850th/859th BS

Maxwell Crew

Shown here at Mountain Home AAF in the summer of 1944, the Maxwell crew arrived at Harrington from the 8th AF Replacement Depot at Stone during the first half of August 1944.   They arrived in time for a few Carpetbagger missions and the gas haul period of late September 1944.   Transferred to the 859th BS later in the year, they left for the MTO in January of 1945 as an eight-man crew augmented by William W. Elliot, TG, leaving Carella, Radcliff, and Tinsley behind. The 8-man crew was KIA over Yugoslavia.

Back Row, L-R:
Kyle B. Jones            -    Gunner            (KIA)
Lionel A. Tetzloff       -    Engineer          (KIA)
Harry A. Tinsley         -    Gunner            (Orphaned)
Dale S. Radcliff         -    Gunner            (Orphaned)
William P. Kavenaugh     -    Radio Operator    (KIA)
Theodore Carrella        -    Gunner            (Orphaned)

Front Row, L-R:
Robert C. Jackson        -    Bombardier        (KIA)
Francis I. Cervantes     -    Navigator         (KIA)
Frank S. Marcus, Jr.     -    Copilot           (KIA)
Robert W. Maxwell        -    Pilot             (KIA)

Not Pictured: William W. Elliot                 (KIA)

The following report of their incident was filed:

B-24 42-7563 departed its base at 1019 hours on 9 February 1945 on a day operational mission.   No W/T or radio telephone contact was ever established with the A/C.

Interrogation of other crews of the group who had returned from the same mission revealed that two crews had seen what they thought to be an explosion in mid-air at approximately 44° 46'N and 14° 56'E. The crews also reported seeing a large fire on the ground a moment later at the same coordinates...    James A. Seccafico, Capt, Air Corps, Operations Officer.

From the Fifteenth Special Group (P)
Unit History for the month of February 1945

Picture courtesy Gary Mailander, nephew of Robert Maxwell.

Incident Aircraft: B24 42-7563

Aircraft Details Credit: Tom Brittan 

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