| 2ND LT ETHAN PORTER |
P |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
| 2ND LT EMMET B. TURNER, JR |
CP |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
| 2ND LT VERNON R. HENRIKSEN |
NAV |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
2ND LT NATHANIEL T. GAULT
Became Lead Radar Operator – "Mickey" |
BOM |
CPT |
-- |
-- |
| CPL VICTOR P. DISTELRATH |
TTE |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
| CPL CLARENCE A. GRIFFIN |
BTG |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
| SGT DONALD F. HOUK |
ROG |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
CPL HARLAND D. HAND
Became TOG when Gault left crew |
WG |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
| CPL JAMES A. MURRAY |
WG |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
| CPL FRANCIS O. CRIST |
TG |
CPT |
28/2/45 |
KASSEL |
350th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 15/9/44. See S. O.
C. p. 88/89
Original Navigator was Lt John D. McGregor.
Ethan Porter was the pilot who vainly attempted to warn
MacNab and Rojohn at
Hamburg on the last day of the year 1944. Vernon Henriksen informed jb in
1991 that Emmet Turner was killed crop dusting in CA, he did not know
the date, putting it at many years ago. . . pwExcerpts from a letter to Jim Brown from Nathaniel T. Gault of
February 11, 1991. . . pw
...I received you letter and am sorry I have not
answered. I am recovering from a bout with kidney stones spent 12 days
in the hospital. Enclosed is the roster of the Ethan A. Porter crew.
(see above) Our crew flew a new Pathfinder B-17 from Langley Field,
Virginia to England by way of Labrador and Iceland. We landed in England
the latter part of July 1944, where we were sent to the 95th Bomb Group.
A day or two later we were sent to the 100th Bomb Group, 350th Squadron
to replace heavy losses by the 100th. Lt. John D. McGregor was taken off
our crew and trained as a Radar or Mickey Operator and was replaced by
Lt. Vernon Henriksen as navigator. After flying nine missions as a
bombardier with Lt. Porter's crew, I was persuaded by Major Bob Gibson,
with a slight twist of my arm, to go to Radar Navigators School in
England. I never saw Lt. Porter's crew again as they had finished their
missions and I lost contact with them. I understand that Harlan Hand
became the toggelier. He was a waist gunner before. Jim Murray was a
waist gunner and Francis Crist was the ball turret gunner. After
completing Radar School I became a Mickey Operator and placed on the
lead crew of
Lt. I. Champion...
| Capt C. E. Robbs |
Command Pilot: |
| Lt. I. Champion |
Pilot |
| Lt. J. A. Plough |
Co-Pilot (Tail Observer) |
| Lt. R. Andris |
Navigator |
| Lt. N. T. Gault |
Radar |
| Lt. W. J. Wellings |
Bombardier |
| S/Sgt H. A. Krumwiede |
Radio Operator |
| S/Sgt H. E. Lodl |
Engineer |
| S/Sgt F. J. Finn |
Waist Gunner |
| Sgt A. R. Spencer |
Waist Gunner |
...I flew 24 missions before VE Day. I was removed
from the Champion crew and returned home where I became an instructor
at Boca Raton, Florida, before being mustered out of the Air Corps in
November, 1945... N. T. Gault (2/11/91) Missions of Victor
P. Distelrath (TTE):
Courtesy of Dave Distelrath (son) 5/26/2006
| Date |
Nbr (100th) |
Target (s) |
Time |
Results |
Enemy
Destroyed |
100th
Lost |
Crew
Lost |
| 10/9/44 |
1 (210) |
Wiesbaden & Mainz PFF |
6.20 |
Unobs |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 10/12/44 |
2 (211) |
Bremen, AC Factory |
7.05 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 10/15/44 |
3 (212) |
Cologne, MY PFF |
6.30 |
-- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 10/22/44 |
4 (216) |
Munster, MY |
7.10 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 10/25/44 |
-- |
Heligoland (Aphrodite) |
4.00 |
Recall |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 10/30/44 |
5 (218) |
Merseburg |
4.00 |
Recall |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 11/5/44 |
6 (220) |
Thionville,Ludwigshaven,MY
|
8.05 |
Hit Target |
0 |
1 |
9 |
| 11/6/44 |
7 (221) |
Neumuster, AC Repairs, MY |
7.40 |
Fair |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 11/9/44 |
8 (222) |
Metz, Saarbrucken, MY (S.T.)
|
7.20 |
Poor |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| 11/16/44 |
9 (224) |
Aachen Area, Ground Support
|
8.15 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 11/26/44 |
10 (226) |
Hamm, MY |
5.30 |
Missed |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 11/29/44 |
11 (227) |
Hamm, MY |
6.15 |
Missed |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12/11/44 |
12 (232) |
Giessen, Koblenz |
6:50 |
Fair |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12/18/44 |
13 (234) |
Mainz, MY PFF |
7:00 |
Unobs |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12/24/44 |
14 (235) |
Biblis,Babenhausen,Kaiserslautern |
7:40 |
Excellent |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12/25/44 |
15 (236) |
Kaiserslautern, MY |
7:15 |
Excellent |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12/30/44 |
16 (240) |
Kassel, MY |
7:20 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12/31/44 |
17 (241) |
Hamburg, Oil Refinery
|
7:20 |
Poor |
23 |
12 |
111 |
| 01/05/45 |
18 (244) |
Frankfurt, MY |
9:45 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/06/45 |
19 (245) |
Germersheim,AF&Annweiler
|
7:35 |
Poor |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/07/45 |
20 (246) |
Cologne,Auto Bridge,Limburg
|
7:15 |
-- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/13/45 |
21 (248) |
Mainz, Bridge |
7:00 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/14/45 |
22 (249) |
Derben, Oil Refinery
|
7:45 |
Excellent |
6 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/17/45 |
23 (250) |
Hamburg, Oil Refinery
|
7:20 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/28/45 |
24 (253) |
Duisburg, Bridge |
5:45 |
V. Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/29/45 |
25 (254) |
Bielefeld (100th"C")T.O.,Kassel |
6:40 |
-- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 01/31/45 |
-- |
Bremen/Berlin |
6:00 |
Recall |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/03/45 |
(255) |
Berlin |
1:20 |
Returned |
0 |
4 |
36 |
| 02/06/45 |
26 (256) |
Bohlen Oil (Cld Over),Chemitz |
9:30 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/14/45 |
27 (258) |
Doubraua,Bridge’C’,Chemitz
|
8:30 |
-- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/15/45 |
28 (259) |
Bohlen, Cottbus,City ST
|
8:40 |
-- |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/17/45 |
29 (260) |
Frankfurt & Giessen |
6:35 |
Poor |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/20/45 |
30 (262) |
Nurnburg, City |
8:00 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/21/45 |
31 (263) |
Nurnburg, MY (ST) |
7:40 |
Fair |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/22/45 |
32 (264) |
Kitzingen’A’obscured,
Hueingen,Town’B’ S.T |
8:30 |
Hit S.T |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/24/45 |
33 (266) |
Bremen, Rail Bridge |
7:10 |
Poor |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/26/45 |
34 (268) |
Berlin City |
8:10 |
Good |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 02/28/45 |
35 (269) |
Kassel, MY |
7:15 |
Fair |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
