Date:	Sunday 24 October 1943
Time:
Type:	Martin B-26B Marauder
Owner/operator:	556th BSqn /387th BGp USAAF
Registration:	41-31641
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1/2 mile east RAF Gosfield, Essex, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	RAF Gosfield, Essex

Narrative:
On 24 October 1943 IX Bomber Command dispatched 216 B-26s against the French airfields of Montdidier, Beauvais/Nivillers, and Saint-Andre-de-L'Eure (72 against each target). The two first forces were escorted by a large number of Spitfires of 11 Group and the third by 205 P-47s and 48 P-38s. German fighters of JG 2, JG 26 and I./JG 3 opposed the raid and claimed 1 B-26 and 1 Spitfire for the loss of 7 aircraft, 3 pilots killed and 3 wounded. Allied fighters claimed 8 German fighters shot down and 8 damaged for the loss of one Spitfire (pilot killed).

No B-26 was lost during the air battle but one crashed on return. The Martin B-26B-15-MA 41-31641 FW-R "Sheezabeech II" of 556th BS, 387th BS was heavily damaged by flak during the attack on the Beauvais-Nivillers Airdrome. The crew brought the aircraft back to England on a single engine and attempted to land at the RAF airbase at Gosfield but crash-landed an half mile east of it. 2nd Lt. Cleo C. Terrio, the bombardier/navigator, was killed in the crash, and two other crew were wounded.

Crew:
1st. Lt. Houston N. Bartley (pilot)
2nd Lt. Charles W. Dickson (co-pilot) WIA
2nd Lt. Cleo C. Terrio (bombardier/navigator) KIA
S/Sgt. Burns P. Gillespie (engineer/air gunner) WIA
T/Sgt. Lloyd H. Allen (radio/air gunner)
Sgt. Peter Smiljanich (armorer/air gunner)

This aircraft was the squadron's first replacement aircraft, replacing the first Sheezabeech which cracked-up on on landing as the squadron arrived at Chipping Ongar. The aircraft was assigned to 1st. Lt. Houston N. Bartley's crew, which flew it on seven of its eighteen sorties.

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/listPages/airforce/asp/AF_Monthly_1943Oct_O.asp
https://387bg.com/387th%20Bombardment%20Group%20-%20Chronology.htm#1943-10-24
https://387bg.com/Aircraft/B-26%20Sheezabeech.htm
"Fighter Command War Diaries Volume Four: July 1943 to June 1944", by John Foreman. ISBN 1-871187-43-5, page 114
"The JG 26 War Diary, volume 2: 1943-1945", by Donald L Caldwell. ISBN 1-898697-86-8, page 171
RAF Fighter Command Activity in 1943 file, by Tony Wood
Luftwaffe claims file, by Tony Wood
https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/56294881/cleo-c-terrio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Gosfield
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=51.953056&lon=0.580000&z=12&m=w

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Oct-2022 15:47	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative]