255737 1st Lt. Scott Andrew Briley United States Army Air Corps 545th Squadron 384th Bomber Group from:Vista, California From the after action report of the lost plane and crew.
About 20 min from the bombing target at Schweinfurt, Germany on 13th of April 1944 at 13.54 in the afternoon, the B-17 formation came under attack by German FW 190 fighter planes. Lt Scott Briley was the pilot of B-17 42-97233, flying his 13th mission, when his plane caught fire and exploded. He and another crewman fought the fire while the rest of the crew either jumped or were sucked out of the airplane. One man was badly wounded in the face and was thrown out by Lt Briley, but all 10 men were able to deploy their parachutes.
Lt Briley observed several of his men being picked up by Red Cross ambulances. He and his left waist gunner, SSgt James W McClain, were on the loose for 5 days prior to capture by the enemy.
Lt Briley was first sent to Stalag 17-B and later moved to Poland. He was liberated from Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12 in June 1945.
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