| Lt Clifford H. 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 Kocner |
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.
Harris 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 |
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