COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
Capt Frank G. Lauro P CPT 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCK TAPS: 1978
Lt Emanuel E. "Joe" Greasamar CP CPT 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCK
Lt Emery Horvath NAV CPT 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCK
Lt Walter Green B0M CPT 27/4/44 THIONVILLE, LeCULOT
T/Sgt Nelson King ROG RFS 29/11/43 BREMEN (FROSTBITE) (Awarded Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal)
S/Sgt Harry H.Greenfield ROG CPT 8/7/44 CLAMECY-JOLGYN (REPLACED T/SGT KING)
T/Sgt Dewey Thompson TTE CPT 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCK
S/Sgt Murray Schrier BTG CPT 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCK
S/Sgt William R.Heathman RWG CPT 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCK
S/Sgg Gerald A.Will LWG CPT 8/4/44 QUACKENBRUCK
S/Sgt Arthur R.Tirrell TG CPT 21/6//44 BASDORF (FINISHED AS TG WITH CAPT CHUCK HARRIS CREW)
418th Sqdn. The Crew joined the 100th BG in Sept. 1943
The regular radio operator on this crew,Nelson King, suffered severe frostbite which led to amputations. See S.O.C. p.30 &
CONTRAILS p71. Also see SPLASHER SIX (Winter 1978) for obit. Of Frank Lauro.
The crew named their A/C NELSON KING in honor of their Radio operator T/Sgt Nelson King who on 29 Nov 43 removed his gloves while in flight to assist the BTG with an iced up oxygen mask. A few seconds later, King's walk around oxygen bottle froze up and in an effort to save S/Sgt Schrier, his hands were neglected. He lost several tips of several fingers to frostbite.
MISSIONS OF CAPT. FRANK LAURO FROM LT GREASAMAR LETTERS HOME AND S/SGT MURRAY SCHRIER
Date Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr and Name Target
1. 2/10/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 230758 ROSIE'S RIVETERS EMDEN
2. 4/10/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN HANAU
3. 14/10/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P SCHWEINFURT (BLACK THURSDAY)
4. 20/10/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P DUREN, RAILWAY & FACTORIES
5. 5/11/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P GELSENKIRCHEN
LT GREASAMAR HAD 5 MISSIONS BY NOV 8TH, 1943
6. 13/11/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P BREMEN
7. 19/11/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P GELSENKIRCHEN
LT GREASAMAR HAD 7 MISSIONS BY NOV 22ND 1943
8. 26/11/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P PARIS
9. 29/11/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231306 NELSON KING BREMEN (T/SGT KING LAST MISSION, FROSTBITE)
10. 30/11/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P SOLINGEN, TOWN
11. 13/12/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P KIEL
12. 30/12/1943 LAURO F.C. CAPT P LUDWIGSHAVEN
13. 24/1/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P FRANKFURT
14. 29/1/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P FRANKFURT
15. 3/2/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P WILHELMSHAVEN
16. 10/2/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P BRUNSWICK
17. 13/2/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P LIVOSSART & BOIS REMPRE (NOBALL)
18 28/2/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P MARQUENVILLE (NO BALL) TARGET OBSRD
19 29/2/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P BRUNSWICK
20. 3/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231306 NELSON KING BERLIN
21. 6/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231306 NELSON KING BERLIN
13/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231504 ROSIE'S RIVETERS II NOBALL (SCRUBBED)
22. 18/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 NO NAME MUNICH
23. 19/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 NO NAME MARQUIS, MIMMOYEQUES (NO BALL)
24. 22/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 NO NAME ORANIENBURG (BERLIN)
25 1/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 NO NAME LUDWIGSHAVEN
7/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 NO NAME QUACKENBRUCK (SCRB)
26. 8/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 NO NAME QUACKENBRUCK
mission list of S/Sgt Murray Schrier BTG
1 Emden Germany
2 Hanau Germany
3 Schwienfurt [Schweinfurt] Germany
4 Durin [Duren] Germany
5 Gelsenkirchen Germany
6 Bremen Germany
7 Gelsenkirchen Germany
8 Paris France
9 Bremen Germany
10 Solingen Germany
11 Kiel Germany
12 Ludwigshaven [Ludwigshafen] Germany
13 Frankfurt Germany
14 Frankfurt Germany
15 Wilhelmshaven Germany
16 Brunswick Germany
17 No Ball France
18 No Ball France
19 Brunswick Germany
20 Berlin Germany
21 Berlin Germany
22 Munich Germany
23 No Ball France
24 Berlin Germany
25 Ludwigshaven [Ludwigshafen] Germany
26 Osnabruck Germany
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T/SGT GREENFIELD MISSIONS AFTER CAPT LAURO CREW FINISHED UP:
Date Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target
5/31/1944 GREENFIELD H.H. T/SGT ROG 97673 LUCKY LASS OSNABRUCK Flew with Lt Stanley Major Crew
6/2/1944 GREENFIELD H.H. T/SGT ROG 30152 MESSIE BESSIE BOULOGNE Flew with Lt Stanley Major Crew
7/7/1944 GREENFIELD H.H. T/SGT ROG 37636 MALFUNCTION JUNCTION BOHLEN/MERSEBURG Flew with Lt Chuck Harris Crew
7/8/1944 GREENFIELD H.H. T/SGT ROG 37636 MALFUNCTION JUNCTION CLAMECY-JOLGYN Flew with Lt Chuck Harris Crew
S/SGT TIRRELL MISSIONS AFTER CAPT LAURO CREW FINISHED UP: FLEW ALL MISSIONS WITH CAPT. CHARLES "CHUCK"HARRIS CREW
Date Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target
3/23/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT LWG 107011 SHINGIN HOUR BRUNSWICK/ WAGGUM
3/28/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT LWG 107011 SHINING HOUR CHATEAUDUN/ EVREUX
4/8/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG 31404 QUACKENBRUCK (CAPT LAURO CREW LAST MISSION)
4/24/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG FRIEDRICHSHAFEN,
4/26/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG BRUNSWICK
4/27/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG FLOTTEMANVILLE (1ST MISSION OF THE DAY)
4/27/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG THIONVILLE (2ND MISSION OF THE DAY)
4/29/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG BERLIN
5/1/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST SAARGUEMINES/WIZERNES
5/8/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST BERLIN & LAGLACERIE
5/28/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST MAGDEBURG
6/2/1944 TIRRELL A.R. S/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST BOULOGNE
6/6/1944 TIRRELL A.R. T/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST FALAISE/OUISTREHAM
6/7/1944 TIRRELL A.R. T/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST NANTES (BRIDGES)
6/20/1944 TIRRELL A.R. T/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST FALLERSLEBEN
6/21/1944 TIRRELL A.R. T/SGT TG 106986 SACK ARTIST BASDORF
Nelson R. King, 17064928, Technical Sergeant, Army Air Forces, United States Army. For Gallantry in action while serving as Radio Operator and Gunner of a B-17 airplane on a bombing mission over Germany 29 November 1943. While manning his gun, fighting off fierce attacks by enemy planes, Sergeant King noticed that the ball turret gunner had collapsed from lack of oxygen. As soon as there was a lull in the fighting, he rushed to the turret, removed his stricken comrade to the radio compartment and placed his own oxygen mask on his face. When the gunner regained consciousness he was hysterical and immediately tore off the oxygen mask and began to hit Sergeant King. Still without a supply of oxygen for himself, Sergeant King tied the mask on his hysterical comrade and held him down until he had become quiet. A short time later the copilot found Sergeant King unconscious from lack of oxygen and his hands badly frost-bitten as he had removed his gloves in order to tie the mask on the ball turret gunner. The gallantry, complete disregard for his own safety and devotion to duty displayed by Sergeant King undoubtedly saved the life of his comrade. His actions on this occasion reflect highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States. Entered Military service from Kansas.
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To whom it may concern,
I would be very interested in obtaining a print of the picture if one is still available. I have a distant cousin….Nelson King for whom the B-17 was named after. I have information on him and the mission he was on that he had his hands frostbite from a mission over Breman Germany. Nelson was a very remarkable person and was in Life magazine of the accourance. I also would be interested in any other information that might be about the squadron TSgt Nelson King was in….Thankyou
Phillip Bigham bigham@gci.net
Hello Michael
Thankyou so much for the information, The issue you can find Nelson in is March 20, 1944….it is a story on frostbite and it features some of Nelson's story and photos of some of his time in the hospital. He spent a total of 22 months in the hospital before he returned home. The little bit of information I have was on their ninth bomb run over Bremen, Germany, the ball turrents mask failed. Nelson got a new one from the pilot but the man was weak from a lack of oxygen, making it impossible for Nelson to get it on him without removing his own mask and gloves. He gave the man his oxygen for the valves on the extra tank were frozen. Without oxygen Nelson became unconscious, his fellow crewmen quickly restored his oxygen supply but it was to late for his hands. At 29,000 feet in thin atmosphere the tiny blood vessels in his fingers contracted, closing off the blood supply and freezing came quickly. On the flight back to England Nelson beat his hands against the walls of the plane to bring feeling back to the numbness. Pieces of icy flesh broke awy from his fingers……Nelson died September 06, 1990…he never married, formed a church and it was found only after his death he gave regularly to Christian colleges and churches, mission, orphanges…He was at home on his pasture checking on his cattle when he got almost a mile when he lunged forward and died from a heart attack.
Thankyou for your information….if you know where I can look for pictures, stories, movies from that time and of the 100th I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks a bunch again!!!!
Phillip Bigham
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Michael:
Jerry (WILL) passed away in January 2000. He loved the 100th dearly and had visions of being the last man standing, but alas that did not come to pass. I will have to see what I can find that he left behind. I know I gave a couple of photo's to the 100th BG Restaurant in Cleveland, along with a picture we had made for Jerry. The picture was of the print "Just a Snappin" and we put a history of the "Nelson King" on it with a list of all the crew at their respective stations. A couple of years before Jerry passed he met with one of his crew and they were interviewed by the local paper. I think they spoke of some of the missions, and perhaps a Berlin raid. I remember his saying that on one mission they were one of only 2 or 3 planes to make it back with the aircraft all shot up and limping badly. I know the only crewman they lost was Nelson King to frostbite; he didn't die though. He spoke of being one of the first, if not the first crew to complete 25 missions. They began their tour in September 1943, and completed their last mission in April 1944. He spoke of Captain Lauro asking the crew to go one more mission and they completed their tour with 26. The "Nelson King" would press on for eleven more missions before being shot down over Berlin in May 1944 with 3 of the crew being KIA. I will gladly see what I can find and send it to you, especially the newspaper article. Also, I was mistaken, he was the left waist gunner.
I was quite suprised when they announced the painting about the Nelson King. I remember thinking how proud Jerry would have been of that painting, and would have gladly signed the prints.
Richard Schuck
rschuck@centurylink.net
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CREW
Lt Charles E.Harris P CPT 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG
Lt Manly W.Hall CP CPT 27/8/44 BERLIN
Lt Lloyd W.Coartney NAV CPT 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG
Lt John E.Dimel,Jr. BOM CPT 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG
T/Sgt Leighton B.Gaard ROG XFR Flew 21 Missions- 4/7/44 then transferred to Air Force communications unit in France)
T/Sgt Norman Howden,Jr TTE CPT 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG
S/Sgt Kenneth L.Nowland BTG XFR Completed 14 missions with this crew.
S/Sgt Joseph H.Blume RWG CPT 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG
WIA 22/3/44 ORANIENBURG/BERLIN (PURPLE HEART)
S/Sgt Peter R.Zyskowski LWG WIA 22/3/44 ORANIENBURG/BERLIN (PURPLE HEART)
WIA 10/4/44 RHEIMS (PURPLE HEART) recovered & then RFS
S/Sgt Joseph L.Oyler TG SWA 10/4/44 RHEIMS (PURPLE HEART ( Returned To USA after recovery)
Crew,as above, joined the 100th in March 1944.First mission on 19/3/44 418th Sqdn.
T/SGT H.H. GREENFIELD TOOK OVER AS ROG AFTER JULY 4, 1944
S/SGT R.L. SCHELLIN TOOK OVER AS BTG ON JUNE 2, 1944
S/SGT W.R.HEATHMAN FLIES AS REPLACEMENT FOR BLUME ON MARCH 23 & 31, 1944
S/SGT JIM MACK (FROM ROSENTHAL CREW) FLIES AS REPLACEMENT FOR BLUME FROM APRIL 1-10, 1944
S/SGT JOHN RYBAK TAKES OVER LWG POSITION ON APRIL 24, 1944
S/SGT ART TIRRELL TAKES OVER AS TG ON APRIL 24, 1944
MEMO 2:
PHOTOS:
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Frank G. Lauro crew Detailed Information Photo courtesy of the Thorpe Abbotts Tower Museum Archives |
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Lt Frank Lauro Crew Stateside. (100th BG Archives) |
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Photo attached was in Life Magazine in March 1944.
“Nelson R. King, 17064928, Technical Sergeant, Army Air Forces, United States Army. For Gallantry in action while serving as Radio Operator and Gunner of a B-17 airplane on a bombing mission over Germany 29 November 1943. While manning his gun, fighting off fierce attacks by enemy planes, Sergeant King noticed that the ball turret gunner had collapsed from lack of oxygen. As soon as there was a lull in the fighting, he rushed to the turret, removed his stricken comrade to the radio compartment and placed his own oxygen mask on his face. When the gunner regained consciousness, he was hysterical and immediately tore off the oxygen mask and began to hit Sergeant King. Still without a supply of oxygen for himself, Sergeant King tied the mask on his hysterical comrade and held him down until he had become quiet. A short time later, the copilot found Sergeant King unconscious from lack of oxygen and his hands badly frost-bitten as he had removed his gloves in order to tie the mask on the ball turret gunner. The gallantry, complete disregard for his own safety and devotion to duty displayed by Sergeant King undoubtedly saved the life of his comrade. His actions on this occasion reflect highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.”
Nelson King was on the Frank G. Laura crew, who named their A/C in his honor. Lauro Crew Information |
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418th Pilot Frank G. Lauro |
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Lt Joe Greasamar's letter home where he talks about Berlin Mission March 6, 1944 |
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Nelson King stabilizer damaged with FW 190 wing went through vertical stabilizer |
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Nelson King after Berlin Mission on March 6, 1944. Flown by Frank Lauro Crew with Jack Swartout flying as Command Pilot. Taken to Honington for repairs. |
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NELSON KING A/C 231306. Photo showing vertical stabilizer and rudder damage received over Berlin, March 6, 1944. (Photo courtesy of Lt. Greasamar's son by way of Keith Buchanan) Lauro Crew information |
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NELSON KING A/C 231306. Photo showing vertical stabilizer damage received over Berlin, March 6, 1944. (Photo courtesy of Lt. Greasamar's son by way of Keith Buchanan) Lauro Crew information |
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NELSON KING A/C 231306 LD-V |
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231404 LN-V at Honington (I believe this is wrong code (LN-V) and should be LD-V since Nelson King LD-V was in repairs at Honington, this plane would have replaced it at thorpe Abbotts and gained the ID code of V. Once Nelson King was returned to Thorpe Abbotts, the code could have changed to T...MPF)
Capt. Frank Lauro Crew flew this plane on their last missions.
22. 18/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 MUNICH
23. 19/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 MARQUIS, MIMMOYEQUES (NO BALL)
24. 22/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 ORANIENBURG (BERLIN)
25 1/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 LUDWIGSHAVEN
7/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 QUACKENBRUCK (SCRB)
26. 8/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 QUACKENBRUCK |
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231404 LD-V at Honington for repairs 1stSAD.
Capt. Frank Lauro Crew flew this plane on their last missions.
22. 18/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 MUNICH
23. 19/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 MARQUIS, MIMMOYEQUES (NO BALL)
24. 22/3/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 ORANIENBURG (BERLIN)
25 1/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 LUDWIGSHAVEN
7/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 QUACKENBRUCK (SCRB)
26. 8/4/1944 LAURO F.C. CAPT P 231404 QUACKENBRUCK
Photo courtesy of Robert Hughes/Michael Hughes |
SERVED IN:
- LAURO, Frank G. - P
- GREASAMAR, Emanuel E. - CP
- HORVATH, Emery - NAV
- GREEN, Walter - BOM
- THOMPSON, Dewey - TTE
- GREENFIELD, Harry H. - ROG
- KING, Nelson R. - ROG
- SCHRIER, Murray - BTG
- HEATHMAN, William R. - WG
- WILL, Gerald A. - WG
- TIRRELL, Arthur R. - TG