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L-R Russel Parmater
(NG/TOG), Lt Sustarsic (CP) Jonn D. McGeorge Crew Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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Russel
Parmater NG/TOG in middle, other two unknown. Parmater on John D.
McGeorge Crew Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
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Russel Parmater 2nd
from Left, others unknown Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
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Lt Robert Schmidt, Nav
on John D.
McGeorge Crew Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
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Photo labeled Cully,
Pat, Ken. need help with ID Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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Pathfinders lined up
on Runway Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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Pathfinders lined up
on Runway Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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Pathfinders lined up
on Runway Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
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Keeping a sharp mind
after the War has ended Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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German ME 262 with
unknown seated inside Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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German ME 262 with
unknown seated inside Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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View of center console
and instrument panel. Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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Pathfinder 48473 EP-Q
Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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Pathfinder 48252 EP-F
Courtesy Steve Parmater Collection |
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NCO members of the
John D. McGeorge crew; Front Row, L-R Russel Parmater, Joseph
Schwab Standing L-R Allen Reed, Orville Brown, Ernest
Champion, Albert Hewitt Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
 |
Russel Parmater 2nd
from Left NG/TOG on John
D. McGeorge Crew Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
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Lt John McGeorge
Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
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Lt
Robert Schmidt-Navigator on John D. McGeorge Crew Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
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Russel Parmater,
NG/TOG on John
D. McGeorge Crew Detailed
Information Courtesy Steve Parmater
Collection |
 |
May 31
1944 - Frederick A. Ricci crew fresh from America flew this new
B-17 over to England out of Dow Field-Bangor, Maine. Left to
right: front row- 2nd Lt. Frederick A. Ricci (P), 2nd Lt. Norval
J. Stewart (CP), F/O Michael P. Murphy (N), 2nd Lt. Arthur R.
Thompson Jr. (B) Back row-Sgt. Joseph Hall (E), Sgt. Arthur G.
Goldie (RO), Cpl. Homer L. Parish (AG), Sgt. Everett G. Wygaard
(CG), Cpl. Kenneth G. Whitney (CG), Sgt. Eli Garcia
(CG) Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
 |
Joe
Hall in his flight gear Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
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Joe
Hall's escape photo- Every crew member of a B-17 carried an
"Escape Photo" with them on each mission. This is Joe's
orginal escape photo that was to be used to make documents by the
"underground" which would help Americans shot down
behind German lines escape back to England. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
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Joe
Hall picture in his flight head gear. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
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Joe
Hall on leave in London, with "Big Ben" Tower Clock in
the background. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
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Joe
Hall at training camp-Joe had a humorous side, that's him on the
right wearing just a Gas Mask and little else... ;-) Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
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Joe
Hall dressed as an army soldier at training camp (Amarillo Tx), he
is on the left with some of his buddies. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
 |
Photo
of "Cpl. Homer L. Parish (AG)." He was the ball turret
gunner shown here in full leather flight gear, he was killed in
the "runaway guns" incident on the second mission on the
tarmac of Thorpe Abbotts airfield. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
 |
Joe
Hall is in the middle of a group of soldiers he finished
"boot camp" with and yes, he admitted this photo was
taken while they were celebrating and they were probably drinking
spirits of some kind. They look very happy at that
time. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
 |
This is
a photo of "Shorty." He was on the ground crew and was
working on Joe Hall's bomber at the time. His job was to keep
those four huge engines on "THE LATEST RUMOR"
running at their best Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
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Joe
Hall took a close up of "THE LATEST RUMOR" with a
little brownie camera. Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
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This is
an official army photo of "THE LATEST RUMOR" nose
art sent to me by a Richard Rock who gave me permission to use
that photo, with official army id and numbers on it.
Courtesy Joe Hall Collection |
 |
This is
another photo from Richard Rock's collection of nose art photos
that he sent me. This photo is of "THE LATEST RUMOR"
and the ground crew is in the photo under the nose of the bomber.
Courtesy Joe Hall Collection |
 |
Full
side view of the B-17 "THE LATEST RUMOR" as taken
by Joe Hall. Courtesy Joe Hall Collection |
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Full
front view of "THE LATEST RUMOR" showing the two
inside engines off the plane to be rebuilt... bare engine mounts
showing. Courtesy Joe Hall Collection |
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That's
the radio operator Arthur G. Goldie standing on the wing of "THE
LATEST RUMOR" in this photo next to top turret position.
That is Joe's top turret in the back ground. Joe painted his
wife's name "June" under the turret with the twin 50
caliber machine guns pointed up to the sky. Joe told me "The
main thing to remember when using the machine guns in the top
turret was, don't shoot the tail rudder off the plane!" He
may have been joking, I believe there was some kind of stops on
the top turret travel to prevent that.
The line of bombs you see painted along the side of the plane
in the photo with Goldie represented the number of successful
missions that plane and crew had flown. Before this crew went home
to America there where 35 mission "bombs" painted on
"THE LATEST RUMOR" when the crew finished their
tour of duty. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
 |
This
photo is the tail gunner Eli Garcia leaning against the tail guns
of "THE LATEST RUMOR." Those are the twin 50
caliber machine guns Eli used in air combat to defend the rear of
the bomber during attacks by enemy aircraft. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
 |
This
photo is of one of the crew members on "THE LATEST RUMOR",
his name is Kenneth G. Whitney. He is holding onto his
"waist" gunner's 50 caliber machine gun. Joe Hall said
this about Ken, "his job was to look out for black-black
flares. Unfortunately he was color blind so we had to make the
peach fuss 18 year old a waist gunner. Ken could shoot the eye out
of a cow at five feet. He had two cows to his credit, but we never
talk about that." Apparently the air crew was not suppose to
shoot at French cows... but wanted to stay in practice, for
obvious reasons. Detailed
Information Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
 |
On one
mission Joe's bomber flight needed fighter cover on the way back
to their B-17 air base at Thorpe Abbotts. These two P-51 Mustangs
(little friends) in this photo landed after the B-17s to refuel.
After refueling these same two P-51s then took off for their
fighter base. Courtesy Joe Hall
Collection |
