| LT MARK COPE |
P |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| LT THOMAS CRYAN (SEE BELOW)
|
CP |
KIA |
18 MAR 44 |
MUNICH |
| LT FESTUS BRYANT |
NAV |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| LT HERBERT G. PRYOR |
BOM |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| SGT JOHN VERBOVSKI |
TTE |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| SGT JOHN C. ELING |
ROG |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| SGT RICHARD E. DONNELLY |
BTG |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| SGT JAMES E. MORRISON |
WG |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| SGT DONALD E. WALKER |
WG |
WIA |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
| SGT RAYMOND BRYAN |
TG |
WIA |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
350th Sqdn. . Crew, as above, joined the 100th in late July or August
1943. Lt. Martin Tashjian flew a few missions with this crew as CP in
place of Thomas Cryan
Crew flew in "Superstitious Aloysious".
Mark Cope went on to become the 350th Operations Officer.
DATE: 18 March 1944 350th Sqdn. A/C#42-39830
MISSION: Augsburg/Munich MACR#3234, Micro-flche#1105
"BERLIN PLAYBOY"
| 2ND LT PAUL A.
MARTIN crew page |
P |
KIA |
| 1ST LT THOMAS
CRYAN
|
CP |
KIA |
| 2ND LT ALBERT F.
RACZ |
BOM |
KIA |
| 2ND LT TOM F.
HUGHES |
NAV |
KIA |
| T/SGT RUSSELL E.
LONGDON |
ROG |
KIA |
| T/SGT LEVI O.
TONN |
TTE |
KIA |
| S/SGT RICHARD J. FAULKNER |
BTG |
EVADEE |
| S/SGT VERYL A.
LUND |
RWG |
KIA |
| S/SGT LONNIE J.
ALBIN |
LWG |
KIA |
| S/SGT JOHN E.
HOWLEY |
TG |
KIA |
The crew joined the 100th on March 10, 1944. The crew flew 5 training
missions and its exact composition is as above except the original CP was
2nd Lt Paul Mitchell. It is known that Thomas Cryan was from the crew of
Mark Cope. This was the crew’s first mission. (mpf nov 2000)
Summary of Eyewitness reports: "A/C #830 and A/C #913 (Flown by D. J.
Stuke) collided over France at 1210 hour near (?) . #830 broke up while
#913 pulled away, badly damaged but apparently under control. One chute
was seen to come from #830. The ship going down under control had two port
engines torn out, and only #4 was operating. The nose of this A/C also was
sheared off. The collision resulted when the Group leader aborted and the
formation scattered and reformed. "
Following from the interrogation of the only survivor, Richard J.
Faulkner, in July 1945 at 3718 AAF Base, Denver, Colorado regarding the
death of Lt Cryan. He gave the following information. Over the coast of
France, Lt. Cryan's bomber (Lt Paul A. Martin/ Pilot) encountered heavy
flak. Formation was broken with lead ship falling out. A new formation
was formed with Lt. Cryan's ship as wing man. There was a sudden
explosion near Lt Cryan's aircraft. Sgt Faulkner, ball turret gunner,
upon bailing out noticed the ship broken in two sections. Sgt Faulkner
having been in the rear section and Lt Cryan's station was in the front
section as co-pilot. Sgt Faulkner became unconscious upon the opening of
his chute and did not regain consciousness until after landing when he
noticed the front section of the aircraft crashed in the woods,
surrounded by German soldiers. Sgt Faulkner was rescued by French
patriots. Having an understanding of the French language, Sgt Faulkner
was informed by the French Patriots that all the remaining crew members
were killed in the crash of the A/C. Descriptions by the French patriots
of one of the bodies found in the front section of the A/C fitted that
of Lt Cryan." The German records in the state that "bodies were thrown
from the plane .. Badly mutilated and identified by I.D. Tags. Burial
took place in the French cemetery in Poix de la Somme and was performed
with military honors.
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