Memorial

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Although there were four survivors from this aircraft, only two of them, Lt Brennan and radio operator Joseph B. Dosmann, were still alive when this book was first published. Sgt Dosmann told me about his experiences that day. Although this aircraft was leading an element of the formation, they did not have PFF equipment. When their aircraft came out of the clouds, they were separated from the other planes and were soon under attack by enemy aircraft. His first indication of the attack was hearing the top turret firing, so he looked out of the small window in the radio compartment and saw ME-109s attacking from about 4 o'clock, a bit high. One or more 20-mm shells exploded just under the flight deck, hitting either the gasoline in the "putt-putt" or the hydraulic fluid reservoir (possibly both) as flames immediately erupted. Sgt Beggs was killed by this attack. Joseph Dosmann said that his instructions were for him to leave his radio and go to the waist position to man a gun there when and if they were attacked. Upon hearing the top turret firing, he had snapped on his parachute and was on his way toward the bomb bay when the explosions and fire occurred. The crew was one waist gunner short this day. At this time, Robert L. Moore, engineer, seeing the fire and feeling the heat, dropped down out of his top turret in order to determine the extent of damages and attempted to extinguish the fire. Finding the situation hopeless, he opened the top hatch next to the top turret, but decided against that exit, preferring to attempt to open the bomb bay doors. Sgt Dosmann says that the last he saw of Bob Moore was when Bob jumped down onto the catwalk in an attempt to open the doors, and he was waist deep in flames.