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S/SGT  Cecil A. BAKER

UNIT: 349th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: TG 

S/Sgt Cecil Baker Headstone, TG on Lt Thrasher Crew.  

Photo of S/Sgt Cecil A. Baker, 349th Bomb Sqdn/100th Bomb Group, who was Killed in Action on 3 March 1945 over Brunswick, Germany, along with the entry from the 1946 publication "The Men and Women in World War II from Hamilton County (Texas)," courtesy of Tim Geeslin whose father was a close friend and high school classmate of Baker at Shive, Texas. 

[This photo appears to have been taken at Evans Studio, Lincoln, Neb., upon completion of final B-17 crew phase training as it is identical in details (same scarf/jacket/wings/cap) with others known to originate at that studio.]

SERIAL #: 18198488 STATUS: KIA
MACR: 12892 CR: 12892

Comments1: 3 MAR 45 BRUNSWICK (EAC)

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

2nd Lt Jack W.Thrasher        P  KIA     3/3/45  BRUNSWICK
2nd Lt Ernest F.Coble,Jr.     CP  NOC                                                 A/C #44 8220
2nd Lt Gerald A.Rimmel     NAV  POW  3/3/45 BRUNSWICK                   MACR #12892,Microfiche #4704
   Cpl Thomas C.Browning  TTE  POW  3/3/45 BRUNSWICK
   Cpl Albert L.Egsieker      ROG  POW   3/3/45 BRUNSWICK               TAPS: 25 MAR 1970
   Cpl Alfred S.Collins         BTG  NOC                                            TAPS: 13 DEC 1971
   Cpl George E.Mensler    TOG  NOC                                             TAPS: 1985
   Cpl Joseph E.Turenne    WG  NOC                                                   TAPS: 28 MAR 1954
   Cpl Cecil A.Baker            TG   KIA    3/3/45 BRUNSWICK

349th Sqdn. This crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 3/12/44.

On board the A/C on 3/3/45  were:Lt Charles S.Bayha,  CP from the crew of J.V.DePlanque. He became a POW.   Lt Harry F.Bott,  BOM from the crew of Denzil Naar.  He became a POW. Lt Willis R. McGuire, Radar Nav from the crew of L.C.Williams was KIA. Sgt.Ray U.Muffley, WG from the crew of J.A.Carroll was a POW. 

EYEWITNESS:  "A/C 44-8220 was attacked by one of six jet E/A which made a pass at the formation at 1018 hours over the target just before bombs away.  The #1 engine was hit and burst into flames.  Bomb bay doors were closed and the aircraft slid away to the left.  The left wing crumpled and the aircraft flipped over on it's back and exploded.  The fuselage broke at the waist door and both wings fell away.  One chute was seen to leave the aircraft before it exploded.  Later  four (4) others were counted.  Pilot was seen in cockpit 30 seconds prior to the explosion."

PURPOSE: Submit information
EMAIL: Hcervan102@aol.com
NAME: Hank Cervantes
INTEREST: 100th BG veteran
COMMENTS: Re:MACR:12892, Jack Thrasher. For the record I would like to submit my recollection of Jack Thrasher's death. I was Joe Martin's copilot and we were off of Jack's left wing on that mission. I believe that the 100th was leading the 13th Combat Wing and six 100th aircraft were in two flights dropping chaff ahead of the 100th and the remainder of the Wing. We had not yet arrived over the target when two ME-262's attacked us from  seven oclock high. The lead 262 fired 2 or 3 canon shells into Jack's left wing root starting a fire. Jack side-slipped the 17 in an effort to blow it out. He was unsuccessful and returned the plane to straight-and-level. Jack was clearly visible holding the airplane steady as his men bailed out. At least three did so before the plane exploded. His was the bravest act I have I have ever witnessed. Jack bunked across the aisle from me and only the night before I had watched as he reached over, picked up his large photo of a beautiful girl, kissed it and said, "Two more honey. Only two more and I'll be home."  Several years ago, an article appeared in Splasher Six about Jack's family. I tried to get their home address to send them this recollection but it was witheld from me. Hank   


EMAIL = rene-marie@webtv.net
UNAME = René-Marie deTurenne
DIED = Jospeh de Turenne
DEATH_DATE = 3-28-1954  
UNIT = 349th
POSITION = Waist Gunner
RELATION = Grandchild
COMMENTS = His name is misspelled in records as Turrenne


Phone to Cervantes on 24,/7/90  213 823 4438...jb 

7 Apr 1945  Buchen ; one of the last raids on Germany and on the crews 25th mission, the aircraft 43-38514, "E - Z GOIN'" was involved in a mid-air collision with an ME-109. Crew managed to bomb target and return to Thorpe Abbotts despite the loss of parts of the vertical fin and the horizontal stablizer.  This is the aircraft pictured on the back cover of CENTURY BOMBERS    BY Le Strange and Brown.

 J.C. MARTIN   P FLEW 26 MISSIONS
 H. CERVANTES   CP " " "
 A.N. PICONE   NAV " " "
 R.E. SPADA   TOG " " "
 W.E. DUDECZ   TTE " " "
 N.E. LARSEN   ROG " " "
 A.S. COLLINS  BTG WAS A MEMBER OF THE THRASHER CREW.
 M. SCHIPPER   WG REPLACED CELESTE ROSSI
 P.R. GERLING   TG FLEW 26 MISSIONS

MEMO 2:


			

             
            

         

         
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION: 
  
         

  

    TARGET:
			Brunswick
    DATE: 
			1945-03-03
     
  

  

    AIRCRAFT:
	(44-8220)
    CAUSE:
			EAC
     
  



			


			

            
BURIAL INFORMATION

            

  

    PLOT:
			
    ROW:
			
     
  

  

    GRAVE:
			
    CEMETERY:
			
     
  



			
			
            

			
 
            
           
PHOTOS:

           
                                                   
                 
Jack W. Thrasher Crew (left to right)
Standing: Jack Thrasher (P), Ernest Coble (CP), Maurice Kay (BOM), Gerald Rimmel (NAV)
Kneeling: Albert Egsieker (ROG), Joseph Turrenne (WG) Cecil Baker (TG) 
Thomas Browning (TTE), George Mensler (NG)
Photo courtesy of Sally Browning Holloway, daughter of Thomas Browning.

According to Jack O'Leary (20 Jan 2005), this photo was taken on 25 Oct 1944 at Ardmore AAF, Oklahoma. 2nd Lt. Maurice Kay was removed from the Thrasher crew after training in the States and was replaced by Cpl. George Mensler

           
 

       
SERVED IN: 

				
Crew 1
			
	
        
		
        ID:
			188