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LT  Howard G. BALL

UNIT: 351st BOMB Sqdn POSITION: BOM
SERIAL #: O-734297 STATUS: POW
MACR: 03025 CR: 03025

Comments1: 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LANDED IN DENMARK)

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW
                            1ST LT DONALD K. OAKES
                            ORGINAL 100TH PILOT

CREW #19  A/C #42-30080  "HIGH LIFE"

1ST LT  DONALD K. OAKES                 P:    INT 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG
F/O     JOSEPH C. HARPER               CP:    INT "        "       "
2ND LT  HIRAM E. HARRIS, JR.          NAV:  INT "        "       "
2ND LT  HOWARD G. BALL                 BOM: POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (WITH GOSSAGE CREW)
T/SGT   GEORGE W. ELDER               TTE: INT "        "       "
S/SGT   NOLAN D. STEVENS               WG: INT "        "       "
T/SGT   JAMES P. SCOTT                  ROG:  INT "        "       "
S/SGT   LESLIE D. NADEAU               BTG:  INT "        "       "
S/SGT   LEONARD P. GOYER              WG: INT "        "       "
CPL     VINCENT E. McGRATH              TG:  INT "        "       "

HOWARD BALL'S PLACE ON CREW #19 WAS TAKEN BY 2ND LT LLOYD A. HAMMARLUND WHO WAS INTERNED WITH THE OTHERS.

THIS IS BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST AMERICAN BOMBER TO LAND IN SWITZERLAND.  IT WAS FOLLOWED BY OTHERS BEFORE THE WAR'S END.

LT OAKES STATEMENT FOLLOWS; "SOME TIME BEFORE REACHING THE TARGET A 20-MM SHELL EXPLODED IN THE NO #3 NACELLE, CUTTING THE THROTTLE CABLE AND STARTING A HEAVY OIL LEAK.  I THEN FEATHERED THE PROP. THE BTG ADVISED ME THERE WAS A HEAVY OIL LEAK IN THE NO #2 ENGINE.  THE PLANE COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE FORMATION AND I LANDED AT THE NEAREST FIELD, WHEELS UP, ON THE BELLY.  WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO BURN THE PLANE AS IT WAS IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDED BY SOLDIERS. MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE CREW WERE INTERNED." 

CREW

1ST LT JOHN G. GOSSAGE             P POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK) SEE NOTE
2ND LT BERTRAND D. McNEILL      CP POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)  
F/O EDWARD A. WARNER         NAV POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)
1ST LT HOWARD G. BALL        BOM POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)
T/SGT MICHAEL G. POLANICK     ROG POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)
T/SGT ARTHUR A. COOPER       TTE POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)
S/SGT THOMAS R. WOODERSON BTG POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)
S/SGT JAMES W. GREGG          RWG POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)
S/SGT DONALD B. SACKRIDER    LWG POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)
S/SGT ARTHUR V.R. CONGROVE   TG POW 3 MAR 44 BERLIN (LNDED IN DENMARK)

      MACR #3025, Microfiche #1023
      A/C #42-38017 "ONE MISSION LULU"
349th Sqdn..
Lt Howard Ball was from the "Original " crew of Donald Oakes and was wounded on 10 Jul 1943 Le Bourget. He had been hospitalized for a considerable peroid.

On 3 Mar 44 this crew was flying in the #2 position of the lead element to the lead squadron. There was a tremendous cloud build up and as the lead element entered the cloud some following ships believed they saw an explosion as if a collision had occured. Later a VHF was heard from Gossage saying he intended to try for Sweden. Acutally, he landed the plane on a Schlewig airfield (Denmark) thinking he was in Sweden. This probably gave the Germans their first intact B-17 which they later operated.

MIke Polanick had gone overseas with the 100th Group ground echelon then volunteered for aerial gunnery; Thomas Wooderson also had been a member of the  ground crew when the 100th went overseas.

MEMO 2:

Original 100th, Crew #19.  Wounded 10 Jul 43 on mission to Le Bourget.  On March 3, 1944,Landed in Denmark due to FLAK Damage

KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:

TARGET: Berlin DATE: 1944-03-03  
AIRCRAFT: "One Mission LuLu" (42-38017) CAUSE: FLAK  

BURIAL INFORMATION

PLOT: ROW:  
GRAVE: CEMETERY:  

PHOTOS:

High Life and Lt Donald K, Oaks Crew

 Vincent McGrath, left facing camera, and Howard Ball on the hard stand at Thorpe Abbotts in July 1943. Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives)

 

SERVED IN:

Crew 1

Crew 2

ID: 202