MACR PILOT: Capt Oran Everett Petrich - O-435988 |
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MACR: 00269 | FICHE : 00089 |
ORGANIZATION |
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LOCATION: AAF Station #139 | COMMAND: VIII AF | GROUP: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF |
SQUADRON: 349th BS | DETACHMENT: | |
DETAIL |
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DEPARTURE:AAF Station #139 | INITIAL COURSE: E NE | |
INTENDED DESTINATION: Bremen | ||
MISSION TYPE:Bombing |
WEATHER & VISIBILITY AT TIME OF LAST REPORT |
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CONDITION: Heavy overcast |
GIVE |
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DATE: 1943-06-25 | TIME: 09:00 | LOCATION: Near 54 00N - 07 30E (Time 0900-1000) |
SPECIFY: Information not available |
CONFIRMED OR BELIEVED REASON FOR LOSS |
LOSS DUE TO : Other circumstances |
OTHER REASON FOR LOSS: Disappeared in overcast before formation reached target. Exact location and circumstances unknown. |
AIRCRAFT: 42-29986 |
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TYPE: B-17 | SERIES: F | |
ENGINES: |
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MODEL: R-1820-97 | ||
A: 43-57276 B: 41-58449 C: 43-57458 D: 42-8000 |
INSTALLED WEAPONS: |
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A: 313001 B: 313275 C: 311400 D: 310959 |
E: 313148 F: 313242 G: 312952 H: 312968 |
I: 313060 J: 310912 K: 312720 L: 492674 |
PERSONS BELOW ARE LISTED AS: |
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CASUALTY TYPE: | Blank | |
NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD: | ||
CREW: 10 | PASS: 0 | TOTAL: 10 |
PERSONNEL:
POSITION | NAME | RANK | SERIAL |
P1 | |||
P2 | Oran Everett Petrich | Capt | O-435988 |
CP | Bluford Brantley Mullins | 2Lt | O-798017 |
NAV (N) | Edward N. Jones | 1Lt | O-662060 |
BOM (B) | Stanley O Morrison | 2Lt | O-2043765 |
RAD | Max P. Brim | TSgt | 17042214 |
ENG | Joseph D. Bieu | SSgt | 31121477 |
BAL | Edward I. Zerblis | TSgt | 36325832 |
WG (W) | Henry H. Rutherford | SSgt | 39104150 |
WG (W) | James M.q Strong | SSgt | 18126041 |
TG (T) | Pete S. Villalobos | SSgt | 19078879 |
PERSONS WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE LAST KNOWLEDGE OF AIRCRAFT
Sam L. Barr | 1Lt | O-791275 |
Last sighted - Took off in same formation. | ||
Magee C. Fuller | 1Lt | O-1699234 |
Last sighted - Took off in same formation. | ||
Glen S. Van Noy | 1Lt | O-728775 |
Last sighted - Took off in same formation. |
PERSONNEL WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE SURVIVED
REASON: Unknown | OTHER: Unknown |
EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTIONS OF CRASH
Report: No eyewitness report -- Unknown |
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Second Witness: No Data | |
Report: |
DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH EFFORT
DETAIL:No search made. |
PREPARING OFFICER
PREPARED BY: CLAUDE L. HOSFORD 2nd Lt Air Corps Personnel Officer
DATE PREPARED:
1943-07-22
TRANSCRIBER NOTES
REPORT:
A complete and exact sequence of events on this mission, the first flown by the 100th, is most difficult to determine. Of the 30 men comprising crews #1, 2 and 3, only five survived the mission and, of these, Nick Demchak is the only one who could be located by this writer. (James Brown, 100th Historian) Demchak and I agree that the 100th on this day never completed a proper assembly. At the time of leaving the English coast, the 349th, flying low squadron, was perhaps a mile to the rear of the lead squadron led by Major Flesher of the 418th. Both the lead and high squadrons seemed scattered all over the sky and a true Group combat formation never existed. The atrocious weather had a part in this situation, but perhaps a larger role was that of the questionable judgment of the Group leader. At a point a little north of the East Frisian islands, Crew #1, leading the first element, disappeared into the undercast and was not seen again. No doubt it fell victim to enemy fighters as did crews #2 and 3. Louie Grate, regular bombardier on this crew, for some reason did not fly this first mission. His place was taken by Lt. Stanley Morrison (KIA) who was the regular bombardier of Crew #29 of the 418th Squadron. No further record of Grate's service with the 100th has been found...jb