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A Pilot's Memories |
 Charles D. Walts
Crew (left to right)
Back Row: Bill Higginbotham (POW) Tail Gunner;
Travis Brumbeau (POW) Radio Operator;
Frank Fetherston (KIA) Left Waist Gunner; Clyde Walker (KIA)
Engineer & Top Turret;
Henry Gratzfeld (KIA) Ball Turret; Thomas Murphy (POW)
Right Waist.
Front Row: Charles D. Walts (POW) Pilot; Richard
Cooper Dodson (KIA) Bombardier;
Louis H. Oss (POW) Navigator; Jerome H Wallace (KIA)
Co-Pilot
According to Charles Walts: “Our B17 was the
‘Invadin Maiden’. This picture was made in Grand Island,
Nebraska in August 1943 before leaving for England.”
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Thelma Walts (November 2006)
|
| 2nd Lt. |
Charles D. Walts |
P |
POW |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
|
2nd Lt. |
Jerome H. Wallace |
CP |
KIA |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
| 2nd Lt. |
Louis H. Oss |
NAV |
POW |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
|
2nd Lt. |
Richard C. Dodson |
BOM |
KIA |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
| T/Sgt |
Travis L. Brumbeau |
ROG |
POW |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
|
S/Sgt |
Clyde M. Walker |
TTE |
KIA |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
|
Sgt |
Herny A. Gratzfeld |
BTG |
KIA |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
| S/Sgt |
Thomas F. Murphy |
WG |
POW |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
|
Sgt |
Frank E. Fetherston |
WG |
KIA |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
| Sgt |
William O. Higginbotham |
TG |
POW |
10-Oct-43 |
Munster |
350th Sqdn. This was the fourth mission for the crew.
Sgt. Walker may have died of wounds in hospital or POW camp.
STATEMENT (in MACR) BY Lt.Walts:
"Lt Oss climbed out nose of plane (it had broken in half) after it had
come out of spin over target at 1500 ft. Sgts. Higginbotham & Murphy
bailed out before it went into the spin. Sgt. Brumbeau believes he was
thrown from plane when it broke in two. Sgt. Murphy wounded by burst of
20mm just as he and Fetherston were about to jump. Fetherston probably
killed by this burst. Oss recalled seeing Lt. Dodson lying in nose of
plane and believed him dead or mortally wounded."
As Walts was crawling to the escape hatch he had to crawl over Lt
Wallace and noticed that blood covered his face. |
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