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.