of no more than . A crank on one of the Napier Sabre II's sleeve valves had failed. While trying to land in a field, Captain Valentine Baker (Company manager, aircraft-designer and test pilot) was forced to turn to port to avoid a farmhouse, a wing clipped a tree stump, the fighter cartwheeled and burst into flame, killing him. 15 September Vultee XA-31B-VU Vengeance, 42-35824, piloted by H. H. Sargent Jr., out of Rentschler Field, Connecticut, overturns in a tobacco field while making forced landing near Windsor Locks, Connecticut, after engine failure. Initially built as a non-flying XA-31A engine-test airframe but later upgraded for operation. 20 September Lt. Burton W. Basten, pilot, of Placentia, California, is killed in the crash of Martin B-26A-1 Marauder, 41-7459, of the 474th Bomb Squadron, 335th Bomb Group, Barksdale Field, Louisiana, when the bomber suffers a stall/spin crash 4 miles W of Plain Dealing, Louisiana. Airframe condemned at Barksdale Field on 24 September. Basten is buried in Fullerton, California, on 26 September. He graduated from Redlands High School, Redlands, California. 21 September During flight back home from its bombing mission in Munich an Avro Lancaster Mk.I squadron code QR and serial number W4166 was shot down above Cochem in the night from 20 to 21 September 1942. The aircraft was hit high likely by a German Messerschmitt Bf 110 (Me110) from the Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 based in Metz. All seven crewmembers were killed when the airplane all ablaze (according to an eyewitness) crashed down. The crewmembers were Sgt R.R.B.Owen RAAF KIA (Pilot), Sgt T.Thompson KIA (Mechanic), P/O W.H.Donovan RCAF KIA (Navigator), F/S J.O.Tuller RCAF KIA (Bombardier), Sgt D.T.McLean RAAF KIA (Radio-Operator), Sgt A.G.Sale KIA (Upper Turret) and Sgt P.J.Maxwell KIA (Tailgunner). They were first buried honorably with a salute in the presence of German and English government representatives in Cochem, later the remains were brought to the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Coll. grave 9. H. 18-22 (5), 9. H. 16 (1), 9. H. 17 (1). This aircraft was one of 450 Manchesters ordered from A.V.Roe Chadderton Jan. 1940 of which 207 were built as Lancaster Mk.1s, delivered from July 1942 to Nov. 1942 initially fitted with Merlin 20 engines. W4166 was delivered to 61 Squadron 31. August 1942. W4166 also took part in the key Raids against Bremen 13/14 Sep. 1942 and Essen 16/17 Sep. 1942. When lost this aircraft had only 23 flying hours. 24 September