Information about this photograph:

  1. Aircraft No: 42-102570
  2. Tail Letter: F
  3. Fuselage ID: N7-F
  4. Group/Squadron: 398th, 603rd
  5. Official Name of Aircraft: Not Named
  6. Date of Photograph: 21 October 1944
  7. Photo Location: Nuthampstead
  8. Crew at time of Photograph: Moore Crew
  9. Final Disposition of A/C: 21 October 1944 crashed at Nuthampstead, Vince Moore's Crew, the co-pilot Phil Brusseau died of his injuries.
  10. Interpretive Comments:
    1. In the photo, the 2015th Fire Fighters at Nuthampstead spray foam on 42-102570 after it crashed on landing at Nuthampstead on a practice fight after a fire broke out in the flight engineer's area.
    2. Details preceding the crash, how it happened and who was hurt are document on pages 107-110 of Bill Frankhouser's "WW II Odyssey, available in the 398th PX. Bill was the Navigator on the Vince Moore crew that day. Most of the crew had only minor injuries but the co-pilot, Phil Brusseau died of his injuries. The same photograph above is in Bill Frankhouser's book and his caption states that Phil Brusseau, Bernie White, and I (Bill Frankhouser) were buried in the mud under the cockpit.

See also:

  1. 2015th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighters Platoon - 31 October 1944
  2. T/Sgt. Oliver W. Bradford's Diary for October 21, 1944

The Moore Crew on 21 October 1944 compiled via Bill Frankhouser's book who notes that it was a partial crew due to it being a practice flight:

  1. Vince Moore, Pilot
  2. Phil Brusseau, Co-Pilot
  3. Bernie White, Bombardier
  4. Bill Frankhouser, Navigator
  5. Dick Mills, Flight Engineer
  6. Anderson, Radio (unknown 1st name)

Men in Photo (viewer's left to right):

  1. Unknown man with baseball style cap and front to viewer, but just his head, located just over the left shoulder of the photographer.
  2. Unknown photographer with garrison cap and back to viewer, holding a camera, probably in 398th Photo Group.
  3. T/5 Lenuel M. Thomas with baseball style cap and back to viewer holding hose in horizontal position, camera is behind is left leg.
  4. Bill Ahern with baseball style cap and back to viewer holding end of hose in horizontal position, nothing coming out of hose.
  5. Pvt. Floyd R. Bowers with hose spraying foam
  6. Shempert in mid-stride with foam on cap

Source Information:

  1. Photo Source: Jack's Books via Lee Anne Bradley and Bill Frankhouser
  2. Photo Reference: 42-102570-N7-F_19441021
  3. Photographer: Unknown but probably 398th Base Photographer.
  4. Information compiled by the 398th Web team with special thanks to Bill Ahern, Lee Anne Bradley, and Bill Frankhouser
  5. If you would like to add information about this photograph, please contact our Aircraft Photo Coordinator. Please include the title.