351ST SQDN. . CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 17 JUL 1944. .

Letter from Stanley W. Yates to Paul West following the 1995 100th reunion in Fort Worth, TX - dated Oct 22, 1995

Dear Paul;

…. Some crew history. Crew was formed in early 1944 at Rapid City, south Dakota and completed B-17 phase training in June of 1944. From Rapid City we picked up a new B-17G in Kearney, Nebraska … departed the States July 4th, 1944 via Gander, Newfoundland and Prestwick, Scotland July 9th, 1944. We joined the 100th Bomb Group July 17th, 1944 and flew our first combat mission July, 28th, 1944 to Merseburg, Germany.

…On our 14th mission to Nurnberg, Germany we encountered flak and Stevenson (Robert L. Stevenson – the pilot) was hit in the left thigh. While Stevenson was in the hospital the crew flew with other 1st pilots and on other crews. I am unsure what date or mission Stevenson was returned to flying duty, but I think it was the Nov. 2nd mission to Merseburg. The crew flew together the Dec 30th mission to Kassel. All the crew with the exception of Stevenson had 30 or more missions and the crew was disbanded. Stevenson, with 25 missions was assigned a new crew. Henderson (Floyd E. Henderson – the crew’s original co-pilot) was assigned as 1st Pilot of the Carl HedIn crew. (Shot down Dec 31st at Hamburg. ) Leffingwell had finished with the Kassel mission; I had 33 missions and finished with Duke Quin’s crew on Jan. 7th, 1945.

The Enlisted men were sent home. Stevenson finished his tour Feb. 9th, 1945….

Best Wishes

Stanely (Bill) Yates.

Missions of Stanley W. Yates

ON THE 31 DEC 44 (HAMBURG) MISSION LT FLOYD E. HENDERSON WAS THE FIRST PILOT OF A CREW THAT APPEARS TO BE MAINLY THAT OF CARL J. HEDIN…jb

From Jan 3. 1945 until Feb 9, 1945, Lt Daniel Shaffer was Navigator on Lt Stevenson’s crew

MISSIONS OF LT SHAFFER WITH LT ROBERT STEVENSON AS PILOT

From 1st Lt Daniel Shaffer 0-765734, 351st Navigator, 100th Bomb Group: Joined 100th BG September 1944

"I got separated from my original crew when we flew over from Langley VA. As a result, I had no permanent crew and flew my 35 missions with 5 different Crews. Pilots Kramp, Hughes, Stevenson, Knowles Bazin. Although I came to the 100th as a Bombardier, I was pressed into service as a navigator and did my 35 as such. I did Hamburg 12/31/44 as a substitute for Tom Hughes Navigator. We lost 12 out of 36. It was my 13^th mission and the date of my Wife's birthday. I finished my tour on April 6, 1945 to Leipzig. Four days later-4-10-45 the Bazin Crew were blown out of the sky by a ME 262.

Thanks to Irv Waterbury, I also played in the Century Bombers Orchestra (sax). Irv and Clara became very good friends after the war. Harry Crosby was my Squadron Navigator, Harry Cruver was 351st CO. "………. . (mpf 2001)

Crew Lt Stevenson flew as first pilot in late January 1945

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)

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