351st Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined 100th Group on 5/10/44.

No memory of Robert. Mackey after reaching England. He probably was removed to reduce crew to nine men.

From a letter from Norm Graham, Navigator on the P. B. Batterman Crew, dated 24/3/83 we learn:

"Lt Batterman broke his arm riding a bicycle after joining the 100th on 5/10/44 and Jim Knowles was assigned as pilot of the Batterman crew. Zemske & Graham then placed on the crew of Dave Hutchinson. Later, Batterman joined the Hutchinson crew as CP and Tom Fagan as ROG. Finished tour. Ray Stiller, Bob May, Reid Jensen, Leon Hebert and Elmer Hooper stayed with Knowles crew."

James W. Knowles was the original CP on crew of Jack L. Gay. Lt Knowles first mission with the Batterman crew was 26 Nov 44 to Hamm. Lt. Knowles was replaced as first pilot on the Batterman crew by Lt Stevenson (see Sgt Hooper diary) starting on 20 Jan 45. 1st Lt Daniel Shaffer 0-765734 was the Navigator. Lt Stevenson completed his missions on 9 Feb 45, mission to Weimar. After this point S/Sgt Hooper and T/Sgt May go to spare gunners pool. Hopper flies missions with Lt Garrison and Knowles in Feb/Mar 45 before being assigned to Garrison’s Crew permanently on 28/3/45 mission to Hanover. T/Sgt May is assigned to the Garrison Crew after April 8, 1945. S/Sgt Hooper would finish with Lt Garrison's Crew.

After the 31 Dec 44 mission to Hamburg, Lt Batterman and Sgt Fagan go to Lt Hutchinson's Lead Crew to replace the Co-pilot and ROG who were KIA and SWA respectively. Lt Batterman would fly as Formation Officer/Tail Gunner on the Hutchinson Crew. Lt Batterman flew as a fill in Co-Pilot with Lt Rosenbaum/Lt Kodas Crew on 17 Jan 45 Hamburg mission. Batterman also flew some missions as co-pilot on Lt Streich Crew…(from Leon Schwartz-Streich Crew)

Lt Graham joins Lt Hutchinson Lead Crew as Navigator after Dec 12, 1944 Mission to Darmstadt and Lt Zemske joins Hutchinson Crew in Late Feb 45 when Lt Paterno joins Jesse Wofford’s Lead Crew.

We have only two records of Lt Knowles flying as 1st pilot after Dec 31, 1944, one on March 17, 1945 to Plauen flying 42-31530 "QUITTIN' TIME" and another the following day March 18, 1945 flying 44-8503 "BABY BUNTY" LN-A, an a/c from the 350th BS to Berlin. According to S/Sgt Hooper diary, 3-17-45, Plauen, Ger. Knowles was pilot, Lt Brown, a new pilot, flew as co-pilot. Lt. Linn – Bombardier – Levine was waist gunner, Hooper as TG. My best guess for this big lapse of time for Knowles not flying a mission after Dec 31, 1944 is that he may have gone to 351st Sqdn operations…mpf 2006)

Lt Knowles as 1st Pilot with Lt Batterman Crew. (Knowles first mission with this crew was Nov 26, 1944)

Missions of Lt James W. Knowles/Lt Stevenson with Lt Batterman Crew

* "According to S/Sgt Hooper Diary, Lt Stevenson and S/Sgt Ralph F. McBath, (from Lt Charles crew), completed their tours on the 9 Feb 45 mission to Weimar. S/Sgt Miller flew his 16th mission"

CREW FOR 17 MAR 45 

• F/O Raymond Stiller Flew as Co-Pilot on all the above missions. After 9 Feb 45 mission, Stiller goes into the spare co-pilots pool. Missions F/O Stiller flew with Other Crews:
• Lt Rosenbaum/Lt Kodas Crew:
• 13/1/45 MAINZ Rhine River Bridge Co-Pilot- F/O Raymond Stiller
• 14/1/45 DERBEN Oil Storage Co-Pilot-F/O Raymond Stiller
• Lt Sherrard Crew: ( F/O Stiller may have filled in on 3 missions with this crew)
• 7/03/45 SIEGEN MY, Lt Stiller was my CP as Lt Cully still sick (8hrs)
• 8/03/45 GIESSEN MY, Poor Lead, Lt Cully still out sick (7:45hrs) (Lt Stiller possible CP on this mission?. . mpf)

LEAD CREW (mpf 2000)

LT’s NORMAN GRAHAM & ARTHUR ZEMSKE FROM THE P. B. BATTERMAN CREW REPLACED PORTER AND PATERNO. LT GRAHAM JOINS LT HUTCHINSON’S LEAD CREW AS NAV. AFTER 12 DEC 45 AND LT ZEMSKE JOINS HUTCHINSON CREW IN LATE FEB 45 WHEN LT PATERNO JOINS WOFFORD CREW. LATER P. B. BATTERMAN, HIMSELF, JOINED AS CO-PILOT (MOSTLY FLYING TAIL GUNNER). ALSO SGT TOM FAGAN (ROG) FROM THE BATTERMAN CREW REPLACED THE WOUNDED JACK PARKER.

INCOMPLETE LIST OF MISSIONS FOR LT DAVID HUTCHINSON CREW

CHOWHOUND MISSIONS. . ( FOOD DROPS ))

Lt. Jerome S. Garrison crew:

351st Sqdn. . Crew, as above, joined the 100th on 21 Jan 1945

After six missions, Lt Dolan was replaced by Lt Wallace Polansky from Lt Robert Ellis Crew. After 2 missions, Cpl Mackeigan was replaced by S/Sgt Elmer Hooper from Lt Batterman/Lt Knowles Crew. S/Sgt Costaldo was replaced by T/Sgt Robert May from Lt Batterman/Lt Knowles Crew. Crew flew SKIPPER II 42-31708 EP-R, on March 28, 1945 this crew flew SKIPPER II on its 100th MISSION to Hanover 

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