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CPL  Edward R. BENICE

UNIT: 351st BOMB Sqdn POSITION: TTE
SERIAL #: STATUS: NOC
MACR:

Comments1: PROABLY FLYING AT END OF HOSTILITIES

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

2nd Lt Herman F.Streich         P  CPT 17/2/45    FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
2nd Lt Richard W.King        CP  KIA  31/12/44  HAMBURG (With crew flown by F.E.Henderson)
2nd Lt Leon Schwartz      NAV  CPT 19/2/45    OSNABRUCK  sn# 0-723444
2nd Lt Frank Dunst,Jr.      BOM CPT  24/3/45    STEENWIJK/HAVELTE  & ZIEGENHAIN (made lead bomb after 6 missions)
   Cpl Thomas E. Pepper    ROG CPT  17/2/45    FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
   Cpl Edward R.Benice       BTG  NOC (never flew a mission with this crew) 
   Cpl George H.Holland      TTE  CPT 17/2/45    FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
   Cpl Thomas L.Whitacre     WG  CPT  17/2/45    FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
   Cpl Herman H.Buhse WG/TOG  CPT  17/2/45    FRANKFURT & GIESSEN (Toggleer after 6 missions)
   Cpl Elwood O.Mattiza        TG   CPT  17/2/45    FRANKFURT & GIESSEN

351st Sqdn.  Crew joined 100th Group on 09 Sept1944 according to the Sqdn Diary for Sept. (p.2).

Lived in "Stye 9" Hut with Lt Wallace Wilson and Lt Harrison Crew

Frank Streich was a TV film producer in England for many years after WWII.

This crew flew thirty five missions, many in "Fever Beaver." This venerable old 100th aircraft flew  135 missions. Her crew chief was J.D.Pearson, who appeared on the 1985 Taps list, became almost a surrogate father to young Sam Hurry.  Hurry latter became President of the !00th Bomb Groups English Association.  Others who served on this Crew included; Copilots Lt Paul Batterman and Lt Tom Slaven (from Lt Rosenbaum Crew).  Sgt Harvey J. Lehman (from Lt Clifton Williams Crew) was transferred to this Crew as BTG and completed tour on 17/2/45 mission to Frankfurt & Giessen.  According to Lt Schwartz, Lt King had been grounded and wonders why he filled in  on Lt Henderson's crew on 31 DEC 44 mission to Hamburg? Lt Schwartz also states that they flew FEVER BEAVER on her 100th MISSION (she flew 135 missions in all)

Missions of 2nd Lt Leon Schwartz (mpf 2002)

1.     25/09/44     LUDWIGSHAVEN-flew with different crew
2.     02/10/44     KASSEL
3.     06/10/44     BERLIN
4.     07/10/44     BOHLEN
5.     09/10/44     WEISBADEN
6.     12/10/44     BREMEN
7.     15/10/44     COLOGNE-Lt Dunst becomes lead bombardier and is replaced by Sgt Buhse-Toggleer
8.     05/11/44     LUDWIGSHAVEN
9.     09/11/44     SAARBRUCKEN
10.   21/11/44     OSNABRUCK
11.   26/11/44     HAMM
12.   29/11/44     HAMM
13.   30/11/44     MERSEBURG
14.   04/12/44     FRIEDBERG
15.   05/12/44     BERLIN
16.   12/12/44     DARMSTADT
17.   24/12/44     KAISERLAUTERN
18.   25/12/44     KAISERLAUTERN
19.   27/12/44     FULDA
20.   28/12/44     KOBLENZ
21.   30/12/44     KASSEL
22.   31/12/44     HAMBURG
23.   13/01/45     MAINZ
24.   14/01/45     DERBEN
25.   17/01/45     HAMBURG
26.   20/01/45     HEIBRON
27.   21/01/45     MANNHEIM
28.   28/01/45     DUISBURG
29.   29/01/45     KASSEL
30.   03/02/45     BERLIN
31.   06/02/45     CHEMNITZ
32.   09/02/45     WEIMAR
33.   15/02/45     COTTBUS
34.   17/02/45     FRANKFURT & GIESSEN
35.   19/02/45     OSNABRUCK-flew with different crew    

Henderson crew
On the  31 DEC 44 ( HAMBURG) mission,  FLOYD E. HENDERSON was the first pilot of this crew..Appears mainly that of Carl J. HEDIN...jb
These  crewmen were with the crew of Floyd E.Henderson on 31/12/44. Henderson, himself,was CP on the crew of R.L.Stevenson when that crew joined the 100th Group on 14/7/44. 

A/C #42-31066 "Fools Rush In"  MACR #11366, MICRO-FICHE #4183

2ND LT FLOYD E. HENDERSON      P         KIA 31 DEC 44   HAMBURG
2nd  Lt   Richard W. King             CP        KIA 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG  (from Lt Streich Crew)
2nd   Lt   George J. Smigo, Jr     NAV       POW 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG
S/Sgt  Elmer L. Kovach            TOGG        KIA 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG
S/Sgt George J.Robinson            ROG       KIA  31 DEC 44  HAMBURG
 S/Sgt James W.Shepard            TTE      KIA   31 DEC 44  HAMBURG
   Sgt Leo O.Murphy                  BTG     POW    31DEC /44  HAMBURG
   Sgt Fred Horcasitas                 WG       KIA     31 DEC 44  HAMBURG
   Sgt Frank S.Sauls                    TG       POW   31 DEC 44  HAMBURG


EYEWITNESS:  "A/C 42-31066 recieved a direct hit by flak just before "Bombs Away" , and the bombs were salvoed. 
     The A/C fell off on the right wing and dropped onto A/C #43-38124 piloted by Lt Clifton M. Williams.
     Both aircraft went down in flames  and one exploded" (See Williams crew below)

Lt Clifton M.Williams     P    KIA   31/12/44 HAMBURG
Lt Kenneth W.Newkirk   CP  KIA "
Lt Richard F.Williams   NAV  KIA " A/C #43 38124
Lt Lawrence W.Ward   BOM  POW  " MACR #11363,Fiche #4182
T/S/Sgt Charles J.McGinley  ROG  KIA " 
T/Sgt .Alvin H.Petteys   TTE  KIA "
S/Sgt Lee F.Carpenter   BTG  KIA "
S/Sgt  James H.Murphy        WG   POW  "  TAPS: 1973
  Cpl  Gordon R.Sinclair      TG   CPT  15 /3/45 ORANIENBURG /WITH THE S. JOHNSON CREW AS NAV (see note)

351st Sqdn. Sqdn Diary of Sept.1944 notes this crew as joining the 100th Group in Sept. A Cpl.Harvey J.Lehman was 
on the crew at that time but no further record of him has turned up.

On 31/12/44, S/Sgt Roland L.Douglas,from the crew of Gerald Brown,was flying in place of Gordon Sinclair and was 
made a POW.

Note
Gordon Sinclair was removed from Navigator's school one day short of graduation for some unknown infraction, proably the Training Command acted  a bit over zealous in view of the need for trained Navigators.  The 351st Sqdn. Commander (Harry Cruver, a man known to have had some disagreements with training command personnel during his cadet days) corrected this bit of over zealousness by immediately promoting Sinclair to M/Sgt and  making him the Navigator for the Sidney Johnson crew, where he completed a tour.  This from Charles M. Beck, of the Sidney Johnson crew..pw

MEMO 2:


			

             
            

         

         
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