Codes

1st Lt. Jean V. DePlanque

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1ST LT JEAN (Jack) V. DePLANQUE P CPT -- sn# 0-791917
2ND LT CHARLES S. BAYHA CP POW 03 MAR 45 BRUNSWICK sn# 0-776218
F/O CHARLES A. BENYUNES NAV CPT 03 MAR 45 BRUNSWICK
2ND LT STANLEY A. RABINOWITZ BOM RFS -- MEDICAL REASONS sn# 0-776796
SGT RAYMOND C. KOWALSKI ROG CPT -- sn# 36854767
SGT JOSEPH KOSIK TTE CPT -- sn# 33435727
SGT STANLEY P. CARSON BTG KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG sn# 37685440
(With the Blackman crew)
SGT HAROLD SMITH WG CPT -- sn# 14001294
SGT KING M. WELDON WG NOC -- sn# 18233225
SGT KENNETH L. CRISPIN, JR TG CPT -- sn# 19206929

418th Sqdn. . Crew, as above, joined the 100th BG 22 Sep 1944

Crew flew a new B-17G from Lincoln Nebraska to Wales to Scotland. Arrived England on September 16, 1944

Once at Thorpe Abbotts, Crew trained (practice missions and familiarization flights) for about 2 weeks before they flew their first mission.

Lt. Strom Rhode flew last part of his tour with this crew.

Lt. DePlanque flew crew home via Dakar/ Natal/ Palm Beach

Sgt King Weldon probably removed at crew reduction (nine). Daniel L. McKeen (CP) from the Appleton crew flew some missions with this crew, perhaps to replace C. S. Bayha.

2nd Lt Stanley Rabinowitz sn# 0-776-796 was wounded by flak on his 8th mission. After many weeks in the hospital, he returned to flight duty. He flew 9 additional missions, each with a different crew, usually as a deputy lead. In all, he flew 17 missions. On his 17th mission his leg was re-injured and he was sent to a convalescent hospital in N. Y. He spent 3 months there for treatment and was discharged. (Stanley Rabinowitz 2000 mpf)

Missions of T/Sgt Kenneth L. Crispin (mpf 2001):

NBR DATE TARGET NOTES
01 09/10/44 WIESBADEN --
02 12/10/44 BREMEN FW PLANT
03 17/10/44 COLOGNE --
04 18/10/44 KASSEL FORCED DOWN IN LIEGE, BELGIUM, EVERYONE OK
05 30/10/44 MERSEBURG CALLED BACK, BUT DEEP ENOUGH AND GOT CREDIT
06 02/11/44 MERSEBURG ROUGH ONE BUT HIT IT THIS TIME. OIL, WE WERE LEAD CREW NOW. I WAS TAIL GUNNER ON THE CREW AND AND THE PILOT 1ST LT DePLANQUE WANTED ME TO STAY BACK THERE AS FORMATION CONTROL PERSON. I RECEIVED THE RANK OF T/SGT. WE HAD A RADAR OFFICER AND ALWAYS HAD A COMMANDING OFFICER AS CO-PILOT. OUR CO-PILOT AND BALL TURRET GUNNER WENT TO ANOTHER CREW.
07 05/11/44 LUDWIGSHAVEN CHEMICAL AND OIL, ROUGH
08 10/11/44 WIESBADEN ONLY SQUADRON IN OUR GROUP TO GO OVER THE TARGET, FOR SOME REASON, GOT THE HELL SHOT OUT OF US, THE BOMBARDIER GOT HIT IN THE LEG AND I GOT A SMALL PEICE ON MY HAND. I WAS OK, R&R ETC.
09 24/12/44 BIBLIS AIRFIELD SOMEWHERE OVER FRONT LINES, CHRISTMAS EVE, PRETTY ROUGH
10 31/12/44 HAMBURG NEW YEARS EVE, OIL, REALLY ROUGH, LOTS OF FLAK AND ENEMY FIGHTERS (DEPLANQUE ALSO FLEW LEAD IN "C" GROUP DECEMBER 31, 1944 MISSION TO HAMBURG WITH COL. WOOTEN AS COMMAND PILOT. )
11 03/01/45 FULDA --
12 04/01/45 FRANKFURT --
13 17/01/45 HAMBURG --
14 20/01/45 HIELBRONN --
15 29/01/45 KASSEL --
16 09/02/45 WEIMAR --
17 14/02/45 CHEMNITZ --
18 17/02/45 FRANKFURT FORCED DOWN IN BELGIUM AGAIN
19 10/03/45 DORTMUND --
20 12/03/45 SWINEMUNDE (SEE CREW LIST BELOW)

Capt. DePlanque flew the Lead to Swinemunde 12 March 1945 with Major Harry Cruver (351st Commanding Officer) as Command Pilot:

Command Pilot Major Harry Cruver
Pilot Capt. J. V. DePlanque
Co-Pilot (Tail Observer) Lt. D. L. McKeen
Navigator Lt. R. E. Kirby
Radar Navigator Lt. S. C. "Storm": Rhode
Bombardier Lt. C. H. Svendson
Command Navigator Lt. W. P. Klinikowski
Radio Operator T/Sgt R. C, Kowalski
Engineer T/Sgt J. Kosik
Waist Gunner S/Sgt Harold Smith
Waist Gunner T/Sgt K. L. Crispin

Mission list continued:

NBR DATE TARGET NOTES
21 19/03/45 FULDA --
22 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN --
23 23/03/45 UNNA RAIL YARDS
24 24/03/45 ZIEGENHAIN AIRFIELD
25 04/04/45 KIEL SUB YARDS
26 06/04/45 LEIPZIG RAIL YARDS
27 14/04/45 BORDEAUX/ROYAN NAVY GUNS
28 17/04/45 AUSSIG RAIL YARDS
--- MAY 1945 CHOWHOUND MISSIONS --

 

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