306th BG Thurleigh Dec 15 1944

2LT John Peter Mockus, 2LT Charles Crooks, S/Sgt Wayne F Laubert

368th Sq 306th BG-H, B-17G

Killed in Action 15 Dec, 1944

Greenham Common, Newbury, Berkshire, UK

Kassel was a tough mission on 15 December, the target was completely obscured and the bombs were dropped by radar. The weather was bad on return to England and at about 2100 feet the 368th B-17G of 2nd Lt Charles A. Crooks collided with the 423rd B-17G of 2nd Lt Lorn A Wilke.

Both planes crashed at Greenham Common, killing all but two of the men. Wilke remembers hearing a loud noise, followed by an explosion. His plane blew apart at the cockpit and he and his copilot, 1st Lt John A. Murphy, escaped. Because of the bad weather, the collision was unobserved by other flyers in the formation. 2nd Lt Mockus and all aboard his plane were killed.

This site examines this collision near RAF Greenham Common near Newbury, Berkshire, England, December 15, 1944.

It is dedicated to the memory of these airmen who lost their lives in this accident whilst serving their country and helping to preserve freedom.

Pictured---B-17G's of the

306th Bomb Group based at RAF Thurleigh,

Bedfordshire