COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
2ND LT JAMES R. DOTSON P KIA 10 APR 45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
2ND LT KENNETH R. PFISTER CP FEH (flew ferry missions with Lt Wofford after VE Day, see note from Joe urice)
2ND LT FREDERICK A. NICHOLAEV NAV FEH
SGT HARRY F. FISCHBURG TTE FEH
SGT NICHOLAS L. GRAVINO ROG FEH
SGT CHARLES E. BLACK BTG FEH
SGT WALTER G. DAUBNEY WG FEH
SGT FREDERICK J. GOODCHILD NG/TOG FEH
SGT BURL F. BLEVINS TG FEH
351ST SQDN…CREW, AS ABOVE JOINED THE 100TH ON 30 MAR 1945
On 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF, Lt.James R.Dotson,was flying as CP on Lt Bazin's Crew in place of Lt Charles Dixon
CREW
2nd Lt Lawrence L. Bazin P KIA 10/4/45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
2nd Lt Charles F.Dixon CP FEH (believe that he takes over Lt. Dotson Crew..mpf)
2nd Lt Kenneth C.Peiffer NAV FEH
2nd Lt Harry J.Chase BOM FEH
S/Sgt Roens W.Sherwood 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 Con.
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 Sherwood: "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."
Following is the crew component for the 10 Apr 1945 mission to BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
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. Sherwood 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
To Michael Faley : Michael, I must have mis-spoken to Paul West in 1993 about Lt Ken Pfister's involvement on Wofford's crew. I don't know when he joined the 100th, but my recollection [thru memory and later communications with him after locating him in Florida] of his involvement with the crew was as co-pilot for Wofford on sorties after VE Day. I agree with you in that I don't think he flew combat missions with Wofford. Pfister related to me that he had been a fighter pilot by training but had been a late transfer into bombers because that was where the need was. There were many such post VE Day flights made for various reasons in which only skelton EM crews participated. For example, only TTE Davenport [and perhaps ROG Laskow] went on most of these. I recall standing in as TTE on one such flight to Munich in this manner. I would imagine these are the type of flights Pfister flew as co-pilot since he related to me one such flight to [Northern ?] Ireland. One further update on Wofford [that is perhaps noteworthy and has never been shown on the 100th site] is that he served briefly as the C.O. of the 418thSqd. At the tag end of the 100th's time in England; however this is not shown in "CONTRAILS" nor can I recall at the moment the source of this information as a "fact". My best regards and hope this covers your question. [joe Urice 2001)
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My Dad
Walter G. Daubney dob 11/06/1922 dod 12/20/2007
http://www.telegram.com/article/20071222/OBIT/712220304/1053/NEWSREWIND
Thank you and may God bless all who served. I am very thankful for all of you.
Sincerely,
A proud son of a 100th BG member.
James Daubney
72 king Road
Charlton, MA 01507
508-248-3237
No he didn't mention who took over as pilot. Although I know they flew 5 or 6 missions before the hostilities ended. I know they flew a couple food drops in Holland and 2 or 3 missions over gremany. I think….please forgive me…I just got back from a sort of Irish christmas party wwith my many of my cousins who got me close to slobbering drunk…. I think that Mr Black is still alive living in florida. Dad spoke to him maybe 2 or 3 years ago.Once the funeral is over I would be happy to speak with you and tell you all of my own personal "second hand" recollections that my dad told me. I'm porbably the one to speak with because I always revered my dads service and asked him about it many, many times. I'm also a bit of a history buff. But as to the actual missions that is crew flew… I know that there were at least 2 food drops over Holland which dad claimed to have made the dropand 2 or possibly 3 combat missions over germany.
He said that Dotson during training always stressed being able to handle other duties. Dad said he got to take the controls a couple times and fly the plane (during training) , he also got to make drops as well as operate the radio. He told me that Dotson and the crew were trainers of other crews (I think in Florida) and that the only reason that they actually got any combat time was because Dotson wanted to get "IN THE WAR" before it was over. Unfortunately for Dotson he got Killed when he went on his first mission as CP with another crew! Dad told me of an incident in greenland where a guy got shot for cheating at cards.
Sorry but I have to get ot bed…
Sincerely,
Jim Daubney
feel free to call my cell phone any time….
508-344-3540
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2nd Lt Charles F. Dixon took over Lt Dotson's crew when he was KIA on April 10, 1945 with Bazin Crew
CREW
2ND LT JAMES R. DOTSON P KIA 10 APR 45 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
2ND LT KENNETH R. PFISTER CP FEH (flew ferry missions with Lt Wofford after VE Day, see note from Joe urice)
2ND LT FREDERICK A. NICHOLAEV NAV FEH
SGT HARRY F. FISCHBURG TTE FEH
SGT NICHOLAS L. GRAVINO ROG FEH
SGT CHARLES E. BLACK BTG FEH
SGT WALTER G. DAUBNEY WG FEH
SGT FREDERICK J. GOODCHILD NG/TOG FEH
SGT BURL F. BLEVINS TG FEH
2lt Lt. Charles F. DIXON missions as a First Pilot…
Aprl 10, 1945 BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, AF
April 11, 1945 LANDSHUT, ORD DEPOT;INGOLSTADT, MY A/C# 126
April 13, 1945 Practice Mission
April 15, 1945 ROYAN, GROUND DEFENSES A/C# 767
April 16, 1945 ROYAN/POINT DE-GRAVE GND DEFENSES A/C# 708
April 20, 1945 ORANIENBURG, MY, A/C# 815
April 26, 1945 Practice Mission
CHOWHOUND MISSIONS:
May 1, 1945 VALKENBURG, HAGUE-CHOWHOUND A/C# 258
May 2, 1945 SCHIPHOL AF/ALKMAAR-CHOWHOUND A/C# 258
May 3, 1945 BERGEN, HILVERSUM-CHOWHOUND A/C# 258
May 5, 1945 BERGEN, AF, HILVERSUM, BAARN, CHOWHOUND A/C# 535
DP/POW FERRY FLIGHTS FROM AUSTRIA TO PARIS
May 16, 1945 A/C# 258
May 19, 1945 A/C# 258
April,1945 and I believe he flew at least 3 more in April…check 16,17,20…..practice missions on 13,25April…and Chowhound missions on 3,4(scheduled but scrubbed)5,6,7 May, and a DP/POW ferry mission from Austria to Paris 19 May,1945…I also believe he flew another ferry but nothing conclusive on him….Regarding the Dotson crew…Walter Daubney and the others..They arrived at T/A on 30 MARCH,1945……I think they would have qualified for 2 Campaign Stars on their EAME Theater ribbon…or been damn close. It was based on when they arrived in the ETO,not at Thorpe Abbotts and the qualifying dates were; RHINELAND SEPT 14,1944-MARCH 21,1945 CENTRAL EUROPE MARCH 22,1945-MAY 8,1945 ………What we need to do is contact one of the surviving crew members that can offer some details of who flew with Dixon as first pilot. FYI, I called one last night Harry J Chase in ARK but no answer on the phone. Do you guys have anything for contact info on any of the Dotson crew members living? Did Walter's son have any details on his dads mission dates,crew members from 10 April,1945 on.
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From Capt. Ken Pfister 8-15-08
Subject: Dotson Crew w/Lt Pfister as copilot
I graduated fighter school, Eagle Pass, Texas. Class 44F-Ranked 5th in Class. I was sent to Aleo Field, Texas for P-51 transition. Mix up, no
P-51's "Then Trouble", orders came thru to send all pilots to Amarillo Texas for B-17 Copilot School (Bad Bad Noise). Finished copilot training and sent to Tampa Florida. There I was assigned to Lt Dotson's Crew. Lt Dotson was First Pilot, Jim was a multiengine instructor. He was not happy with a fighter pilot as his copilot (and the feeling was mutual). Finished crew training then sent to Hunter Field, Georgia. We flew a B-17G to Europe. Assigned to 100th Bomb Grp. I question the arrival date of March 31, 1945? I flew first mission April 10th. Jim Dotson was assigned to Lt. Bazin's Crew as Co-Pilot. German Air Force put 60 plus ME 262's in the air against us. Lt Charles Dixon was assigned as First Pilot on my crew. Lt Bazin's aircraft was shot head on, killed both pilots. Flew April 11th Mission with Lt Dixon (had major problems on both April 10 & 11 missions dropping bombs. I flew my next Mission the following day (April 12, 1945 Neuburg-scrubbed) with Lt Goldsmith (418th Squadron)-….I question this since Lt Goldsmith crew arrived on April 11th to TA and would not have been combat ready for two more weeks….MPF). Flew every mission till the end of the War. I was assigned to Lt Wofford's Crew. He was a Lead Crew at that time. Lt Carr (CP) of Wofford Crew was KIA April 7, 1945 Buchen mission. On one mission we dropped Napalm on a French Target. Flew all Holland Food missions with different first Pilots Flew all missions to Lintz Austria to Mauthausen Concentration Camp. The May 19th trip was very interesting and you would not believe how we handled Stretcher cases of Slave Labors. Flew with Lt McGeorge to Edinburgh, Scotland, stayed overnight then next day flew to a secret field in Ireland to pick up a single person. Flew to Casablanca overnight then to Morocco. Picked up five french people and flew to a secret field in France. The War having ended in Europe, I volunteered for Japan. Checked out in P-47 thunderbolt at Thorpe Abbotts. Finally in Fighters but war in Japan ends so I am transferred to Munich, Germany to fly C-47 transports.
MEMO 2:
