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George Roth Crew - MESSIE BESSIE
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MESSIE BESSIE - George Roth Crew (left to right)
Standing:
David Shoss, Carl L. Swendsen, Warren LeBaron, George L. Roth
Kneeling: Harry Rulong, Burl Reynolds, Glen J. Allen. Carl R. Carlson, Paul E. Hunter, Willie B. Yates.
100th BG Photo Archives
 

1st Lt George L. Roth P KIA
1st Lt Warren F. LeBaron CP KIA
2nd Lt David Shoss NAV EVA
S/Sgt Joseph W. Schultz TOGG EVA
T/Sgt Willie B. Yates ROG EVA
T/Sgt Burl L. Reynolds TTE POW/WIA
S/Sgt Paul E. Hunter BTG POW
S/Sgt Carl R. Carlson RWG POW
S/Sgt Glen J. Allen LWG POW
S/Sgt Harry E. Rulong TG POW

EYEWITNESS:
"At 1156 hours near 4932-0045E #3 engine was hit by flak. The engine caught fire and fell off the wing. The right landing gear also dropped off. The pilot recovered control and 4 to 6 chutes were counted coming out. When last seen the A/C was headed back toward the coast flying under control."

According to David Shoss' statement in MACR, the target (Buzz Bomb Emplacements) was obscured by cloud - 26,000 ft. - and they flew around for 40 minutes looking for a hole. He further states: Our toggalier, Schultz, refused to jump and I threw him out the escape hatch in the nose of the B-17. He got back to Allied control safely. The A/C struck the ground about 1 mile inland on French coast from English Channel."  I saw T/Sgt Yates, Radio operator and Toggalier, S/Sgt Shultz, in England 2 1/2 months later"

This crew joined the 100th  on 12/4/44. At that time, 2nd Lt Carl H. Svendsen was the bombardier.

Page 61 of STORY OF THE CENTURY  says, "Svendsen's jugular vein was severed on the bomb run."

I can find no other mention or record of this incident nor any record of Svendsen other than his joining the 100th on 12 May 44.

24 JUN 44 GRAND COURONNE / BURIED OMAHA BEACH

Main A/C flown "MESSIE BESSIE" 42-30152

MISSIONS OF T/SGT CARL CARLSON: mpf 2002

Nbr Date Target
01 26/04/44 BRUNSWICK
02 27/04/44 NO BALL
03 01/05/44 SAARGUEMINES
04 07/05/44 BERLIN
05 09/05/44 LAON, FRANCE
06 11/05/44 LIEGE, BELGIUM
07 12/05/44 BRUX
08 19/05/44 BERLIN
09 20/05/44 BRUSSELS
10 23/05/44 TROYES
11 25/05/44 BRUSSELS
12 27/05/44 STRASSBOURG
13 28/05/44 MAGDEBURG
14 29/05/44 LEIPZIG
15 30/05/44 TROYES
16 02/06/44 PARIS
17 04/06/44 BOULOGNE
18 05/06/44 BOULOGNE
19 06/06/44 FRENCH COAST D-DAY
20 07/06/44 NANTES
21 11/06/44 BERCK sur MER?
22 14/06/44 LeCULOT
23 18/06/44 BRUNSBUTTELKOOG
24 20/06/44 FALLERSLEBEN
25 24/06/44 ROUEN (MILK RUN, SHOT DOWN)

MISSION MEMORIES FROM T/SGT CARLSON

#2 BOMBARDIER SEVERLY INJURED WHEN FLAK HIT IN HIS JUGULAR VEIN. HIS LIFE WAS PROBABLY SAVED BY LT DAVID SHOSS HOLDING HIS HAND OVER THE WOUND AND STOPPING THE BLOOD FLOW.

#7 WAS THE LONGEST MISSION THIS CREW FLEW, IT WAS OVER 9 HOURS

#8 FLAK WAS VERY HEAVY OVER THE TARGET AND WE HAD TROUBLE WITH FW FIGHTERS COMING BACK. ONE 20MM SHELL EXPLODED IN THE RADIO ROOM. MISSION TIME WAS 8 HRS AND 45 MIN. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 36 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.

#12 FLAK MODERATE OVER TARGET WITH MUCH FLAK IN AND OUT OF GERMANY. WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND I SAW THE ALPS IN THE DISTANCE. TIME ON MISSIONS WAS 7 HRS 55 MIN.

#13 FLAK WAS HEAVY OVER THE TARGET AND IN MANY OTHER LOCATIONS GOING IN AND BACK OUT. WEATHER WAS CLEAR BUT WE HAD TROUBLE WITH ME109'S AND FW 190 FIGHTERS. TIME ON MISSION WAS 8 HRS AND 4O MIN.

#14FLAK WAS VERY HEAVY OVER THE TARGET AND BOTH COMING AND GOING IN GERMANY. SAW FIGHTERS BUT THEY DIDN'T CLOSE IN ON US.

#16 HEAVY FLAK WITH SEVERAL HITS OVER THE TARGET--WEATHER WAS BAD, BUT THE TARGET WAS VISIBLE. TIME ON MISSION WAS 6 HRS AND 10 MIN.

#19 D-DAY WE HAD NO BATTLE DAMAGE. WE WOKE UP AT 11:00 PM THE NIGHT BEFOR D-DAY. THE TAXI TIME WAS 3:30AM AND WE WERE BACK AT THE BASE AT 11:00AM. TIME ON MISSION WAS 7HRS AND 30 MIN. WE BOMBED THE GERMAN INSTILLATIONS ON THE COAST OF FRANCE.

#23 FLAK WAS VERY ACCURATE W/MORE THAN 12 HOLES IN THE PLANE. ONE WENT THROUGH THE WAIST

FLOOR WHERE I HAD BEEN STANDING A MOMENT BEFORE. EXTRA LARGE HOLE IN THE LEFT WING. OTHER HITS SCATTERED OVER THE PLANE. WE HAD OTHER MISSIONS WITH FLAK DAMAGE BUT THEY ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION

SHOT DOWN OVER ROUEN, FRANCE FLYING IN ANOTHER PLANE, "RETURN TICKET", OUR PLANE WAS IN REPAIR. I WAS INTERROGATED IN ERREUX THEN WENT TO STALAG LUFT IV AND LATER STALAG LUFT 1. I WAS NOT ON MOOSEBURG MARCH BUT WAS TRANSPORTED BY TRAIN SINCE I WAS INJURED IN BAIL OUT. "

BASE MEMORIES OF T/SGT CARLSON mpf 2002

I SAW SEVERAL ACCIDENTS, TWO B-24'S TOUCHED WINGS AND THEY BOTH CRASHED KILLING ALL THE CREW MEMBERS. THEY WERE NOT A PART OF OUR BASE. I SAW ONE PLANE CRASH AND EXPLODE AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY ON "TAKE OFF" AND ALL WERE KILLED.

I REMEMBER VERY WELL GOING TO CHAPEL BEFORE EACH MISSION. THIS GAVE ME COMFORT. A SMALL PER CENT OF THE AIRMEN ATTENDED CHAPEL.

I THOUGHT THE MESS HALL FOOD WAS GOOD AND WE HAD A GOOD BREAKFAST BEFORE EACH MISSION.

ONE SAD MEMORY WAS THAT SEVERAL OF THE CREWS IN OUR HUT DID NOT RETURN AFTER THEIR MISSION, THEY WOULD BE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER CREW. I HAVE MANY SAD MEMORIES….

 

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