Date:	Tuesday 4 January 1944
Time:	21:00
Type:	Douglas Boston III
Owner/operator:	114 SQDN RAF
Registration:	AL678
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Aircraft missing
Location:	Cima delle Murelle, Maiella, Pennapiedimonte, Chieti, Abruzzo -   Italy
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Foggia
Destination airport:	Foggia
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
1) Aircraft did not return from mission. All on board killed
2)The plane had taken off from Foggia airport to bomb the "Torre de' Passeri" area. There are no German records of the fall, and the British only report missing - not returned. There are no elements to establish where the plane fell, but from a previous research carried out the same aircraft most likely fell on the Maiella (East Ridge of the Cima delle Murelle in the municipality of Pennapiedimonte in the province of Chieti). The CWGC does not provide the coordinates of the discovery of the bodies but only the cemetery code. All four members of the crew were buried in a single cemetery, then corpses found, buried in a civil cemetery and then transferred to the Moro River.

https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=AL678

Crew:
Sergeant Robert Edward BLAIR (1796287) Air Gunner Boston III AL678 RAF 1944-01-04 114 Sqdn AIR27 Italy Moro River Canadian War CemeteRef : XII. A. 1.
Flight Sergeant Phillip Joseph HERMOLLE (1354399) Pilot Boston III AL678 RAF 1944-01-04 114 Sqdn AIR27 Italy Moro River Canadian War CemeteRef : XII. B. 8.
Flight Sergeant Harold Lewis JAMES (1384062) Navigator ( Boston III AL678 RAF 1944-01-04 114 Sqdn AIR27 Italy Moro River Canadian War CemeteRef : XII. B. 9.
Sergeant James RICHARDSON (1108445) Wireless Op Boston III AL678 RAF 1944-01-04 114 Sqdn AIR27 Italy Moro River Canadian War CemeteRef : XII. A. 2.

1)ORBs
2)RAFCommand's Aircraft Losses Database
3)POLESINE LOST AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION (recognized Italian Association). This research group actively collaborates with the US organization DPAA, responsible for searching for soldiers missing in war during recent conflicts.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Mar-2024 16:08	j155	Added
11-Apr-2024 06:12	Leandro	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, Photo]