Memorial

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S/Sgt Kenneth L. Johnson had attended San Diego State University.

No. 1 Engine went out 10 minutes after reaching the enemy coast, going in the direction of the target—failure; runaway prop. The pilot turned back when he found he couldn't feather the prop. Engine setting on the remaining 3 engines was 1900 r.p.m., 30". HQ. 2 engine went out halfway across the channel—failure; runaway prop. The pilot couldn´t feather it, and it kept windmilling till ditching took place. No. 3 Engine went out 5 minutes later. Failure; runaway prop. This prop also windmilled until the plane ditched. No. 3 engine threw oil over most of the entire surface of the wing.

Statement from S/Sgt Charles F. Horak
"I was flying on Lt Ralston's crew as a Ball Turret Operator when we had to ditch our flying fortress, 42-31148, in the North Sea. Three of our engines had runaway props, as I understood, and neither of them could be feathered. We aborted from the group as we approached the German Coast. The pilot and co-pilot made a wonderful landing in the rough, cold sea. As far as I know, nobody was injured in any way, but to our surprise, when the dinghies were released on the extremely rough sea, they were not tied to the plane as they should have been. I reached the right one by swimming. The bombardier had the left one, but it was torn. The co-pilot managed an individual. He and I were the only ones to be picked up alive after three hours of tossing in the North Sea, approximately forty miles offshore, as the Air Sea Rescue told us. The last I saw of the rest of the crew was the Radio Operator and Right Waist Gunner, who were washed off the plane into the sea, hanging on to the dinghy radio. The engineer was on the plane hanging out individual dinghies. That is where my co-pilot got his. It was awfully rough and cold, and snow was falling. Two P-47s were circling the area where the co-pilot and I were. When we were picked up, we were probably over half a mile or so apart. We couldn´t see each other because of the high waves. Neither the co-pilot nor I could stand when picked up."

Per Lt Thomas B. McKiernan (CP): "No one was hurt, and the pilot came out of my window as he could not get his open. I was one of the first ones outside of the ship and released the main dinghy on pilot's side. One of the enlisted men pulled main dinghy on right side, but it was not fastened to the plane, and a wave whisked it right away. One of the ball turret gunners was able to get into it. All this time, huge waves were breaking over the ship, which was still intact, and washed away the radio man, S/Sgt John F Beck, and the waist gunner, S/Sgt Kenneth L. Johnson with the dinghy radio. Estimated height of waves was forty to fifty feet, also snowing and very cold."

2nd Lt. Thomas B. McKiernan and S/Sgt Charles F. Horak were rescued by the Air Sea Rescue Service. 2nd Lt Peter Vitolano was found dead; the other 7 remaining crewmembers have never been recovered.