Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Athenry, Galway, January 15th, 1943

Of all the survivable landings of foreign aircraft that occurred in neutral Ireland during the Second World War, perhaps the best known about is the landing of the aircraft commonly referred to as 'Stinky". 
This was the nose art at one time painted on the nose of Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress serial number 41-9045. And this was the aircraft that on January 15th 1943 was forced to make an emergency landing on the grounds of the Agricultural College in Athenry, Co. Galway.

On board the aircraft were fifteen American service personnel and one British pilot of the Royal Air Force.

Much had been written about, and indeed continues to the written about, the event, due to the fact that six of those on board were passengers and were as it turns out high ranking US Army officers.  The full compliment of persons on board was:

Capt Thomas M HULINGS O-437980
2/Lt J. Kemp MCLAUGHLIN O-789398
2/Lt Clyde B. COLLINS O-789458
Sgt Lorin E BLANCHARD Jr. 16048807
Sgt Johnnie J TUCKER 14068147
Sgt John W TIPPEN 14033646
Sgt Maurice L. HARRIS 15084594
T/Sgt Edward D. PARRISH 06151908
T/Sgt Laurence E. DENNIS 36048962
Sgt Reginald Charles BOLLAND 625196 (Royal Air Force)
Lt/Gen Jacob Loucks DEVERS O-2599
Maj/Gen Edward Hale BROOKS O-6657
Brig/Gen Gladeon Marcus BARNES O-2970
Brig/Gen Williston Birkhimer PALMER O-12246
Col William Thaddeus SEXTON O-15777
Maj Earle Lynn HORMELL O-22368

The 60th anniversary of that forced landing was marked by the US Ambassador to Ireland, Mr James C Kenny, at Mellows College in Athenry on Saturday, December 6th, 2003 when he recalled the local response to the emergency.

Local man Paul Browne has written a great deal on the subject and has a large website dealing with the landing, the higher ranking officers and the subsequent memorials and events.  His website can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

The purpose of this page is to describe the wartime careers of the nine American crew members and the British passenger.  There is a little difficulty in identifying the men as the Irish Army only recorded them by surname and with initials in most cases.  Laurence E Dennis and Johnnie J Tucker both signed their names in full on the autograph notebook of local student Paddy Cloonan. The careers of the other higher ranking American passengers can be found on the Paul Browne website linked above.  Some of the enlisted men and probably the officers can be seen in this photo which was taken on the day of the landing in Athenry.

From left of the photo, the first man is a local man, possibly of the Local Defence Forces (LDF).  The next man has been identified by his family as Sgt John W Tippen.  Next to him is Laurence E Dennis with the white area on his jacket, probably a unit badge. 

Edward Parrish's son's partner identified Edward Parrish Senior as being third from the right. 

Johnnie Tucker's family recognise him as the man on the extreme right of the photo.

Laurence Dennis then in his estimation and recollection in 2010 stated he thought those in the photo were:
"L-R  Unidentified Irish man, McLaughlin, Dennis, ??, lady, ?? , Parrish, Hulings, ??.  He's thinking two of the unidentified men are Harris and Collins and perhaps the third unidentified man is another Irishman.
Larry says during those days he often would mix up Tucker and Harris, so he's not certain of their identity in the picture. He figures the navigator (Collins) is probably in the picture, but he doesn't know which one. That was the only trip he made with Collins."

The Harris family did not recognise their father in the photo above.

The daughter of Maurice Harris provided the photo below, a better copy of which hopefully can be scanned in due course, which shows probably six enlisted men.  Maurice Harris is the man kneeling on the lower right of the photo.  Comparing photos, it would seem that Lorin Blanchard is standing at the left of the photo.

The crew which flew the aircraft too Ireland is said to have left behind four other crew men due to lack of space.  The waist gun positions at left and right were decommissioned, and in photos from Athenry, these can be seen to have panels over with small windows.  It is also suggested that the ball turret on the lower fuselage had been removed.  It would be expected then to have had two officer pilots as well an enlisted man as engineer, a role understood to have been performed by Edward D Parrish.  Laurence Dennis was the Radio Operator.  At least two men would have manned the upper and tail turrets.

The Americans forming the crew of were:

Capt. Thomas M HULINGS O-437980 - PILOT
Born on May 5 1920 in Redcliffe to Arthur F and Amy J Hulings (nee Work). Thomas registered for the draft in Marienville, Forest, PA and was an engineering student at the time of the draft, working for the Marienville Glass Co.  He enlisted in July 1941 as aviation cadet, serial number 13037589  and was later commissioned as officer O-437980.

His local newspapers reported on his wartime career frequently. 
Warren Times Mirror on Feb 28, 1942 reported his having accepted his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.  He is mentioned in the book "Grey Ghost" as having flown a bomber to England as one of the first members of the 407th Bomb Squadron in late August 1942.

The Oil City Derrick on May 20, 1943 reported on his having been the judge of a model aircraft competition for English boys.  His obituary in 1998 mentioned that on his first mission enemy action severely wounded five of his crew and his plane had more than 2000 holes, an incident featured in a Ripley's 'Believe It or Not' cartoon.  This mission it is believed was the October 9th, 1942 raid on Lillle, France.  Lt Hulings was flying that day as the Co-pilot to Captain James J Griffith Jr, when their aircraft received severe flak damage.  The story of the crew was used by the USAAF as the basis for a widely printed newspaper release.  While Lt Hulings name is not mentioned in this widely publicized experience, the pilot's son was able to recount his fathers war time missions. 

The Oil City Derrick on Nov 4th, 1943 reported that he had informed his parents that he was staying on in Europe with Bomber Command for further duties, having previously said he would return to the US.

Many Pennsylvania papers then on November 26th 1943 carried reports of his completion of his first tour of duty.

He rose to the rank of Major during the war and later served as commander of the 368th Bomb Squadron in the 306th Bomb Group from October 1944.  There he completed another 14 missions following on from his 25 with the 92nd Bomb Group earlier in the war.  He then moved onto the British built Mosquito twin engine aircraft flying recon missions with the 25th Bomb Group. 

His veterans compensation form in 1950 states he was overseas from August 24, 1942 to November 17, 1945.  His parents were deceased at that time and he was married to Katherine.  He had married on October 24, 1944, to Captain Katherine Young, Commanding Officer of the 8th Air Force Headquarters WAG Detachment.


He later flew 14 missions with the 306 Bomb Group, then flew Mosquito Recon with the 25th Bomb Group. After hostilities ceased he participated in the Casey Jones mapping project On October 24, 1944, Major Hulings married Captain Katherine Young, Commanding Officer of the 8th Air Force Headquarters WAG Detachment. 

After the war, he worked for Dupont in technical sales for 12 years and for Hercules Powder Company for 23 years before retiring in 1985. Mr. Hulings was active in the Georgia Chapter 8th Air Force Historical Society, Silver Wings, and the Middle Georgia Soaring Association. He was an avid photographer.  He passed away on the 8 July 1998 in Georgia and was laid to rest in the Cemetery in Provincetown, MASS.

2/Lt J. Kemp MCLAUGHLIN CO-PILOT O-789398
James Kemp McLaughlin was born in 1918 in West Virginia to Almira Ballengee McLaughlin and James Blaine McLaughlin.
He published his wartime memories in his book, "The Mighty Eighth in WWII: A Memoir" published first in 2000 and included a chapter that told of the his impromptu visit to Ireland.

An interview given by him in 2016 can be viewed here on youtube:

The following 1944 extract from the 92nd's records mentions the then Major McLaughlin.  31 Officers and 40 enlisted men completed tours of duty.  On April 19, Major Julian R. Thornton, Jr., Group Bombardier, and Major James K. McLaughlin, Asst. Group Operations, after having completed their initial operational tours, left on 30 day leave.  Destination:  USA.  Upon their return, they will begin an additional tour.

J Kemp McLaughlin passed away in West Virginia on the 16 December 2019 in his 101st year.  The following tribute video detailing his service career, both during and after the war.

2/Lt Clyde B COLLINS O-789458
This member of the crew was recorded by the Irish army only by rank, initials and surname and by his position of navigator in the crew,  Lt C B Collins.  Kemp McLaughlin mentions him as Clyde B Collins and also that he had been bunk mate of his during their pilot training.  Based on this, and the enlistment in 1941 below of a Clyde B Collins from Kentucky, the following bio has been created with the help of his family.
Born in 1915 to Willard and Cora Collins, nee Bentley.

His local newspapers tell much of his wartime story.  He enlisted in September 1941 at Fort Thomas, Newport, Kentucky as a cadet.  He is listed as a sales person upon enlistment.  His local newspaper reported on this wartime activities during 1941 thru 1943.  The Cinncinnati Enquirer on August 24th, 1941, lists him among a list of airmen cadets being posted to the Cadet replacement Center at Maxwell Field,  Alabama for training.

In September 1941 the Mountain Eagle paper reported on him as follows:
"Clyde B Collins Goes Into Training At Maxwell field.
Army Aviation Cadet Clyde B Collins, son of Mrs Cora Collins, 371 Woodland Ave., Lexington, Ky., has started pre-flight training at the Initial Training School, Maxwell Field, Ala., it was announced last week at Fifth Corps Area Headquarters, Fort Hayes, at Columbus, Ohio.

Enlisted at Fort Thomas, Ky. Collins will spend one month at Maxwell Field with others of the October Aviation Cadet class before transferring to a primary pilot school. The pre-flight course is designed to equip cadets with fundamental schooling in military and scholastic subjects thus giving them more time for actual flying at air schools.

Collins was graduated from Whitesburg High School, at Whitesburg, Ky., and attended Georgetown College and the University--' of Kentucky. He has been associated with the D. J. Davis Co., Lexington.

Army Aviation Cadet scholarships, worth $25,000 each, are awarded to'single men at least 20 years old and not yet 27, who are physically and educationally qualified. More than 325 of these scholarships are awarded each month to eligibles in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia."

On 2nd July 1942, the Mountain Eagle was reporting on his wedding:
"The wedding of Miss Susan Baker Stivers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stivers, to Lieut. Clyde Bruce Collins, son of Mrs. Cora Collins of Lexington, was solemnized at 10 p. m. Saturday, June 20 at the home of the Rev. Claud T. Ammerman at Sarasota, Fla. The home was beautifully decorated with ferns and a profusion of garden flowers.

The bride was becomingly attired in a sheer "white dress with white accessories and a shoulder bouquet of pink rosebuds.

The attendants were Lieutenant and Mrs. Richard G. White, Jr., and Lieutenant and Mrs. C. W. Knops.

Miss Stivers attended Henry Clay high school in Lexington and Lieutenant Collins attended the University of Kentucky.

The couple will reside in Springfield, Mass., where Lieutenant Collins is now stationed.

Note - Mr. Collins who is well known here is a grandson of Uncle Elberson Bentley of He is a graduate of the Whitesburg High School."

The last mention of him found so far was this from early November 1943:
"Clyde B. Collins of Lexington, who is now an instructor in navigation with the United States Army Air Forces stationed in Ireland has been promoted from first lieutenant to Captain.  Captain Collins has been In the air forces two years and and overseas 13 months. He has taken part in several raid over enemy country."

In 1937, directory for Lexington appear to have him working as a clerk at the McAdams and Morford chemical company.  The 1940’s census has him living at home with his widowed mother Cora and sisters Jean and Bernice.  Throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s Lexington Kentucky directories list him and wife Susan living in the city, with Cora his mother also living nearby.  Employed by the Lex Signal Depot.

Clyde passed away on 9th December 1968 in Fayette.  His headstone is marked as Lt Col, Clyde B Collins, with service attributed to WW2 only.  He had remained in the Air Force reserve post war raising to the rank shown on his gravestone.  The photo below shows him standing next to a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar transport of the US Air Force.

Sgt Lorin E BLANCHARD Jr. 16048807
Lorin was born 16 Mar 1914 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Lorin and Ruby Blanchard.  In 1940, he is living with his widowed father in Milwaukee, and working as a clerk in a Life Insurance company.
He enlisted in January 1942 into the Army Air Corps.  He is believed to the the airman widely published in American newspapers as "S E Blanchard" in November 1942, in a news story about the 9th October 1942 raid on Lille.  The article can be seen above in Thomas Hulings bio.
After his return to combat he was awarded the Air Medal and listed in the June 1943 copy of Air Force News. 

The Lake Geneva Regional news of Dec 3rd 1942 reported on the award of a "Hero Medal" to a Copr. Lorin B Blanchard, son of the late Ruby Dowes Blanchard from Milwaukee.

The 92nd Bob Group history lists a S/Sgt Lorin E Blanchard having a reclassification Military Occupation Speciality (MOS) in daily order for January 24th 1945 while serving still with the 407th Bomb Squadron.

He married Jane Baynard Martin in 1948 but the marriage broke up and Lorin moved to Detroit, Michigan where he died 30 Nov 1980.  He  lived for  many years on a houseboat in the Detroit River and never remarried.

His family very kindly provided the wonderful wartime photo of him above where the

Sgt Johnnie J TUCKER 14068147
Born in North Carolina in 29 Apr 1919 to Hallie V and Joseph C Tucker.  His full name was Johnnie Joe TUCKER
During the war, his next of kin was his wife, Edith M Tucker (nee Munford), living at 514 Carr St, Durham.

He enlisted in January 1942 at Fort Bragg and at that time was married and working as a salesman.

He was shot down on 14 May 1943 flying on B-17F 42-30003 under 1/Lt Lowell W Walker.  They were taking part on a bombing raid against the U-Boat pens in Kiel, Germany.  Records for the loss are poor, other than 407th Bomb Squadron/92nd Bomb Group records state:  "The ship was last seen circling down under control toward Amrum Island with one engine out and a stabilizer shot off."  Missing Air Crew Report 16055 was filed for this aircraft and a copy is sought.

He is pictured here with his wife Edith in 1940.

A set of photos kept by his relatives were likely taken some time in 1942 perhaps after graduation from his Army Air Forces training.  They show him with his mother Hallie and his brother Grover in the grounds of Duke University, Durham, which was near his mothers home.

News paper reports of his capture in June 1943 recorded his address as 909 Virgie St, West Durham.
Johnnie spend the remains of the war as a POW in Germany and after his release, arrived back in New York on the SS Monticello 3 Jun 1945.  On that shipping manifest his address is given as 810 Vickers Ave, Durham, N.C.

Johnnie passed away 28 December 1978 in Durham, NC, and he was buried in Liberty Christian Church Cemetery, Epsom, Vance County, North Carolina.   Edith, his wife, died on 15 March 1998.

In this photo, Johnnie is seen with an unidentified colleague, which the family understand might have been taken at Fort Bragg.

Sgt John W TIPPEN 14033646

John was born 1921 in Birmingham, Alabama, to Mabel and John Tippen.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in November 1940 aged 19 and his service continued through until September 1945.    During the time he appears to have remained within the 92nd Bomb Group, moving between Squadrons during 1944.

He had arrived back in the US at the port of New York on the 19th of July 1945 on the SS Aquitania.  On the manifest for the arrival, he is recorded as having a Military Occupation Speciality (MOS) of 911, which indicated Aircraft Armourer.  He had married in June 1942 in Florida and in 1945 was living at 1248, 15th St, South West Birmingham.  It was only upon he arrival back home that he was required to register for the draft and he did so again in Birmingham, Alabama in September 1945.  He listed himself as unemployed. 

He passed away on 6 Jan 2003 and is buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, Alabama.

Sgt Maurice L. HARRIS 15084594

The identity of the airman recorded by the Irish army simply as "Sgt L Harris".  McLaughlin in his book does record him as Maurice L Harris.  His daughter was able to say in 2011 that he had kept various newspaper cuttings dated in November 1942, recording his air medal award.  Based on this information it was determined that he was the airman described below.

Born on Dec 27 1918 in Indiana to Arthur and Harriet (Nee Thornberry) in Vigo County, Indiana.  Arthur, his father died in January 1924 in a rail road accident and his mother remarried Grover Stephens.  He in 1940 is found on the census, XXXX.  His enlistment was on 5th January 1942 in Fort Benjamin and was into the Army Air Corps, at that time getting the Army Serial Number 15084594 .  In November 1942, American newspapers reported on his award of the Air Medal for gallantry in action.  At that time his address is given as Rural Route 2, Shelburn.  Among the information in the newspaper clippings are that he had enlisted in December 1941 and had departed for his training base on January 3rd, 1942.  His army serial number was recorded on some of his surviving documentation, and he also that he was a rear gunner and had flown at least 25 combat missions.  He had also kept a group of ten postcards of Algiers.

Maurice passed away on 19 March 1969.  He is buried alongside his widow, Elizabeth L Harris, who died in 2000. 

T/Sgt Edward D. PARRISH 06151908
With no serial number recorded, this mans name was recorded by the Irish Army as E D Parrish or Edward D Parrish.  Following contact made with a family member, it has proven possible to confirm Edward D Parrish as the airman described below.

Edward Dexter Parrish was from Saugus, Essex County, Massachusetts.  Born in April 1925, he was the son of Robert and Lilla Parrish.  The U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File on ancestry.com lists him having an enlistment date of 19 December 1939, and a release of 1 October 1945, with the Air Force indicated as the branch of service.  The US Archives enlistment data records him having reenlisted in 1945.  He remained in the services after the war and the photo shows him in US Air Force uniform in Japan in the early 1950's.

He passed away in October 1997 in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Edward married Marrietta Clara Beeck in 1949 and they are seen below with their only son Edward Junior in Japan in 1952.   

Edward again in uniform but in a more relaxed setting seen again in a post war photo.

It was originally thought he was Edward Daniel Parrish was born on 11 Nov 1922 to Joseph Parrish in Georgia.  He was also a prewar enlistee, having joined the colors in January 1941.  His record on the BIRLS database on ancestry.com as well as medical records indicated that he was released from the service in March 1943.  He passed away in Union County, Florida on 13 March 1982.

T/Sgt Laurence E. DENNIS Jr 36048962 POW

This airman's name is confirmed as being aboard the aircraft from his own testimony later in life. 
Laurence was born in 1928, the son of Laurence Sr. and Alice (Harrison) Dennis. He graduated from Farmington Community High School in the class of 1936.
He was like the other crew members posted to the 92nd Bomb Group.
He was the radio operator on aircraft when it landed in Galway.  Laurence in his recollections in later years remembered General Devers being on the flight.  In his own words: Most of the time he rode in the nose and bothered the navigator. But he came back to the radio room and asked if I had contacted anyone yet? I told him "no"—his answer. "What the G__ D__ hell kind of radio operator are you??!!" I offered him the headphones but he wouldn't listen—went back up front. I figured it was a bit unusual for an Air Corps radio operator to have his butt chewed out by a Tank Corp general, so I've never forgotten it. We had nothing but rain and fog for 4 or 5 hours on that trip. Static was terrible.

In the photo above, Laurence can be seen nearest the camera, with an unidentified airman inboard.  On the nose of the of the B-17 one can read the numbers 45, which makes it most likely that the photo shows the aircraft which landed in Athenry, B-17E serial number 41-9045.

He recalled also in the 1990’s that after the landing, the local school master brought the whole group of children to see the aircraft and the crew were able to share with them a carton of oranges they had in the aircraft.
After the stint flying between North Africa and the UK, he returned to combat duties in April 1943 with the 92nd Bomb Group.  He and his crew were forced to ditch their B-17 in the English Channel on the 6th of September 1943.  He was forced to bailout over Norway on the 16th of November 1943 when the 407th Bomb Squadron aircraft he was crew on,  began the suffer technical problems, his 23rd mission and was a POW for 18 months at Stalag 17B.  The photo below is his German prisoner of war 'mugshot' from this time.

Laurence passed away 9 Dec 2015 in Peoria, Illinois in his 97th year.

In his book, The mighty Eight, J Kemp McLaughlin records that the Radio Operator on 41-9045 when it landed in Ireland was "Edward E Teaford".  In the 92nd Bomb Group at this time there was a S/Sgt Everett K Teaford who was later shot down and taken prisoner with Johnny J Tucker in May 1943.

In 2011 Laurence was able to return to the skies in a B-17 when the he was able to take a flight in the B-17 'Sentimental Journey' flown by the Commemorative Air Force.

Among the passengers on the aircraft was a lone British pilot, returning from a tour of duty abroad.

Sgt Reginald Charles BOLLAND 625196

The final name found to have been a passenger on the aircraft is described by the Irish Army report variously as, "Sergt. R. Boland, R.A.F." and Pilot-Sergt. R. Boland R.A.F."  The report filed by General Devers mentions him as follows:  "A British sergeant in the RAF who had been stationed at Malta had been put on the plane (without authority) for transportation to England."
J Kemp McLaughlin describes this man in his book published in 2000 as "One of our passengers was British Flying Sgt. R.C. Bolland, hitchhiking his way home from a three year tour as Spitfire pilot on Malta."

It would seem most likely that he was Reginald Charles Bolland 625196, a fighter pilot who went missing in October 1944 while flying with 504 Squadron.

He was one of the pilots who flew off HMS Furious on 11th August 1942 in a Spitfire to reinforce the defense of the island of Malta.  His posting in to 185 Squadron is mentioned only briefly in the ORB, in so much as three named officers and "four Sergeant pilots report for full flying duties with the squadron."

His first apparent mission was on the evening of 25 August 1942, on a 10 aircraft patrol. 

He was previously flying with 242 Squadron in the UK and is listed along with two other pilots, Sgt Sullivan and Harrison, as being posted overseas as of 3rd August 1942.  In 242 Squadron he appears to have been mainly training.

The Squadron Operations Book of Royal Air Force 285 Squadron on the 2nd February 1943 recorded the posting in of 625196 Sgt Pilot R C Bolland from 2 PDC for flying duties. This unit was a non front line Squadron that was tasked with flying target towing duties and other support missions using a variety of aircraft types.  Reginald was twice commended while serving with the unit.

On the 13th of April, he was flying a Defiant tug when it suffered an engine failure above cloud.  He managed to bring the aircraft in for a safe landing at Ringway aerodrome with no damage.

The 10th of July 1943, while based at RAF Woodvale with a detachment of the Squadron, Sgt Bolland again displayed his piloting skills.  The ORB records as follows:  "...a transatlantic Liberator in difficulties owing to fog and ?????? and was endeavouring to land at Woodvale, after being homed by a nightfighter.  625196 F/Sgt Bolland ?.?. of this unit offered to go up in an Oxford and bring the Liberator in.  He was refused permission at first but was eventually allowed to go and he brought the Liberator in successfully and without mishap.

His luck turned the following month when he suffered an accident while flying Miles Martinet MS507 leaving him injured.  On 28 August 1943 while taking off from Woodvale in the Martinett target tug when his engine cut out at 250 feet.  He attempted to land in a field but due to lack of height, he instead crashed into a barrack hut in Harrington Barracks, Formby.  He was rescued from the cockpit by three solders, Sergt. G. R. Elkin, of the East Lancs Regt.; Pte. J. Conroy, of the King’s Regt, and Private T. Kennedy, South Lancs. Regiment.  Newspapers of October 1943 carried the story of the three soldiers rescue efforts, noting that they found the pilot on the wing of the burning aircraft.  He was posted out on the 22 October 1943 to RAF Station Uxbridge.    

The now Warrant Officer R C Bolland was posted to 504 Squadron on the 1st of September, 1944 from 53 OTU.  On the 13th September, he flew an escort mission to Osnabruke. He flew an escort mission on September 17 supporting the airborne landing at Arnhem.  He flew one weather recon mission in Spitfire PL432 on the 18th September.   He flew a Ramrod mission escorting Halifax bombers to Duisberg on 14th October with 11 other aircraft and pilots.

On 19th October 1944 W/O Bolland took off in Spitfire PL432 in the morning at 07:30 hours on a weather Recce mission with F/O G Strange.  F/O Strange flew from the 504 Squadron base at Manston, Kent to, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Orfordness and then back to base.  W/O Bolland however disappeared and is simply recorded as F.T.R., failed to return.
The ORB summary recorded as follows:
WEATHER: cloudy with strong winds, improving towards evening.  OPS. two early morning weather recce were flown by "A" flt. Yellow Sec. covered the area Ghent-Maastrect-XXXX, without incident.  Red Sec. (FO Strange & W/O Bolland) covered the Rotterdam-Amsterdam area.  On the return journey, when about 25 miles off Ijuiden, at 15-20,000' in heavy XXXX conditions, F/O Strange's R/T set was rendered u/s.  It is thought that W/O Bolland's set was affected in the same way as he did not call up to say that he was in trouble.

His remains were never recovered and thus his name is recorded on the Runnymede Memorial.  The CWGC available records don't list any next of kin.  However, the surname spelling being somewhat unique, compared to 'Boland', points towards a man born in Fulham district, London in 1919 to a couple named Edith Phyllis (nee Barnes) and Reginald Cass Bolland.  His father, Reginald Bolland, died in 1919 however.   Reginald is found in the 1939 Register as a 20 year old RAF Aircraftman 1st Class living with a couple, Charles and Fanny Bolland Mount Road, Wallasey, Cheshire, assumed to be his grandparents.  Interestingly, his serial number is written on the register entry.  In August 1930 his widowed mother was found to have married, in Amsterdam, one Mathieu van den Abeelen.  One witness to the marriage was a James Patrick Power, a well known artist of his time and who may have been married to a sister of Reginald's but it is unclear if he was related.

Compiled by Dennis Burke in 2022, with the kind help of the families of the crew of B-17 41-4095.