COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
2nd Lt Lawrence L. Bazin P KIA 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
2nd Lt Charles F.Dixon CP FEH
2nd Lt Kenneth C.Peiffer NAV FEH
2nd Lt Harry J.Chase BOM FEH
S/Sgt Roens W.Shearwood TTE Evadee 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
Cpl Glenn D.Abraham,Jr. ROG POW 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
Cpl Paul H.Decker TG KIA 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
Cpl Richard D.Long WG POW 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
Cpl Richard E.Smith BTG KIA 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
351st Sqdn. Joined 100th Group,as above, on 11/2/45. On 10/4/45, Lt.John D.Gross from the crew of J.J.Dodrill was the NAV in place of Kenneth Peiffer. James R.Dotson,pilot of his own crew,was flying as CP in place of Charles Dixon. Also aboard were T/Sgt Arthur T.Flowers as NG (Tog) in place of Harry Chase,and S/Sgt Robert B.Patterson as Radar Operator.
Eyewitness: (MACR # 14170 " A/C 963 was forced to peel out of the formation with #2 engine feathered. Then it tried to climb back when ME 262's began pressing attack. The A/C was hit in the right wing and a large piece flew off.Then#3 & #4 engines burst into flames and it peeled off low to the right. As it went down flames were larger and it was believed to hit the ground with a terrific explosion.
No chutes were seen.
Statement by Shearwood: "The plane was breaking up when I got out and I was of the opinion that no other crew member parachuted.I saw no other chutes. When I hit the ground,I did not see any of the crew."
MISSIONS OF CREW OF LT LAWRENCE L. BAZIN FROM CPL RICHARD LONG: (mpf 2001)
1. 26/02/45 BERLIN
2. 28/02/45 KASSEL
3. 7/03/45 SIEGEN
4. 8/03/45 GIESSEN
5. 10/03/45 DORTMUND
6. 11/03/45 HAMBURG
7. 12/03/45 SWINEMUNDE
8. 15/03/45 ORANIENBURG
9. 17/03/45 PLAUEN (in Bill Thompsons MACR reports, it lists March 21, 1945 Plauen as the mission for Bazin Crew)
From 22/3/45 to 6/4/45 Daniel Shaffer flew 11missions as navigator on this crew. Lt Shaffer completed his tour with this Crew
10. 22/03/45 ALHORN
11. 23/03/45 UNNA
12. 24/03/45 STEENWIJK
13. 24/03/45 ZIEGENHAIN
14. 28/03/45 HANOVER
15. 30/03/45 HAMBURG
16. 31/03/45 BAD BERKA
17. 03/04/45 KIEL
18. 04/04/45 KIEL
19. 05/04/45 NURNBURG
21. 06/04/45 LEIPZIG
22. 10/04/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG
Following is the crew component for the 10 Apr 1945 mission to Burg -bei- Magdeburg:
Lawrence L. Bazin Pilot KIA
James R. Dotson Co-Pilot KIAs in red
John D. Gross Navigator POW
Arthur W. Flowers Nose Gunner KIA
Glenn D. Abraham, Jr. Radio Operato POW
Roens W. Shearwood Flight Engineer EVA
Richard E. Smith Ball Turret G KIA
Paul H. Decker Tail Gunner KIA
Robert B. Patterson Radar C. POW
Richard D. Long Waist Gunner POW
A/C#43 38963 MACR#14170,fiche #5162
From son, Stephen Long, by letter... directly as written:
LONG, RICHARD D., 351ST SQ. SEPT 27, 2011. WAS THE WAIST GUNNER ON LAWRENCE BAZIN'S B-17 AIRCRAFT OUT OF THROPE ABBOTTS ON APRIL 10, 1945, ON HIS 21ST MISSION, WHEN IT WAS SHOT DOWN BY GERMAN ME 262. AFTER THE TAIL GUNNER WAS SHOT AND THE PILOT BAZIN WAS TRYING TO FEATHER THE LOST #2 ENGINE AND GET BACK INTO FORMATION, THE RIGHT WING WAS SEVERED IN THE SECOND PASS. DALE INDICATED THAT THE COCKPIT WAS HIT AND AS THE PLANE STARTED TO SPIN HE AND 4 OTHERS WAS ABLE TO EXIT OUT OF THE REAR DOOR, PARACHUTING DOWN AND SEEING AIRCRAFT CRASHING. HE WAS TAKEN P.O.W. FOR 11 DAYS AT THE END OF THE HOSTILITIES. HE JOINED THE 100TH FEB 1945 AND WAS A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE 100TH BG ASSOCIATION, AND ATTENDED MANY REUNIONS. DALE WENT BACK TO OHIO AND HIS FAMILY AFTER HIS DISCHARGE, AND RETIRED AFTER 28 YEARS WITH A PLASTICS COMPANY. DALE WAS A MASTER MASON AND BECAME RIGHT EMINENT GRAND COMMANDER OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN THE STATE OF OHIO, 1994-1995. IN 1993 HE AND HIS WIFE ALICE CELEBRATED THEIR 50TH WEDDING ANIVERSARY BEFORE HER DEATH IN 1996. DALE'S SON STEPHEN, GRANDSON DARREN AND GRAN DAUGHTER KILEY, HAS CARRIED ON THE FAMILY AIR FORCE TRADITION AS AIRMEN. (PROUD DAUGHTER ELLYN, SON STEVE AND WIDOW RUTH LONG)
MEMO 2:
2nd Last 100th BG Crew Lost
Lawrence Lee Bazin was born in Kansas on July 31, 1923. His parents were Julius and Madge MacMillian Bazin. The US Census 1930 lists the family as living in Washington, Kansas. Bazin attended and graduated from Kansas State Teachers College as a member of the Class of 1942. He began a teaching career, but joined the military, instead. He enlisted as a private in the Army Air Forces on April 24, 1943. His enlistment record shows he had completed 4 years of college, and was employed as a teacher. He was selected for flight duty, and trained as a pilot. When he had completed this course, he was commissioned, awarded wings, and given a crew for training as a combat unit.
This crew deployed to England, arriving in February, 1945, and flew 21 combat missions. On April 10, 1945, the crew was tasked as part of a raid on the jet fighter airfield located at Magdeburg, Germany. As they neared the target, the aircraft was attacked by a number of the jet fighters. The #2 engine was hit, and had to be feathered. The aircraft dropped out of formation, but attempted to rejoin the flight. More jet fighters attacked, and a part of the right wing of the aircraft was blown away. Engines # 3 and # 4 began burning. The aircraft peeled off to the left, hit the ground, and exploded. Five crewmen managed to parachute out, but four were captured. (Shearwood evaded.) Five bodies were recovered from the crash scene, and buried locally. After the war, they were retrieved, and moved to other cemeteries. Today, Lt Bazin lies in the Mount Olive Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Kansas.
Lt Lawrence L. Bazin was performing duty as First Pilot on B-17G # 43-38963, unnamed, assigned to the 351st Bomb Squadron.
Missing Air Crew Report 14190 was issued. Crew rosters and personnel files show the crew consisted of:
2 Lt Lawrence L. Bazin p
2 Lt James R. Dotson c-p
2 Lt John D. Gross nav
SSgt Robert B. Patterson radar op
TSgt Arthur T. Flowers tog
SSgt Roens W. Shearwood eng/tt gun
Cpl Glenn D. Abraham r/o
Cpl Richard E. Smith btg
Cpl Richard D. Long wg
Cpl Paul H. Decker tail gun
Lt Gross was flying in place of Lt Kenneth Peiffer, Lt James Dotson was replacing Lt Charles Dixon, SSgt Robert Patterson was flying as radar operator, and TSgt Flowers was flying in place of Lt Harry J. Close (bomb). All others were from original crew.
