COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
Thomas "Teddy" Baer was with tne crew of A. Amiero (below) when killed over
Berlin.
1st Lt Albert F.Amiero P KIA 6/3/44 Berlin
F/O Howard L.Kilmer CP KIA 6/3/44
2nd Lt Albert P.Rule NAV KIA 6/3/44
S/Sgt Thomas S.Elliott BOM KIA 6/3/44
T/Sgt John J.Kovacs ROG KIA 6/3/44
T/Sgt Russell G.Gilbert TTE KIA 6/3/44
S/Sgt Virgil F.Summers BTG KIA 6/3/44
S/Sgt Hobart H.Spires WG KIA 6/3/44
S/Sgt Owen D.Stockton WG POW 6/3/44
S/Sgt Thomas D.Baer TG KIA 6/3/44
349th Sqdn. See MACR #3019 (Micro fiche #1021). Flying A/C #42 31731 on
6/3/44
This appears to be a "pick up" crew. Kilmer joined tne 100th on 26/2/44 as
an indlvidual. Baer was from the original crew of V.Reed. Kovacs was a
"spare" on original 100th Air echelon. Stockton was from the crew of
J.W.Brown. Hobart Spires was from the original crew of Sam L. Barr.
A.P.Rule on original crew of Leon R.Morgan.
CREW
1ST LT VICTOR REED
ORGINAL 100TH PILOT
349TH CREW #8 A/C #42-30090 "El P'sstofo"
1ST LT VICTOR REED P: TRANSFERRED FROM 100TH
F/O CHARLES A. BROOKS CP: CPT, 16/12/43 BREMEN
2ND LT HOWARD D. BASSETT NAV: CPT, 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN
2ND LT JOSEPH P. ARMANINI BOM: CPT, 24 FEB 44 POSEN
T/SGT GLENN N. ALBRIGHT TTE: CPT, 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN
S/SGT RICHARD O. DETWEILER WG: CPT, 13 FEB 44 LIVOSSART
T/SGT JOSEPH S. DOUGHERTY ROG: CPT, DATE & MISSION UNKNOWN
S/SGT RICHARD M. PRICE BTG: NOC
S/SGT THOMAS D. BAER WG: KIA, 6 MAR 44 BERLIN (with LT ALBERT AMIERO CREW)
S/SGT CLIFFORD T. MINER TG: NOC
349th Sqdn. This is an "Original" crew that flew over with the group.
Charlie Brooks became pilot of his own crew and completed the tour. Howard
Bassett replaced me (J.R. Brown) as navigator of the Sam Barr crew after
I was wounded 15 Sept. 1943. Joe Armanini had replaced Joe Kelly as bombardier
of the Barr crew somewhere around August 15,1943
Although no records have been found to substantiate the completion of
their tours (25 missions) it is certainly a safe assumption that both
Price and Miiner did become "Lucky Bastards" .
Thomas "Teddy" Baer was with tne crew of A. Amiero when killed over
Berlin.
MISSIONS OF LT VICTOR REED (mpf 2001)
DATE MISSION A/C # & NAME
1. 29/06/43 LeMANS 230035 TORCHY
2. 04/07/43 LaPALLICE 230042 OH NAUSEA
3. 10/07/43 LeBOURGET 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
4. 17/07/43 HAMBURG 230063 PICKLEPUSS
5. 25/07/43 WESSELING, KIEL 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
6. 26/07/43 HANOVER 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
7. 28/07/43 OSCHERSLEBEN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
8. 29/07/43 WARNEMUNDE 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
9. 12/08/43 WESSELING, BONN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
"ON THE BONN MISSION 12 AUGUST 1943, LT VICTOR REED'S LIFE WAS SAVED BY A NEAR MIRACLE. JUST AS THE SHIP LOOSED HER CARGO OF BOMBS ON THE TARGET, A BURST OF FLAK LITTERED THE COCKPIT WITH SLIVERS OF HOT STEEL. ONE SIZEABLE FRAGMENT PENETRATED REED'S OUTER CLOTHING BUT STRUCK THE SILVER WINGS HE WAS WEARING OVER HIS LEFT SHIRT POCKET. THE VELOCITY OF THE SHARD WAS SO GREAT AS TO DRIVE THE INSIGNIA THROUGH THE SKIN AND CAUSE SEVER BRUISING OF THE CHEST MUSCLES. WITHOUT THE WINGS TO DEFLECT IT, THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE PIECE OF FLAK WOULD HAVE KILLED OR SEVERLY WOUNDED LT REED. THIS EPISODE SO UN-NERVED REED, THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO FLY FOR A TIME AND WAS EVENTUALLY TRANSFERRED FROM THE 100TH.
AT ABOUT THIS TIME, "BIG JOE" ARMANINI REPLACED "CRYING JOE" KELLY ON THE SAMMY BARR CREW AND SOME WEEKS LATER HOWARD BASSETT REPLACED JIM BROWN AS NAVIGATOR ON SAMMY BARRS CREW. T/SGT DOUGHERTY WAS ALSO MOVED TO THE BARR CREW REPLACING MIKE TANOWIGCH AS ROG.
CHARLES BROOKS CONTINUED AS CO-PILOT AND THEN AS A FIRST PILOT. A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 1943, 1ST LT BROOKS FLEW HIS 25TH MISSION AS PILOT OF "SQUAWKIN HAWK".
MISSIONS OF 1ST LT. CHARLES A. BROOKS WITH CREW #8 AND CREW #37
DATE MISSION A/C # & NAME
1. 29/06/43 LeMANS 230035 TORCHY
2. 17/07/43 HAMBURG 230063 PICKLEPUSS
3. 25/07/43 WARNEMUNDE, KIEL 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
4. 26/07/43 HANOVER 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
5. 28/07/43 OSCHERSLEBEN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
6. 12/08/43 WESSELING, BONN 230090 EL P'SSTOFO
7. 31/08/43 LeMERUEAUX
8. 03/09/43 PARIS
9. 09/09/43 BEAUVAIS-TILLE
10. 15/09/43 PARIS
11. 16/09/43 LaPALLICE
12. 23/09/43 VANNES 25861 LADEN MAIDEN
13. 26/09/43 PARIS 25861 LADEN MAIDEN
14. 27/09/43 EMDEN 25861 LADEN MAIDEN
15. 02/10/43 EMDEN 230088 SQUAWKIN HAWK
16. 04/10/43 SAARLUIS, HANAU 230088 SQUAWKIN HAWK
17. 20/10/43 DUREN
18. 03/11/43 WILHELMSHAVEN
19. 05/11/43 GELSENKIRCHEN
20. 07/11/43 DUREN
21. 13/11/43 BREMEN
22. 16/11/43 RJUKAN, NORWAY
23. 11/12/43 EMDEN
24. 12/12/43 KIEL
25. 16/12/43 BREMEN 230088 SQUAWKIN HAWK
26. 19/03/44 CROSSBOW
Snowurl@juno.comuname = Bob Brokspage
100TH BOMB GROUP (H) - AIRCRAFT Page 01url = http://www.100thbg.com/mainmenus/airplanes/airplanes_1.htmposition = 349th Aircraft at Thorpe Abbotts 27 Feb 44. This damage could have been inflicted by fighters. Nothing further is know of this aircraft.change = This Tail section which has been damaged is of the "Squawkin Hawk" 230088 XR-E. I do not know anything of the crew on this mission, but I believe it was the the first plane to survive 50 missions and was flown back to the united states by my father Captain Charles A. Brooks. who himself survived 26 missions and is a member of the imfamous "LUCKY BASTARD CLUB"
CREW
ORGINAL 100TH PILOT OF 349TH CREW #4, A/C #42-30035 (TORCHY…named after Jim Browns wife's)
1ST LT SAM L. BARR P: CPT, 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN (flew 50 missions) 349th Commanding Officer
F/O DAN BARNA CP: POW, 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER (CREW# 7 LT MacCARTER CREW)
2ND LT JAMES R. BROWN NAV: SWA, 15 SEP 43 PARIS TAPS SEPTEMBER 1993
2ND LT HOWARD J. KELLY BOM: CPT, 30 JAN 44 BRUNSWICK
T/SGT ROBERT E. CLIFF TTE: CPT, 21 JAN 44 BOIS D' ESQUERDES
S/SGT WILLIAM OHL WG: CPT, 24 FEB 44 POSEN
T/SGT MICHAEL J. TANOWIGCH ROG: KIA, 6 MAR 44 BERLIN
S/SGT MAX RUSS BTG: CPT, 21 JAN 44 BOIS D'ESQUERDES
S/SGT HOBART SPIRES WG: KIA, 6 MAR 44 BERLIN
S/SGT JAMES T. HITEN TG: KIA, 21 JAN 44 BOIS D' ESQUERDES
NOTES: SWA DENOTES SEVERELY WOUNDED IN ACTION
THE NAVIGATOR, JAMES R. BROWN, WAS THE 100TH'S REVERED HISTORIAN UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1993
This Crew flew with a few different Co Pilots Lt Barna, Lt Brooks (Victor Reed Crew), Lt Jack Boyd (spare CP, ended up CP on Lt Floyd Jr.Crew) and Lt Albert Amiero (info courtesy of Big Joe Armanini)
COL BARR FLEW 50 MISSIONS WITH THE 100TH, SECOND ONLY TO COL "ROSIE" ROSENTHAL'S 52. HE WAS THE LAST OF THE ORIGINAL 100TH AIRMEN TO FLY COMBAT MISSIONS, LEAVING THE 349TH FOR THE HQ DET OF THE 100TH ON 18 JAN 1945.
STARTING FROM THE FIRST MISSION OF 25 JUN 43 UNTIL JAN 45 THE INTREPID MISSISSIPIAN WAS ON COMBAT STATUS.
TO THE DISMAY OF ALL 100TH VETERANS "SAMMY" APPEARED ON THE 1988 TAPS LIST. COL BARR DIED 17 APR 1988 AS THE RESULT OF A MAJOR STROKE. HE IS MOURNED AND MISSED, BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BY THE 100TH.
349TH CREW #8 A/C #42-30090 "El P'sstofo"
1ST LT VICTOR REED P: TRANSFERRED FROM 100TH
F/O CHARLES A. BROOKS CP: CPT, 16/12/43 BREMEN
2ND LT HOWARD D. BASSETT NAV: CPT, 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN
2ND LT JOSEPH P. ARMANINI BOM: CPT, 24 FEB 44 POSEN
T/SGT GLENN N. ALBRIGHT TTE: CPT, 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN
S/SGT RICHARD O. DETWEILER WG: CPT, 13 FEB 44 LIVOSSART
T/SGT JAMES S. DOUGHERTY ROG: CPT, DATE & MISSION UNKNOWN
S/SGT RICHARD M. PRICE BTG: NOC
S/SGT THOMAS D. BAER WG: KIA, 6 MAR 44 BERLIN WITH LT ALBERT AMIERO CREW
S/SGT CLIFFORD T. MINER TG: NOC
349th Sqdn. This is an "Original" crew that flew over with the group.
Charlie Brooks became pilot of the crew and completed the tour. Howard
Bassett replaced me (J.R. Brown) as navigator of the Sam Barr crew after
I was wounded 15 Sept. 1943. Joe Armanini had replaced Joe Kelly as bombardier
of the Barr crew somewhere around August 15,1943
Although no records have been found to substantiate the completion of
their tours (25 missions) it is certainly a safe assumption that both
Price and Miiner did become "Lucky Bastards" .
Thomas "Teddy" Baer was with tne crew of A. Amiero when killed over
Berlin.
AT ABOUT THIS TIME, "BIG JOE" ARMANINI REPLACED "CRYING JOE" KELLY ON THE SAMMY BARR CREW AND SOME WEEKS LATER HOWARD BASSETT REPLACED JIM BROWN AS NAVIGATOR ON SAMMY BARRS CREW. T/SGT DOUGHERTY WAS ALSO MOVED TO THE BARR CREW REPLACING MIKE TANOWIGCH AS ROG.
CHARLES BROOKS CONTINUED AS CO-PILOT AND THEN AS A FIRST PILOT. A FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 1943, 1ST LT BROOKS FLEW HIS 25TH MISSION AS PILOT OF "SQUAWKIN HAWK".
CAPT BARR CREW AFTER SEPTEMBER 15, 1943
1ST LT SAM L. BARR P: CPT, 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN (flew 50 missions) 349th Commanding Officer
F/O DAN BARNA CP: POW, 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER (CREW #7)
2ND LT HOWARD D. BASSETT NAV: CPT, 14 JAN 44 FORET D' HESDIN (from Victor Reed Crew
2ND LT JOSEPH P. ARMANINI BOM: CPT, 24 FEB 44 POSEN (from Victor Reed Crew)
T/SGT ROBERT E. CLIFF TTE: CPT, 21 JAN 44 BOIS D' ESQUERDES
S/SGT WILLIAM OHL WG: CPT, 24 FEB 44 POSEN
T/SGT JAMES S. DOUGHERTY ROG: CPT, DATE & MISSION UNKNOWN (from Victor Reed Crew)
S/SGT MAX RUSS BTG: CPT, 21 JAN 44 BOIS D'ESQUERDES
S/SGT HOBART SPIRES WG: KIA, 6 MAR 44 BERLIN
S/SGT JAMES T. HITEN TG: KIA, 21 JAN 44 BOIS D' ESQUERDES
LIST OF MISSIONS FOR LT COL SAM L. BARR (mpf 2001 from records supplied by Paul Andrews and William Ohl)
1. 25/06/43 BREMEN A/C 230152 MESSIE BESSIE
2. 26/06/43 LEMANS A/C 230035 TORCHY
3. 28/06/43 ST NAZAIRE A/C 230035 TORCHY
4. 10/07/43 LE BOURGET A/C 230170 TORCHY II
5. 17/07/43 HAMBURG A/C 230042 OH NAUSEA
6. 24/07/43 TRONDHEIM A/C 230170 TORCHY II
7. 25/07/43 KIEL A/C 230170 TORCHY II
8. 28/07/43 OSCHERSLEBEN A/C 230259 DAMIFINO II
9. 12/08/43 BONN A/C 230170 TORCHY II MAJ WILLIAM VEAL COMMAND PILOT
10. 15/08/43 MERVILLE-LILLE A/C 230170 TORCHY II MAJ WILLIAM VEAL COMMAND PILOT, LT ARMANINI JOINS CREW
11. 17/08/43 REGENSBURG A/C 230170 TORCHY II MAJ WILLIAM VEAL COMMAND PILOT
12 03/09/43 PARIS A/C 230259 DAMIFINO II MAJ WILLIAM VEAL COMMAND PILOT
13. 15/09/43 PARIS A/C 230487 TORCHY III JIM BROWN SWA, REPLACED BY LT HOWARD BASSETT
14. 16/09/43 BORDEAUX A/C 25861 LADEN MAIDEN
15. 23/09/43 VANNES A/C 230154 WAR EAGLE
16. 26/09/43 PARIS A/C 230487 TORCHY III MAJ WILLIAM VEAL COMMAND PILOT
09/10/43 MARIENBURG A/C 230799 BIGASSBIRD II (returned early, #3 engine problem)
17. ?
18. ?
19. ?
20. 29/11/43 BREMEN
21. 30/11/43 SOLINGEN Lead (with Maj John Bennett)
22. 22/12/43 MUNSTER (Lead Group in Torchy III)
23. 24/12/43 NO-BALL
24. 05/01/44 NUESS (Lead with Maj John Bennett)
25. 14/01/44 FORET D' HESDIN
MEMO 2:
Thomas D. "Teddy" Baer was born in Pennsylvania on October 9, 1917. No parentage has been established, and no early life or census records have been located. Baer enlisted at the Presidio of Monterrey, California on October 14, 1941, as a private in the Army Air Forces. His enlistment record states he had completed 1 year of college (unnamed), and was employed as a carpenter. He was given training as an aerial gunner, and assigned to an operational unit for crew training. After training, he was assigned overseas.
Baer was an original member of the Reed crew, and flew 9 missions with that crew. He became part of a "pick-up" crew on March 6, 1944 for a bombing raid on the Bosch Magneto works at Berlin, Germany. Over the target, the formation was attacked by numerous enemy aircraft. A firing pass riddled the aircraft, and Baer was mortally wounded. He was removed from his position by other gunners, and died in the aircraft. Another gunner took his place as tail gunner. The aircraft was severely damaged, and suddenly took an upward surge. The tail assembly broke off as the aircraft exploded. The gunner was trapped in the tail gunner position, and fell to earth with the tail section. German troops found him alive, but severely injured. He spent almost a year in a hospital before being sent to a POW camp.
The dead were evidently recovered. They were buried in a local cemetery in Quakenburg, a town near the target area. After the war, they were retrieved and moved to other cemeteries. SSgt Baer is presently buried in the West Newton Cemetery in West Newton, Pennsylvania.
SSgt Thomas D. Baer was acting as tail gunner on B-17G # 42-31731, unnamed, assigned to the 349th Bomb Squadron.
Missing Air Crew Report 3019 was issued for the loss of this aircraft and crew. Crew rosters show the crew was composed of:
1 Lt Albert F. Amiero p
F/O Howard L. Kilmer c-p
2 Lt Albert P. Rule nav
SSgt Thomas S. Elliott togg
TSgt Russell G. Gilbert eng/tt gun
TSgt John J. Kovacs r/o
SSgt Virgil F. Summers btg
SSgt Hobart H. Spires wg
SSgt Owen D. Stockton wg
SSgt Thomas D. Baer tail gun
