| Name |
Pos |
Status |
Date |
Notes |
| 1Lt Howard J. Lobo |
P |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
| 2Lt Stanley G. Sasserson |
CP |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
| 2Lt Toivo J. Maki |
N |
KIA |
27 May 1944 |
Buried USA |
| 2Lt William M. Fitzgerald |
B |
KIA |
27 May 1944 |
Buried Cambridge |
| S/Sgt Mike R. Pappas |
RO |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
| S/Sgt Robert C. Bingaman |
E |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
| Sgt Edgar C. Nabe |
BTG |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
| Sgt Max S. Tripp |
WG |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
| Sgt Lewis W. Lunsford |
WG |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
| Sgt Norman J. Picard |
TG |
MIA |
27 May 1944 |
Wall of Missing - Cambridge |
Lt Howard Lobo and crew joined the 458th Bomb Group as one of the early replacement crews to supplement losses sustained in the 755th Squadron during March and April. Unfortunately their time with the group was cut tragically short when, on only their second mission, they collided with another 458th B-24 named Briney Marlin during assembly over the North Sea on May 27, 1944. This aircraft was flown by Lt Lester Martin and the officers of his crew. The enlisted men on Briney Marlin were all seasoned veterans from other crews who were put together for this mission. This was Martin's first mission.
Pilot Raymond Hemrich was flying on the right wing of the lower left element:
"I seen two ships hit but only got a glance as I was busy. It seemed the wing of one ship hit the other on the tail section or that he drug his tail across the wing. I seen the tail section start to bend to one side and [then] come completely off. The ship started a slow spiral dive to the left and passed on our left side. The tail element seemed to fall apart and passed close over the top of our ship. My men watched the damaged ship until it disappeared thru the clouds and reported seeing no one bail out."
The bodies of two men, Toivo Maki and William Fitzgerald were washed ashore, but the eight others were never found. Two men on Briney Marlin were also lost. Immediately after the collision, pilot Martin rang the bail out bell. The engineer, S/Sgt Chester Carlstrum, jettisoned the bomb load and followed the bombs out through the bomb bay. Tail gunner S/Sgt Wilbert Abshire, despite other crewmen in the tail urging him not to jump, bailed out as well. Possibly due to the lightened load after the bombs had been released, Martin discovered he had some measure of control and rescinded his bail out order. He was able to make it back to Horsham St Faith and landed the aircraft without further damage or loss to the crew.
