2ND LT JOHN T. GRIFFIN	P	CPT	--	--
2ND LT ELBERT W. JOHNSON	CP	WIA	08 OCT 43	BREMEN
2ND LT THOMAS R. KIZAK	NAV	CPT	--	--
2ND LT EDWARD L. DUNLAP	BOM	CPT	--	--
T/SGT RAYMOND M. HARJO	TTE	WIA	08 OCT 43	BREMEN PURPLE HEART. RETURNED TO STATES
T/SGT ROY O. HOWELL	ROG	CPT	--	--
S/SGT PASCAL A. DELPRIORE	BTG	CPT	--	--
S/SGT BERBARD G. SIEGEL	WG	CPT	--	--
S/SGT SLDNEY L. NICHOLAS	WG	--	--	--
S/SGT DON L. PILGRIM	TG	--	--	--

 

Marienburg - 9 Oct 1943

According to Frank Murphy’s Book "Luck of the Draw"…"as a result of the costly Bremen mission the previous day, during which 7 aircraft were missing in action, a further 6 sustained significant battle damage and one later had to be salvaged, the 100th could assemble only seventeen serviceable aircraft for the Marienburg operation. We would be the high group in the Combat Wing behind the 390thBG, who would follow the 385th and 94th BG’s. Crew 31 would lead the 100th BG with Col "Chick Harding" flying in our airplane which was M’lle Zig Zig (230830). " The 100th Bomb Group lost no A/C on this mission.

Here are the Crews and Aircraft flown that day in take off order (from Paul Andrews’ appendix in Frank Murphy’s book "Luck of the Draw")

 

LEAD SQUADRON

 

A/C 42-30830 LD-U M’lle Zig Zig 418th BS

 

 

A/C 42-3237 LD-R " STYMIE" 418th BS

 

 

A/C 42-6087 LD-Z "ROYAL FLUSH" 418TH BS * (see note below)

 

 

*Interesting note: This crew flew Royal Flush on this mission and the following day to Munster. Their assigned plane, Rosie’s Riveters 230758 LD-W was damaged on the October 8th mission to Bremen. This Crew’s first three missions with the 100th BG were Bremen, Marienburg and Munster, three of the toughest and longest of the Air War. On the Munster mission on October 10, 1943, this would be the ONLY 100BG crew to return to Thorpe Abbotts.

 

A/C 42-30723 EP-D "SEXY SUZY, MOTHER OF TEN" 351ST BS

 

 

351st Sqdn. This crew joined 100th Group on 6/9/43 On 10/10/43, Sgt John Rupnick was replaced by Sgt. Smith J. Young who was KIA. Young was an original member of the crew of V. E. Fienup.

 

A/C 42-30090 XR-B "EL P’SSTOFO" 349TH BS

 

 

349th Sqdn. Arrived at 100th Bomb Group in September 1943.
G. W. Briggs died in POW camp 6 Apr 45 - no cause is given

 

A/C 42-30023 XR-M "FOREVER YOURS" 349TH BS

 

 

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.

 

Two days before their final mission, this crew had limped home from Germany on one engine in the a/c "Miss Carriage/Hot Spit" (Bremen). The first crew in the 8th Air Force to accomplish this task, 400 miles back to England on one engine.

 

HIGH SQUADRON:

 

A/C 42-3433 LN-W "LENA" 350TH BS

 

THIS IS BILL DESANDERS 2ND CREW. HE TOOK OVER CAPT MARK CARNELL’S CREW WHEN MARK BROKE HIS ARM.

 

 

NOTE – S/SGT WILLIAMS: CREW #15 LT BERNIE DeMARCO. DO NOT KNOW WHO REPLACED SGT WILLIAMS ON THE MISSION TO MARIENBURG)

 

A/C 42-30062 LD-O "TERRY N’ TEN" 418TH BS

 

 

350th Sqdn. Crew, as above , joined 100th Group on 25/8/43.

 

On 10/10/43 a S/Sgt CLARENCE C. COMBS was BTG in place of Sgt Brassell and was KIA.

 

A/C 42-6094 LD-Q NO NAME 418TH BS

 

 

418th Sqdn. Letter from Bertholf 8/Sep/88 : Crew joined the 100th in Sept. 1943.

 

LOW SQUADRON:

 

A/C 42-30799 XR-L "BIGASSBIRD II" 349TH BS.
BELIEVE THIS CREW WAS DEPUTY LEAD FOR THIS MISSION

 

 

This crew flew #1 position of the Low Squadron, but returned early due to low oil pressure in the #3 engine.

 

NOTES: COL BARR FLEW 50 MISSIONS WITH THE 100TH, SECOND ONLY TO COL "ROSIE" ROSENTHAL'S 52. HE WAS THE LAST OF THE ORIGINAL 100TH AIRMEN TO FLY COMBAT MISSIONS, LEAVING THE 349TH FOR THE HQ DET OF THE 100TH ON 18 JAN 1945. STARTING FROM THE FIRST MISSION OF 25 JUN 43 UNTIL JAN 45 THE INTREPID MISSISSIPIAN WAS ON COMBAT STATUS. TO THE DISMAY OF ALL 100TH VETERANS "SAMMY" APPEARED ON THE 1988 TAPS LIST. COL BARR DIED 17 APR 1988 AS THE RESULT OF A MAJOR STROKE. HE IS MOURNED AND MISSED, BUT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BY THE 100TH.

 

A/C 42-3534 XR-L "OL DAD" 349th BS

 

 

349th Sqdn. Original Crew #7

 

On 10 Oct 43 (Munster) Winton MacCarter had already became the 1st pilot for the crew and Lt Dan Barna (From Lt Barr Crew took over as CP). MacCarter was flying in 42-30090 XR-B "El P'sstofo" on October 10, 1943. Fuller later became the 418th Commanding Officer. He went down with the F. C. Kincannon crew at Merseburg 20 Jul 44. Magee became the last original 100th airmen to become a POW.

 

After a few missions Magee Fuller was made Operations Officer of the 349th - Later transferred to the 418th as Commanding Officer of the 418th Sqdn. He went down with crew of F. C. Kincannon on 20/7/44.

 

A/C 42-3229 XR-A "PASADENA NENA" 349TH BS

 

349th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group in early July 1943. It was one of the first four replacement crews of the Group. The other three were Lt Henry Henington, F/O Owen "Cowboy" Roane, and Lt Walter "Chief" Moreno. Medals Awarded Lt Justice: DFC, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart

MACR #1021, Microfiche #338, A/C #42 3229 "PASADENA NENA" XR-A.

A/C 42-3271 EP-L "NINE LITTLE YANKS AND A JERK" 351st BS

LT. ROBERT L. HUGHES	P
LT. DONALD S. DAVIS	CP
LT. LEONARD A. WICKENS	NAV
LT. RICHARD E. ELLIOTT	BOM
T/SGT GERALD GULICH	TTE
T/SGT JOSEPH E. BOYLE	ROG
T/SGT HORACE BARNUM	BTG
S/SGT TALMAGE P. BUNTIN	WG
S/SGT ROBERT L. MCKIMMY	TG
SEE NOTES	WG

 

351ST SQDN. . CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH GP ON 14 JUL 43; THIS WAS THE 351ST'S FIRST REPLACEMENT CREW. SECOND WG FOR BOTH THE MARIENBURG AND SCHWEINFURT MISSIONS IS UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT IN TIME. THE ORIGINAL TTE SGT JAMES ANGEL WAS GROUNDED AND T/SGT GULICH (WG AT THE TIME ON THE CREW) REPLACED HIM.

A/C 42-30734 EP-G "SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS" 351ST BS

351ST SQDN. . CREW JOINED THE 100TH IN AUGUST 1943, A VERY EARLY REPLACEMENT CREW. THEY WERE FLYING THEIR FIFTH MISSION ON 10 OCT 43.

A/C 42-3307 EP-N "SKIPPER" 351ST BS

351st Sqdn. Sgt James says that the crew joined the 100th Bomb Group "first part of September 43".

SPARES

A/C 42-3413 LN-V "HARD LUCK" 350TH BS

 

350th Sqdn. This the 3rd mission for this crew, having flown the first one 4 Oct 43. (Hanau)

 

A/C 42-30823 LN-F "INVADIN’ MAIDEN" 350th BS

 

 

350th Sqdn. Assigned September 1943.

Munster - 10 Oct 1943

The 1943 Munster Bombing Raid (offsite link)

The Group put up 18 aircraft along with 2 from the 390th BG to make it an even 20. Six Aircraft aborted over the sea, one of which being a 390th a/c. That left 13 100th Bomb Group aircraft to carry on towards Munster. Here is the fate of those 13 Crews.

A/C 42-30830 "M’lle Zig Zig" LD-U

1ST LT JOHN D. BRADY	P	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
2ND LT JOHN L. HOERR	CP	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
2ND LT DAVID SOLOMON	NAV	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
2ND LT HOWARD B. HAMILTON	BOM	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT ADOLPH BLUM	TTE	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT HAROLD E. CLANTON	WG	KIA	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT SAUL LEVITT	ROG	XFR	--	TO "YANK" MAGAZINE STAFF
PVT ROLAND D. GANGWER	BTG	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT JAMES A. McCUSKER	WG	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER
S/SGT GEORGE J. PETROHELOS	TG	POW	10 OCT 43	MUNSTER

CREW FLEW MOST MISSIONS IN "PADDLEFOOT'S PROXY" 25863 LD-V

NOTES:

T/SGT JOSEPH E. HAFER REPLACED SAUL LEVITT AS ROG AFTER LEVITT WAS INJURED IN JEEP ACCIDENT. SAUL LEVITT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE STAFF OF "YANK" MAGAZINE UPON HIS RECOVERY. HAFER WAS TAKEN PRISONER. LT DAVID SOLOMON, THE REGULAR NAVIGATOR ON CREW #29 REPLACED HARRY CROSBY FOR THIS MISSION AND WAS TAKEN PRISONER AS WELL.

CREW #32 LED THE 10 OCT 43 MISSION AND MAJ JOHN C. EGAN, THE 418TH CO, FLEW IN THE CO-PILOT'S SEAT. NEAR THE I. P. "MLLE ZIG ZIG" (A/C #42-30830; THEY WERE NOT FLYING "SKIPPER" THIS MISSION) WAS HIT BY FLAK KILLING SGT CLANTON AND BADLY WOUNDING HOWARD HAMILTON AND ROLAND GANGWER. THE SURVIVING CREW MEMBERS SUCCEEDED IN BAILING OUT AND WERE TAKEN PRISONER. HAMILTON AND GANGWER SPENT A LONG TIME IN THE HOSPITAL.

A/C 42-30090 "EL P’sstofo" 349th XR-B

On 10 Oct 1943 (Munster) Winton MacCarter had already taken over the crew and was flying as first pilot with Lt Dan Barna ( from Sammy Barr Crew) as CP. Was flying in 42-30090 XR-B "El P'sstofo" on October 10, 1943

A/C 42-30087 "SHACK RAT" 351ST EP-M

351st Sqdn. This crew joined 100th Group on 6/9/43 On 10/10/43, Sgt John Rupnick was replaced by Sgt. Smith J. Young who was KIA. Young was an original member of the crew of V. E. Fienup.

A/C 42-3433 "LENA" 350TH LN-W
MACR #1024, Micro fiche 339

350th Sqdn. This the 3rd mission for this crew, having flown the first one 4 Oct 43. (Hanau)

SEE: "MUNSTER: The Way It Was" by Ian Hawkins p. 133, 134, 363, 352

Reply from Geiger Oct. 1990: Plane named "Leona" after wife of R. P. Kramer.

From statements in the MACR file it would appear three men were killed were unable to bail out prior to the ship entering a spin and finally exploding. Gieger (Lt Hugh E. Gieger, Jr. ) said he personally examined the dog tags and they had the appearance of being burned. Kramer (Lt Robert P. Kramer) was at the nose exit ready to jump, when he turned back for one last verification all crew members had bailed out. This gallant action cost the popular Bob Kramer his life.

German reports pinpoint the crash site and time as 1515 hours 10 Oct 1943 "at Lambeck near Wulfen, 100 meters north of Schloss Lembeck. " Interment was on 14 Oct 1943 at Catholic cemetery, Lambeck in Row #1 graves 10, 11 and 12.

A/C 42-30023 "FOREVER YOURS" 349TH XR-M

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.

Two days before their final mission, this crew had limped home from Germany on one engine in the a/c "Miss Carriage" (Bremen). The first crew in the 8th Air Force to accomplish this task, 400 miles back to England on one engine.

A/C 42-30823 "INVADIN MAIDEN" 350TH LN-F
MACR 1025, Microfiche #339

350th Sqdn. Assigned September 1943.

This was the fourth mission for the crew. Sgt. Walker may have died of wounds in hospital or POW camp. STATMENT (in MACR) BY Lt. Watts "Lt. Oss climbed out nose of plane (it had broken in half) after it had come out of spin over target at 1500 ft. Sgts. Higginbotham & Murphy bailed out before it went into the spin. Sgt. Brumbeau believes he was thrown from plane when it broke in two. Sgt. Murphy wounded by burst of 20mm just as he and Fetherstone were about to jump. Fetherstone probably killed by this burst. Oss recalled seeing Lt. Dodson lying in nose of plane and believed him dead or mortally wounded. "As Walts was crawling to the escape hatch he had to crawl over Lt Whallace and noticed that blood covered his face.

A/C 42-30734 "SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS" 351ST EP-G

351ST SQDN. . CREW JOINED THE 100TH IN AUGUST 1943, A VERY EARLY REPLACEMENT CREW. THEY WERE FLYING THEIR FIFTH MISSION ON 10 OCT 43.

see page 154/155 of "MUNSTER: THE WAY IT WAS" BY IAN HAWKINGS.

This crew was on its fifth mission. Apparently after reaching the I. P. this A/C received a head-on attack by enemy a/c and Edward Jones was severely wounded by a 20mm. Almost simultaneously there was a direct flak hid in the waist and both waist gunners killed or severely wounded. Bail out order given but evidently not all got our before ship exploded.

Lt. Sprow shoved Lt. Jones out of nose escape hatch after pulling his rip cord. Several men blown out when plane exploded and their chutes opened.

One crewman later reported as follows: "The Germans threw his body (Jones') into a truck transporting us to a jail. He was all shot up and he was white-I presume he had bled to death. "

A/C 42-30723 "SEXY SUZY, MOTHER OF TEN" 351ST EP-D

351st Sqdn. Sgt James says that the crew joined the 100th Bomb Group "first part of September 43". Tenth mission for crew. A/C#42 30723 "SEXY SUZY MOTHER OF TEN"

. Levine is not listed in S. O. C. as either KlA, MlA, or POW. The MACR notes that Levine and Zoldak were "Determined Dead" the others are noted as "Killed In Action".

Letter from Dan James (7/3/84) says that crew joined the 100th Group "first part of Sept. " Sgts Hicks & Lynch were replacements on crew. They replaced T/Sgt Jones P. Ingram and another man I do not remember. " James adds, "Our plane was downed by a German fighter. " jb

Statement by Milton E. Harness: "Co-pilot (Richard W. Brooks). West Roxbury, Mass. , said Pilot had chute on and did not appear to be injured, but we think it likely the plane exploded in mid-air, as the oxygen system was afire and there appeared to be a gasoline fire in the bomb bay. Bill (William M. Beddow) probably was killed in the plane. Plane was on bombing run and time about 1500 hours. "

A/C 42-30047 "SWEATER GIRL" 350TH LN-Q

350th Sqdn. Crew, as above , joined 100th Group on 25/8/43.

On 10/10/43 a S/Sgt CLARENCE C. COMBS was BTG in place of Sgt Brassell and was KIA.

Note George Brassell was KIA on the 100th's second Munster mission with crew of T. F. Goupill when killed and is buried in Cambridge cemetery.

Statement by Kenneth Baron "I was wounded during an attack by an enemy a/c before I bailed out, sustaining a penetrating wound Of the right thigh which broke the femur. Due to possible shock I have no clear recollection Or the mission nor of most events until I was picked up on the ground by the Germans I do know we flew along the Rhine river some distance from its mouth and that we dropped our bombs I do not recall seeing the target, although we were in large formation when we were subjected to an intense and accurate flak attack and when we were attacked by large numbers Or enemy a/c/

When I bailed out, I was the first person to leave by the lower nose exit because I recall releasing the door by means Or the emergency release handle The bombardier was immediately behind me, preparing to bail out, but once I left the ship I did not see him again, nor did I see the ship after I left it It was flying straight and level at that time to the best Of my knowledge I executed a delayed jump in order to reach ground more quickly and I opened my chute at what I estimated to be 5000 ft During my descent I could recall seeing no aircraft of any sort "

Apparently for over a year there was much confusion as to the exact fate of this crew A German Major had taken the dog tags from several crew members when they were captured and later reports from German sources claimed that Atchison, Secor and Bennett were KIA and buried near Munster (dog tags had been switched in some manner).

The crew this day was flying B-17F 42-30047 "Sweater Girl" LN-Q instead of their regular B-17F "Terry n'Ten" 42-30062, LD-O which was named by Lt Atchison for his wife. The crew was assigned Terry n'Ten on September 16, 1943. On October 10, 1943 the target was MUNSTER, just after the bomb run, the 100th was hit by fighters, and intense flak with one ME 109 colliding with Lt William Beddow's aircraft "Sexy Susy, Mother of Ten" 42-30723 EP-D which had completed only 6 mission prior to October 10th. The collision occurred on Lt. Beddows left wing with flames erupting throughout the plane. The bailout order was given and 4 men got out, the plane exploded in mid air after going into a steep spiral killing Lt Beddow and 5 of his crew. It has been speculated that "Sweater Girl" also was damaged by this midair collision but surviving crew members report that the aircraft was under heavy flak followed by fighter attacks and was severly damaged before the crew was ordered to bail out. There is no mention from Crew reports that their plane sustained any damage from Lt Beddow's mid-air collision with the Me109. According to eye witness accounts, Lt Atchison was hit in No 2 Engine, it must have been an oil line because oil was pouring out in a stream. All the officers along with the TTG and TG were fortunate in escaping the severly damage B-17 but unfortunately, the rest of the crew perished when the plane crashed a few miles north of Munster at Ostberven near the Dormund-Ems canal. (mpf 6/2001)

A/C 42-30725 "AW-R-GO" 350TH LN-Z
Time: 1500/1530
A/C last seen: Munster
Cause:EAC

ORIGINAL 418TH Crew on 21st mission. Weeks said that Vincenti bailed out of bomb-bay with chute afire. Had been fighting fire in radio room.

Garrison saw both James Johnson & Robert Bixler wounded and in waist of plane. Plane blew up and Garrison blown out. Ship had dropped bombs on target.

Weeks said; "Germans said Vincenti's chute had burned in the descent and that he was dead before hitting the ground. Bixler said Germans had shown him Vincenti's dog tags and told him that he was dead. "

Johnson said he was blown out of ship and his chute opened at about 5, 000 ft. Clark couldn't seem to get his escape hatch open and was probably killed when plane blow up. Fighter attack caused fire in ship.

German Records show :Sgt. Charles A. Clark interred on 11 Oct 1943 at Lienen Cemetary/Wesph. Northwestern third of cemetery, southern grave. O. E. Vincenti northern grave (probably entirely burnt since Id tag was found burnt , too. )

Mrs. Agnes Clark 603 Laurel Ave. Highland Park, Ill.

A/C 42-3237 STYMIE 418TH LD-R

AFTER SEVERE FLAK DAMAGE AND ATTACKS BY FIGHTERS THE PILOTS MADE A SUCCESSFUL BELLY LANDING. MAX DRUDGE WAS WOUNDED IN THE RIGHT WRIST AND HAND BY A 20-MM AND T/SGT BATTIN SUFFERED A BROKEN ARM, THE REMAINDER WERE NOT INJURED AND ALL BECAME POWS.

A/C 42-3229 "PASADENA NENA 349TH XR-A
MACR #1021, Microfiche #338

349th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group in early July 1943. It was one of the first four replacement crews of the Group. The other three were Lt Henry Henington, F/O Owen "Cowboy" Roane, and Lt Walter "Chief" Moreno. Medals Awarded Lt Justice: DFC, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart

This mission to Munster on 10/13/43 was the 17th for this crew; its first was to Kiel on 25/7/43. Lt. Shields was wounded about the head by 20mm fire but did bail out. A notation on a German report in MACR says his body was found about 100 meters from the crash point on 10 November. Jack Justice is of the belief that, if the German report is factual, Shields was sheltered by friendly Dutch in the area immediately after he landed but that he finally died of his wounds and the Dutch, fearing the Germans would discover they had aided him placed his body near the crash site to be found by the Germans. Sportelli's remains were apparently found in the a/c debris he had not bailed out. It is probable that he was killed or very badly wounded by 20 mm fire. He and Shields were buried at Ede Cemetery in Row C, Graves #1 & 2. Justice was taken in by the Dutch Resistence forces and, after many months, returned to Thorpe Abbotts. He has written a very interesting account of his life as an evadee. See also Ian Hawkins book on Munster raid. . . pw

A/C 42-6087 "ROYAL FLUSH" 418TH LD-Z

The only crew to return from the mission with two engines shot out and two crew members seriously wounded.

Schweinfurt (Black Thursday) - 14 Oct 1943

OCTOBER 14, 1943, SCHWEINFURT "BLACK THURSDAY"

100TH BOMB GROUP CREWS THAT FLEW MISSION (8 CREWS TOTAL)
4 CREWS FLEW WITH 95TH BG (LEAD BY LT ROBERT HUGHES)
4 CREWS FLEW WITH 390TH BG (LEAD BY LT OWEN "COWBOY’ ROANE

Crews That Flew With 95th Bomb Group
Note: We are still looking for the names of the two other crews that flew with Lt. Robert Hughes and the 95th Bomb Group.

The crew of Nine Little Yanks and A Jerk on 14 October 1944

LT. ROBERT L. HUGHES	P
LT. DONALD S. DAVIS	CP
LT. LEONARD A. WICKENS	NAV
LT. RICHARD E. ELLIOTT	BOM
T/SGT GERALD GULICH	TTE
T/SGT JOSEPH E. BOYLE	ROG
T/SGT HORACE BARNUM	BTG
S/SGT TALMAGE P. BUNTIN	WG
S/SGT ROBERT L. MCKIMMY	TG

 

351st Sqdn. Crew 25, Crew as above joined the 100th Bomb Group on 25/9/43

14/10/43 SCHWEINFURT-"Black Thursday", flew with the 95th BG that day because 100th could only put up 8 aircraft after the Munster Mission. We "flew Heaven Can Wait" I have memories of seeing more B-17's shot down than I had ever seen or would ever see again. Both myself and BTG got credit for shooting down 2 enemy fighters. Mine was a FW190…. . 2nd Lt Ruben C. Kelsey

Capt Frank G. Lauro	P	CPT	080/4/44	Quakenbruck	TAPS: 1978
Lt. Emanuel E. "Joe" Greasamar	CP	CPT	08/04/44	Quakenbruck	--
Lt. Emery Horvath	NAV	CPT	08/04/44	Quakenbruck	--
Lt. Walter Green	BOM	CPT	27/04/44	Thionville,LeCulot	--
T/Sgt Nelson King	ROG	RFS	29/11/43	Bremen	Frostbite (Awarded Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal)
T/Sgt Dewey Thompson	TTE	CPT	08/07/44	Quakenbruck	--
T/Sgt Murray Schrier	BTG	CPT	08/04/44	Quakenbruck	--
S/Sgt William R. Heathman	RWG	CPT	08/04/44	Quakenbruck	--
S/Sgt Gerald A. Will	LWG	CPT	08/04/44	Quakenbruck	--
S/Sgt Authur R. Tirrell	TG	CPT	21/06/44	Basdorf	(Finished as TG with Capt. Chuck Harris crew)

 418th Sqdn. The Crew joined the 100th BG in Sept. 1943   

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 second's 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.

Crews That Flew with 390th Bomb Group
Note: The 390th Bomb Group received the Distinguished/Presidential Citation for the Schweinfurt mission. As a result, the four 100th Bomb Group crews also received this award and were entitled to wear the Oak Leaf Cluster on the ribbon they had previously received for Regensburg (17 Aug 43).

 

(G. W. Briggs died in POW camp 6 Apr 45 - no cause is given)