COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
A/C 42-107137 XR-O flew 14 missions in this A/C MACR #7502,Microfiche #2732
2nd Lt Charles S.Harding,Jr. P INTERNEE 13/7/44 Munich sn# O-757191
2nd Lt Bennie D.Wilson CP INTERNEE 13/7/44
2nd Lt Thomas P.Hunt NAV INTERNEE 13/7/44
2nd Lt William F.Edmondson BOM KIA 5/8/44 Madgeburg
S/Sgt John L. Craven TOG INTERNEE 13/7/44 Replaced Lt Edmonsdson after mission 7
S/Sgt Thomas D.Miles ROG INTERNEE 13/7/44
S/Sgt Norbert A.Fike TTE INTERNEE 13/7/44
Sgt Norman D.Fuller BTG INTERNEE 13/7/44
Sgt Wesley H.Peck RWG INTERNEE 13/7/44
Sgt Clare R.Harnden TG NOC
S/Sgt Robert J. Buchanan TG INTERNEE 13/7/44 (FROM THE JOHN HARRISON CREW)
Sgt Lester J.Henderson WG INTERNEE 13/7/44
349th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 25/5/44. See John Miller letter 8/3/81. Also,MIGHTY
EIGHTH WAR DIARY says crew down in Switzerland. On 13/7/44, John L.Craven flew as nose gunner, Robert
J.Buchanan flew as tail gunner. Craven had gone overseas with the I00th Group Ground echelon then
volunteered for aerial gunnery. Craven,Buchanan & Fuller returned to Thorpe Abbotts in Feb.1945.
Crew was interned in Switzerland at Adelboden for 1month, then to Wengen for 6 1/2 months.
Crew flew first 3 missions in A/C 42-31987
Lt.Edmondson NAVIGATOR with the crew of A.J.Gallagher when killed. Lt. Edmondson was Bombardier on the Harding Crew for 7 missions then he was transferred to Lt Gallaghers crew as a Navigator.
Missions of 2nd Lt. William F. Edmondson (mpf 2000)
1. 30/5/44 TROYES
2. 31/5/44 OSNABRUCK
3. 2/6/44 BOULOGNE
4. 4/6/44 BOULOGNE
5. 5/6/44 ABBEVILLE
6. 6/6/44` D-DAY, OUISTREHAM
7. 7/6/44 NANTES
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CREW
1ST LT ANTHONY J. GALLAGHER P KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
2ND LT GORDON K. BOWEN CP KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
2ND LT WILLIAM F. EDMONDSON NAV KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
2ND LT GUSTAV A. VERDAL BOM CPT 12 DEC 44 DARMSTADT
T/SGT ALBERT S. PRINCE ROG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
T/SGT JOSEPH A. LUCAS TTE KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
S/SGT WALTER WITTENDORF BTG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
S/SGT JOHN A. ZAHER WG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
S/SGT JACK GOBIN WG CPT 16 NOV 44 AACHEN
S/SGT HERMAN F. HERHAMER TG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
349th Sqdn.. LT GALLAGHER Crew as assigned in June 1944 except for Lt Edmondson. It is known that Lt Edmondson was from the crew of C.S.Harding, Jr. He was assigned to Gallagher permanently from Harding's crew because the original navigator, Lt. Lyle Langenburg, had been pulled from the crew when they arrived in England and was sent for pathfinder training. S/SGT J. GOBIN and S/SGT ZAHER were switching off missions flying as waist gunner as crews were reduced to 9 men. S/Sgt Gobin was put in the spare gunners pool after the Gallagher Crew was shot down.
Crew on 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG MACR #7878, Microfiche #2888 A/C #42 - 37572
1ST LT ANTHONY J. GALLAGHER P KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
2ND LT GORDON K. BOWEN CP KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
2ND LT WILLIAM F. EDMONDSON NAV KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
SGT RALPH O. INGALLS TOG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
T/SGT ALBERT S. PRINCE ROG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
T/SGT JOSEPH A. LUCAS TTE KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
S/SGT WALTER WITTENDORF BTG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
S/SGT JOHN A. ZAHER WG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
S/SGT HERMAN F. HERHAMER TG KIA 5 AUG 44 MAGDEBURG, TANK, AC
EYEWITNESS: "A/C #572 as seen to be hit by flak as bombs were released. The A/C disintegrated and no chutes were seen.
Later reports suggest it may have been bombs from another B-17 that destroyed A/C #42-37572; there is no confirmation of this and the fate of the A/C will proably never be positively determined.
As far as the navigator Lt. Edmondson, I understand he was assigned to Gallagher permanently from Harding's crew because the original navigator, Lt. Lyle Langenburg, had been pulled from the crew when they arrived in England and was sent for pathfinder training. I believe Edmondson was originally a bombardier but hated it and wanted to be a navigator. (???)
The toggalier Sgt. Ralph O. Ingalls, had been assigned to the crew because the regular bombardier, Lt. Gustav Verdal, had been wounded on the previous days mission to Hamburg and was in the hospital. He finished his tour, returned to the states and lived in Idaho until his death a few years ago. Waist gunner Jack Gobin was not flying that day because with the nine man policy John Zaher was flying. Gobin finished his tour, returned to the states, lives in Florida and is a member of the foundation.
I researched the rumor that the plane had been hit by bombs from the plane above it but neither the waist gunner on "Billy Boy" (Chuck Winters who was looking directly at the plane when it blew up) nor the tail gunner on the lead plane of the element (and I don't have his name handy) believed Gallagher was hit by bombs. Only the ball turret gunner of the plane above (and I don't have his name handy either…it's in my files) said the bombs may have hit it. Every other source seemed to think a 1 in a million direct hit by flak in the bomb bay caused the plane to explode. Naturally I prefer that explanation.
Herhamer's body was found, Ingalls I understand lived a few hours and Edmondson supposedly lived for several days according to family. Herhamer and Edmondson were returned to the states for reburial after the war and Ingalls is buried in France.
Ron Lucas
son of T/Sgt. Joseph A. Lucas
the_quiet_heroes@hotmail.com
MEMO 2: