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MACR PILOT: Capt  Oran Everett  Petrich  - O-435988
MACR: 00269 FICHE : 00089

ORGANIZATION
LOCATION: AAF Station #139 COMMAND: VIII AF GROUP: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF
SQUADRON: 349th BS DETACHMENT:  
     

DETAIL
DEPARTURE:AAF Station #139 INITIAL COURSE: E NE  
INTENDED DESTINATION: Bremen    
MISSION TYPE:Bombing    

WEATHER & VISIBILITY AT TIME OF LAST REPORT
CONDITION: Heavy overcast    

GIVE
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
TYPE: B-17 SERIES: F  
     
     

ENGINES:
MODEL: R-1820-97    
A: 43-57276
B: 41-58449
C: 43-57458
D: 42-8000
    

INSTALLED WEAPONS:
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:
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
   
   
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