The Red Army funeral of the Soviet pilot major Boychenko of the Pe-8 bomber of the Red Army Air Force shot down by “friendly fire”.
On February 9, 1943 Pe-8 bomber No. 420107 from the 45th Air Division of the Long-Range Aviation of the USSR Air Force with a crew of 12 people flew to bomb the Dno railway hub in the Pskov Region. After 34 minutes of flight, at an altitude of 3,100 meters, near the Dyadkovo airfield, the plane was attacked by the Yak-7 fighter, which was piloted by the pilot of the 183rd Fighter Aviation Regiment Sergeant Shchelokov. As a result of the shelling of the Pe-8, the aircraft caught fire and the bomber commander, Captain Ischenko, gave the command to leave the aircraft. 11 crew members jumped by parachute and landed safely. The co-pilot of the Pe-8, the commander of the 1st Aviation Squadron, Major Boychenko, for some reason could not leave the plane and died.
Source: Oleg Lysachev archive.
Source of Red Army funeral photo information:
Location: USSR
Date: February 1943