Related Page:
Alvin L. Barker
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| George W. Brannan Crew - 351st BS (left to right) |
| Kneeling:
Thomas Leslie, Clyde F. Dale, George W. Brannan, Louis J. Denisco |
| Standing:
Walter Austin, William F. Teaff, Charles F. Elliott,
Howard T. Larimore, Robert L. Greenleaf |
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(100th Photo Archives)
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| This aircraft is depicted in Keith Ferris's painting seen on the cover of "Target Berlin" by Jeffrey L. Ethell and Alfred Price. |
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2ND LT GEORGE W. BRANNAN |
P |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
2ND LT BURTRAM B. ALLEY, JR. |
CP |
RFS |
-- |
MEDICAL |
|
2ND LT CLYDE F. DALE
|
NAV |
KIA |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
2ND LT LOUIS J. DENISCO |
BOM |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
T/SGT WILLIAM F. TEAFF |
ROG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN (DIED 10 JUL 44 – DIPHTHERIA) |
|
T/SGT WALTER AUSTIN |
TTE |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
SGT CHARLES R. ELLIOTT |
BTG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN (FLYING WG 6 MAR 44) |
|
SGT ARTHUR J. PALLAS |
WG |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
|
SGT ORVILLE A. KNAPP |
WG |
NOC |
-- |
SWA 30 DEC 43 LUDWIGSHAVEN |
|
SGT ROBERT L. GREENLEAF |
TG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
351st Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Gp on 1 Dec
1943.
On 6 Mar 44 Lt Thomas Leslie from the crew of L. G. Lacy replaced Lt
Alley and was KIA (Buried in Oldenburg, Grave 277). Sgt Robyn Fulton (on
his 17th mission) of the C. W. Floyd crew flew as BTG. Sgt Elliott, the
crews regular BTG, flew as a WG. Sgt Howard T. Larimore (on his 15th
mission) flew as WG in place of Orville A. Knapp and became a POW.
According to Lt Brannan, the crew flew 13 missions. Brannan says he lost
three planes during his time with the 100th BG.
See MACR #3020, Microfiche #1021
Crew on March 6, 1944 BERLIN
|
2ND LT GEORGE W. BRANNAN |
P |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
LT THOMAS LESLIE
|
CP |
KIA |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN
(FROM L. G. LACY
CREW) |
|
2ND LT CLYDE F. DALE
|
NAV |
KIA |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
2ND LT LOUIS J. DENISCO |
BOM |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
T/SGT WILLIAM F. TEAFF |
ROG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN
(DIED 10 JUL 44 – DIPHTHERIA) |
|
T/SGT WALTER AUSTIN |
TTE |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
SGT ROBYN FULTON |
BTG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN
(FROM C. W. FLOYD CREW) |
|
SGT CHARLES R. ELLIOTT |
WG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN
(ORIGINALLY BTG) |
|
SGT HOWARD T. LARIMORE |
WG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
|
SGT ROBERT L. GREENLEAF |
TG |
POW |
6 MAR 44 |
BERLIN |
THE BRANNAN CREW: MARCH 6, 1944
THE GERMAN FIGHTERS KNOCKED OUT ENGINES 3 & 4 OF A/C 42-31735 "LUCKY
LEE". LT BRANNAN WAS LEADING THE SECOND ELEMENT OF THE LEAD SQUADRON IN
THE 100TH "B" GROUP. THERE WAS A HUGE STREAM OF GASOLINE COMING OFF THE
RIGHT WING AND LT BRANNAN ISSUED THE BAIL OUT SIGNAL FEARING AN
EXPLOSION. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE SHIP EXPLODED KILLING LT THOMAS
LESLIE (CP) AND LT DALE (NAV). "LUCKY LEE" CRASHED AT HAUSSTETTE NEAR
BAKUM, GERMANY.
Memories of Sgt Greenleaf from Family: The first being their 13th
mission and the first Lucky Lee had previously crash landed in England
(actually this was Sunny II…mpf). . . Lt Dale had been shot and went
down with the plane…A lot of flak and while in plane, Sgt Greenleaf was
hit near his hip and when parachuted down, local youth greeted and
prodded them with sticks. Spent the night in jail and put into box cars,
no food or heat, horses and cattle had been in there before. When forced
to march to keep ahead of Russians (1945) some had to drop thin packs
and they were bayoneted to keep going. Stole eggs from farmers and dug
under straw to get potatoes.
T/Sgt Teaff Bailed out successfully and was taken prisoner. Died in
Stalag Luft VI on July 10th, 1944 from complications from diphtheria.
The Germans buried him with full military honors in Grave 4 of the Camp
Cemetery Heydrekrug, Eastern Prussia. T/Sgt Teaff's grave is believed to
have been lost in the later stages of the war and as of 1944 has not
been found. As such he is commemorated on The Wall of the Missing in
Netherlands…. . Lt Brannan Crew Casualty Report
Some of the missions flown by Lt Brannan's crew:
|
Date |
Target/Remarks |
|
Dec 30. 1943 |
Ludwigshaven- flying a/c 42-30796 SUNNY II,
EP-J, The aircraft was badly damaged by fighters, Lt Brannan
crash landed the plane 4 miles from Thorpe Abbotts at Starston
near Harlseston, UK. Sgt Knapp was seriously wounded in the
crash and two others slightly hurt. |
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Feb 3, 1944 |
WILHELMSHAVEN, GER |
|
Feb 5, 1944 |
VILLACOUBLAY, FRANCE, Crew flew an as yet
identified aircraft named "My Gal" (most likely Our Gal Sal. .
mpf). |
|
Feb 6, 1944 |
EVREUX, FRANCE; Crew flew "My Gal" (most likely
Our Gal Sal…mpf) |
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Feb 10, 1944 |
BRUNSWICK |
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Feb 20, 1944 |
BREMEN (Start of Big Week) |
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Feb 24, 1944 |
POSEN (Big Week) |
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Feb 25, 1944 |
REGENSBURG (End of Big Week) |
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Mar 2, 1944 |
CHARTES, AF |
|
Mar 3, 1944 |
BERLIN; Recall due to bad weather, Crew was
flying 42-31735, EP-B LUCKY LEE, which sustained some flak
damage |
|
Mar 4, 1944 |
BERLIN; Recall due to bad weather, Crew was
flying 42-31735, EP-B LUCKY LEE |
|
Mar 6, 1944 |
BERLIN, SHOT DOWN, Crew was flying 42-31735,
EP-B, LUCKY LEE. |
LUCKY LEE- THIS PLANE IS DEPICTED IN KEITH FERRIS'S
PAINTING "FORTRESS ENGAGED" SEEN ON THE COVER OF THE BOOK "TARGET
BERLIN" BY JEFFREY L. ETHELL AND ALFRED PRICE.
Email Note from James W. Terman (2006):
My uncle, Charles F. Elliott recently died of throat cancer after
care at the VA Hospital, Indianapolis. He was a sergeant waist gunner on
B-17s and was with the 100th BG at Thorpe Abbott, He flew 13 missions,
the majority in "Lucky Lee". On about his 10th mission that aircraft was
disabled, and he was moved to a Wing Commander's (an unknown colonel)
plane on or about 30 Dec. '43. On return from this mission there was
major damage, the plane crash landing in a field 5 miles from base. On 6
March '44 his last aircraft was on Mission 250 to Berlin. Near Stetin,
E. Prussia, the plane was hit midship by ground fire. Three crew were
killed immediately, the co-pilot died in the fall, the pilot and
bombardier made it out of the plane. Uncle Charley snagged in the hatch,
was pushed out by another crewman, bumped the horizontal stabilizer, but
successfully opened his chute and made it 6000 ft. to the ground. He was
immediately found by Polish peasants but German soldiers commandeered
him. He spent the rest of the 16 months war, mostly in Stalag Luft III,
until his camp was liberated by Russian troops. Oh by the way, using
your information I found Uncle Charley's picture in the crew photo of
"Lucky Lee". Very exciting. He looked good. My earliest memory of him
was lying prone on a Stryker frame at the Cold Spring Road VA Hospital
in Indianapolis where he was recuperating from the back injury sustained
during his 16 months in Stalag Luft 3 and 4. A German guard hit him in
the back with a rifle butt.
Regards,
Jim Terman |
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