Aerei perduti

Missing Air Crew Report: 414th N.F.S.; Place of Departure Borgo, Corsica; Target or intended dest. West End Po Valley; Type of mission Intruder. 25 September 1945 Time 1930; Last know whereabouts of missing aircraft: Aircraft was last seen when taking off. Beau 6-F RAF Serial Number ND294; Pilot Andrews, Franklin M. - R/O Attone, Jacob C.

1. WHEN 2ND LT. ANDREWS AND 2ND LT. ATTONE WERE TWO HOURS OVERDUE FROM THEIR INTRUDER MISSION TO THE PO VALLEY, A MESSAGE WAS SENT TO 62ND FIGHTER WING AND 325 FIGHTER CONTROL SECTOR ASKING FOR ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS CREW. 2. AIRCRAFT SAFETY DEPARTMENT OF THE 63RD FIGHTER WING WAS THEN INFORMED AND A CATALINA WAS REQUESTED TO SEARCH THE WATER CORRIDOR AT FIRST LIGHT THE FOLLOWING MORNING, WHICH LT. ANDREWS WAS TO HAVE TAKEN BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE TARGET AREA. 3. FOUR BEAUFIGHTERS OF THIS SQUADRON MADE AN EXTENSIVE SEARCH FOR TWO AND A HALF HOURS AT FIRST LIGHT THE FOLLOWING MORNING COVERING THE SAME AREA AS THE CATALINA. 4. NONE OF THESE SEARCHES SIGHTED ANYTHING WHICH MIGHT HAVE GIVEN A CLUE TO THE WHEREABOUTS OF LT. ANDREWS AND LT. ATTONE.

LuftgauKommando Rapporto AV 1553/45 25 Sep 44 2205 Beaufighter ND294; Type 156, 63/RO/FGTL. Wing, 414.N.FGGT Qun. Near Loante/Pozzolo

LuftgauKommando Rapporto ME 2204 25 Sep 44 2205 Beaufighter 4 Km SSW. Lonate

Secondo le informazioni contenute nel MACR, stilate il 26 settembre 44 dal Quartier Generale dell'aeroporto di Lonate Pozzolo (File A.V. 1553/45) il Beaufighter sarebbe precipitato a causa di un'avaria ai motori che ne avrebbe compromesso l'assetto. L'aereo sembrò infatti stallare durante un passaggio a bassa quota, urtare con un'ala il terreno e fracassarsi al suolo. L'incidente avvenne 4 km SSW del paese di Lonate Pozzolo. Nell'urto il velivolo andò completamente distrutto e i due aviatori restarono uccisi sul colpo. Andrews e Attone furono sepolti in data 27 febbraio nel Cimitero Comunale di Lonate.