Donald G Mc Candless

Donald Mc Candless attended Lincoln High School helped his father in masonry and other work | | He was only 16 when he joined the Air Corps in October 1941. He was sent overseas in September 1943. | | Just prior to bombs away, this aircraft was believed to have been hit by flak. Number 4 prop began to run away, oil pressure dropped: consequently, the pilot feathered this engine. He dropped his bombs and held formation until approximately one hour from the enemy coast. Here #2 oil pressure dropped and #2 had to be feathered. Lt Bonnet left the formation and was picked up by 4 P-38s who escorted him. At the coast out #3 engine cut out, so he called the P-38s on channel 'B' of VHF, and he called Colgate on distress procedure. He jettisoned as much equipment as possible, hoping to reach the English Coast, but this appeared impossible, and he ordered the crew to ditching stations. He ditched at 5030N-0030E. On hitting the water the nose and top turret caved in, and the aircraft broke apart at #6 bulkhead with the rear of the aircraft sinking almost immediately. The engineer was either killed or pinned in by the caving in of the top turret and the nose turret gunner S/Sgt Donald G. McCandless, the right waist gunner S/Sgt Richard J. Butler, the left waist gunner S/Sgt George Belsky, and the tail gunner S/Sgt Charles E. Banning drowned when the rear portion of the airplane sank. | | Three brothers also served.