| Capt. David A. Armstrong |
P |
CPT |
29/12/44 |
FRANKFURT |
sn# 0-764583 |
| 1st Lt Allen "Andy" Andrews III |
CP |
CPT |
29/12/44 |
FRANKFURT |
sn# 0-768402 |
| Capt. Ross Chenney |
NAV |
SWA |
5/8/44 |
MAGDEBURG |
sn# 0-721580 |
| 2nd Lt Lon L. Livsey |
BOM |
KIA |
5/8/44 |
MAGDEBURG |
sn# 0-769152 |
| T/Sgt Gerald C. Murphy |
ROG |
CPT |
29/12/44 |
FRANKFURT |
sn# 17114787 |
| T/Sgt Warren R. West |
TTE |
CPT |
29/12/44 |
FRANKFURT |
sn# 37344021 (3 1/2 confirmed kills) |
| S/Sgf Dale R. Ehlenfelt |
BTG |
CPT |
29/12/44 |
FRANKFURT |
sn# 37558528 |
| S/Sgt Charles J. Vogel |
WG |
CPT |
29/12/44 |
FRANKFURT |
sn# 37548205 (4 1/2 confirmed kills) |
| S/Sgt Louis C. Oliver Jr. |
WG |
CPT |
29/12/44 |
FRANKFURT |
sn# 38564342
3 confirmed kills |
| S/Sgt Lawrence M. Bohen |
TG |
NOC |
-- |
-- |
sn# 31340624
(Taken off Crew when reduced to 9) |
418th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined 100th Group on 25/7/44.
Crew flew "Ain't Miss Behaven II" #43-38381 LD-Z
Sqdn. Diary for 5 Aug. 1944 reads that: "Flak evidently set off some of
the ammunition for the flexible nose guns. The Bombardier was killed and
the Navigator wounded. Flying A/C #37935. Jerry Burns was Crew Chief.
After Bohen is taken off Crew, S/Sgt Vogel becomes Tail Gunner.
2nd Lt Oscar F. Mills from Lt Edward Neu Crew flew as interim
Bombardier until 1st Lt Lawrence V. "Vince" Ogletree from the crew of Lt
George Fory took over full time.
According to Capt Armstrong's records, Lt Ogletree had 12 perfect hit
missions and Capt. Ross Chenney was wounded on the 3rd mission. He came
back to fly the last nine missions with Crew as Division Navigator.
MACR 99924:
|
Crash Information: |
|
Damaged by flak at the target - setting off some ammunition for
the chin turret guns - the Bombardier was killed and the
Navigator severely wounded. Aircraft returned to Thorpe Abbotts. |
Missions of Capt. David A. Armstrong (from son J. D. Armstrong)
| Nbr. |
Date |
Target |
A/C |
Position |
Comments |
| 1 |
02/08/44 |
La Fere |
935-V |
#3 High Sqdn. Low Gp |
Bridge Demolished |
| 2 |
03/08/44 |
Troyes |
935-V |
|
Oil Dump-Marshalling Yards |
| 3 |
05/08/44 |
Magdeburg |
935-V |
#6 Low Sqdn. Low Gp |
Livsey Killed, Chenney and Andrews wounded,
Purple Heart corner/hit at bombs away |
| 4 |
13/08/44 |
Nantes |
935-V |
#5 Low Sqdn. Low Gp |
Bombed roads, 3 ship element |
| 5 |
14/08/44 |
Ludwigshaven |
935-V |
-- |
Factories-Bombs struck, toggled out-Mills |
| 6 |
15/08/44 |
Venlo |
935-V |
-- |
RAF and 8th out in force. Airfield demolished.
Oscar Mills "B" |
| 7 |
26/08/44 |
Brest |
935-V |
#2 Element Sq L, Low Gp |
No bombs, weather |
| 8 |
27/08/44 |
Berlin |
935-V |
#2 Element, Lead Gp, 13thCBW. |
Instrument takeoff, no bombs, weather, turn
back, (recall) |
| 9 |
08/09/44 |
Mainz |
412-R |
#1 Low Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Wrecked 935-V-no bombs, weather, 8th AF turned
back |
| 10 |
09/09/44 |
Dusseldorf |
154-A |
#2 Element, Lead Gp |
Inst. TO, no bombs |
| 11 |
10/09/44 |
Nurnburg |
154-A |
#1 Low Sqdn, Low Gp |
Caught by mobile guns on Rhine River |
| 12 |
11/09/44 |
Ruhland |
381-Z |
#1 Low Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Bad weather, fighters, 3 con, 3 prob-Wiped out
Low Gp |
| 13 |
12/09/44 |
Magdeburg |
991-D |
#1 Low Sqdn, Low Gp |
Missed Formation, Went to Berlin with 1st
Division |
| 14 |
13/09/44 |
Stuttgart |
636-W |
#1 Low Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Heavy contrails |
| 15 |
25/09/44 |
Ludwigshaven |
381-Z |
#1 Low Sqdn, Lead Gp |
3 bad engines, crash landed 60 miles south of
Paris |
| 16 |
26/09/44 |
Bremen |
381-Z |
#1 Low Sqdn Lead, Low Gp |
Good fighter support, 1st over target -3
fighters |
| 17 |
28/09/44 |
Mersburg |
381-Z |
#1 Low Sqdn Lead, High Gp |
Good fighter support, Jet Prop (shot at) |
| 18 |
02/10/44 |
Kassel |
381-Z |
#1 Low Sqdn Lead, Lead Gp |
Good fighter support, in flak for 25 minutes, Hi
dropped early. Lt Joseph Dye was our Bombardier |
| 19 |
07/10/44 |
Bohlen |
381-Z |
2 Element, Lead Gp |
In flak for 25 minutes, Hit target good, 12 flak
holes, 1 88hole took tail off an a/c |
| 20 |
09/10/44 |
Frankfurt |
381-Z |
#1 Low Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Instrument takeoff, weather bad, Going on flak
leave |
| 21 |
05/11/44 |
Ludwigshaven |
525-A |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Low Gp |
Instrument takeoff, Heavy flak, good results,
did not land at home base. |
| 22 |
06/11/44 |
Neumunster |
095-X |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Air fields, Contrails |
| 23 |
09/11/44 |
Saarbrucken |
381-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Instrument takeoff, We were to hit lines
visual-overcast. Hit secondary. Low overcast, with 8th AF trying to
land, never so scared in my life 16 gallons in 4 tanks. |
| 24 |
26/11/44 |
Hamm |
381-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Hi Gp |
Good fighter coverage, P-51's. Saw 2 jets, poor
formation, good weather, mod flak |
| 25 |
02/12/44 |
Koblenz |
381-Z |
#1 Low Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Instrument takeoff, returned, bad weather |
| 26 |
04/12/44 |
Giessen |
381-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Low Gp |
Instrument takeoff, Hard mission-Engine
Trouble-Belly landed in England. |
| 27 |
11/12/44 |
Koblenz |
381-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Hi Gp |
68 mile bomb run, longest in History, 35 minutes
with doors open. Low on gas 6:30 on oxygen, Poor Lead, pulled 40-24
for about 4 hours. |
| 28 |
12/12/44 |
Darmstadt |
381-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Clear over Germany |
| 29 |
18/12/44 |
Mainz |
381-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Hi Gp |
Instrument takeoff, heavy contrails, flew
through front, couldn' see wingman. kept bombs, in it for 5 hours.
|
| 30 |
24/12/44 |
Babenhausen |
381-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Low Gp |
Instrument takeoff, blow cylinder on #3 engine
110 miles behind German lines, smashed airport, iced perimeter &
runway. |
| 31 |
27/12/44 |
Fulda |
811-Z |
#1 Hi Sqdn Lead, Hi Gp |
Pretty good mission, gas lines between tanks
froze, sweated gas, wiped out target Perimeter & runway very icy.
Instrument takeoff, 50 yard visibility, fog. |
| 32 |
28/12/44 |
Koblenz |
071-P |
#1 Hi Sqdn, Lead Gp |
Hit secondary, fair weather, good mission, one
of few, good fighter support, light flak |
| 33 |
29/12/44 |
Frankfurt |
525-A |
#1 Hi Sqdn Lead, Low Gp |
Lead Division, "Last of 33" |
31/12/44 100th Bomb Group lost 13 ships to fighters and flak at
Hamburg. 381-Z went down with Lt Mayo.
"I am the youngest son of D. A. Armstrong and have been busy trying to
compile my father's war years. He arrived at Thorpe-Abbott on July 30,
1944. According to letter of recommendation signed by major Edward D.
Wooten dated April 3, 1945. "After completion of 6th mission checked out
as Element Lead and flew 2 missions as such. The remainder of his missions
were flown as; 10 Squadron Leads and 15 High Flight leads. " Dad completed
33 bombing missions some as a Command Pilot. After tour was finished he
became 418th Assistant Squadron Operations Officer for a period of 3
months. Fredrick J. Sutterlin wrote "Captain Armstrong has a excellent
record as a pilot of B-17 aircraft and served as Assistant Operations
Officer and was equally effective", dated March 27, 1945. I was named for
Lt. Colonel Thomas S. Jeffries and have just recently spoke to him, my
childhood hero, he became at least a 2-Star General. Dad flew P51's and
A-26's in addition to these other activities. Anyone with any info. on him
would be deeply appreciated!! Will be joining your group as soon as my 2
daughters college tuitions can be met. God Bless You and God Bless
America, you are all the type of men I hope my son, David Andrew Armstrong
will grow up to be. " Thank you… Jeffrey David Armstrong |
