Codes

1st Lt. Wesley R. Carlton

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Related Page:  Henry F. Smith

Part of the Wesley R. Carlton Crew (left to right)

Paul "Pete" Hahn (LWG - taken off crew after 2/25/44 mission to St. Lo when crews were reduced to nine men),
Milton Edelstein (ROG), Hike Bagdasian (TTE), George Watrous (TG), William Schaefer (RWG)
(Photo courtesy of Harry Bagdasian) 
CAPT. HENRY F. SMITH P CPT UNKNOWN UNKNOWN
1ST LT WESLEY R. CARLTON CP KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
2ND LT MARK M. HERTZ NAV/BOM POW 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
(SN# 0-700104 – SEE NOTE BELOW)
T/SGT MILTON S. EDELSTEIN ROG KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
T/SGT HIKE H. BAGDASIAN TTE KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
SGT GARNET E. SYMINGTON BTG CPT 26AUG44 BREST
(FLEW 18 MISSIONS WITH THIS CREW)
S/SGT PAUL J. HAHN LWG NOC -- (FLEW 12 MISSIONS WITH CAPT SMITH
CREW THEN TO SPARE GUNNERS POOL)
S/SGT WILLIAM U. SCHAEFER RWG KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
S/SGT GEORGE E. WATROUS TG KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

350th Sqdn. Crew as of June 1944. Crew flew 14 missions in A/C 42-31991 MISS-CHIEF. It appears this crew used a toggelier for many missions until July 18, 1944 when Lt Eppendorf became the permanent bombardier.

CAPT SMITH WAS A GROUP COMMAND PILOT FROM JUNE 1944 UNTIL COMPLETION OF TOUR. He left the Crew after the June 25th Maquis Supply drop and the crew flew three missions with Lt G. W. Clark (original CP with Lt Tiahrt Crew) as pilot before Lt Wesley Carlton took over the Crew. 2nd Lt Hertz shows up in records as flying as the Navigator on this Crew but left the crew after the July 8, 1944 Clamecy-Joigny mission to become a Pathfinder Bombardier (Lead Crew) with the 100th Bomb Group and the 95th Bomb Group. Capt. Smith became 350th Bomb Squadron Operations Officer in Sept. 1944.

CREW make up from 30 AUG 44 to 11 SEPT 44
MACR #8817, Micro-fiche #3237 -- A/C #42-97154 Our Baby Hutchie
1ST LT WESLEY R. CARLTON P KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
2ND LT EDWARD F. NEU CP POW 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND (PILOT OF OWN CREW)
1ST LT HUGH R. DAVIDSON NAV POW 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND (FROM LT. NEU CREW)
1ST LT JACK L. EPPENDORF BOM KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND (FROM LT. WEGRZYNEK CREW)
T/SGT MILTON S. EDELSTEIN ROG KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
T/SGT HIKE H. BAGDASIAN TTE KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
S/SGT RALPH E. JACOBSON BTG KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
S/SGT WILLIAM U. SCHAEFER WG KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND
S/SGT GEORGE E. WATROUS TG KIA 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

350th Sqdn. Crew as of 30 Aug 44, Jack Eppendorf was originally on the crew of R. A. Wegrzynek and Ralph Jacobson was on the original crew of L. W. Riegel, Lt Davidson from Lt Neu Crew.

MISSION LIST OF CAPT. HENRY SMITH AND LT. WESLEY CARLTON

NBR DATE TARGET PILOT COPILOT A/C # A/C NAME
01 18/6/44 MITBURG LT. SMITH LT. W. CARLTON 2102695 NO NAME
02 19/6/44 CORME ECLUSE LT. SMITH LT. W. CARLTON 232009 BLACK CAT 13
03 20/6/44 FALLERSLEBEN LT. SMITH LT. W. CARLTON 231991 MISS-CHIEF
04 24/6/44 GRAND COURONNE LT. SMITH LT. W. CARLTON 231049 SUPERSTITIOUS ALOYSIOUS
05 25/6/44 MAQUIS SUPPLY DROP LT SMITH LT W. CARLTON 231074 CAHEPIT
06 6/7/44 FLEURY LT. G. W. CLARK LT. W. CARLTON 231991 MISS-CHIEF
07 8/7/44 CLAMECY-JOIGNY LT. G. W. CLARK LT. W. CARLTON 231991 MISS-CHIEF
LT HERTZ LEAVES CREW TO BECOME RADAR/NAVIGATOR
08 11/7/44 MUNICH LT. G. W. CLARK LT. W. CARLTON 231991 MISS-CHIEF
09 18/7/44 KIEL LT. W. CARLTON LT. G. C. MALCOM 231991 MISS-CHIEF
10 20/7/44 MERSEBURG LT. W. CARLTON LT. R. DYKEMAN 231991 MISS-CHIEF
11 21/7/44 REGENSBURG LT. W. CARLTON LT. R. DYKEMAN 231991 MISS-CHIEF
12 24/7/44 ST LO LT. W. CARLTON LT. R. DYKEMAN 231991 MISS-CHIEF
13 25/7/44 ST LO LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU (?) 231991 MISS-CHIEF
CREW REDUCED TO 9 MEN, S/SGT P. J. HAHN IS TAKEN OFF THE CREW AND SENT TO SPARE GUNNERS POOL
14 31/7/44 MUNICH LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU (?) 231991 MISS-CHIEF
15 2/8/44 TERGNIER LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU (?) 231991 MISS-CHIEF
16 3/8/44 TROYES LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU (?) 297924 PARTY TONIGHT
17 4/8/44 HAMBURG LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 338043 NO NAME
18 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 231991 MISS-CHIEF
19 6/8/44 BERLIN LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 46089 LEADING LADY
20 7/8/44 BEAUTOR LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 337882 HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
21 26/8/44 BREST LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 46089 LEADING LADY
SGT G. E. SYMINGTON COMPLETES 35 MISSIONS AND IS REPLACED ON THE CREW BY S/SGT R. E. JACOBSON
22 30/8/44 BREMEN LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 231991 MISS-CHIEF
23 8/9/44 MAINZ LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 231991 MISS-CHIEF
24 9/9/44 DUSSELDORF LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 338043 NO NAME
25 10/9/44 NURNBURG LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU 338043 NO NAME
26 11/9/44 RUHLAND LT. W. CARLTON LT. E. F. NEU-CP 297154 OUR BABY HUTCHIE

The following is quoted from a letter written by E. F. Neu dated 23 July 1945. . . pw

 "…we were flying in the low squadron numbering twelve aircraft of which 11 were shot down. Our ship was badly hit and on fire. Lt Carlton, who was flying in the right seat suffered wounds on the right side of his face and head. Lt. Carlton had his chute fastened to his harness the last time I saw him. While I was trying to move the Engineer's (Bagdasian) body from the escape hatch the ship exploded and I came to on the ground. Due to the fire in the bomb bay no one from the front of the ship could go to the rear, also the inter phone was shot out so no communications in the ship was possible.

Lt. Carlton's wounds seemed to be serious from the way he was bleeding. S/Sgt Schaefer and Watrous were in the rear of the ship and due to fire and no inter phone we could not communicate with them, although they were ordered by Lt. Carlton and myself to leave the ship before out inter phone was shot out. "

MISSION: Merseburg -- MACR#7880, Micro-fiche#2890
DATE: 28 July 1944 -- 350th Sqdn -- A/C#42-97555 PATHFINDER "Island F for Fox" on loan from 95th BG
CAPT FLOYD H. MASON (349TH OPS OFFICER) COM P POW
1ST LT JAMES B. NOBLE P POW
2ND LT ROBERT P. LIPPS CP POW
1ST LT EDMUND J. KAUFMAN RAD/NAV POW
1ST LT ROBERT W. BARRY NAV POW (WIA)
2ND LT MARCUS M. HERTZ BOM POW
T/SGT FRANK CRUZ, JR. TTE POW
T/SGT RUSSELL F. ELLIS ROG POW
S/SGT ARTHUR L. ROBERTS RWG KIA
S/SGT WILLIAM P. MCNALLY TG KIA
S/SGT FREDERICK F. SWARTZ LWG POW

Of the above, Noble, Cruz, Ellis, Roberts, McNally, and Swartz appear to be from the original Noble crew. Lipps was from the M. C. Rumley crew. Kaufman from the R. A. Wegrzynek crew. Barry from the H. E. Bethea crew. Lt Hertz was from Capt. Smith/Lt Wesley Carlton Crew.

Mason had joined the 100th with his own crew on 28/11/43 and may have been on his 2nd tour.

Eyewitness Report:
" At 0850 hours near 5043N-0802E, A/C #555 nosed down twice and the group followed. Then the wheels were lowered and fire was seen in the radio room. Looked as if it might be a flare fire. The A/C peeled off to the right. A small explosion was seen in the right wing between #3 engine and the fuselage.

One man bailed out before the A/C left the formation. The others followed. Nine chutes were seen to open and the tenth had not opened when the man disappeared into the undercast. The fire in the A/C appeared to be out when it plunged into the undercast flying steadily under AFCE control. "

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