Humrichouse
Radio Sgt Elvin Thomas "Spec" Hart (Broken Arrow, OK)
Crashed September 6, 1942
Aircraft History
Delivered to the US Army on June 29, 1942, and assigned to the 19th BG, 30th BS.
Mission History
Sustained damage to its hydraulics for the landing gear, forcing it to land wheels up at Mareeba Airfield wheels up. After the crash landing this bomber was written off.
Relatives
Elvin Thomas Hart, Jr. (son of Sgt Elvin Thomas "Spec" Hart)
"My Dad was the Radioman on 41-24428 when it crashed at Mareeba. He said that enemy fire did little real damage to the plane, but knocked out the hydraulics for the landing gear, so they had to bring her in on her belly. I've got an old 2 3/4" x 4 1/2" photo of the crash, taken from what looks like about just forward of the Left wingtip, showing the plane on the ground with what he described as an "ironwood" tree, sticking through a gash in the wing that appears to be 6 to 10' long and 8 to 12" wide."
References
Pride of Seattle page 8
Thanks to Elvin Thomas Hart, Jr. for additional information
B-17
