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Donald J.
Farley – Crew History (Letter to Paul West dated December 1995): My name is Donald J. Farley. I completed 35 missions with the 100th
Bomb Group, 418th Squadron. Our crew left Grenier Field, New
Hampshire on July 2, 1944. We had picked up a new B-17 from Kearney,
Nebraska. We flew to
Newfoundland on one hop, then the next hop was probably one of the
lengthiest, we were in the air 15 hours and 15 minutes. We landed in Wales
on July 4th and gave up our new plane. We went to Wash for
further training; this is where we were assigned to our Group. The word
regarding the reputation of the bad luck outfit was quickly spread to us
before we even got to the 100th Bomb Group airfield at Thorpe
Abbotts. We did some practice flights or decoy action before we flew out
first mission on August 2, 1944. Our crew was as follows:
| * Pilot |
Harry M. Hempy |
| * Co-Pilot |
Jack W. Janssen |
| * Navigator |
Cyril A. Roberts |
| * Bombardier |
Donald H. Friedman |
| Engineer |
Warren B. Smith |
| * Radio Operator |
John P. Moncure |
| * Ball Turret |
Donald J. Farley |
| * Waist Gunner |
Frank A. Bonaguer |
| Waist Gunner |
John P. Russo |
| Tail Gunner |
Charles W. Emerson |
| * Denotes men who completed all 35 missions together. |
Tail Gunner – Charles W. Emerson – was killed as a result of enemy
action on our 15th mission on September 11, 1944, our target for the day
was Ruhland Oil Refinery. He
was given credit for destroying one ME-109 on that same mission, Ball
Turret Gunner Donald Farley, was credited with two probable destroyed and
one damaged enemy fighters.
Alex Sood (now Alex Strong) Replaced Emerson and finished up with the
Hempy crew.
John Russo – Waist Gunner – removed from crew before flying first
mission; crews were reduced from ten to nine men by eliminating one Waist
Gunner.
Alexander Hubiak and Thomas E. Porch flew as Engineer after Smith left
the crew on one of our early missions.
Alexander Hubiak was given ˝ credit with a gunner from another aircraft
in being the first gunner to shoot down a ME - 263 jet. I don’t remember
what mission it was on, but believe it was one in the later part of August
1944 or the first part of September. It was between our 5th and
15th mission
The 100th Bomb
Group Completed a Total of 306 Missions
| Bomb Load |
Date |
100th Nbr |
Hempy Nbr |
Target |
| 20/250 |
8/2/44
|
172 |
1 |
Tergnier,
La Fere rail bridges |
| 20/250 |
8/3/44
|
173 |
2 |
Troyles.
Rail junction |
| 10-500 |
8/4/44
|
174 |
3 |
Hamburg,
Oil refinery |
| 12-500 |
8/5/44
|
175 |
4 |
Magdeburg, Tank and A/C factory |
| Charles Emerson was given credit
for destroying one (1) enemy aircraft |
| 8-1000 |
8/8/44
|
178 |
5 |
St. Sylvain, Gnd defenses |
| 38-100 |
8/11/44
|
179 |
6 |
Villa
Coublay, Airfield (Villacoblay) |
|
-- |
8/18/44
|
182 |
7 |
Pacy sur
Armancon, Oil Storage area |
| I believe most of the above
missions were flown in various planes. If preceding assumption is
right the remaining missions were flown in “Heaven Can Wait”, aircraft
#337517. It was flown by another crew after we completed our missions
and the plane nearly crashed into the control tower on January 31,
1945, striking two pyramid tents which housed maintenance crews. When
it blew up it reduced another Fortress to salvage and damaged two (2)
other Fortresses on nearby hardstands. The story of the demise of
“Heaven Can Wait” can be found on page 179 – Century Bombers
The Story of the Bloody Hundredth by Richard Le Strange (Assisted
by James R. Brown). |
|
-- |
8/25/44
|
184 |
8 |
Politz,
Oil refinery |
|
-- |
8/27/44
|
187 |
9 |
Berlin
|
| 10/500 |
9/3/44
|
190 |
10 |
Brest,
Gnd defenses |
|
-- |
9/5/44
|
191 |
11 |
Stuttgart, Aero engines |
|
-- |
9/8/44
|
192 |
12 |
Mainz,
Ordnance depot |
|
-- |
9/9/44
|
193 |
13 |
Dusseldorf, Arms factory |
| According to Hempy, we flew mission 12B and never flew a 13th.
I told him (years later) 13 was my lucky number. “Heaven Can Wait”
contained a double 13 by adding the first three and the last three
digits. We made it through and the crew that crashed her can claim
they were pretty lucky as no one was hurt |
|
-- |
9/10/44
|
194 |
14 |
Nurnberg,
Tank works |
|
-- |
9/11/44
|
195 |
15 |
Ruhland,
Oil refinery |
|
The Hundredth lost 14 planes on
this mission. The entire low squadron was lost. Hempy was flying
‘Tail-End Charlie’ in the middle squadron and after the low squadron
was shot down the fighterscentered their attack on us. While we were on two weeks rest
leave, out plane, “Heaven Can Wait” was given four new engines, a
compete new left wing and a new tail section. A picture of the tail
section is show on page 149 of the above mentioned book and is
pictured with an erroneous caption in the rear of the book, The
Story of the Century” by John Nilsson. |
|
-- |
9/27/44
|
202 |
16 |
Mainz,
Rail marshalling yards |
|
-- |
9/28/44
|
203 |
17 |
Merseberg, Oil refinery |
|
-- |
9/30/44
|
204 |
18 |
Bielfeld,
Ordnance depot |
|
-- |
10/2/44
|
205 |
19 |
Kassel,
Aero engines |
|
-- |
10/5/44
|
207 |
20 |
Handorf,
Airfields |
|
-- |
10/6/44
|
208 |
21 |
Berlin,
Aircraft factory |
|
-- |
10/7/44
|
209 |
22 |
Bohlen,
Oil refinery |
|
-- |
10/9/44
|
210 |
23 |
Weisbaden, Ordnance depot |
|
Second target on Mission #23 was
Mainz - Rail marshaling yards |
|
-- |
10/12/44
|
211 |
24 |
Bremen,
Aircraft factory |
|
-- |
10/17/44
|
213 |
25 |
Cologne,
Rail marshalling yards |
|
-- |
10/19/44
|
215 |
26 |
Ludwigshaven, Rail marshalling |
|
Second target on Mission #26 was
Mannheim, Motor transport |
|
-- |
10/22/44
|
216 |
27 |
Munster,
Rail marshaling yards |
|
-- |
10/27/44
|
217 |
28 |
Misburg,
Oil refinery |
|
-- |
11/5/44
|
220 |
29 |
Ludwigshaven, Rail marshaling |
|
-- |
11/6/44
|
221 |
30 |
Neumuster, Aircraft factory |
|
-- |
11/9/44
|
222 |
31 |
Saarbrucken, Rail marshaling yards |
|
-- |
11/10/44
|
223 |
32 |
Wiesbaden and Mainz, Airfields |
|
-- |
11/16/44
|
224 |
33 |
Aachen,
Ground support |
|
-- |
11/21/44
|
225 |
34 |
Merseburg, Oil refinery |
|
Second target on Mission #34 was
Osnabruck, Rail marshaling yards |
|
-- |
11/26/44
|
226 |
35 |
Hamm,
Rail marshaling yard |
We were sent home on board the USS Santa Paula, a Grace Lines ship on
December 15, 1944, but were rammed by a PT-Boat before we got out of the
harbor, Inspection and repairs got us on the way home on December 21,
1944. We had a delicious Christmas dinner on board ship and landed at
Newport News, Virginia on New Years day, January 1, 1945. We left this
country in July 2, 1944, we were overseas just over six months to the day.
Coincidentally my brother-in-law departed on the USS Santa Paula on
January 5, 1945 for Italy.
-end-
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