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 The Ralph W. Wright Crew
100th BG Photo Archives
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A/C #42-38053 CAP'N CROW:
| 2nd Lt Ralph W.Wright
|
P |
KIA |
7/5/44 |
Form up Accident, target
was Berlin |
| 2nd Lt Jack W.Raper
|
CP |
KIA |
7/5/44 |
Form up Accident, target
was Berlin |
| 2nd Lt Richard Curran
|
NAV |
KIA |
7/5/44 |
Form up Accident, target
was Berlin |
| 2nd Lt Carl A.Hermann
|
BOM |
KIA |
7/5/44 |
Form up Accident, target
was Berlin |
| Sgt Alden P.Madsen |
TTE |
NOC |
-- |
-- |
| Pvt Robert J.Montondo |
ROG |
LWA |
7/5/44 |
Form up Accident, target was Berlin CPT tour in
June 44 |
| Sgt John R.Palmquist |
BTG |
LWA |
28/4/44 |
Sottevast, flak fragment went through shoulder. |
| S/Sgt Alfred T.Bridges |
WG |
LWA |
7/5/44 |
Form up Accident, target was Berlin
CPT
tour 25/12/44 Kaiserlautern, Ger. |
| Pvt George W McCleary |
WG |
NOC |
-- |
-- |
| Sgt Jack S.Wilburn |
TG |
NOC |
-- |
-- |
349th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 17
Mar 44.
On 7/5/44, Cockpit flares ignited during assembly, and
the un-controllable fire forced the pilot to issue a bail out order.
Five crewmembers were killed. S/Sgt
John A.Pontzlous (from the crew of 2nd Lt Winans C.Shaddix) was flying
in place of Sgt.Palmquist and was LWA (Lightly Wounded in Action).
Sgt Randolph C.Moore (Waist Gunner), was aboard
this A/C and was KIA.
Partial list of Missions of S/Sgt Alfred T. Bridges:
| NBR |
DATE |
TARGET |
NOTES |
| 01 |
27/03/44 |
BORDEAUX |
-- |
| 02 |
28/03/44 |
CHATEAUDUN |
-- |
| NC |
30/03/44 |
LUDWIGSHAVEN (RECALL) |
-- |
| 03 |
01/04/44 |
LUDWIGSHAVEN |
-- |
| 04 |
07/04/44 |
QUAKENBRUCK |
-- |
| 05 |
08/04/44 |
QUAKENBRUCK |
-- |
| 06 |
09/04/44 |
KRESZINKE (POSEN) |
-- |
| 07 |
10/04/44 |
RHEIMS |
-- |
| 08 |
11/04/44 |
POSEN |
-- |
| NC |
12/04/44 |
SCHKEUDITZ (RECALL) |
-- |
| 09 |
13/04/44 |
AUGSBURG |
-- |
| 10 |
28/04/44 |
SOTTEVAST |
(Sgt Palmquist injured by Flak) |
| 11 |
07/05/44 |
BERLIN |
(5 KIA and S/Sgt Bridges moved into spare
gunners pool) |
| 12 |
26/08/44 |
BREST |
(with Lt Ehorn Crew, flew as top turret
engineer) |
"MIGHTY EIGHTH 'WAR DlARY" p.238 "During assembly 100BG
B 17 crashed near Herringfleet.
LOSS OF 42-38053 CAP'N CROW ON 7 MAY 1944
This aircraft of the 349th was one of 23 planes of the
100th, which took off from Thorpe Abbotts between 0550 and 0600 hours
May 7, 1944 to take part in the 8th AAF mission to Berlin. The group
formed over the base at 0655 hours, and 42-38053 apparently crashed
around 0713 hours. The aircraft was flying in formation and was
approaching the English coastline when several dozen flares stored in
the top turret suddenly began to explode--cause undetermined-- and set
fire to the entire front of the plane.
Lt. Ralph W.Wright, the pilot, ordered the crew to
abandon ship and apparently was overcome by fumes from the burning
flares. The co-pilot, Jack W. Raper apparently suffered a similar fate.
T/Sgt Adlen P. Madsen, engineer and top turret gunner, one of five
crewmen to bail out and survive, reported that he was in his turret
facing aft when the flares began to explode. After an unsuccessful
attempt to extinguish the flames, Madsen passed a parachute up to Lt
Wright, moved to the rear and bailed out of the tail hatch just before
the plane crashed and blew up. Madsen used the tail hatch because the
waist hatch had been blocked by the body of a crewman, whose chute had
opened outside before he cleared the hatch.
Although painfully burned, Madsen soon returned to duty.
The four other survivors: T/Sgt F.J. Montondo, Radio Operator; S/Sgt J.
A. Pontzious, ball turret gunner; S/Sgt A. T. Bridges, left waist
gunner; and S/Sgt J. S. Willburn the tail gunner also returned to duty.
Wright & Raper are buried in a Common grave at Cambridge
(Plot G, Row 4,#159. Randolph Moore is also buried there in Plot F, Row
1, #38. See the CENTURY BULLETIN (Winter 1386) A Memorial Stone in the
churchyard at Ashby, England is inscribed to the memory of the five
above crewmen who were killed. |
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