COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
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 until they completed their tour in Feb 45 and then became CP on Lt Broyles 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 (KODAS KIDS)...(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 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, Nav-Lt John Gross, Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
11. 21/2/45 NURNBURG-RR Yards Co-Pilot-2nd Lt Robert G. Mellem
12. 22/2/45 WEHENGER-TO " "
13. 23/2/45 TREUCHTLINGEN-RR " "
14. 25/2/45 MUNICH-RR Yards " "
15. 26/2/45 BERLIN-RR Yards " "
16. 2/3/45 DRESDEN " "
17. 7/3/45 SIEGEN-RR Yards " "
18. 8/3/45 GEISSEN-RR Yards " "
19. 10/3/45 DORTMUND-RR Yards " "
20. 11/3/45 HAMBURG-Oil Plant " "
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
24. 28/3/45 HANNOVER-tank factory, Pilot-Lt Ivan Rosenbaum, CP-2nd Lt Francis Beed, Nav-F/O Arnold Bennett
25. 30/3/45 HAMBURG-sub pens " "
26. 31/3/45 ZEITZ-oil refinery " "
27. 14/4/45 ROYAN-gun positions near Bordeaux Pilot-Lt Rosenbaum, CP-2nd Lt Walter G. Scott
Lt Scott completed his 35 mission
28. 15/4/45 ROYAN-gun positions Pilot-Lt Ivan Rosenbaum CP-?
29. 16/4/45 POINT DE-GRAVE-gun positions near Bordeaux- Pilot -Lt Ivan Rosenbaum
30. 17/4/45 AUSSIG-RR Yards Pilot-Lt Ivan Rosenbaum
31. 20/4/45 ORANIENBURG-RR Yards Pilot-Lt Ivan Rosenbaum
Chowhounds:
1/5/45 LEYDEN/HOLLAND
2/5/45 AMSTERDAM-SHIPHOL
5/5/45 BERGEN
7/5/45 AMSTERDAM-SHIPHOL
.
CREW
2nd Lt Herman F.Streich P CPT 17/2/45 FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
2nd Lt Richard W.King CP KIA 31/12/44 HAMBURG (With crew flown by F.E.Henderson)
2nd Lt Leon Schwartz NAV CPT 19/2/45 OSNABRUCK sn# 0-723444
2nd Lt Frank Dunst,Jr. BOM CPT 24/3/45 STEENWIJK/HAVELTE & ZIEGENHAIN (made lead bomb after 6 missions)
Cpl Thomas E. Pepper ROG CPT 17/2/45 FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
Cpl Edward R.Benice BTG NOC (never flew a mission with this crew)
Cpl George H.Holland TTE CPT 17/2/45 FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
Cpl Thomas L.Whitacre WG CPT 17/2/45 FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
Cpl Herman H.Buhse WG/TOG CPT 17/2/45 FRANKFURT & GIESSEN (Toggleer after 6 missions)
Cpl Elwood O.Mattiza TG CPT 17/2/45 FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
351st Sqdn. Crew joined 100th Group on 09 Sept1944 according to the Sqdn Diary for Sept. (p.2).
Frank Streich was a TV film producer in England for many years after WWII.
This crew flew thirty five missions, many in "Fever Beaver." This venerable old 100th aircraft flew 125 missions. Her crew chief was J.D.Pearson, who appeared on the 1985 Taps list, became almost a surrogate father to young Sam Hurry. Hurry latter became President of the !00th Bomb Groups English Association. Others who served on this Crew included; Copilots Lt Paul Batterman and Lt Tom Slaven (from Lt Rosenbaum Crew). Sgt Harvey J. Lehman (from Lt Clifton Williams Crew) was transferred to this Crew as BTG and completed tour on 17/2/45 mission to Frankfurt & Giessen. According to Lt Schwartz, Lt King had been grounded and wonders why he filled in on Lt Henderson's crew on 31 DEC 44 mission to Hamburg? Lt Schwartz also states that they flew FEVER BEAVER on her 100th MISSION (she flew 126 missions in all)
Missions of 2nd Lt Leon Schwartz (mpf 2002)
1. 25/09/44 LUDWIGSHAVEN-flew with different crew
2. 02/10/44 KASSEL
3. 06/10/44 BERLIN
4. 07/10/44 BOHLEN
5. 09/10/44 WEISBADEN
6. 12/10/44 BREMEN
7. 15/10/44 COLOGNE-Lt Dunst becomes lead bombardier and is replaced by Sgt Buhse-Toggleer
8. 05/11/44 LUDWIGSHAVEN
9. 09/11/44 SAARBRUCKEN
10. 21/11/44 OSNABRUCK
11. 26/11/44 HAMM
12. 29/11/44 HAMM
13. 30/11/44 MERSEBURG
14. 04/12/44 FRIEDBERG
15. 05/12/44 BERLIN
16. 12/12/44 DARMSTADT
17. 24/12/44 KAISERLAUTERN
18. 25/12/44 KAISERLAUTERN
19. 27/12/44 FULDA
20. 28/12/44 KOBLENZ
21. 30/12/44 KASSEL
22. 31/12/44 HAMBURG
23. 13/01/45 MAINZ
24. 14/01/45 DERBEN
25. 17/01/45 HAMBURG
26. 20/01/45 HEIBRON
27. 21/01/45 MANNHEIM
28. 28/01/45 DUISBURG
29. 29/01/45 KASSEL
30. 03/02/45 BERLIN
31. 06/02/45 CHEMNITZ
32. 09/02/45 WEIMAR
33. 15/02/45 COTTBUS
34. 17/02/45 FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
35. 19/02/45 OSNABRUCK-flew with different crew
Henderson crew
On the 31 DEC 44 ( HAMBURG) mission, FLOYD E. HENDERSON was the first pilot of this crew..Appears mainly that of Carl J. HEDIN...jb
These crewmen were with the crew of Floyd E.Henderson on 31/12/44. Henderson, himself,was CP on the crew of R.L.Stevenson when that crew joined the 100th Group on 14/7/44.
A/C #42-31066 "Fools Rush In" MACR #11366, MICRO-FICHE #4183
2ND LT FLOYD E. HENDERSON P KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
2nd Lt Richard W. King CP KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG (from Lt Streich Crew)
2nd Lt George J. Smigo, Jr NAV POW 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
S/Sgt Elmer L. Kovach TOGG KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
S/Sgt George J.Robinson ROG KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
S/Sgt James W.Shepard TTE KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
Sgt Leo O.Murphy BTG POW 31DEC /44 HAMBURG
Sgt Fred Horcasitas WG KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
Sgt Frank S.Sauls TG POW 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
EYEWITNESS: "A/C 42-31066 recieved a direct hit by flak just before "Bombs Away" , and the bombs were salvoed.
The A/C fell off on the right wing and dropped onto A/C #43-38124 piloted by Lt Clifton M. Williams.
Both aircraft went down in flames and one exploded" (See Williams crew below)
Lt Clifton M.Williams P KIA 31/12/44 HAMBURG
Lt Kenneth W.Newkirk CP KIA "
Lt Richard F.Williams NAV KIA " A/C #43 38124
Lt Lawrence W.Ward BOM POW " MACR #11363,Fiche #4182
T/S/Sgt Charles J.McGinley ROG KIA "
T/Sgt .Alvin H.Petteys TTE KIA "
S/Sgt Lee F.Carpenter BTG KIA "
S/Sgt James H.Murphy WG POW " TAPS: 1973
Cpl Gordon R.Sinclair TG CPT 15 /3/45 ORANIENBURG /WITH THE S. JOHNSON CREW AS NAV (see note)
351st Sqdn. Sqdn Diary of Sept.1944 notes this crew as joining the 100th Group in Sept. A Cpl.Harvey J.Lehman was
on the crew at that time but no further record of him has turned up.
On 31/12/44, S/Sgt Roland L.Douglas,from the crew of Gerald Brown,was flying in place of Gordon Sinclair and was
made a POW.
Note
Gordon Sinclair was removed from Navigator's school one day short of graduation for some unknown infraction, proably the Training Command acted a bit over zealous in view of the need for trained Navigators. The 351st Sqdn. Commander (Harry Cruver, a man known to have had some disagreements with training command personnel during his cadet days) corrected this bit of over zealousness by immediately promoting Sinclair to M/Sgt and making him the Navigator for the Sidney Johnson crew, where he completed a tour. This from Charles M. Beck, of the Sidney Johnson crew..pw
MEMO 2:
Flew with Streich as CP until they completed missions and then flew with Lt Broyles Crew
PHOTOS:
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Orville K. Broyles Crew, MAR 1945
Top Row: (L-R) Unk, Anthony Cheffo, Orville "Butch" Broyles, Thomas Slaven
Bottom Row: (L-R) Frank Kopus, Clarence Henderson, Albert Lochra |
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Orville K Broyles Crew (left to right)
Standing: Orville K. "Butch" Broyles (P), James J. Hawley (NAV),
Probably Thomas J. Slaven (CP), Clarence V. Henderson (TTE)
Kneeling: Anthony "Tony" Cheffo (BTG), Frank Kopus (WG),
Harold E. Johnson (TG), Albert P. Lochra (ROG)
Photo taken on 351st BS Hardstand 13, March-April 1945
Photo and ID courtesy of Al Lochra and Jack O'Leary 3/5/06 |
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338523 EP-F, " GLORY BOUND" lost on the 4 Jan 1945 on Hamburg mission. (100th Photo Archives) |
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Glory Bound January 4, 1945 w/Lt Rosenbaum Crew |
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