LT John J. GIBBONS |
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| UNIT: 349th BOMB Sqdn | POSITION: NAV | ||
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Lt. John J. Gibbons (photo from 100th Bomb Group archives) | |||
| SERIAL #: O-747157 | STATUS: KIA | ||
| MACR: 01022 | CR: 01022 | ||
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Comments1: 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER (FLAK) |
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COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:CREW
2nd Lt Edward G. Stork P POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# O-798606 Taps 1995
2nd Lt John S. Minerich, Jr. CP POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# O-681162
2nd Lt John J. Gibbons NAV KIA 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# O-747157
2nd Lt Arthur C. Twitchell Jr. BOM POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# O-673968
T/Sgt Stefan C. Palmer ROG KIA 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# 11091522
T/Sgt Laurence Willey TTE POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# 32359864
S/Sgt Paul M. Caveny BTG POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# 16073771
S/Sgt Gordon W. Shields RWG POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# 32491477
S/Sgt Douglas C. Brown LWG POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# 32532820
S/Sgt Ira G. Turner TG POW 10/10/43 MUNSTER sn# 13117331
349th Sqdn. Assigned to 100th Bomb Group on Sept. 26, 1943 from the 96th Bomb Group. Composition of this crew taken from MACR #1022, Microfiche #338. A/C #42-30023 "FOREVER YOURS". According to the Casualty Report, the A/C was Destroyed by flak, crashed near Amelsburen, Germany killing Lt Gibbons and Sgt Palmer. Rest of Crew was POW.
Two days before their final mission, this crew had limped home from Germany on one engines in the a/c "Miss Carriage"/"Hot Spit" (Bremen). With the oxygen system out, and only one good engine, Lt Stork nursed his ailing bomber 400 miles back to Thorpe Abbotts, England. Only two propellers would feather and on landing, the one good engine was found to have been hit by flak. This was the first crew in the 8th Air Force to accomplish this task.
MISSIONS OF LT EDWARD G. STORK & CREW:
1. 08 OCT 43 BREMEN A/C 42-30170 "MISS CARRIAGE"/"HOT SPIT" (RETURNED ON ONE ENGINE)
09 OCT 43 MARIENBURG A/C #42-30023 "FOREVER YOURS" (RETURNED EARLY, NO MISSION CREDIT)
2. 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER A/C #42-30023 "FOREVER YOURS" (SHOT DOWN BY FLAK)
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----- Original Message -----
From: Mary Ressmeyer maryres@mn.rr.com
To: Roncar.Tower@btopenworld.com
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 4:50 AM
Subject: "forever yours"
Dear Sir,
My father was the co-pilot on the "Forever Yours" when it was shot down. He was Lt. John S. Minerich. Is there any chance your museum would have any references to him or his crew? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Mary Ressmeyer
MEMO 2:KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:
| TARGET: Munster | DATE: 1943-10-10 | |
| AIRCRAFT: "Forever Yours" (42-30023) | CAUSE: FLAK |
BURIAL INFORMATION
| PLOT: G | ROW: 16 | |
| GRAVE: 6 | CEMETERY: Netherlands Cemetery/Margraten |
PHOTOS:
John J. Gibbons 349th NAV Pennsylvania KIA 10 Oct 43 Munster Edward G. Stork Crew (100th Photo Archives)
Lt Stork Crew, Hi. I read on your web site that you're looking for a photo of the crew commanded by Lt. Edward Stork. I believe the crew photo I've attached is that crew. My father-in-law, Douglas C. Brown (sn#32532820), was the radio operator and then the right waist gunner on B-17s "Miss Carriage" and "Forever Yours". The attached photos were framed in my father-in-law's den. He didn't like to talk about the war, but one time I asked him about his crew mates in the photo. He told me that the radio operator and the navigator had died when the aircraft was shot down on their third mission over Munster Germany on October 10, 1943. The crew isn't identified in the photo other than the image of my father-in-law, but he only served with one crew in combat. So based on my father-in-law's comment about the death of the navigator and radio operator, this must be a photo of Lt. Edward Stork's crew. Kneeling L-R 1 Lt Arthur Twitchell-Bom 2 Lt John Minerich 3 Lt Ed Stork 2nd Lt John J Gibbons-Nav Standing L-R 1 ? 2 Douglas C. Brown 3 Laurence Willey 4 Gordon Shields 5 ? My father-in-law landed in a cabbage patch after bailing out, injuring his back, was captured by the farmer, made a POW, held prisoner in Stalag 17-B, and marched across Austria by the Germans at the end of the war. He also told me that on their first mission over Bremen on October 8,1943, they had heavy damage and the aircraft had to return to England on one engine. I've also attached photos of my father-in-law in uniform; his medals; and his citation awarding him the Air Medal (which states his service number). Courtesy of Mark Simmons