418th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined 100th Group on 13/11/44.

From p.94 of CONTRAILS: "A near tragedy was averted on the last day of the month (Jan.1945),as a bomb laden aircraft raced low across the perimeter in the fog, vainly seeking the runway. One wing dipped and carried off an engineering tent. The plane crashed and licks of flame began to consume it. Crew members leaped from the plane. "Those RDX bombs are liable to go off quick!" someone shouted. The pilot, Lt. W. Appleton, was jammed in and unable to free himself. The copilot, D. McKeen, and the engineer, E. Ryan, were vainly trying to extricate him. The large navigator, L. Duncan put his weight to the task and Appleton was quickly removed. Speed was the moving factor and the area was quickly cleared just as the plane exploded. No lives were lost."                           

Letter from Duncan April 16, 1987: He was not a POW. After crash of Appleton crew, he went to crew of C. E. Hellerich and Dan McKeen to crew of J. V. DePlanque. Duncan says, " . . .Two gunners went into pool and finished. The others members were hospitalized and sent home eventually." Of the crash at Thorpe Abbotts, Duncan has this to say. "We aborted the Hamburg mission and when we got back it was 10/10 over England. Appleton volunteered to see if we could get down. We crashed alongside the runway he was absolved at inquiry because the ATS was 50' off to the right and we stalled when we saw we were off and tried to pick it up. (we still had a full rack of bombs (RDX)). We burned shortly after the crash and blew causing massive damage to the aircraft. There were three Soldiers Medals awarded.