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Lt. Clifford H. "Ted" Harris Crew
L to R Standing: Charles Piazee, Albert "Al" Viltro,
Benjamin Roberts, Frank Kocher, Earl "Alec" Alexander.
and Robert "Woody" Woodville. Kneeling: Stanley
Russell, Paul Hoff, Clifford "Ted" Harris, Fred Leech.
Photo courtesy of Nick Alexander, son of Earl
Alexander
Photo identification thanks to Michael Harris and Debbi
Sullivan, children of Clifford Harris |
| Lt. Clifford H. "Ted" Harris |
P |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| Lt. Paul H. Hoff |
CP |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| Lt. Stanley Russell |
NAV |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| Lt. Frederick C. Leech |
BOM |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| S/Sgt Frank Kocher |
ROG |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| S/Sgt Robert G. Woodville |
TTE |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| Sgt. Albert J. Viltro |
BTG |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| Sgt. Benjamin T. Rogers |
WG |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
| Sgt. Earl H. Alexander |
TG |
CPT |
5-Jan-45 |
FRANKFURT |
418th Sqdn. Joined 100th, as above, on 29/7/44. ONE OF THE LAST AIRCRAFT
TO LEAVE THORPE ABBOTTS AT THE CLOSE OF HOSTILITIES. DEPARTED 25 SEP 1945Harris remained in Air Force until 1950 and then recalled for Korean
conflict.
Story from Clifford "Ted" Harris as sent in a email to Jan Riddling
March 3, 2000...JR
On Aug 28 ,1944 the 8th AF started for Berlin with the 100th BG
leading. I led the second element in Milk Run Mabel (43-37808) which put
me under and slightly right of the lead and he had two wingmen and so did
I. I had another element of three below me. So I was right in the middle
of a lot of airplanes. As we flew across the Channel we could see a cold
front ahead northwest to southeast across northern Germany. The lead kept
zigzagging to gain altitude to get over the front but it was pretty high.
We were up about 30,000ft when we ran out of room and the lead went right
straight into the clouds with the rest of us behind. It was so thick I
could barely see my inboard engine. I held airspeed , heading and altitude
as close as I could as I had no place to go. At any time I expected to run
into the guy ahead of me or have a wingman fly in my window but nothing
else that I could do. The radio was quiet with only the constant humming
of a thousand radar sets making any noise. It was terrifying and I'd take
flak anytime to that. We were in it I guess for about three minutes and
suddenly broke out into bright sunshine---there was Denmark and the Kiel
Canal and the Baltic Sea, the North German Coast----------BUT-----Not a
damned airplane in sight. I looked back to see some popping out of the
clouds below and above so everyone had scattered but I couldn't do that.
The mission was a shambles so it was scrubbed and we reassembled let down
over the North Sea to about 500 feet to get under the front and went home.
Scary!!!!! Ted
|
DATE |
TARGET |
A/C # & NAME |
|
8/14/1944 |
LUDWIGSHAVEN (OIL) |
38175 LD-O |
|
8/15/1944 |
VENLO |
38175 LD-O |
|
8/18/1944 |
PACY SUR ARMANCON |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
8/26/1944 |
BREST |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
8/27/1944 |
BERLIN (RECALL) |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/1/1944 |
MAINZ (RECALL) |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/3/1944 |
BREST |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/5/1944 |
STUTTGART (AERO ENGS) |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/8/1944 |
MAINZ |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/12/1944 |
MAGDEBURG (OIL) |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/13/1944 |
SINDELFINGEN |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/18/1944 |
WARSAW (RUSSIAN SHUTTLE) |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/19/1944 |
SZOLNOK (RUSSIA-FOGGIA ) |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
|
9/22/1944 |
RUSSIAN SHUTTLE CREWS RETURN |
37808 LD-U MILK RUN MABEL |
On the 15th of August 1945, Colonel Jack Wallace,
Commanding Officer of the 100th toured the base personally announcing the
100th was scheduled to return to the U. S. A. The last six (6) aircraft to
leave with passengers did so under Special Order No #1 dated 25 Sep 1945.
Destination was Greinier Field at Manchester, New Hampshire. The lead
aircraft, B-17G #44-8912 was flown by Major Johnson R. Staples. Aboard were
five (5) crew members and five (5) passengers. Those aboard are listed
below.
|
Maj Johnson R. Staples |
A/C Commander |
418th Sqdn CO |
-- |
|
Maj J. S. Robinson |
Co-pilot |
418th Sqdn |
Lead 100th 24 Dec 44 Bulge
Relief. |
|
Capt E. C. King |
Navigator |
351st Sqdn |
Flew 24 May 1944 Berlin Mission |
|
T/Sgt E. W. Miller |
Flight Engineer |
418th Sqdn |
Flying at the end of hostilities |
|
T/Sgt F. Kocher |
Radio Operator |
418th Sqdn |
CPT Tour 05 Jan 1945 Frankfurt.
|
|
M/Sgt J. Klingenstein |
Passenger |
-- |
Flight Line Chief |
|
Maj Horace L. Varian |
Passenger |
-- |
Gnd Executive Officer |
|
Capt William A. Carleton |
Passenger |
351st Sqdn |
Group Engineering Officer |
|
Capt A. J. Tong |
Passenger |
349th Sqdn. |
Bombardier |
|
F/O S. E. Wood |
Passenger |
350 th Sqdn |
Co-pilot |
|
-end-
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