349th Sqdn.. This crew, as above, joined the 100th on 22 Aug 1944

According to Ken Everett, the Combat Report for 29 Dec 44 states the A/C, #44-8514 " LASSIE COME HOME", was hit by flak over the target and the pilot gave the bailout order only to be able to gain control if the ship and return to base. For unknown reasons the gunners in the rear of the A/C did not bail out and returned with the pilot. The report shows Lt James H. Young (CP), Lt John H. Peters (NAV) from Lt Joseph Ricker Crew, Lt James A. McElrath (BOM) and T/Sgt Robert W. Garrison (TTE) as members of Crew #8. All were listed as MIA over Germany on 29/12/44.

The 29 Dec 1944 Mission
Lost above a solid overcast after part of his crew had jumped from their burning, flak-riddled radio-less Fortress over the target of Frankfurt-on-Main, Lt. John K. Furrer, 100th Bomb Group pilot and four gunners were led home by a lone Mustang, piloted by Lt. James R. Evans, of Long Beach, California, which zoomed up through the overcast and found the bomber wandering aimlessly.

"I'm staying with the plane," Furrer told his crewmen, after giving the bail out order. "My flak suit is caught in the seat." By the time his crew released him the fire had gone out. While the bomber plummeted 14,000 feet...With radio out of order, it was only by sign-language between Evans and waist gunner S/Sgt Paul Miller that messages were passed between fighter and bomber. In this manner, the Mustang led the Fort safely back to Thorpe Abbotts.
(Hiram Johnson)

email = JOHNPETE01@MSN.COM
uname = JOHN H. PETERS (from Lt Joseph Ricker Crew)
comments = I WAS SUBSTITUTE NAVIGATOR ON LT. FURRER'S CREW. BAILED OUT 12/29/1944 OVER FRANKFURT AND WAS POW.

Submitted by: Lt. Col. John K. Furrer U.S.A.F. Ret. (November 2003):
On December 29^th 1944, while on a mission targeting Frankfurt, Germany the following narrative clarifies the sequence of events.

As we left the IP and entered the bomb run, we encountered extreme headwinds; my navigator reported a ground speed of less than one hundred miles per hour. Needless to say, the enemy flak that we were experiencing was heavy and persistent. Immediately after releasing our bombs Aircraft #44-8514 "Lassie Come Home" piloted by me; 1^st Lt. John K. Furrer (AKA Jack) took a direct flak hit. The flak struck the left wing area, and immediately flames engulfed the wing and the number one and two engines. The flames extended well beyond the aircraft tail section.

The force of the impact blew the aircraft upwards and to the right. The aircraft was totally out of control and how we avoided hitting other aircraft in the formation can only be attributed to good luck. Fearing an imminent explosion I issued the "Bail Out" order. Those crewmembers in the forward section of the aircraft complied. It was then that I realized my flak suit was entangled with my seat and if I was going to execute a successful evacuation I had to regain control of the aircraft.

I feathered both engines on the left side and after plummeting 14,000 feet I was able to pull the aircraft out of a nearly vertical dive. The maneuver extinguished the fires.

Then a voice came over the intercom, "What’s going on up there?" I realized that during the confusion my microphone had disconnected and those crewmembers in the rear of the aircraft had not heard the "bail out" order. Four of the gunners were still aboard. Sgt. Miller came forward and assisted in extricating me from my flak suit.

I was having difficulty maintaining altitude and ordered the crew to jettison all loose equipment. We discarded all our guns, ammunition, ect. and headed in a Westerly direction toward England.

All our radios and navigation equipment were inoperative; no maps were available (they had been jettisoned as loose equipment) when a P-51 piloted by Lt. James Evans of Long Beach, California pulled up along side. Messages were passed between Lt. Evans and Sgt. Miller by sign language and in this manner we were led safely back to Thorpe Abbotts.

This mission was my twenty-ninth and last combat mission, because of stress I was temporarily grounded and returned to the United States.

At the time of this incident I was 20 years old.

Of those crewmembers who had "bailed out", three: Lt. James H. Young, Lt. James A. McElrath, and Lt. John Peters were interned as POW’s, Sgt. Robert W. Garrison was KIA.

SUBJECT: List of combat missions flown by Lt. John K. Furrer, assigned as pilot with the 349th squadron, 100th Bomb Group, 3rd Air Division, 8th Air Force.

I’ve checked my Flight Log and compared it to the list of 306 missions that the 100th Bomb Group flew. My Flight Log showed that I flew on the following missions:

The discrepancy between my twenty-nine missions and the thirty-two missions listed in my Flight Log were three aborted missions.