FLEW A/C 42-39983 "KATIE"

 351st Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 5/APRIL/44. On 11/5/44, S/Sgts Charley L .Anglin -BTG and John Rupnick- RWG, were flying in place of Martiello & Medhurst, and both were KIA. Both Anglin & Rupnick were listed on the crew of R.V.E. Monrad on 8/3/44.Rupnick was originally on the M. E. Beatty crew when it joined the 100th on 6/9/43. Immediately after bombs were released, A/C received a direct flak hit in wing at #1 engine. Part of the wing was blown off & A/C went down in flaming spin. Heh, Lirette, and South were blown out of A/C. South suffered a compound fracture of a leg when blown from A/C.

 Martiello wounded in the "seat" on 8/5/44 (according to diary entry of Wellingham. See letter from E .D. Medhurst dated Dec.1986. Welllngham kept journal of missions from 12/4/44 to 8/5/44. He was killed on next mission on 11/5/44.

 EYEWITNESS "Our A/C #983 received a direct hit from flak in the wing at the No#1 engine a few seconds after bombs away. Part of the wing was shot off and the A/C went down in a flaming spin, hitting near marshalling yards and exploded. Two (2) chutes were seen” The author of this eyewitness report is not listed in the MACR…jb

 Statement by Lt Richard J. Heh:"The plane received a direct hit by flak which knocked off part of the right wing and set fire to the plane. The plane started spinning and the centrifugal force was so great I could not move to bail out. After a few seconds the gas tanks exploded and blew the bombardier and myself out of the plane. (We had already dropped our bombs) I later met the tail gunner, Herbert South, on the ground who although injured bailed out himself. As for the other men I have no knowledge regarding their destiny. I had no contact with the missing men after the plane was hit. I never regained consciousness until I fell through the air about 10,000 feet." In a later statement Heh mentions Herbert South had sustained a compound fracture of a leg before he bailed out.

 German Reports: Notes Lt Murray Lirette committed to the hospital on 13 May 1944 and states the dead buried at the Luftwaffe Cemetery at Trond air base.

 MISSIONS: