Memorial

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Sgt Russell Wapensky attended Lansford High School. He took leading roles in musical presentations of the Panther Valley Choral society and participated in many other entertainment activities in his hometown. He also attended West Chester Teachers College and the Ukrainian School of Music in Winnipeg, becoming a music teacher.

He volunteered for the Army of the United States in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on 28 February 1942.

At an altitude of 14,000 feet and just after finishing his bomb run, the aircraft was hit by flak at 1350 hours, causing the #4 engine to smoke and catch fire. The aircraft quickly fell back, becoming a straggler. Between 1405 and 1410 hours it was attacked at least four times by German ME-109s causing it to ignite in the waist section.

The situation aboard the aircraft was very grave at this time. The ball turret gunner was lying dead in the waist of the ship, having been struck by the rounds from the ME-109s. Several other crew members were wounded and burned in the fire, with Sgt Wapensky's parachute and reserve parachute having been destroyed. He was forced to jump on the back of the Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt James Lewis, and fell to his death when he lost his grip in the jolt of the opening parachute. 2nd Lt Lewis survived and was captured.

The situation was the worst in the waist of the airplane. There the fire was the strongest and the fighter attack was the heaviest.

The right waist gunner, Sgt Hoffman, managed to jump despite being badly wounded by 20 mm shells. His parachute had opened inside the aircraft, and he had to jump holding the ballooned parachute in his hands. He was captured on the ground.

The left waist gunner was badly wounded in the legs and burned. He managed to jump, on the personal order of 2nd Lt Rawson, but died before reaching the ground.

For the rest of the crew, the situation was equally dangerous. The navigator, 2nd Lt Johnston, jumped safely from the aircraft through the nose well, but died when his parachute did not open. 2nd Lt Rawson jumped from the bomb bay and survived.

S/Sgt McCoy also managed to jump from the bomb bay, but his parachute failed to open. He was found by a German wood-cutter in a forest near Oberrosphe, Germany.

In all, five crew members were killed and five were taken prisoner.