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LT  Winans C. SHADDIX

UNIT: 349th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: P 

Stateside photo of Lt Winans C Shaddix

SERIAL #: O-747903 STATUS: EVA
MACR: 04268 CR: 04268

Comments1: 27 APR 44 THIONVILLE

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

2nd Lt Winans C. Shaddix            P EVADEE 27/4/44 THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT., AF
2nd Lt George T.Sullivan           CP POW 27/4/44    THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT., AF          MACR #4268,Microfiche#1517
2nd Lt Harry Tennenbaum      NAV CPT  14/1/45     DERBEN
2nd Lt Cole M.Dailey              BOM POW 27/4/44    THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT., AF
S/Sgt James H.Lee                 TTE POW 27/4/44    THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT., AF
 S/Sgt Frederick H.Erb            ROG POW 27/4/44    THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT., AF  
 Sgt John A.Pontzious            BTG LWA    7/5/44    BERLIN  (With crew of.R.W.Wright)  see note below
 Sgt William F.Cornelius          RWG POW  27/4/44   THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT., AF
 Sgt Alex  “Horizontal” Herdzik LWG taken off crew before going overseas, crew used fill in gunner for all missions.    
S/SGT KENNETH V.HALE         LWG POW  27/4/44   THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT, AF  (from Lt Raring Crew, assigned to crew march 17, 1944) 
Sgt Hugh "Sam" Hamilton         TG POW  27/4/44   THIONVILLE, AF & LeCULOT., AF

349th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44.

On 27/4/44 T/Sgt Raymond C. Lestico was aboard as TOG/NG; S/Sgt John B.Cortelletty (from Lt S.A. Clark Crew) replaced John Pontzious as BTG 
and S/Sgt KENNETH V. HALE (from Original Lt Raring Crew) flew as LWG. All three became POWs.

Note:
Letter from W.C.Shaddix of 24/10/84 states: " John Pontziouis,my regular BTG on the crew,came in drunk from an allnight carousing & I refused to let him go with us." The Pontzious record speaks for itself -he was a great one - He had a serious mental problem with guilt after we were lost and was sent home where he was crushed to death (I have heard) in a house moving accident in Michigan. I would give anything if I had just taken him with us."

Lt Tennerbaum was flying with J.T.Dyatt on 7/11/44 when Dyatt crashed at Felixstowe but survived.

Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target
3/16/1944 01 130 SHADDIX W C LT CP 723 AUGSBURG (flew as Copilot on Lt Dishion Crew)
3/17/1944 02 131 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 31249 MUNICH
3/18/1944 02 132 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 31534 MUNCIH
3/19/1944 02 133 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 31534 MARQUIS, MIMMOYEQUES
3/22/1944 02 134 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 31534 ORANIENBURG (BERLIN)
3/23/1944 02 135 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 88 BRUNSWICK/ WAGGUM
3/26/1944 02 136 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 56 SCHKEUDITZ/JU-88 PLANT
3/27/1944 02 137 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 31534 BORDEAUX/ MERIGNAC
4/7/1944 02 141 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 68 QUACKENBRUCK (SCRB)
4/8/1944 02 142 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 86 QUACKENBRUCK
4/9/1944 02 143 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 31534 KRZESINKI (POSEN)
4/10/1944 02 144 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 86 RHEIMS/ CHAMPAGNE
4/11/1944 02 145 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 31534 POSEN / ROSTOCK T.O.
4/12/1944 02 146 SHADDIX W.C. LT P 723 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

DATE: 27 April 1944    349th Sqdn.  A/C #42-3534

TARGET: Thionville AF,France            MACR #4268 
(Micro-fiche #1517)

1st Lt Winans C.Shaddix                    P EVADEE
2nd Lt George T.Sullivan                 CP POW
 T/Sgt Raymond C.Lestico               NG POW
2nd Lt Cole M Dailey             BOM/NAV POW
 T/Sgt Frederick H.Erb                 ROG POW
 T/Sgt James H.Lee                     TTE POW
 S/Sgt John B.Cortelletty              BTG POW (from Lt S.A. Clark Crew)
 S/Sgt William F.Cornelius             RWG POW
 S/Sgt Kenneth V.Hale                LWG POW (from Lt Raring Crew)
 S/Sgt Hugh Hamilton                    TG POW

This crew,except for Lestico,Cortelletty & Hale,had joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44-
EYEWITNESS REPORT: "A/C #534 was hit by flak as it left the target area at 1939 hours. No.3 engine began to smoke and the A/C began to lag. It remained with the formation however,until 2010 hours when 10 chutes were seen to come out,and the A/C descended in slow spirals,apparently under AFCE control.'

                  WITNESSES:  Capt.Van Steenis,Lt.McGuire,Lt.Harris

In a statement by Lt.Shaddix dated 7 (Dec.?) 1944 he says that the A/C crashed near Ardooie,Belgium and exploded upon impact. It was on fire in air. He and Erb slightly injured. Seven men reported to have been captured by Germans and one man evading. Believed the evadee to be Lt.Sullivan.(Shaddix did not know Sullivan had been captured at a later time..pw)

 
2nd Lt George T.Sullivan       CP POW (no info on POW camp.  most likely Stalag luft III of Stalag Luft I)

T/Sgt Raymond C.Lestico       NG POW (Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

2nd Lt Cole M Dailey     BOM POW  (Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia Bavaria (Moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser) 49-11

T/Sgt Frederick H.Erb    ROG POW (Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

T/Sgt James H.Lee        TTE POW (Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

 S/Sgt John B.Cortelletty       BTG POW (Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

S/Sgt William F.Cornelius   RWG POW  (Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

S/Sgt Kenneth V.Hale           LWG POW (no info, but most likely Stalag luft 4)

S/Sgt Hugh Hamilton               TG POW  (Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

Somewhat unusual is that Lt.Shaddix is shown in the records to have rejoined the 100th Group with a new crew on 6/4/45. Unusual in that evadees were usually returned to the U.S.A. and not allowed to fly missions in the ETO for fear that subsequent capture might result in a breach of security endangering the underground operations in Europe.

Letter from W.C.Shaddix of 24/10/84 states: " John Pontziouis,my regular BTG on the crew,came in drunk from an all night carousing & I refused to let him go with us." The Pontzious record speaks for itself -he was a great one - He had a serious mental problem with guilt after we were lost and was sent home where he was crushed to death (I have heard) in a house moving accident in Michigan. I would give anything if I had just taken him with us." "The regular navigator,Harry Tennenbaum,was not aboard because "Mickey" operators were not supposed to go on short missions."

Shaddix,injured when parachuted to ground,was nursed back to health by Belgian resistance people. Later joined the Armee Blanche and fought in the Ardennes forest.

Stayed in servicd & served in Pacific theater and flew B-47s for 10 years. Retired in 1960.

Additional information concerning W.C. Shaddix

Dear Sir,
Your database states that the A/C "Ol'Dad" crashed at Ardoye/France in April 1944.
I was born in Ardoye. That village is not in France, but in Belgium. It is situated in the northern part of Belgium, better known as Flanders.
My mother (she pased away in 2001) saw the plane coming down on farm, and my dad, later on, showed me the house on which one of the bombs came down. The ruin was still visible till the end of the 50's. By the way, the correct spelling of our village is not Ardoye, but Ardooie.
Kind regards,
Rik
Mailbox: rikverhelle@skynet.be 

Most unusual is the fact that Winans Shaddix Evaded capture,returned to England and was sent back to the 
U.S.A. HOWEVER, he returned to Thorpe Abbotts in April 1945 with a NEW CREW and was assigned to the 351st 
Sqdn.  SEE below

SECOND SHADDIX CREW, JOINED THE 100TH ON 6 APR 1945

Major  Winans C.Shaddix   P      FEH   
2nd Lt Ralph H.Geer       CP     FEH
2nd Lt Edward O.Watts  NAV  FEH
T/SGt Paul L.Spears       TTE   FEH
  Sgt John W. Donovan   NG    FEH
  Sgt William G. Curtis     ROG   FEH
  Sgt William E.Bain        BTG   FEH
  Sgt John R.Carr            WG  FEH
  Cpl Edward J.D'Arcy      TG   FEH

351st Sqdn.  Crew joined the 100th Group on 6/4/45. NOTE: Shaddix had flown with the 100th in 1944 as Pilot of 
his crew,was shot down and evaded capture,returned to England thence the U.S.A. and back to the 100th again
According to William Curtis son, the crew flew in a B-17G named "Shoot Your Faded" with 351st Sq.That flew in late 1945.


231767  EP-E   11 April 45  SHADDIX  A Sqdn  767 E     
"OUR GAL SAL"   Hardstand 5

238047   EP-O   19 April 45  SHADDIX  A Sqdn  047 O
"Fever Beaver"  Hardstand 12

238047  EP-O    4 May 45     SHADDIX   B Sqdn  047 0
"Fever Beaver"    Hardstand  #12

238047  EP-0    5 May 45    SHADDIX   B Sqdn  047 0
"Fever Beaver"    Hardstand # 12
                      
                     19 May 45    SHADDIX   B Sqdn  430 F   
                      Hardstand #13

44-8849 EP-J    3 June   SHADDIX   B Sqdn  849 J
                Hardstand 7

44-8784 EP-M    12 June  SHADDIX *'TIBENHAM' 784 M
               Hardstand 5
Note..* Casablanca Ferry Mission..No Sqdn used 


  By Harry Crosby/ Splacsher Six---summer 1991
Years later Winans Cornell Shaddix bound his memories in a book, which makes good reading. In particular he records what we all felt when the going got rough and the losses got heavy. He first met his squadron commander, Summer Reeder, just after Summer's co-pilot had his head blown off….When Reeder was killled stateside, Shaddix conclueded, "A sad ending for a real man."

 Part of his experiences were printed in an article in "Prop Wash", the newsletter of the Alabama chapter of the 8AF Historical Society, which is edited by our Red Harper. When he got to Thorpe Abbotts, "Shadrack" drew one of the original 100th planes, badly patched and suffering from battle damage. He was shot down, got involved with the French Marquis, and helped evacuate Mauhausen concentration camp near Linz, Austria.

MEMO 2:


			

             
            

         

         
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION: 
  
         

  

    TARGET:
			Thionville
    DATE: 
			1944-04-24
     
  

  

    AIRCRAFT:
	"Ol Dad"(42-3534)
    CAUSE:
			FLAK
     
  



			


			

            
BURIAL INFORMATION

            

  

    PLOT:
			
    ROW:
			
     
  

  

    GRAVE:
			
    CEMETERY:
			
     
  



			
			
            

			
 
            
           
PHOTOS:

           
                 
 The Winans C. Shaddix crew. This crew was shot down on the 27 Apr 44 mission to Thionville, France. Pilot Winans Shaddix was injured in the bail out, but nursed back to healthy by Belgian resistance fighters. After recovering, Shaddix joined the Armee Blanche and fought with them in several engagements with the German Army. The rest of the crew became POWs. Shaddix would evade capture and return to the states only to request combat again and end up back with the 100th with a new crew in April 1945. The following series of photographs document on the ground photos of the crash of 42-3534 and its aftermath. (Photo courtesy of Rik Verhelle) Shaddix crew information 
Crew ID for Lt Winans Shaddix Crew Shot
                 
Sgt Alex  “Horizontal” Herdzik LWG taken off crew before going overseas, crew used fill in gunner for all missions.
Winans C. Shaddix 1st Crew Stateside.  Enlisted men with Lt Shaddix   (photo courtesy of the Shaddix family). 
Lt Shaddix second from right 
                 
Lt. Winans C. Shaddix (photo courtesy of the Shaddix family)
Primary Training for aviation Cadet Winans Shaddix 
                 
 Wreckage of 42-3534 Ol'Dad on farmland near the village of Ardooie, Belgium. (Photo courtesy of Rik Verhelle) 
 German guardsmen and the two daughters of the farmer on whose land 42-3534  Ol'DAD disintegrated. (Photo courtesy of Rik Verhelle) 
 German guardsmen with wreckage of 42-3534. (Photo courtesy of Rik Verhelle) 
 German guardsmen with wreckage of 42-3534 Ol'DAD (Photo courtesy of Rik Verhelle) 
 German guardsmen with wreckage of 42-3534. (Photo courtesy of Rik Verhelle) 

           
 

       
SERVED IN: 

				
Crew 1
Crew 2
			
	
        
		
        ID:
			4698