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:
S E G R E T
J
: AUTH: GO
314TH
TC GP :
:
DATE; 14 June
1944 :
:
INIT: [____________
:
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Narrative
statement of the crew of A/C #42-93002, 62nd
TG Sq,
314th
TG Gp, in connection with events of BIGOT - NEPTUNE
#1.
The crew
consisted of:
Capt
Charles S. Cartwright, O-731943,
Pilot F/0 Alma M. Magleby, T-926,
Co-pilot
2nd
Lt Edward I. Osborne, O-80532?,
Navigator S/Sgt Raymond H. Farris,
15114703,
Crew Chief S/Sgt Frank A. DeLuca,
3245328,
Radio
Operator
We flew
Number
7
position in our first serial on this
mission, leading the third element of the first squadron. We reached
the DZ in formation and have nothing to add to the mission report up
to that time. Approaching the DZ our air speed was between
105
and
110
mph, altitude indicated
700
feet. Our altitude was the same as
that of the leading element in our formation.
On seeing
the stick leave the lead ship we gave the green light, but our stick
did not jump. The jumpmaster, Capt Simmons, instructed the crew
chief to tell the pilot that the plane was too low, and that he
would not jump his men at that height. The intercom was damaged, and
the crew chief could not reach the pilot through it, so passed the
message to the navigator, who relayed it to the pilot. As soon as
the message was received, we went up to 800 feet indicated, made a
right turn, and began a second pass at the DZ. At this time the
jumpmaster had come up to the cockpit to confer with the pilot, who
said to him "Get the hell out, everyone except your stick has
jumped". During this second pass we were hit by explosive flak -
probably 40 mm - two rounds of which went through the plane; one
round narrowly missed Crew Chief Farris, who was at that time in the
door of the companionway, and the other went through the rear of the
fuselage. Paratrooper No 17 in the stick was hit by fragments of
this flak, which detonated two of the hand grenades in his pouch,
seriously injuring him. We went over the DZ again, and again the
troops did not jump, although they received the signal.
We
turned for a third pass, and this time the navigator told the
jumpmaster that there was going to be a forced landing. The stick
went at once, and as it jumped the aircraft was near the DZ, a short
distance south of it, going in a westerly direction at
750
feet altitude and
110-115
mph. The injured paratrooper, No
17,
did not jump.
Immediately
after the jump both engines went out, either at once or so closely
together that it made no difference. The pilot turned the plane
180
degrees to the right in an effort to
reach the ocean; saw that he would be unable to do so, and made a
further
90
degree turn to the right (Putting the
aircraft on a southwesterly heading) hoping to reach the flooded
area to the south of the DZ. The
-1-
SECRET
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