COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
Capt. Melvin L. Kodas arrived at Thorpe Abbotts in May/June 1944. No exact record of his assignment has been established yet but it is believed he came to the group as a spare co-pilot.
MISSIONS OF CAPT. KODAS:
Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target
7/6/1944 17 154 MAIN A.R. S/SGT TG 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 NESSER N.J. S/SGT LWG 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 WILLIAMS W.P. S/SGT RWG 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 BARNES D.B, S/SGT BTG 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 MORROW J.A. T/SGT TTE 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 MALGREW R.M. T/SGT ROG 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 CONOVER B.E. LT BOM 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 KNAPP S.J. LT NAV 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 KODAS M.L. LT CP 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/6/1944 17 154 HERRES F.J LT P 97806 FLEURY/CREPEUIL
7/11/1944 07 157 DOTTOVIANO M.F. T/SGT TOG 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 EWING W.R. S/SGT TG 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 GENTRY W.H. M/SGT LWG 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 CALDWELL F.A. S/SGT RWG 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 KROMER J.C. T/SGT BTG 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 TREBNIK A.C. T/SGT ROG 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 KINKADE V.I. LT NAV 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 KODAS M.L. LT CP 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 GUSTAFSON C.C. LT P 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/11/1944 07 157 PRATT L.M. T/SGT TTE 107211 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/12/1944 07 158 KINKADE V.I. LT NAV 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 PRATT L.M. T/SGT TTE 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 GUSTAFSON C.C. LT P 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 KODAS M.L. LT CP 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 TREBNIK A.C. T/SGT ROG 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 KROMER J.C. T/SGT BTG 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 CALDWELL F.A. S/SGT RWG 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 KAZMIERSKI S.A S/SGT LWG 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 EWING W.R. S/SGT TG 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/12/1944 07 158 DOTTOVIANO M.F. T/SGT TOG 107211 MUNICH (IND. AREA)
7/14/1944 08 160 HARNDEN C.R. S/SGT TG 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 STOPPEL A.C. S/SGT LWG 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 PATRICK R. S/SGT RWG 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 GEIGLE W.A. S/SGT BTG 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 COOPER J.P. T/SGT ROG 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 HOLDITCH W.W. T/SGT TTE 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 GREENE B.R. S/SGT TOG 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 HEYNEMAN R.L. LT NAV 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 KODAS M.L. LT CP 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/14/1944 08 160 TRAPNELL J. LT P 107211 SOUTH OF FRANCE
7/17/1944 08 161 HARNDEN C.R. S/SGT TG 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 STOPPEL A.C. S/SGT LWG 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 PATRICK R. S/SGT RWG 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 GEIGLE W.A. S/SGT BTG 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 COOPER J.P. T/SGT ROG 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 HOLDITCH W.W. T/SGT TTE 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 GREENE B.R. S/SGT TOG 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 HEYNEMAN R.L. LT NAV 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 KODAS M.L. LT CP 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
7/17/1944 08 161 TRAPNELL J. LT P 102977 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY
349TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H) ARMY AIR FORCES
Office of the Operations Officer
APO 569
4 August 1944
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
On 17 July 1944 at 0925 hours the following Combat Crew, assigned to this organization, parachuted from an abandoned B-17G somewhere over England. Aircraft was abandoned account of fire.
NAME SERIAL # POSITION
1st Lt. Harold L. Heyneman 0-681539 (Navigator/Bombardier)
2nd Lt. Joseph Trapnell IV 0-818761 (Pilot)
2nd Lt. Melvin L. Kodas 0-503283 (Copilot)
T/Sgt Murry W. Holditch 18178502 (Top Turret Gunner)
T/Sgt. John P. Cooper 32931713 (Radio Operator Gunner)
Sgt Adam C. Stoppel 17088192 (Left Waist Gunner)
S/Sgt. Robert Patrick 14065993 (Right Waist Gunner)
S/Sgt. William A. Geigle 33188079 (Ball Turret Gunner)
S/Sgt. Clare R. Harnden 16084649 (Tail Gunner)
S/Sgt. Byron R. Greene 31289048 (Toggelier)
FRED W. CRAFT JR.
1st Lt.. Air Corps.
Asst Ops Officer.
The aircraft on July 17, 1944 was A/C# 42-102977 was called "TRAPS".
9/9/1944 PFF 192 TERMINELLO W.F. LT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 KODAS M.L. LT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 GILLSION J.S LT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 RUBICK F.A. LT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 QUIJADA L. SGT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 HEGER R.L. T/SGT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 MADDOX J.H. LT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 PALMER T.A. S/SGT PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 ZELLER J.L. MAJOR PFF DUSSELDORF
9/9/1944 PFF 192 HARTOS C.J. S/SGT PFF DUSSELDORF
10 SEP 44 THIS CREW WITH ROSENTHAL AS COMMAND PILOT CRASHED LANDED IN FRANCE
LEAD CREW SEPTEMBER 10, 1944, NURNBURG PFF A/C 42-97770
MAJOR ROBERT "ROSIE" ROSENTHAL COMMAND PILOT
1ST LT WILLIAM F. TERMINELLO, JR PILOT
1ST LT MELVIN KODAS FORMATION OFFICER/TAIL GUNNER
2ND LT STEWART J. GILLSON NAVIGATOR
CAPT. WOODROW W. MCGILL COMMAND NAVIGATOR
LT GREGORY MADDOX RADAR OPERATOR
2ND LT FRANK RUBICK BOMBARDIER
S/SGT RUSSELL L. HEGER TOP TURRET ENGINEER
S/SGT LOUIS QUIJADA RADIO OPERATOR GUNNER
SGT THOMAS A. PALMER WAIST GUNNER
SGT GEORGE J. HARTOS WAIST GUNNER
IN JANUARY 1945, LT KODAS TOOK OVER THE CREW OF LT ROSENBAUM WHO WAS INJURED IN A TRAINING ACCIDENT:
2nd Lt Ivan .W.Rosenbaum P FEH Injured in crash landing of Glory Bound
2nd Lt Thomas J.Slaven,Jr. CP FEH Injured in crash landing of Glory Bound
F/O Arnold E.Bennett NAV FEH
2nd Lt Joseph L.Straus BOM FEH SN# 0-928356
Cpl Bernard W.Guza ROG FEH
Cpl Perry C.Peckham TTE FEH
Cpl Ellis A.LaLonde BTG FEH
Cpl Edwin Villa WG FEH
Cpl John F.Curran TG FEH
351st Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 24/12/44. Crew # 69
Crew flew following A/C: 521-Skyway Chariot, 514-EZ Goin, 852, 767-Our Gal Sal, 616(418th), 162(418th),
708-Skipper II, 992, 632, 963
Jan 4, 1945 while returning from training mission at Thorpe Abbotts, crashed A/C#338523 (GLORY BOUND) on landing. 2nd Lt Ivan Rosenbaum and 2nd Lt Thomas Slaven were both Injured in the crash and hospitalized. Upon recovery, Lt Slaven would become a fill in CP, he flew on Lt Streich Crew. Due too the injuries both Rosenbaum and Slaven were removed from the crew and replaced by Lt Melvin Kodas. Crew became known as "KODAS KIDS". Crew would fly with a different Co-Pilot on most missions. The missions are listed below with co-pilots listed. Lt Rosenbaum would come back to fly 8 missions with his "old" Crew in April 45.
Combat Missions of 2nd Lt Joseph Straus…(mpf 2000)
1. 10/1/45 COLOGNE-A/C Skyway Chariot- Co-Pilot-Capt. Albrecht bombed Dusseldorf by mistake
2. 13/1/45 MAINZ-Rhine River Bridge, Co-Pilot- F/O Raymond Stiller
3. 14/1/45 DERBEN- Oil Storage, Co-Pilot-F/O Raymond Stiller
4. 17/1/45 HAMBURG-Oil Factory, Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Paul Batterman
5. 28/1/45 DUISBURG-RR Bridge, Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
6. 29/1/45 KASSEL-tank factory Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
7. 3/2/45 BERLIN-City Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
8. 6/2/45 ZWICKAU-oil plant Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
9. 9/2/45 WEIMER-tank factory Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
10. 15/2/45 COTTBUS-ST, Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem Nav-Lt John Gross,
11. 21/2/45 NURNBURG-RR Yards Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
12. 22/2/45 WEHENGER-TO Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
13. 23/2/45 TREUCHTLINGEN-RR Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
14. 25/2/45 MUNICH-RR Yards Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
15. 26/2/45 BERLIN-RR Yards Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
16. 2/3/45 DRESDEN Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
17. 7/3/45 SIEGEN-RR Yards Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
18. 8/3/45 GEISSEN-RR Yards Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
19. 10/3/45 DORTMUND-RR Yards Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
20. 11/3/45 HAMBURG-Oil Plant Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
21. 15/3/45 ORANIENBURG-RR Nav-Lt John Gross, Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
22. 18/3/45 BERLIN-RR Yards- Nav-Lt John Gross, Co-Piolt-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
23. 21/3/45 PLAUEN-tank factory Nav-Lt John Gross, Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem -cpt 35 mission
Captain Melvin Kodas last mission with Crew
Hi Mike; RE: Your inquiry on KODAS missions as Command Pilot……Don't have much on him from April,1945 on… when he was promoted to Capt. From 1st Lt…..(I know I'm missing a few flights of his in April that you MIGHT find in your records?)
KIEL 3 APRIL,1945 KODAS WOFFORD D-SQDN LEAD….44-8849 EP-J "PARD" ASSIGNED TO HARDSTAND #7
13 APRIL,1945 KODAS GRIFFITH D-SQDN LEAD 44-8776 LN-U PFF ASSIGNED TO HARDSTAND #35 (SCRUBBED)
ROYAN 14 APRIL,1945 KODAS, WOFFORD C SQDN LEAD 44-8849 EP J "PARD" ASSIGNED TO HARDSTAND #7
ROYAN 15 APRIL,1945 KODAS DAWSON B-SQDN LEAD 44-8908 LD-W PFF ASSIGNED TO HARDSTAND #49
CHOWHOUND PRACTICE MISSION:
25 APRIL,1945 KODAS, EVANS D-SQDN LEAD 44-8794 LD-B PFF ASSIGNED TO HARDSTAND #40
Subj: Re: Crew list July 14, 1944
Date: 5/29/2003 10:37:15 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Heine48
To: MPFaley
My father was bombardier/navigator qualified (two ratings) When Lt. Fred Robertson the regular navigator was assigned to lead crews my father was assigned on the missions as navigator.
Jim Heyneman
Hi Joe: In the event I missed it (but don't think so) in your Urice Wofford crew history…. You have nothing for the mission Jesse Wofford receiving his DFC????....He was awarded the DFC in April,1945 along with Capt Kodas who was also promoted to Capt and Command Pilot and also awarded a DFC in April,1945….(PROBABLY on the same mission as Jesse. They flew several missions together in April,1945 i.e.starting with 3 April,1945 KIEL )…….You MIGHT want to revise your crew history and add the awarding of the DFC with the particulars of their extraordinary actions/events that WOFFORD and KODAS did to deserve it… I'm working on something after hostilities on 100th BG pilots when I came across the item on the DFC awards for April,1945…….Stay COOL!...Later, Jack O'Leary
I found for APRIL,1945 a number of DFC's but only a few listed by name in the few pages I printed out.. Awards for April, 94 including AM's
DFC's for the 351st April,1945
LC HARRY F. CRUVER
MAJOR NEAL P. SCOTT, ( OAK LEAF CLUSTER)
1ST LT. MELVIN L. KODAS
1ST LT JESSE L. WOFFORD
M/SGT GORDON R. SINCLAIR
MEMO 2:
