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T/SGT  Edward D. WATKINS

UNIT: 350th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: TTE
SERIAL #: STATUS: FEH
MACR:

Comments1: AKRON, OH (TAPS 19 MAY 84)

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

2ND LT DAVID G. RAIFORD             P FEH Became a Lead Pilot, Jan 45
2ND LT ROBERT J. WENDLING         CP CPT 20 APR 45 ORANIENBURG, MY
2ND LT JORDAN L. BROWNING  NAV CPT 20 APR 45 ORANIENBURG, MY
F/O FRITZ KRETZSCHMAR         BOM CPT 20 APR 45 ORANIENBURG, MY (joined Lt Hansen Crew in Jan 45)
CPL GEORGE RUBIN                  ROG FEH       sn#12176656
CPL EDWARD D. WATKINS         TTE FEH TAPS: 19 MAY1984
CPL ROBERT H. CHERRY            BTG FEH
CPL GERALD D. SKEETERS            WG FEH TAPS: 06 MAR 1965
CPL HEINZ A. WOLF                   WG FEH (joined Lt Hansen Crew in Jan 45)
CPL PATRICK F. FITZSIMMONS        TG KIA 02 NOV 1944 MERSEBURG, OIL REFINERY

350TH SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 15 SEP 1944.
T/Sgt George Rubin would become a Mickey Operator and states that he flew 20 Missions.  Two known missions of the above crew were Nov 2, 1944-Merseburg and Dec. 31, 1944-Hamburg.  A/C flown 231991"Raiford's Raiders" 

4/22/94
In view of the fact both Kretzschmar and Wolfe are known to have come from this crew, it is logicial to
assume the co-pilot Bob Wendling also joined your crew (Lt Hansen) as well.  You will note that the crew roster for 
the Raiford crew also lists Fritz Kretzschmar as a Bombardier, agreeing with your recollection. 
The fact this crew joined the 100th a little over two weeks after your crew and they may have missed some missions during 
the transfer from Raifords's to  your crew could account for the fact Wendling and Kretzschmar completed their tour in April 
45 instead of the eariier date you finished. I think Wolf fllew the 20 Apr 45 Oranienburg missions but may have been 
behind them in total mission count and as result is carried as FEH (Flying at end of hostilities) rather than completing a tour. 
                                                              (unknown who sent this but believe it was Sgt L.J. Edwards, Lt Hansen Crew…mpf)

In January 1945 Lt David Raiford received all the enlisted men from Lt Charlie "Hong Kong" Wilson’s Crew. This crew would eventually become a Lead crew consisting at different times of the crew listing below; Sgt Hoffpauir transferred to the 15th Air Force when they changed over to a lead crew and Sgt Jay Kendell moved from BTG to Waist Gunner. 

Lt RaifordsLead Crew after Jan 1945: 

Lt David G. Raiford             Lead Pilot
Lt Robert Wendling           Co-Pilot/Formation Officer
Capt Ross Chenney            Lead Navigator (from original crew of Lt Armstrong)
2nd Lt Charles J. Scott       moved up to Lead NAV (FEH) (from original crew of Lt McNab)
1st Lt Douglas S. Eden       moved up to Lead BOM (FEH) (from original crew of Lt McNab)          sn# 0-1997861
1st Lt Paul R.Ruth,Jr.          Lead Bombardier (from original crew of Lt Fellows)
2nd Lt Harry Tennenbaum   Mickey Operator (from Lt Shaddix original Crew)
1st Lt Earl Frye                   Radar/Nav          (flew with Lt Seamans lead crew and Assigned Group Radar Officer on 8 Apr 1945)                   
2nd Lt James  M. Pivonka     Mickey Operator (from Lt Dawson Crew)
ENLISTED MEN ARE FROM LT CHARLES "HONG KONG" WILSON'S CREW.ASSIGNED TO LT RAIFORD BEGINNING OF JAN 1945. 
T/Sgt  EMERY N. CASTLE      ROG FEH                                                                                sn# 37523614
T/Sgt  NORMAN G. NANCE     TTE FEH                                                                                sn# 19171578
Sgt   JAY D. KENDELL           BTG FEH moved to WG when became Lead Crew                        sn# 39908662
Sgt   GEORGE L. PESLER        WG CPT 24 MAR 45 STEENEIJK/ ZIEGENHAINE                         sn# 35051164
Sgt   ARCHIE E. HOFFPAUIR    WG FEH Transferred to 15th Air Force when became lead Crew    sn# 38266722
S/Sgt   JACK R. DeBORDE        TG FEH flew 10 missions as formation officer.                             sn# 39615579

Missions of S/Sgt Jack Deborde with Lt Raiford Crew/Lead Crew

06 JAN 45      ANNWEILER
10 JAN 45      COLOGNE
14 JAN 45      DERBEN
28 JAN 45      DUISBURG 
03 FEB 45      BERLIN      
06 FEB 45      CHEMNITZ 
21 FEB 45      NURNBURG
24 FEB 45      BREMEN
26 FEB 45      BERLIN
03 MAR 45     BRUNSWICK
10 MAR 45     DORTMUND
11 MAR 45     HAMBURG
14 MAR 45     HANOVER
17 MAR 45     PLAUEN
19 MAR 45     JENA
22 MAR 45     ALHORN
28 MAR 45     HANOVER
31 MAR 45     BAD BERKA
09 APR 45     MUNICH
15 APR 45     ROYAN
17 APR 45     AUSSIG


SUBMITTER'S NAME: ethan watkins
SUBMITTER'S EMAIL: ewhomer@aol.com
SUBMITTER'S RELATIONSHIP: Grandchild
VETERAN'S NAME: edward david watkins
DEATH DATE: may 19, 1984
VETERAN'S UNIT: 350th
VETERAN'S POSITION: Top Turret Gunner Engineer
FAMILY CONTACT INFORMATION: david J Watkins,
330 658 2463
304 church street,
Doylestown, ohio
44230
COMMENTS: Looking for more information,
looking for info. related to time before and after serving with Lt. David Raiford

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