B-17G #42-31516 was built by Boeing Airplane Company, being delivered at Denver on 16th November 1943. The aircraft was assigned to the 546th Bomb Squadron of the 384th Bombardment Group, being delivered and accepted on 18th February 1944.

The aircraft's first mission was to be on 21st February 1944, however after take off an issue with an oil leak and subsequent inability to unfeather the #3 propellor after an check of the problem, resulted in the aircraft turning back.

The following day the 384th put up a flight of 33 B-17's for Mission #65, to the aircraft factory at Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany. Weather conditions on this day were unfavourable - heavy and dense cloud cover and wintry showers resulted in a total of 21 of the attacking force of aircraft from the 384th aborting the mission whilst still over the UK.

At approximately 09.30 and an altitude of 7,000 feet, a group of 384th aircraft had managed to formate and were overhead the area around Stanwick in Northamptonshire, around 4 miles from Grafton Underwood. Another formation of B-17's was spotted heading directly for the group. The 384th BG Group Leader, Major G.W. Harris, ordered the formation to dive but it was too late - B-17G #42-31516 June Bug, flying in the top location of the formation, struck another B-17 from the other formation. This aircraft was B-17G #38041 Hells Angels II, from the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bombardment Group from RAF Molesworth.

With severe damage, June Bug entered an uncontrollable spin eventually crashing on the outskirts of nearby Irthlingborough. Hells Angels II, having had its tail sheared off, entered a dive and struck the ground near the River Nene and railway line, in the fields outside of Stanwick.

Of the crew of ten, there were just two survivors from the June Bug crew. There was a solitary survivor from the crew of ten from Hells Angels II.

At 09.40 it is reported that Sgt. David I. Miller, the sole survivor of Hells Angels II, telephoned through to Molesworth to inform them of the accident. Guards and ambulances were initially sent from nearby Chelveston airfield, their proximity to the crash site meant their control tower had witnessed the accident and thus reacted first. Upon notification of the incident, further personnel and vehicles were dispatched from Grafton Underwood.

The crew of June Bug were as follows:-

Pilot                              1st Lt. Sydney R. Jeter                14 combat missions

Co-Pilot                        2nd Lt. George F. Schutz               5 combat missions

Navigator                     2nd Lt. William E. Bailey                28 combat missions, comp. tour

Bombardier                  1st Lt. Kenneth J. Swanson            27 combat missions, comp. tour

Radio Operator            T/Sgt. George E. Dupuis                13 combat missions

Engineer/Top Rurret     T/Sgt. Donald V. MacDonald           14 combat missions

Ball Turret                     T/Sgt. John R. Lisch                    13 combat missions

Tail Gunner                    T/Sgt. Edgar A. Scheffer             4 combat missions

Waist Gunner                T/Sgt. Ferdinand J. Madl              13 combat missions

Waist Gunner                T/Sgt. Metro Peroskie                  13 combat missions  

A memorial was erected in 2024 on the 80th anniversary of the incident, and stands within the Stanwick Lakes Nature Reserve & Country Park, funded and arranged by Stanwick Lakes themselves.

The 384th Bombardment Group Museum is indebted to the staff at Stanwick Lakes, and their voluntary research teams, who have spent many hours researching the crash involving June Bug. Their dedication to this event has created a wealth of information relating to this matter, and their efforts also secured the funding for the Memorial that now stands in memory of the 17 crew members lost in this incident. Their support of the Museum project and their eagerness to share this information with us is greatly appreciated.

With kind thanks to the 384th Bomb Group website (384thbombgroup.com) for permission in using material from their records in the making of this story. It holds a wealth of information, documents and photographs of the Group’s activities during World War 2.

Research courtesy of Helen Norman and Michael Britton (Stanwick Lakes) & Keith Andrews on behalf of 384th Bombardment Group Museum.