Statement of Navigator, A/C 42-95224


Navigators Report on accident that took place on 22 August 1944 in which a P-47 knocked the nose turret from B-24H 42-95224

I was taking a GEE fix at the time and had just looked at my watch when I heard a crash and was shook up slightly. I looked around to see the nose turret completely gone. Lt. B. W. Owen was in the nose with me at the time, we both put on our chutes and waited on interphone. We were at 14,000 feet at the time. Lt. Owen watched the altimeter and I watched to see if anyone was going out the bomb bay doors, which were open when I first looked. A few minutes later we crawled back to the flight deck to find that everything was under control.

Cpl. Dadig was in the nose turret at the time of the accident. He had no chute with him and no one saw him fall.

We landed at 1720 hours, no one else on the crew was injured. The men in the waist reported that it was a P-47 that hit us. They had reported just before the crash that a P-47 was at 6 o'clock. I at no time was a p-47, but it was reported to have come up from under us. Accident too place very near Splasher #6.