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LT  John J. GIBBONS

UNIT: 349th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: NAV 

John  was in the Army  and was assigned to the Air Force Navigation School at Mather Field in Mills, California and graduated on May 29, 1943 as a Lieutenant (Service No. 0-747157). He was given a 30 day leave and then sent to England to serve in the 8th Air Force.
On his first mission he returned with just one engine. This was reported on the front page of the Philadelphia Bullentin at the time.  On the second mission on October 10, 1943 his plane was shot down and he was killed in action. His commission as an officer lasted just over 4 months.
According to the records of the 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia, two days earlier they had bombed Bremen and returned to the base with an engine out in "Miss Carriage". They were flying "Forever Yours" (AC #4230023338) when they were shot down over Munster, Germany on the 10th.  Of the 10 crew members 2 were killed and 8 were taken prisoner. He is buried in the United States Military Cemetery in Margraten in the Netherlands, Plot G - Row 16 - Grave 6.
Researched by Joe Callahan ( cousin)


  
  

    SERIAL #: O-747157
    STATUS: KIA
  

  

    MACR: 01022    CR: 01022 
    

  

    
			 
Comments1: 10 OCT 43 MUNSTER  (FLAK)

  




 
           

            
 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)


**************************************************************************************************************

----- 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. John J. Gibbons (photo from 100th Bomb Group 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

           
 

       
SERVED IN: 

				
Crew 1
			
	
        
		
        ID:
			1865