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Pilot Captain Elmer L. Parsel (KIA / BR) Plymouth, OH Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Duke M. Paul (KIA / BR) Buncombe County, NC Passenger Major Norman J. Lewellyn (KIA, BR) Jefferson County, KY Bombardier 2nd Lt. Robert P. Spreng (KIA / BR) Richland County, OH Navigator 2nd Lt. George C. Harkess (KIA / BR) Washington County, PA Crew Sgt Raymond J. Gregor (KIA / BR) Allegheny County, PA Crew Pfc Owen B. Knox (KIA / BR) Lawrence County, OH Crew Pfc James C. Paounoff (KIA / BR) Hampden County, MA Crew Pfc Willie T. Stokes (KIA / BR) Harris County, TX Crashed April 2, 1942 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle. Constructors Number unknown. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-17E Flying Fortress serial number unknown. Ferried overseas via the African route to Java. Wartime History This B-17 operated from Java then was evacuated to Darwin. In Australia, assigned to the 7th Bombardment Group (7th BG), 9th Bombardment Squadron (9th BS). No known nose art or nickname Afterwards, flown to India and became part of the 10th Air Force (10th AF) at Asansol Airfield in India. Mission History On April 2, 1942 in the early evening took off from Asansol Airfield in India piloted by Captain Elmer L. Parsel on a bombing mission against warehouses and docks at Rangoon in Burma. Aboard as a passenger was Major Norman J. Lewellyn who participated in the mission to gain combat experience. During the take off, this B-17 slipped off the runway, possibly because the crew forgot to unlock the controls. Trying to avoid a stump on the right side of the runway, Parsel pull up sharply and the nose and landing gear lifted off the ground but the tail impacted the stump, tearing off one of the tail elevators. The bomber climbed to roughly 100', then rolled over and crashed into a gully near the runway. The entire crew was killed in the crash. Luckily, the bomb load did not detonate. Meanwhile, another B-17 in the flight suffered mechanical trouble, and the entire mission was aborted. Recovery of Remains After the crash, the remains of the crew were recovered and buried. Postwar, their remains were exhumed and transported to the United States for permanent burial. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. Each earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. On September 20, 1951, interred at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in a group burial at plot F graves 271-272. Paul also has a memorial marker in Riverside Cemetery, Asheville, NC at section N lot 60. Relatives Are you a relative of a a crew member? Do you have any additional details on this mission? Contact us. References USAAF Accident Reports - April 4, 1942 incorrectly lists passenger Lewellyn as pilot Diary of Major General Brereton, references to Lewellyn FindAGrave - Captain Elmer L. Parsel (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Duke Marion Paul (photo, news, group burial photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Duke Marion Paul (memorial marker) FindAGrave - MAJ Norman Jett Lewellyn (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Robert Paul Spreng (group burial photo) FindAGrave - George Cresswell "Bud" Harkess (photo, group burial photo) FindAGrave - Raymond J. Gregor (photo, group burial photo) FindAGrave - Owen B Knox (group burial photo) FindAGrave - James Constantine Paounoff (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Willie T. Stokes (group burial photo) Fortress Against The Sun (2001) pages 34, 62-63, 65, 68-69, 81, 96, 103, 135, 396, 404, 406-7, 409, 412, (references to Parsel) Thanks to William Bartsch for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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