COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
2ND LT OWEN D. (COWBOY) ROANE P CPT 26 NOV 43 PARIS (flew one additional mission on Feb 29, 1944-Brunswick)
2ND LT ARTHUR C. "BUD" STIPE CP CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
2ND LT DANIEL L. SCHMUCKER NAV CPT 29 NOV 43 BREMEN
2ND LT CURTIS K. CAMPBELL BOM CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
T/SGT CLARENCE R. TOMB ROG CPT 16 NOV 43 RJUKAN, NORWAY
T/SGT ROBERT A. STUART TTE CPT 16 NOV 43 RJUKAN, NORWAY
S/SGT ROGER O. STROBLE BTG CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
S/SGT JAMES JARVIE RWG CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
S/SGT ARTHUR HAUGE LWG NOC X-FERRED TO BASE MP'S. Replaced by T/SGT RICHARD DETWEILER
S/SGT PATRICK J. HEALY TG CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
349th Sqdn.. Crew joined 100th in June 26, 1943 as one of the first replacement crews along with Lt Henry Henington, Lt John Justice and Lt "Big Chief" Walter Moreno.
Repacments on Lt Roane Crew:
LT STIPE IS REPLACED ON THE CREW ON BY F/O REGINALD A. SMITH (TRANSFERRED FROM RAF) STARTING WITH 3 NOV 43 MISISON TO WILHEMSHAVEN. HE WOULD LATER TRANSFER TO THE 418TH BS AS A 2ND LT AND COMMAND HIS OWN CREW. LT REGINALD "SMITTY" SMITH WOULD BECOME A POW 20/2/44 ON THE MISSION TO POSEN & SETTIN
2ND LT DANIEL L. SCHMUCKER (NAV) MOVED TO 13TH CBW TO START TEACHING ABOUT RADAR NAVIGATION AND BOMBING. HE WAS REPLACED ON THE CREW BY 1ST LT OMAR "THE TENT MAKER" GONZALES (FORMER GROUP NAVGATOR) STARTING WITH 8 OCT 43 MISSION TO BREMEN.
1ST LT GONZALES IS REPLACED BY LT HOWARD BASSETT (FROM LT VICTOR REED CREW) FOR MISSONS OCTOBER 18-20, 1943, BOTH TO DUREN.
T/SGT RICHARD DETWEILER (FROM LT VICTOR REED CREW) REPLACES SGT HAUGE AFTER HE WAS TAKEN OFF FLYING STATUS FOR FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE FRIEND OR FOE. GUESS HE STITCHED ONE OF “COWBOYS” WINGMAN ONE TOO MANY TIMES. SGT. HAUGE IS TRANSFERRED TO THE BASE MP'S. T/SGT DETWEILER WOULD LATER BECOME TOP TURRET ENGINEER WHEN T/SGT STUART COMPLETED HIS MISSIONS.
LT OWEN D."COWBOY" ROANE
LEDGENDARY 100TH PILOT
ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN OF THE 100TH LONG LIST OF WELL KNOWN AVIATORS. COWBOY FOLLOWED GLEN DYE AS THE SECOND 100TH PILOT TO COMPLETE A TOUR.
EVERY 100TH VETERAN HAS A COWBOY ROANE STORY, RANGING FROM THE FAMOUS "DONKEY" TO ALL SORTS OF OTHERS. HE IS IMORTALIZED BY HIS FAMOUS RADIO TRANMISSION, "COMING IN WITH A FROZEN ASS", WHETHER IT OCCURRED OR NOT, PROBABLY ONLY HE KNOWS FOR SURE, IT IS A PART OF THE 100TH MYSTIC.
HIS FLYING SKILLS WERE GREATLY ADMIRED BY HIS CREW AND OTHERS WHO FLEW WITH THE 100TH. LEADER OF SEVERAL DIFFICULT MISSIONS THAT INCLUDE THE 100TH TRIP TO SCHWEINFURT ON 14 OCT 43, "BLACK THURSDAY" AND THE ATTACK ON HITLER'S HEAVY WATER PLANT AT RJUKAN, NORWAY. IN HIS BOOK, THE STORY OF THE CENTURY, JOHN NILSSON ERRONEOUSLY CREDITS THIS MISSION LEAD TO SAM BARR, WHILE THE INTREPID MISSISSIPIAN LED SEVERAL OTHER 100TH MISSIONS, THIS NEAR PERFECT ONE WAS
LED BY THE "COWBOY". HIS MISSION LOG THAT FOLLOWS INCLUDES THE TOUGH TARGETS OF REGENSBURG, BREMEN, SCHWEINFURT, HAMBURG AND OTHERS.
HE IS AN EYE WITNESS TO RICHARD SYNDER'S ("THE MAN ON THE WING") GALLANT BID TO EGRESS 42-5860, COMMANDED BY LT CURTIS. R. BIDDICK, ON THE 17 AUG 43 REGENSBERG MISSION. AFTER RETIRING FROM THE USAF HE PERSUED A SECOND CAREER IN EDUCATION, BECOMING A PROMINENT FIGURE IN HIS AREA.
DR.ROANE IS THE SITTING PRESIDENT OF THE 100TH BOMB GROUP ASSOCITATION (1991-1993) AND THUS WAS THE SPEAKER AT THE DEDICATION OF THE CURTIS LEMAY MEMORIAL AT THORPE ABBOTTS IN JULY 1992. HE WAS ALSO MAYOR OF HIS HOME TOWN, VALLEY VIEW. TEXAS.
MISSION LOG OF CAPT OWEN D. "COWBOY" ROANE:
04 JUL 43 La PALLICE
10 JUL 43 La BOURGET
14 JUL 43 LA BOURGET
17 JUL 43 HAMBURG
24 JUL 43 TRONDHEIM
25 JUL 43 WARNEMUNDE & KIEL
26 JUL 43 HANOVER
29 JUL 43 WARNEMUNDE
12 AUG 43 WESSELING
15 AUG 43 MERVILLE & LILLE
17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG
24 AUG 43 BORDEAUX-MERIGNAC
31 AUG 43 MEULAN Les MEUREAUX
02 SEP 43 KERLIN-BASTARD
03 SEP 43 PARIS & BEAUMONT La ROGER
06 SEP 43 STUTTGART
07 SEP 43 WATTEN, V-WEAPONS
09 SEP 43 BEAUVAIS-TILLE
08 OCT 43 BREMEN*
14 OCT 43 SCHWEINFURT* (BLACK THURSDAY)
18 OCT 43 DUREN
20 OCT 43 DUREN
03 NOV 43 WILHEMSHAVEN
05 NOV 43 GILSENKIRCHEN
07 NOV 43 DUREN
11 NOV 43 MUNSTER-RECALL (LEAD CREW WITH COL CHICK HARDING AS COMMAND PILOT) COWBOY MAKES 1S LIEUTENANT
16 NOV 43 RJUKAN, NORWAY (HEAVY WATER) LEAD CREW WITH COL JOHN BENNETT AS COMMAND PILOT
26 NOV 43 PARIS
29 FEB 44 BRUNSWICK
*CREW THAT FLEW WITH COWBOY ON BREMEN AND SCHWEINFURT MISSIONS
2ND LT OWEN D. (COWBOY) ROANE P CPT 26 NOV 43 PARIS
2ND LT ARTHUR C. STIPE CP CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
1ST LT OMAR GONZALES NAV POW 5 NOV 43 GELSENKIRCHEN
2ND LT CURTIS K. CAMPBELL BOM CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
T/SGT CLARENCE R. TOMB ROG CPT 16 NOV 43 RJUKAN, NORWAY
T/SGT ROBERT A. STUART TTE CPT 16 NOV 43 RJUKAN, NORWAY
S/SGT ROGER O. STROBLE BTG CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
S/SGT JAMES JARVIE RWG CPT 20 OCT 43 DUREN
T/SGT RICHARD DETWEILER LWG CPT 13 FEB 44 NO-BALL
S/SGT PATRICK J. HEALY TG CPT 20 OCT43 DUREN
STARTING 3 NOV 43 2ND LT OWEN D. "COWBOY" ROANE IS A LEAD PILOT. HIS CREW CONSISTS OF:
2ND LT OWEN D. (COWBOY) ROANE P
F/0 REGINALD A. "SMITTY" SMITH CP/FORMATION OFFICER (TRANSFERRED FROM RAF) POW 20/2/44 POSEN & SETTIN
CAPT. JOSEPH H. "BUBBLES" PAYNE NAV (FROM CAPT. EVE BLAKELY CREW)
CAPT. ROBERT K. PEEL BOM (CAME OVER WITH ORIGINAL CADRE, LEAD BOMBARDIER)
T/SGT CLARENCE R. TOMB ROG (ORIGINAL COWBOY CREW MEMBER)
T/SGT ROBERT A. STUART TTE (ORGINAL COWBOY CREW MEMBER)
T/SGT RICHARD DETWEILER LWG (CAME FROM LT VICTOR REED CREW)
? BTG
? RWG
S/SGT RICHARD TANGRADI TG (FROM LT AMIERO CREW)
CREW ON 16/11/43 RJUKAN MISSION- GROUP LEAD:
COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. JOHN M. BENNETT
LEAD PILOT: LT OWEN "COWBOY" ROANE
CP/FORMATION OFFICER: F/O REGINALD A. "SMITTY" SMITH (FLEW IN TAIL)
LEAD NAVIGATOR: CAPTAIN JOSEPH "BUBBLES" PAYNE
LEAD BOMBARDIER: CAPTAIN ROBERT PEEL
TOP TURRET ENGINEER: T/SGT ROBERT A. STUART
RADIO OPERATOR GUNNER: T/SGT CLARENCE R. TOMB
BALL TURRET GUNNER: ?
LEFT WAIST GUNNER: T/SGT RICHARD DETWEILER
RIGHT WAIST GUNNER: ?
TAIL GUNNER: S/SGT RICHARD TANGRADI ((BUMPED FROM CREW, CP FLEW AS FORMATION OFFICER ON THIS MISSION)
From the 349th March 1944 Squadron Diary.
March 3: This was the day when nine of our ships (the 349th) went out to bomb Berlin -- the first time an actual start was made by U.S, day bombers towards this greatest and most perilous target, it was cancelled because of weather after the planes were loaded and primed. Cowboy (Owen D.) Roane, who came to us in July 1943 as a Flight Officer, left for the States today, wearing well deserved Captain's bars. The diminutive Texan had proved in twenty-six missions (he flew one extra in February, after
completing his requisite tour of twenty-five in November, 1943) to be one of the ablest, most calm, fearless and daring of all our great pilots; and his personality endeared him to all of us who came in contact with him, from KP's to Colonels.
MEMO 2:
PHOTOS:
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Reported to be Robert A. Stuart from the Owen D. "Cowboy" Roane Crew - This may not be correct. (100th Photo Archives) |
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Robert A. Stuart, TTE, of the Owen D. (Cowboy) Roane crew (100th Photo Archives) |
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Oct 14, 1943 Schweinfurt: upon return, the crew took this photo: Standing from left, Curtis Campbell, Owen “Cowboy” Roane, Omar "The Tent Maker" Gonzales, Arthur C. "Bud" Stipe, A. Hauge, James Jarvie;
Kneeling center row from left: Robert A. Stuart,Roger O. Stroble, Patrick J. Healy, Clarence Tomb and Richard Detweiler.
Front row; B.G. Woodie Woodward, George Kennedy, Ray C. Morton - Crew Chief, J, E. Baggett.
Fred Lehman is not pictured.
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From left, Magee C. Fuller, Neil B. Harding, Owen D. "Cowboy" Roane, and Robert "Red " Stuart |
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Clarence R. Tomb and Robert "Red" Stuart. ROG and TTE respectively on Cowboy Roane Crew. |
SERVED IN:
- ROANE, Owen D. - P
- SMITH, Reginald A. - CP/P
- STIPE, Arthur C. - CP
- SCHMUCKER, Daniel L. - NAV
- CAMPBELL, Curtis K. - BOM
- STUART, Robert A. - TTE
- TOMB, Clarence R. - ROG
- STROBLE, Roger O. - BTG
- HAUGE, Arthur B. - WG
- JARVIE, James - WG
- HEALY, Patrick J. - TG
