Codes

1st Lt. Albert W. Grigg

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Albert W. Grigg Crew (left to right)
Kneeling: Raymond Gunn (TG), Victor Lockard (ROG), Shirley Broussard (WG)
 J.V. McDonald (TTE), Lawrence Rogers (BTG)
Standing: Cpl Farinella (WG), Albert Grigg (P), Harry Molder (CP), Lt. Lynch (NAV), Ralph Westerburg (BOM)
Photo courtesy of Lauren Austin
 

1st Lt Albert W. Grigg P POW 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
2nd Lt Harry L. Moulder, Jr CP POW 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
F/O Fred W. Dace NAV POW 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
2nd Lt Ralph E. Westerburg BOM POW 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
T/Sgt Victor V. Lockard ROG POW 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
T/Sgt J. V. McDonald, Jr TTE POW 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
S/Sgt Lawrence M. Rogers BTG POW 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
S/Sgt Shirley J. Broussard WG KIA 7-Oct-44 Bohlen
S/Sgt Raymond H. Gunn TG KIA 7-Oct-44 Bohlen

350th Sqdn. Crew, as above, taken from Micro film of Combat Crew Rosters of 25/8/44 and 1/3/44. MACR shows F/0 Fred W. Dace as Navigator in place of Lee Raden. Dace, from the crew of F. O. Parrish, became a POW. When this crew arrived at the 100th late July 1944, the Navigator was 2nd Lt. Roy M. Lynch. He was KIA 11/9/44 with crew of H. E. Holliday. MACR #9562,Micro-fiche#3512

EYEWITNESS:
"The pilot of A/C#531 called his group leader over VHF about 70 miles east of the Netherlands border and said he had insufficient gasoline to reach England. He asked for a bearing to the nearest friendly A/F. He said he had about 40 gallons in each tank. He was instructed to try and reach Eindhaven. He complained of no other difficulties with his A/C and when last seen was in normal flight. The group commander believes his fuel should have permitted him to reach Eindhoven easily."

Apparently there was not enough gas to reach a friendly A/F for Lt. Grigg made the following report after the War. (See MACR):
We attempted a belly landing in the only suitable field in sight and met very heavy ground fire on the approach. From what I have been told by F/O Dace this was when Sgt. Broussard was killed by a direct hit. I attempted to pull away from the ground fire on 3 engines but they followed us. I managed to get back to approx.1200 feet and ordered the crew to jump, there wasn't fuel to go further. F/O Dace said that the radio man wasn't sure of what he had heard and handed the ear-phones to him (Dace) but that another shell went off and no one in the radio room knew of anything that happened after that until they came to on the ground. After calling the radio room, I tried to get the C-1 working but the best I could do was a mushy glide. I don't know how long I tried but my #2 & #3 engines finally quit and I jumped. I would judge the altitude was 500 feet or lower at that time as I opened my chute as soon as I Was out and it swung me into the ground before I could stop swinging. From what I heard from my crew later no one had seen Sgt. Gunn at the plane on the ground or elsewhere so we assumed he had gotten away and I had no idea he was dead until I arrived home and received a letter from his mother. No one else was hurt permanently although all were injured except Lt. Moulder & Sgt. McDonald excepting of course the two known dead. This is all I know of what happened that day.    

Albert W. Grigg.

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