Codes

2nd Lt. Lawrence E. Townsend

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Larry Townsend Crew
John Miller 2nd from left - 100th BG Photo Archives
 

TARGET WAS ST LO, GROUND SUPPORT
A/C#42 102416 "LADY LUCK"
2ND LT LAWRENCE E. TOWNSEND P POW 25/7/44 ST. LO
2ND LT EDWARD H. FEHRENKAMP CP REC 11/9/44 RUHLAND (LT. HERRES CREW)
2ND LT ARNOLD I. HOLMES NAV EVA 25/7/44 ST. LO (FLEW 32 MISSIONS ACCORDING
TO ESCAPE AND EVASION REPORT)
2ND LT GEORGE D. GARDNER BOM POW 25/7/44 ST. LO
SGT WALTER W. KOLAR TTE EVA 25/7/44 ST. LO
S/SGT ROBERT H. DUNBAR ROG NOC -- --
SGT CHALMERS M. ANDERSON BTG POW 25/7/44 ST. LO
S/SGT GORDON M. LANE WG POW 25/7/44 ST. LO
SGT EARL C. MILAM TG POW 25/7/44 ST. LO

349th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44.
Lt Burkhart was from the crew of S. D. Eichen and replaced Lt Edward H. Fehrenkamp 25 Jul 1944 and T/Sgt Glasser flew for S/Sgt Robert H. Dunbar. T/Sgt Glasser became an EVADEE and 2nd Lt Andrew J. Burkhart was a POW.

Lt Fehrenkamp flies 9 missions with this crew and then is replaced with different CP's from 1 May 44 until 19 Jun 44. He returns to the Crew on 20 June 44 and continues flying missions with this crew until 14 June 44. He is replaced on the Crew by Lt Burkhart from the crew of S. D. Eichen. Lt Fehrenkamp flew his last mission with Lt Herres on Sept 11, 1944 mission to Ruhland.

During May and early June, the following co-pilots flew with the Lt Townsend Crew:

F/O P. V. Lammers May 1, 1944
Lt F. W. Craft- May 7, 1944
Lt H. A. Debbern May 8, 1944
Lt P. L. Mitchell May 12, 1944 & June 6, 7, 1944
Lt D. L. Roth May 13, 19, 20, 1944 & June 2, 1944

Missions for Lt Lawrence E. Townsend

NBR DATE AIRCRAFT TARGET
01 3/18/1944 710 The Savage MUNCIH
02 3/22/1944 957 Horny II ORANIENBURG (BERLIN)
03 . 3/23/1944 710 The Savage BRUNSWICK/ WAGGUM
04 3/28/1944 088 Squawkin Hawk CHATEAUDUN/ EVREUX
05 4/1/1944 347 Billy Boy LUDWIGSHAFEN
NC 4/7/1944 347 Billy Boy QUACKENBRUCK (SCRUBBED)
06 4/8/1944 347 Billy Boy QUACKENBRUCK
07 . 4/9/1944 347 Billy Boy KRZESINKI (POSEN)
08 4/10/1944 347 Billy Boy RHEIMS/ CHAMPAGNE
09 4/11/1944 347 Billy Boy POSEN / ROSTOCK T. O.
NC 4/12/1944 347 Billy Boy SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)
10 5/1/1944 957 Horny II SAARGUEMINES/WIZERNES
11 5/7/1944 107230 Yehudi BERLIN
12 5/8/1944 107230 Yehudi BERLIN & LAGLACERIE
13 5/12/1944 107230 Yehudi BRUX, OIL REFINERY
14 5/13/1944 107230 Yehudi OSNABRUCK
15 . 5/19/1944 107230 Yehudi BERLIN
16 . 5/20/1944 31987 Shilaylee BRUSSELS
17 . 6/6/1944 102416 Lady Luck FALAISE/OUISTREHAM
18 6/7/1944 102416 Lady Luck NANTES (BRIDGES)
19 6/19/1944 102416 Lady Luck CORME ECLUSE, AF
20 6/20/1944 102416 Lady Luck FALLERSLEBEN
21 . 6/21/1944 102416 Lady Luck RUHLAND (START OF RUSSIAN SHUTTLE)
22 6/26/1944 102416 Lady Luck DROHOBYCZ (from Russia)
23 7/3/1944 102416 Lady Luck ARAD (RUMANIA) (from Russia, Landed in Italy)
24 7/5/1944 102416 Lady Luck BEZIER (FROM ITLAY, Landed in England)
25 7/7/1944 102416 Lady Luck BOHLEN/MERSEBURG
26 7/12/1944 102416 Lady Luck MUNICH (IND. AREA)
27 7/14/1944 97806 Now An' Then SOUTH OF FRANCE
28 7/17/1944 97806 Now An' Then AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
29 7/19/1944 97806 Now An' Then SCHWEINFURT & DUREN
30 7/24/1944 102416 Lady Luck ST LO (GND SUPPORT)
31 7/25/1944 102416 Lady Luck ST LO (GND SUPPORT)

EYEWITNESS:
A/C #416 was believed to have been hit by flak from St. Lo shortly after bombs away and before reaching the R. P. (Rally Point). Fire broke out inside the A/C and #2 engine began to smoke. Crewmen began bailing out of the ship which appeared to be flying on APCE. Nine chutes were seen, this would account for the entire crew.

This was the 31st mission for this crew according to our operational records for this time. S/Sgt Walter W. Kolar, evaded the Germans for a few days until the advancing Allied Forces reached his position. He then joined a tank crew and fought until wounded. His new found armored buddies took him to the aid station, where the medical personnel discovered S/Sgt Kolar was Army Air Force. They terminated his short but popular ground combat career and placed him in the hospital. He must have been one of the 100th's most intrepid warriors. .

Hello,
I am a french historian in the Paris aera.
From our sources, the B-17 "Lady Luck" 349th BS was crashed in the Paris aera on the 25 july44.
Best Regards.
Bruno Renoult.
bruno. renoult@club-internet. fr

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