44th Bomb Group Veterans Association Vol. 12 Issue #4 Journal of the Winter 2013 44th Bomb Group Non Profit Veterans Association Veterans Association EIN # 68-0351397 8 BALL TAILS 42-50427 1 MI AKIN ASS (67 TH SQUADRON) MI AKIN ASS (67 th Squadron) justified its audacious name by having a picture of the back end of a donkey on the right hand side. One member of the crew stated it was given that name because the pilot repeated those words with every chore that he undertook. Nevertheless, this plane flew 127 missions between 12 April 1944 until it returned to the Zone of the Interior on 22 May 1945. 40 different crews flew in this plane: Thomas Thames, David Arnold, Charles Arnold, James Ward, Ivan Stepnich, Robert Gunton, Veryl Duwe, Charles McDonald, John Honmyhr, Cleatis McDonnell, Jack Hyland, Charles Haag, William Meyerricks, Jack Steele, Russell Pellow, James Struthers, Art Reed, Edwin Levitt, Stephen Harris, Arthur Kleiderer, Newton Condray, Charles Phillips, Jr., Oliver Hurst, R. W. Bethel, Christopher Spagnola, Leslie Lee, Jr. Leonard Louik, O. Collins, Fred Hilderabrand, Ernest Kyle, Leslie Lee, Jr., Joseph Kuklewicz, Ted Williams, Arnold Richardson, Norman Nutt, Roger Markle, Raymond Zamoni, Milton Swartz, Milton Munro and John Fitzgibbon. Frank Davido and George Martin flew on this plane as Command Pilots. Mi Akin Ass flew one mission on D-Day to Colleville and St. Laurent, piloted by James Ward.
Transcript
44th Bomb Group Veterans Association
Vol. 12 Issue #4 Journal of the Winter 201344th Bomb Group
Non Profi t Veterans Association Veterans Association EIN # 68-0351397
8 BALL TAILS
42-50427
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MI AKIN ASS (67TH SQUADRON)
MI AKIN ASS (67th
Squadron) justifi ed itsaudacious name byhaving a picture of theback end of a donkeyon the right hand side.One member of thecrew stated it was giventhat name because thepilot repeated thosewords with every chorethat he undertook.Nevertheless, this planefl ew 127 missionsbetween 12 April 1944until it returned to theZone of the Interior on22 May 1945.
40 different crews fl ew in this plane: Thomas Thames, David Arnold, CharlesArnold, James Ward, Ivan Stepnich, Robert Gunton, Veryl Duwe, CharlesMcDonald, John Honmyhr, Cleatis McDonnell, Jack Hyland, Charles Haag,William Meyerricks, Jack Steele, Russell Pellow, James Struthers, Art Reed,Edwin Levitt, Stephen Harris, Arthur Kleiderer, Newton Condray, CharlesPhillips, Jr., Oliver Hurst, R. W. Bethel, Christopher Spagnola, Leslie Lee, Jr.Leonard Louik, O. Collins, Fred Hilderabrand, Ernest Kyle, Leslie Lee, Jr., JosephKuklewicz, Ted Williams, Arnold Richardson, Norman Nutt, Roger Markle,Raymond Zamoni, Milton Swartz, Milton Munro and John Fitzgibbon.Frank Davido and George Martin fl ew on this plane as Command Pilots.
Mi Akin Ass fl ew one mission on D-Day to Colleville and St. Laurent,piloted by James Ward.
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Director: Richard Lynch109 Jason Road, Box 518Conrad, Iowa 50621-0518Phone(641) 366-2414E-Mail: r_blynch@heartofi owa.net (fi rst three letters r_b)
Director: Sterling Dobbs P. O. Box 825LaGrange, Texas 78945Phone 979 249-3838 E-Mail: [email protected]
Director: Charles W. Tilton812 Scenic DriveCharleston, WV 25311-4165Phone 304 346-4165E-Mail: [email protected]
UK Representative: Steve Adams28 Bassingham Road Norwich, England NR3 2 QTPhone 011-44-1603-400221E-Mail: [email protected]
Database Custodian and Webmaster: Arlo Bartsch, Webmaster42 Promesa DriveHot Springs Village, Arkansas 71909Phone 501 922-5247 E-Mail: [email protected]
President: George Washburn11505 N. Armenia Avenue Tampa, Florida 33612Phone (813) 932-6425E-Mail: [email protected]
Vice President/Historian: Roger D. Fenton21539 East Alyssa CourtQueen Creek, AZ 85142Phone (480) 893-3761E-Mail: [email protected]
Secretary/8 Ball Tails Editor:Ruth W. Davis-Morse2041 Village Circle EastYork, PA 17404Phone (717) 846-8948Fax (717) 846-6688 E-Mail: [email protected]
Treasurer: Jackie Roberts 11910 SE 44th Oklahoma City, OK 73150Phone 405 732-5838E-Mail: [email protected]
Decorations & Awards Director:Robert Lee Aston830 Cardinal DriveElberton, GA 30635-2606Phone (706) 283-1337E-Mail: [email protected]
(Web Page courtesy of X-Mission, Salt Lake City, Utah)
20132013
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Leslie Lee fl ew his fi rst mission with Edward Reynolds 27 December 1944. Four days later he was pilot of his own crew. They fl ew 32 missions, all into Germany, except one into France. During that period they fl ew in eight different aircraft: Limpin Ole Sadie/San Antonio Rose, Three Kisses for Luck, Fearless Fosdick, Mi Akin Ass, Sultry Sue, Miss Marion, Lady Fifi Nella and Old Iron Corset. Their last mission, 25 April 1945, was in Old Iron Corset to Hallien, Austria. It was the last mission of the war for the 44th BG. Several more missions were scheduled, but in each case, they were called off.
THE LESLIE LEE CREW & MI AKIN ASS – 67TH SQUADRON
Top Row, L-R- Leslie Lee, Jr., Pilot; Donald Wells, Co-Pilot; Donald Potter, Bombardier. Front Row - Louis Panico, Engineer, Top Turret Gunner; Kenneth Hulbert, Radio Operator; Jack Davis, Waist Gunner; — Rosen, (no record available); Adelbert H. Snell, Waist Gunner; Richard Lynch, Tail Gunner. (Missing from the picture, Robert Stones, Navigator)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
In the last issue , I told about the dedication of amonument to 12 Americans who died on June 4 1944 in a crash in the village of Garveston, 3 miles from Shipdham.We were invited and did attend the dedication on June 6. It was a most impressive ceremony as only the British can do. The monument sits at the corner of the fi eld behind the village hall and is fl anked by two fl agpoles.
A color guard from Lakenheath posted the American colors and the British Legion did the same for theirs. Both
national anthems were played. Colonel Blinkinsop, the US Air Attache to the embassy gave an introductory speech and unveiled the monument. Wreaths were laid by Michel Robertson, Chairman of the Parish Council-Col. Blinkinsop- Capt. Peterson an F-15 pilot from Lakenheath - James and Samuel DeBrular- Grand nephews of Edward DeBrular, waist gunner - myself for the 44th Bomb Group - and a British Legion representative. The invocation and benediction were given by the local Vicar and a Chaplain from Lakenheath.
Michael Garrod read the names of those who were killed. The project was his idea and many others contributed much time and effort to its fruition. Cynthia remembered him as a young boy going to the crash site.
It was a typical cool rainy afternoon, but 5 minutes before the ceremony began, the sun came out. It poured rain again 15 minutes after the ceremony when everyone was back in the village hall for refreshments. There were 10 of the DeBrular family members from various places in the US. Most were young people who will never forget that event. The two boys who laid the wreath did an impressive job and one teenager had his birthday recognized with a surprise cake and song in the village hall.
There are two web sites that have more about this event. It was fi lmed by the TV people and was on the news broadcasts that evening.
www.tv.com/news/anglia/story/2012-06-06/d-day-bomber-crew-remembered/ and www.garveston12.org.uk
The English people always make us feel at home when we go back and it is remarkable that after almost 70 years they still remember and honor all of the Yanks who fought and died there. We are truly blessed to have such friends overseas.
As you read this, we are now in the last year of our Association. At the annual meeting in 2010 it was voted to dissolve on Oct. 1 2013. No dues will be collected this year and Ruth Morse plans to put out three more issues of this great publication, which has been the glue that has kept us going so long.
George Washburn
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LETTER FROM SHIPDHAMBy Peter Bodle
Last time I wrote to you guys, the weather had not been particularly good to the fl yers amongst us…sadly nothing much has changed very much in the past few months, and no one is setting any great records for fl ying at the moment…except of course the fuel companies and the extortionate price they now charge for aviation fuel. I wrote that at the start of my last piece for ‘Tails’, and blow me, if absolutely nothing at all has changed in the last three months. England is still waiting for the summer.(Oh and getting wetter and soggier by the minute….you remember wet and soggy England ???)
As a more recent admirer, ( just 15 or so years association), of the men of the 44th Bomb Group, the Folded Wings section always reminds me of a section of a song I like which says, “ we’ll never see the likes of them again.” I feel this may well be so with the 44th B.G. , and their colleagues in the rest of the 2nd AD and the wider collection of the other 8th AF Groups. Even the current military, as brave and dedicated as they are, are relatively small in number and are fully trained professionals who want to do what they are in the military to do. In the early 1940’s I recall… a) there was conscription… b) training was comparatively short… and c) in many cases tactics, strategy and technique were all being made up and perfected as the war went along. The world owes you, the RAF and the Russian counterparts a seriously large debt…I sometimes wonder if that is fully appreciated by the general public in all of those three countries. (and the other ’invaded’ nations, as well). Needless to say The Shipdham Aero Club members, whether fl yers or not, will ensure that memories won’t die, and all who served will be remembered.
Recent scientifi c research, Hubble, CERN, Keppler, etc. prompted me to muse over how far technology has developed since you guys took to the skies, alongwith your RAF counterparts, with what we would now consider very inadequate equipment, in rather basic aircraft, to travel thousands of miles on a daily basis, to places you had hardly ever heard of, never mind seen. Looking back, how useful would a G.P.S system have been on any mission?? Or perhaps that alone could have prevented war in the fi rst place, as knowing for sure that there was nowhere to hide, may have had a sobering effect on the NAZI regime. Some might argue otherwise…I really don’t know.
Countering that, as the Air Show season gets into full swing, it is always a delight to see how many planes of that era are still fl ying and able to display all the great qualities their designers put into them and are able to fi re the imaginationof the youngsters of yet another generation…
In the meantime, keep well and look after yourselves.All the best from Shipdham.Peter
THE BRITISH NEVER FORGET
The city of Garveston honored the crew of a B-24 that crashed in a barley fi eld in June 1944. This was the hometown of Cynthia Harmonoski, a teenager working at Shipdham at this time. Of course, Cynthia and 44th BGVA President George Washburn were present for the dedication of a monument erected in honor of the crew that had been based at North Pickenham during the war.
Brian Peel, a longtime admirer of the 44th
BG, sent news clippings of the event. Brian was a teenager during the war, and his mother did the laundry for many of the airmen based at Shipdham.
British newspapers were full of stories of remembrances of the ‘Friendly Invasion’, when carefree young American men moved to the shores to aid in the war against the Nazi threat that was engulfi ng Europe. Having come from a much less formal
culture, it was an adjustment for the British families to accommodate the social changes that came about from these new arrivals.
Fred Pyman, a resident of Garveston, had written his memories of the event. “The bomber crashed on our land at White House. It narrowly missed our house. All members of the crew were killed. Mrs. Leeds (neighbor) and myself were about 100 yards away. All windows and ceiling were down and tiles came off the roof at my house. This plane was an American Liberator loaded with bombs.”
Another newspaper featured Pyman’s daughter who noted that ‘the pilot made sure he missed our house, just skimmed over it.’ Pictured was George Washburn laying a wreath at the monument which had been erected, honoring the men who died in the crash. The headline for this section was ‘Such Brave Men Indeed.’
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THE LAST MISSION OF THE 44TH
APRIL 25, 1945 TO HALLEIN AUSTRIA
The 44th dispatched 30 crews to the Marshalling Yards at Hallein, Austria. All of the 30 A/C attacked this priority #1 target visually by squadrons, and achieved excellent bombing results. Flak was moderate and accurate from Bertes-gaden and Salzberg. One of the 67th
planes sustained slight battle damage. No enemy A/C activity was reported.Fighter support was excellent, and all planes returned to base safely.
When the 30 crews fl ew this mission, they had no idea it would be the last.For the next fi ve days, missions were scheduled, then scrubbed. The last two days of April brought varying reports to the end of hostility.
During that month President Roosevelt passed away, and President Harry Truman became Commander in Chief.
Col. Eugene Snavely relinquished his command of the 44th BG to Col. Vernon G. Smith.
It was ‘Salute the Ground Men Week’ honoring the group who kept the planes fl ying, an impressive ceremony conducted by General Leon Johnson, followed by a message of gratitude from Col. Snavely.
By April 21st, with jubilation, the Russian Army had their fi rst glimpse at
Berlin, which was still smoking from the last bomber attack. All the while, Allied troops were on a forward march west, crossing one river after another, with great loss of life, but on a march toward victory. On April 25th American & Soviet forces met at the Elbe River. Twelve days later, Germany surrendered and May 8th
became VE Day. It was celebrated in London and Shipdham with dancing on the streets, and the pubs fi lled with celebrants.
May 3rd, forty A/C took part in the Trolley Mission, showing passengers/particularly the ground men, the work that had been done by the 44th. They showed the bombed railroad stations, the areas where fl ak was the highest, the cities of Bremen, Hamburg, the Krupp Armament Works in the Ruhr Valley and other strategic manufacturing centers held by the Nazis. They also showed damage done to occupied countries by the Nazis, such as fl ooding many areas.
As the men of the 44th were packing to go home, Will Lundy gathered the offi cial records which were being discarded. They became the basis of the 44th BG’s history, now on disks, in the 8 Ball Tails, and on the Web Page.
PLANS FOR THE MEMORIAL BEGAN IN 2010
Fred Cadney, a member of the planning committee wrote the story of the crash: a B-24 #42-95160 from 492 BG at North Pickenham fl own by Lt. Ray Sachteben crashed on the edge of the village of Gargeston with the loss of all members of the crew. The plane had been en-route to bomb airfi elds in
Northern France, in preparation for D-Day.
Members of the 2033rd Engineers Fire Fighting Platoon from the 44BG based in Shipdham attended the crash site to deal with the raging blaze. Tragically, explodingordinance killed two members of this brave platoon.
MEMORIES OF PAUL KAY, NAVIGATOR WILLIAM WARNER CREW, 68TH SQUADRON
On our 3rd mission 25 February 1945, we went to Aschaffenburg, Germany and bombed railway yards. We had meager fl ak at the target. On our return, we were getting low on gas due to fl ying high right position, and according to pilot, Bill Warner, had to pull a lot of power to keep up with the formation.We left formation and were headed for gas at B-53 in France, when the pilot asked how long to fuel and landing?I gave him time and ETA. After he and the engineer looked at our fuel, he asked was there anything closer where we could land? He did not think we had enough fuel to reach B-53.
I looked at charts, told him a fi eld was closer. He asked for heading. I guessed at heading to turn, and told him to turn, and I would recalculate and correct. He did, and also let down on the deck under the clouds. My Gee equipment went out, radioman had been given the wrong frequencies insert for that area that day (he was an excellent radio man). I recalculated our position and heading, and the pilot corrected. About that time we fl ew over two Piper cubs (I assume artillery spotters) parked on a small grass runway. Pilot asked me what I thought. I said I believed we are on course to the airfi eld, straight ahead, but was not 100% sure, because I was doing dead reckoning and low to the ground under overcast.
Bill said we could not fl y much longer, and he wanted to land on a small grass fi eld. We agreed to his decision. I went back to waist with all the crew except Engineer, Billy Grau, who insisted he stay up front and count air speed (not much needed, as pilot and co-pilot were going to slow plane down as much as possible).
We were all in ditching position in back, (then one gunner called the pilot; he was afraid to attempt landing, and wanted to climb back up and bail out.)I had just enough time to grab him, push him down against the others and lay fl at on waist deck with feet against a small raised step. The plane came in with wheels down as recommended. We landed on grass, ran out of it shortly, and plowed through a farm road into an adjoining fi eld. One landing gear collapsed, the front end scrubbed against the ground, breaking our front turret loose. The catwalk beam in the bomb bay dug into the ground. The pilot and co-pilot’s feet were literally on the dirt, the tail high in the air. Everyone in the waist was OK. I did the only forward fl ip of my life during the crash, but was unhurt.
I was the fi rst man out. I opened the hatch and jumped or dropped 15 feet or so. I thought the plane would explode or burn. After I ran a good distance and heard no explosion, I turned and saw the front of the plane and felt the pilot and co-pilot were badly injured. I ran back, climbed up and stood in the pilot’s win-dow and lifted the entire canopy free over their heads. As it was torn loose, they climbed out between my legs, be-cause the bomb bay was blocked. The engineer was the only person hurt. (He stayed up front with pilots and the Mar-tin Upper Turret broke loose and knocked him against a bulkhead and broke his shoulder).
Meanwhile, everyone in the back was dropping through the rear hatch with one man behind holding the hatch open. The last man out was Scorpio, the Arma-ment waist gunner. He dropped out and the hatch door dropped, closing on his hand, with two fi ngers caught between
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MEMORIES OF PAUL KAY, NAVIGATOR CONTINUEDWILLIAM WARNER CREW, 68TH SQUADRON
the smooth fl at surfaces. He was hangingin the air with no support, and much higher than we could reach.
An Army Major was driving a jeep along a wide road, but would not cross the small ditch at roadside. After a few choice words from the crew, that didn’t show any respect for his rank, he crossed the ditch. We climbed onto the jeep and supported Scorpio, who could push upon the hatch with his free hand. He dropped out in our arms. His fi ngers swelled to twice their normal size and were very badly bruised, but the skin was not torn or the fi ngers broken. After about a week, they were OK again.
The pilot and I took the engineer to a hospital for care. We spent the night with course English blankets on wooden slat beds with no mattress.
When returning the next day to the crash site, we found that the co-pilot and crew spent the night in the Prince of Monte Carlo’s Chateau and easily located the wine cellar. They also had a deep bathtub and French maids. The engineer was shipped back to the states. They fl ew us to B-53 in France in a C-47. We made two attempts to take-off with two planes before we fl ew a war weary back from the continent to Walton, a base in England. An army truck took us back to our base at Shipdham.
Note: We checked while in Laon, France, and there was an airfi eld – a 2 B base just over the hill. That was what I had calculated and hoped to reach, but we probably did not have had enough gas to reach it.
Mission #4,It was 3 March 1945, the target:
Rothansee Oil Refi nery. We hit the target
with excellent results, but when we turned off the target, the sky was black with fl ak. In this turn, we were hit by fl ak. The No. 1 engine was hit and caught fi re. The pilot had to feather the engine. We got some pieces in the nose turret, and pieces hit beside of me to my left. Our bomb bay doors were hung open, and we could not close them. Hydraulic fl uid was leaking all over the plane. Our electrical system was knocked out, so no interphone or radio. This happened before we could notify formation and ask for fi ghter sup-port. At this point, we had no Gee equipment, no radio and no electric compass. We did have our magnetic compass. We tagged along with each formation that came by until we could not keep up. We were fl ying. an aver-age heading, toward the coast. I knew if we headed toward friendly lines, we would be low and receive too much fl ak in the Ruhr Valley and maybe Hanover, so I kept Bill fl ying the direction we were headed and hoped we had enough gas to make it.
I was doing the pilotage when we came to a hole in the clouds. The pilot and I were passing notes back and forth on my charts. Finally, we hit the Zider Zee and then turned south. That way we missed fl ak and had a chance of reaching an airfi eld. They issued each navigator a photo stat (black and white) of their best estimate of where the fi ghting and lines were that day. There were two rivers and a canal. The fi ght-ing was along the middle stream. I told the pilot, and he informed the crew. He also told the crew they could jump if they wanted to do so, as we had crashed on the mission before.
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MEMORIES OF PAUL KAY, NAVIGATOR CONTINUEDWILLIAM WARNER CREW, 68TH SQUADRON
I fi nally let the nose gunner out of his turret; because before that, the wind would have blown all my charts away. He had been in that turret with no communication except hand signals since the target.
The nose gunner went up to the fl ight deck and came back, saying the pilot was going to jump. I climbed up to the pilot and told him there was an airfi eld a few more miles in front of us where we could land.
We tried to send nose gunner, Sgt. Clifford Bengston, to waist to tell the crew we were going to try and land, but he had his chute on and could not get through the uprights on the catwalk in the bomb bay, and got hung up. With the bomb bay doors open, and our hands cold from no heat since target, we were afraid to work with the parachute, as it might open. So I told him to just stand there and hold on and wait for us to land.
The fi ve in the waist bailed out. We landed on an RAF typhoon base near Vogel. The pilot and co-pilot who had both been fl ying with two feet on the rudder pedal since the target got us landed and stopped with no or very little hydraulic pressure. We were near the fi eld when our fi ve started jumping, and the typhoon base crew had counted chutes. They had all opened.
We went to the hospital to wait for the crew to arrive. Four came after a time, but Bob Swegel, our Tail Gunner was delayed. He thought he had bailed out in enemy territory. So to escape, he dropped his May West and other articles as he ran one way, then turned to go the other direction. As he came out of the thicket of tall trees he had landed in, he saw a farmer running toward him
with a pitch fork - he had been pitching hay. As we had been told, surrender to a civilian as a last resort, Bob ran back into the thicket, then out the other side. Here he saw another civilian with a pipe, which he though was a pistol, and back he went into the thicket to escape. Finally, a group of English soldiers were able to capture Bob. They brought him to the hospital where we all had drunk a glass of cognac, and with no food recently. I remember most of us couldn’t have hit the ground with our hats. It was a happy time to be together andsafe.
When we returned to base, they sent us to the rest home for seven days. We had sheets on the beds and a butler with orange juice in the morning. It was great.
Ed. Note: Years later, when Paul Kay recalled that story, he said that theirs was the only crew that had a member surrender to the British!
The Trip Home We left Shipdham with our crew
and eleven ground crew from the base onboard. Our crew chief, AlfredBagdonas, was among them. We fl ew low-level 2,000 to 3,000 feet destinationto Valley, Wales. Just before reaching Valley, a storm came up, covering the approximately 4,000 feet of the mountainsthat were ahead. The pilot asked me what I wanted to do, reminding me that we would have had to circle and climb up to get over the mountains. I said, “Let’s just continue up the valley at our altitude and come in from the water side.” We did, and landed safely. That day, two loaded planes fl ew through the clouds and crashed into mountains, killing all forty onboard.
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MEMORIES OF PAUL KAY, NAVIGATOR CONTINUEDWILLIAM WARNER CREW, 68TH SQUADRON
The next day we were on Iceland, B-W1 Greenland, where the runway was sloped 3 degrees up with mountains on the end. You landed in one direction and took off the other. I remember we let down over the fjord, seeing an iceberg that ground crews stated could have fl oated up to the end of the runway and closed this fi eld!
Our pilot exited our B-24 with the bottle of Scotch given to us from the Shipdham Offi cer Club, carrying it in his jacket. It fell on the metal runway, broke, and was gone! This did not earn us friends with those from the ground
on the base. They were down on their knees smelling fumes!
We landed at Presque Isle, Maine. We were not authorized to land, but we talked the pilot into landing at the fi rst place we reached in the US. The ground people wouldn’t let us de-plane. They gassed us up and sent us on our way. We fl ew to Bradley Field, Connecticut, where we were scheduled to land.
When people say beauty is only skin deep, it makes me wonder, what do they want - an adorable pancreas?
ROBERT LEE ASTON HONORED BY THE STATE BAR OF GEORGIA
In recognition of his years of undertakingthe task of acquiring belated medals for veterans of WWII and the wars that followed, Lee Aston has dedicated the later years of his life to this task. Appointedto the 44th BG Board of Directors by the then - President Robert Lehnhausen,Aston has served on the Board for ten years, as Director of Decorations and Awards. He has acquired more than 100 medals for 44th members, but also for members of other Air Force and Army groups. Honorees of later wars have also benefi tted from Aston’s services. When the Board of Corrections grants permission for an award to be presented, Aston ar-ranges for a ranking member of the Armed Service to do the presentation.
As a Navigator in the 67th Squadron of the 44th BG, the Georgia Bar Association cited his WWII activities, 35 combat missions over occupied Europe, in which he earned the Silver Star, DFC, Air Medal and the French Legion of Honor.
Aston had been nominated for this
recognition by General Richard B. Myers, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Ed. Note: When many WWII veteranshave requested their combat history in the past, they have been informed that their records were destroyed in a fi re in St. Louis. The truth is, not all records were destroyed, but the
staff was unwilling to search. Aston found a way to solve this problem, by having Commanders sign a document, verifying the truth about the claim.
The 44th BG has benefi tted from other services that Aston has provided: He purchased the plaque on the now decrepit Control Tower in Shipdham and in other notable locations in England. His most notable contribution was donating the granite and designing the monument which is placed in the courtyard of the Army Heritage Education Center.
Lee Aston accepting Award
ARLO BARTSCH, 44BGVA WEBMASTER,MODESTLY TELLS HIS STORY - (AT THE EDITOR’S INSISTENCE)
This “WAR STORY” begins with the fi rst phase of my actual fl ight training as an Aviation Cadet in the United States Army Air Corps. Over 80% of the (Aviation Cadets), enrolled in the program, will be eliminated before graduation. Every Cadet is aware of these numbers and knows that any “Foul-Up” is reason enough for elimination from Pilot Training.
Now, one of the cardinal rules of primary fl ight training, before we were allowed to fl y solo was, NEVER, NEVER, GO ABOVE THE CLOUDS.
Well, I’ve had about 8 hours of dual fl ight time and now my time to SOLO has come. My instructor has told me that I was ready and today was the day. Your very fi rst SOLO fl ight is the BIGGEST DAY in the life of any Aviation Cadet. It can never be forgotten.
My fi rst solo fl ight consisted of several Take-offs and Landings around the Field. Under the watchful eye of my instructor they were judged to be successful, I hadn’t crashed. After this I was allowed to leave the immediate area of the fi eld and fl y in a designated practice area. Perhaps you can guess what is about to happen:
I was fl ying, I was alone, I had control of the plane, and I was in awe of my environment. I had become a part of the sky, the clouds, and the heavens. This was where I wanted to be and GOD WILLING; this is where I would be.
Well, I did it: I broke one of the cardinal rules of Primary Flight, I WENT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. This was the fi rst time in my life that I had ever seen the tops of clouds. I watched them change forms, and I watched them billow and grow, reaching higher and higher into the sky; it was “breathtaking”. While I was playing above the clouds, and enjoying the WORKS OF
GOD, I lost track of my environment and the clouds closed in beneath me.
This was not good. To compound the problem, there are no instruments in a primary trainer for any sort of instrument fl ight. By the time I found a hole, to get underneath the clouds, I had no idea where our base was located. I WAS JUST PLAIN LOST.
Now, what was I to do, keep fl ying with no idea of where our base was located,and possibly run out of gas, or look for a “farmer’s fi eld” and execute a forced landing, as we had been instructed to do if we had an engine failure.
Drawing on my “vast” fl ying experience;which consisted of about 8 hours as a Student Pilot, I chose the second option. I carefully selected a “farmer’s fi eld” and executed a “Forced Landing”, which was accomplished “By the Book”. However, the fi eld I landed in was newly planted and soft, the plane didn’t roll very far upon landing.
After landing I shut the plane down and executed a walk around inspection of the plane to check for any damage. All was well. I then threw my parachute over my shoulder and walked up to the farmer’s house, about 100 yards away. I guess the parachute was to impress the farmer; I could have left it in the plane. Oh well, I’m 20 years old. After some explaining to the farmer, as to why he had a plane in this newly planted fi eld, he allowed me to use his phone to call Curtis Field, in Brady, TX, our base.
I informed the Base that I was lost, that I had executed a forced landing, and that the plane and I were undamaged. How-ever, I did fail to mention the soft fi eld.
The farmer had provided me with the exact location of his farm and the Base
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ARLO BARTSCH, 44BGVA WEBMASTER, CONTINUEDMODESTLY TELLS HIS STORY - (AT THE EDITOR’S INSISTENCE)
said they would send a plane, with two instructors, to fl y both planes, and myself, back to the Base.
Well, the “rescue” plane, with the two instructors, located the fi eld I had landed in and preceded to make their own landings, in the same fi eld. They too had a short roll out on landing. Again, another walk around inspection of both planes, this time by the instructors, and it’s now time for all of us to fl y back to the Base.
As the farmer watched, the takeoff from his fi eld, both instructors were unable to attain takeoff speed due to the softness of the fi eld. After two more try’s all effort to fl y the planes out was abandoned. Now, there are two planes, two instructors, and one very, very worried student, all stuck in a farmer’s fi eld.
After more explanations to the farmer about the 2 planes that were now stuck in his fi eld, and another call to the Base, this time by an instructor, a truck was sent to pick us all up. Both planes are now abandoned in the farmer’s fi eld, and will stay there, until it dries out enough to allow the planes to takeoff.
I can remember that truck ride back to the base which was about 40 miles away. It was not at all pleasant. The two instructors were very unhappy with me, as well as the outcome of their “Rescue Mission”. My little visit to the clouds would be reason enough to eliminate me from the program. I had broken one of the cardinal rules of primary fl ight and in so doing set off a chain of events that warranted my being brought before a BOARD OF REVIEW.
This was not good. There can be no excuse. My future as a pilot looks very, very dim. I expected to be ‘washed out’
of the Flight Training Program.However, after my case was reviewed,
and with the probability of some Divine Intervention, it was decided that some good decisions had been made, by a very inexperienced student pilot, and that I would be allowed to continue my fl ight training… The Lord moves in mysterious ways.
My classmates now refer to me as “The San Saba Kid”. Sam Saba, Texas was the site of my big adventure with the clouds, the farmer’s fi eld, and the reason for my Board Review. They, as well as I, can’t fi gure out why I’m still in the program.
Well, I ultimately fi nished my training with no more “Major Foul-ups” and graduated as a 2nd Lt. in the United States Army Air Corps and received my PILOTS WINGS.
I was assigned to a B-17 Bomber Crew as the Co-Pilot and later became a First Pilot, checking out crews that were fl ying their fi rst combat mission.
All of my missions were fl own with the 379th Bomb Group which was based at Kimbolton, in Huntingdonshire, England.
I fl ew 37 combat missions, in 19 different planes with 124 different crew-members. We never had to abort a mission for any reason. No one, on any of my crews, was ever wounded, killed, had to bail out, was taken prisoner, ditched, or crashed landed. Enemy fi ghterplanes never directly attacked our plane on any mission. However, the fl ak from exploding anti-aircraft shell was some-thing else. At times it looked like it would be impossible to fl y through it and survive.
The Hand of God, and possibly my friends the clouds, had taken care of us on every mission.
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14
ARLO BARTSCH, 44BGVA WEBMASTER, CONTINUEDMODESTLY TELLS HIS STORY - (AT THE EDITOR’S INSISTENCE)
I completed my tour, returned to the States, and was assigned to instruct new fl ight school graduates in a transition to 4 engine aircraft.
LIFE CHANGES LED ARLO INTO TELLING TALL TALES:
My children, 2 boys and 1 girl, have become curious about what dad did in the WAR. At their age I was not going to tell them any real stories about War II, as I had seen it. The killings, the Crews that were Missing In Action, the loss of good friends, and the constant fear that you could be next. So, I made up this story for my children:
I told them that on my fi rst mission, while fl ying over open fi elds, I noticed that the cows were grazing peacefully and never shot at us. As we approached the target area there was intense anti-aircraft fi re from the ground and the people fi ring those guns were trying to kill us.
Now, after seeing this, I told my children I had a fi ve step plan that may ultimately have been responsible for Winning World War II. The Plan went this way:
#1 We would only bomb cows. #2 Cows didn’t shoot back and
therefore we would lose fewer aircraft and crews.
#3 By bombing cows we would shut off the milk supply in Germany.
#4 German children would then have no milk for a “milk & cookies” treat.
#5 With “no milk & cookies” for their children, parents would then force the Government to surrender.And that, is how Dad Won The War.
AND THE TRUTH IS………………Had any one of the events in this story
taken a different turn, I would never have become the Pilot of a B-17 “Flying For-tress”. I also would not have had that silly story to tell my children.
The Lord Has Guided my Life In Mysterious Ways. May The Hand Of God Protect Our Service Men & Women.
Ed. Note: I sincerely wanted to honor Arlo Bartsch, our indispensable Web Master, by telling a mission story of his years of fl ying from England. He absolutely declares that he has wiped all of it out of his head…so I guess he fi lled the space with technology – and we are the benefactors.
This is not Arlo’s plane, but it looks like his. (He says he doesn’t have a good picture of his!) Arlo named it Queen of the Skies, which will strike a chord with a few 44th fl yers who fl ew across the Atlantic on the B-17; and to their dismay, were transferred into B-24’s…which they ultimately came to love.
Arlo Bartsch
15
Frank Scheaffer, an Engineer on the Bernard Komasinski crew, 506 Squadron, had a brother in the 16th Armored Division, who photographed the work accomplished by the bombers that prepared the way for the Army to move forward.He found many planes that once tried to knock the bombers out of the sky, and frequently succeeded.
FRANK SCHEAFFER SENT PHOTOS OF THE WAR ON THE GROUND
Convoy moving through Rhiems, France, enroute to Germany. Bomber crews were careful not to hit churches.
A jet powered Me 262. This plane moved so fast, the gunners could not hit it. It used fuel so rapidly, it could not stay long in the air.
Ju 52s near Landshut, Germany. It was no match for the P-51s. Photographed in August 1945, three months after VE Day.
Me 210 at Pilsen, Czechoslavakia, August 1945.
2nd Lt. Charles Scheaffer and Ju52’s near Regensburg, Germany, one month after VE Day.
PILOT PHILOSOPY
FROM CLAY ROBERTS:
1. SPEED IS LIFE. ALTITUDE IS LIFE
INSURANCE.
2. IT ONLY TAKES TWO THINGS TO FLY:
AIRSPEED AND MONEY
3. IF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SCREWS UP,
IT’S CALLED A “SYSTEM MALFUNCTION;
IF A PILOT SCREWS UP, IT’S CALLED
A ‘VIOLATION.’
16 …continued on next page
MEMORIES OF WENCLAS JANGL GUNNER ON THE NORMAN NUTT CREW 66TH SQUADRON
15 February 1945 The target was Magdeburg, Germany. Just over the Channel, engines #2 and 3 began smokingall the way to the target. 8 minutes before IP, 6 of our 9 500 G. P. pounders fell through closed bomb bay doors, leaving them fl uttering loosely in the slip-stream and creating a terrifi c drag and demand on the gas supply, but the pilot kept up with the formation, ‘sweating out’ the situation. On nearing base, he headed straight for the runway. At that time the engines began sputtering. The right gear went down and locked, but not the left on when the engines ‘conked out’. The pilot handled belly landing skillfully to minimize damage to P+. The waist section was fi lled with long sparks, smoke, melted aluminum debris etc. The crew evacuated safely. Subsequent dip stick in tanks indicated no trace of gas.
(John Greishammer, Tail Gunner on the Norman Nutt crew wrote a few more details about this mission in his diary: He reported that the target was the RothenseeOil Refi nery in Magdeberg. He too reportedthe smoking of # 2 and 3 engines over the Channel. He also reported ‘scarecrow’ fl ak over the target, which is white. He stated that with Pilot Nutt’s successful belly landing, the whole base came out to meet them, including the Red Cross ‘meat’ wagon. Regardless of the damage, A/C #594 P, it was repaired, fl ew more missions, and returned to the states after the war.)
19 March 1945 The target was New-burg. #4 supercharger was ‘frozen’; #1 and 3 engines were smoking. #3 was leaking gas. After leaving the target, the pilot headed for the nearest point in American lines. We could not maintain altitude. A P-47 spotted us and led us to a steel-mat Fighter strip at Luneville, France,
where we landed safely. There I inquired of a mobile Signal Corps Company as to the whereabouts of the 239th Signal Battalion, and learned that it was in Nancy,about 20 miles away. That was my brother’soutfi t. I hadn’t seen him in 3 years. The GIs called his CO, who allowed me to speak to him, and to permit him to visit me the following day while our ship was being repaired. When we took off for Shipdham, it was on a STEEL-MAT runway!
According to Will Lundy, the target for this mission was a Jet Plane Assembly Factory. One plane was lost, fl own by Robert Podojil.
25 February 1945 The target was Aschaffenburg; We were running low on gas at Chievres, Belgium, where we were re-fueled and took off. We ran into thick soup. We used the G-Box, instrument. The fl ight controls were frozen. The air speed indicater 80 mph. The pilot turned back to Chievres, but could not locate the fi eld in dusk. He alerted us to bail out, as he was going to put it on auto-pilot and head for the North Sea. At that point, we caught a glimpse of the fi eld on horizon, where we landed and spent the next two days closed in.
AT INTERSECTIONSLOOK EACH WAYA HARP SOUNDS NICEBUT IT’S HARD TO PLAY BURMA SHAVE
JOHN MCCLANE’S THIRTEENTH MISSION NAVIGATOR, 68TH SQUADRON (FLYING IN FLAK MAGNET)
It had been four days since our “Milk Run” to St. Pol on Monday. Today was Friday, and this would be our “thirteenth mission”. We could not hope for another easy one; and when the curtains were drawn, we knew this was going to be another rough day. For the second time in 11 days, we were headed for Brunswick. Need anyone be reminded of the stiff fi ghter opposition we could expect and the accurate fl ak barrage over the city itself? Brunswick was known as the second“Big B”, Berlin being the more noted.
Lift off was 0900 hours with 28 of our planes, two of which were PFF (Pathfi nders).Our load was 6 X 1000 pound bombs. We and 10 other Bomb Groups made up the 272 B-24’s of the 2nd Division to reach the objective. Among these groups was the 492nd Bomb Group, the newest member of our 14th Combat Wing. As fate would have it, they were to become the jinxed outfi t of the 2nd Division, thereby relieving the Eight Balls of the ‘honor’ we had held so long. This would not be their day, as would hardly any day until they were disbanded at the end of three months.
We hardly reached German airspace when the battle began. The Nazis sent up two groups of fi ghters, one to distract our escort and the other to attack the 14th Combat Wing, made up of the 44th,
the 392nd, and the ill fated 492nd Bomb Group. We three groups fl ew together perhaps a half a mile apart. All hell broke loose when between 150 and 200 of the enemy planes swarmed all over us. Most of the enemy action was aimed at the 492nd Bomb Group. Our 44th gunners were very busy; they shot down 13 of the attackers, four of which my 68th Squadronaccounted for.
No 44th plane was lost, but I’ll never forget what I saw happening to the 492nd
Bomb Group. It was like watching a motion picture, as they were ahead of us within easy view. Enemy fi ghters in mass saturation swung in for the attack, some head on, others from up and under the rear of the formation. I saw what looked like a massacre, one of their bombers after the other was shot out of the sky. I saw the whole thing; and before it was over, the 492nd had lost sight of their number. Little could any of us know this was to be their lot as long as the Group remained in combat. They had inherited the Eight Ball’s jinx!
We were still on the way to Brunswick. Our objective was the marshaling yards in order to disrupt traffi c through this most important rail center. Being 125 miles west of Berlin, it was a vital junction for goods fl owing from the East and North. Our B-24’s all together had 700 tons of
17
GUNNER ON THE NORMAN NUTT CREW 66TH SQUADRON CONTINUED
JAMES BAKER (68TH SQUADRON) WAS STILL LEARNINGOn our fi rst mission, we were told at school, to call pilot on sighting fl ak. I called
the pilot 3 times to advise him of heavy fl ak @ 12-2; 3:00 and 4:00 o’clock, with no answer. Upon landing, I told the pilot that my mike was inoperable; his reply was “Father Time”. (I was the youngster on the crew.) “If you would have looked out the other waist window, you would have seen fl ak there also.”
18
JOHN MCCLANE’S THIRTEENTH MISSION NAVIGATOR, CONTINUED68TH SQUADRON (FLYING IN FLAK MAGNET)
…continued on next page
bombs; and when we fi nally got there, we delivered them on target with excellentresults, due to the fact that the cloud cover had dissipated so that our bombardierswere able to make a visual bomb run.
But we were not there yet; we still had many miles to go when suddenly one of our motors began to smoke. Pilot Charles Peritti feathered the prop and gave more power to the remaining three, in order to keep in the formation. We had apparently caught some enemy fi re and were losing oil. This was bad news! The Luftwaffe pilots just loved to see a plane fall out of formation. They were reluctant to come at us again, as we had shot them up so badly on their attack before; but brother, watch out for any bomber that left formation.
Many times I saw one of our bombers leave formation, and before long the enemy would be on the attack. They would swoop down on the crippled ship. It always seemed to me like a cat playing with a mouse! Most times I would watch our fellow airmen bail out before the plane made the fi nal plunge to earth.
We did not want to be one of these unfortunates, so Peritti and I devised a plan. As I said before, we never fl ew in a straight line for long before we would alter course, in order to not alert the Germans as to our fi nal destination. Peritti ordered John Warga (Bombardier) to release our bombs to lighten our ship so we could keep up with the others; and I was to plot a new course about the ten minutes before the whole formation turned in order to “cut the corner”: and rejoin the group before German pilots had a chance to get at us.
In all my missions, I never saw another plane do what we did that day. At every turn to the target and on the way home, we cut the corner. It must have appeared
odd to the rest of the squadron, but they obviously could tell what we were doing, and could see that we had lost an engine. I feel it saved us from being shot down.
Wargo did release our bombs. If I live to be a hundred years old, I’ll still be able to close my eyes and see it again. He picked out a German farm house in the middle of nowhere. The bombs started walking across the barn yard, through the barn and into the house, coming out the other side of the yard. No one on the ground could have survived this completelyunexpected disaster. When questioned at interrogation why he picked this target, his reply was, “What’s the difference in destroying a farm house or a city house?” I never have had a bad conscience about it, as the Nazis had no qualms about sending V-2 rockets into England,that plummeted out of the sky at 3000 mph, exploding with no warning whatsoever. It’s easy to say today, that what we did was wrong; but remember, this was war, and we were just young boys playing the game.
Finally we did reach the target, and one can only imagine how helpless we felt going through the terrifi c fl ak barrage with no bombs to drop. We did not want to be exposed to this terrible danger, but neither could we leave formation. As usual, we picked up our share of fl ak holes.
With their bomb loads gone, the other planes in our formations now were able to fl y faster than we were using only three motors. This put us in a tight spot. We continued to cut corners until we started to pass a nearby B-17 formation. Peritti left our Group and joined onto this Flying Fortress outfi t. The B-24 could easily fl y as fast with three motors as the B-17 with all four. We were told later that we really did look out of place with our square body,
19
JOHN MCCLANE’S THIRTEENTH MISSION NAVIGATOR, CONTINUED68TH SQUADRON (FLYING IN FLAK MAGNET)
James Livingston, a gunner in the 506 Squadron, discovered that his nephew, found a unique way to show his appreciation for his wartime service.He had a fl ying 8 Ball tattooed on his left leg. That’s different!
According to Livingston, Ken is the lead man at Gulf Stream, a plane manufacturing company located in Savannah, Georgia.
According to the database, Livingston fl ew 32 missions with no less than fi fteen different pilots. He fi lled every gunner position on a B-24.
JAMES LIVINGSTON’S NEPHEW HONORS HIM WITH A TATTOO
twin tailed Lib fl ying among the round bodied single tail Forts. We could have cared less; we needed the protection of a formation to keep the fi ghters off our backs.
In spite of all that the Germans threw at us, the 44th lost not a plane or man this day; but in turn, we had punished them severely. We landed at 1600 hours (4:00 p.m.)having been in the air exactly 7 hours.
To put the day in prospective for the whole 8th Air Force, 888 heavies were dispatched, of which 818 reached their targets. In the process 28 of our bombers and 19 of their fi ghters did not return. In the fi erce aerial fi ghting, the Luftwaffe took a severe beating, as did the German cities.
James Livingston points to his nephew’s’s tattoo. Perfectly designed 8 Ball on left leg.
20
WARREN F. MCPHERSON, WAIST GUNNER, 66TH SQUADRON REMEMBERS ‘MARKET GARDEN’
Mission 11, Best, Holland: September 11, 1944(FROM HIS BOOK, THE WILD BLUE YONDER)
Flying in Fifi nellaThe Crew: Pilot – James N. Williams; Co-Pilot – Everett Wellman;Navigator – Louis Salzman; Bombardier – Michael Salvatore;Radio Operator/Gunner – Hal Woodson; Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Leonard Schiavone; Right Wing Gunner – Robert Rusch; Left Wing Gunner – Warren McPherson; Tail Gunner – Gerald Jenniges; Unknown extra: Cpl. Benjamin K.
For two days, our pilots were doing something odd – practicing low level formation fl ying all over England. At one point they fl ew over an RAF airfi eld as low as they could and not crash. Fortunately, no RAF planes were taking off. We didn’t know what was afoot, but we were about to fi nd out.
Paratroopers had jumped into enemy territory yesterday and today. “Operation Market Garden” had started behind Germanlines in Holland. Our mission was to drop supplies to them. We had a 10 A.M. briefi ngand fl ew H+ leading the low left of the third squadron. The whole fl ight was low level, nothing above 2,000 feet. Instead of our high altitude clothing, we wore coveralls.
Our ‘bomb load’ was 6,500 pounds of supplies, 20 packages of ammunition, 75-mm shells and K rations. The Bombay was full and so was the waist! The packages had static lines on them attached to the plane, so that when they dropped, the static lines would open parachutes to help break their fall. The packages in the waist were to be dropped through the hole where the ball turret had been. Before takeoff we decided to adjust the packages so they would be ready to drop out. I couldn’t budge them! What would I do over the target?
We formed at 2,000 feet and headed
over the Channel quite low. About half-way we ran into a gob of C-47’s coming back from dropping paratroopers, and we had to do a 360 degree circle and reform. We proceeded on our way and entered the Dutch coast at about 250 feet altitude fl ying up a river. We passed over some islands and drew some machine gun fi re from the ground. In spite of the noise of our engines, we heard the bullets explode and pound the outside of our ship.
We were appalled at how ruthlessly the Nazis had broken the dikes and fl ooded the land. The only dry spots were along the tops of the dikes where cattle and sheep grazed or children and older folks gathered. The older ones wildly waved fl ags or white clothes at us. Some grabbed white laundry from the ground and waved it. While the Dutch waved, the Germans shot at us – sometimes from churchyards. The old windmills were turning, and at one place some barges in the canal were burning.
We began hedgehopping – fl ying as near the ground as we dared. When we came to hedges, trees or buildings, we had to go up quickly to get over them, and then we went back down. We were so low, people on the ground didn’t hear us or see us until we were upon them, so they just fell on the ground as we went over.
…continued on next page
21
WARREN F. MCPHERSON, WAIST GUNNER, 66TH SQUADRON CONTINUEDREMEMBERS ‘MARKET GARDEN’
At one point Mike in the nose compartment, stuck his bare head up in an observation bubble and grinned at Willie and Everett. They pointed to their heads and told him to get his fl ak helmet on. At that time we fl ew over a German machine gun nest, and one of their bullets came in the bottom of the plane, went through the nose compartment, and left a 3 to 4 inch hole when it went out the top between Mike and the pilots. Mike disappeared in a fl ash and in a few moments reappeared with his helmet on!
We climbed to 250 feet to drop our cargo. When Mike called “Bombs away,”
the adrenalin fl owed! I lifted those packages, and out they went! We could see gliders, jeeps and different colored parachutes scattered all over the place from the day before and earlier today. We saw evidence of battle everywhere – houses, barns, haystacks – nearly every-thing burning. As we came out over the Channel we saw two B-24s ditching. We got home about 6 p.m. It was an exciting, fulfi lling blue yonder today
The cost: 68th Squadron - 1 fl yer seriously injured; 506th – 2 slightlyinjured.
DO YOU WANT TO BUY A BRICK?The Soldier’s Walk at the Army Heritage Education Center in Carlisle, PA is full of
familiar names: our leaders, our historians, our heroes and a number of heroic crews. Any purchase of a $150 brick will give you the 8 Ball Logo, and 3 lines to identify your name, rank, squadron and the 44th BG. Your brick will be among friends.
The Soldier’s Walk has been in front of the old entrance to the Education Center. According to Mike Perry, Executive Director of the Center Foundation, the walk was moved forward to the new entrance, which will be in a more prominent position in front of the new Education Center.
If you want your WWII experience written in stone, or wish to honor a family member, buy a brick. Call me. I’ll help you design it. 717-846-8948.
THE HERITAGE LEAGUE
This organization is looking for second and third generation members of all bomb groups to join them in continuing the history of the air war. Their major interest is support of the Memorial Library in Norwich, England. This library is a major link between the young people of England and an understanding of what America is all about – it’s history, geography, customs and traditions. It is visited by high school and college students, and is a repository of 44th BG history.
Chris Clark of Manassas, Virginia is a
recruiter for this dedicated group of young Americans. Chris is a researcher in the National Archives in Washington, DC, and his work has been invaluable in adding to information which has found its way to the 8 Ball Tails and the 44th BG database.
Board members of the 44th BG are urging young members to consider joining this group. They would enjoy the comraderie, and would receive their publication. Chris can be reached at www.heritageleague.org or [email protected].
22
According to Bob Lehnhausen, this appears to be the view from the east of the Base Red Cross Club at Shipdham.It could be called the enlisted men’s “club”. The occasion was the 200 mission celebration – August 11, 1944.No planes fl ew that day, and nobody was to appear in uniform. One offi cer walked out of his room in uniform whereupon the enlisted men threw him in the pond.
When General Leon Johnson walked out, the men decided to toss him in the pond. He consented with the provision that he fi rst remove his ‘pink’ uniform trousers. Of course the men agreed, and the dunking took place to the delight of the whole group.
Next Colonel John Gibson arrived on the scene, in time for his trip into the pond.
Quoting Bob Lehnhausen, “What splendid leaders! Events like this, and their willing participation, was one of many reasons they were so beloved and respected. They were grateful for the courage of the air crews, and admiring of the excellence of the ground crew and staff.”
Webb Todd, 68th Squadron Historian gave this account:
All thoughts of war were set aside so all the men could enjoy themselves in a day of fun and relaxation. Ball games were played against the “Brass”, and the “Looeys” with the “Brass” declared the winners. Volley-ball was between the Privates and 1st Sgts; football was played by anyone who wanted to get in the game. Beer was everywhere, and rank was nowhere to be seen.
REMEMBER THIS PLACE?
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23
REMEMBER THIS? CONTINUED
If rank was worn by anyone, they were immediately tossed into the duck pond at the Aero Club. Later on, many were tossed into the pond anyway, regardless of rank shown. General Johnson joined us from the 14th
Combat Wing, driving his chauffeur, Mike Fusano. The fl ag showing the rank of the offi cer was removed, and one showing a sergeant stripes was in its place. A big stage show was given by the 8th AF Showboys, and the hangar was standing room only.
…continued on next page
General Johnson drove Mike Fusano to the celebration.
The next day the War resumed: the mission was Juvencourt Airfi eld in France. The 506 Squadron lost one plane.
MANY B-24 FLYERS DON’T WANT TO STOP MEETING
Vice President Roger Fenton was contacted to let the 44th BG members know that there will be a reunion of all B-24 enthusiasts of all groups. Win Jones, a member of the 451st Bomb Group, is planning a reunion of all Bomb Groups. When they held such a gathering last year; 185 people showed up, which shows that anybody who ever fl ew in a B-24, still enjoys reminiscing.
The location will be at the Tempe Embassy Suites, 4400 South Rural Road, Tempe, Arizona 85282. Phone 480 897-7444. The price is $89/night for one or two people.
Registration is $100. Shuttle service from the PHX Sky Harbor Airport to the Embassy Suites is available. On Friday there will be a tour of the Luke AFB; the price is $20. Other attractions in the area include CAF with museum; Pima Air Museum is in Tucson.
Quite a few Presidents of different bomb groups live in the area, so Win Jones predicts a gathering of 150-200 B-24 enthusiasts to be in attendance. 44thers can renew old friendships at this event.
Further information is available by contacting Win Jones, [email protected].
THE 44TH BG’S ON FACEBOOK!
David Webster, a history buff and long-time member of the 44th BG, has brought the Bomb Group to the social media – on Facebook. According to David, it is a good way to stay in touch, share information, photos and stories.
He is hoping second and third generations of 44th veterans will join him in sharing stories they have been told by their elders.
Needless to say, computer-savvy veterans are welcome to join in these conversations,and what an asset they would be. If you are a member of Facebook, just go to 44th Bomb Group, and Webster’s page will come up. Enjoy.
24
At the invitation of M/General Gregg F. Martin, three people were honored at the celebration: WWII Veteran Perry Morse, a soldier based at Carlisle and a young lady involved in aid to wounded soldiers. They joined in the cake-cutting ceremony, using a Civil War saber.
L-R Perry Morse, M/General Gregg Martin, Sergeant Charles Posey and Amelia McConnell.
The event was a celebration of the victory of the War of 1812, the date the army considers its birth date. More than 100 local government offi cials and members of the Army Heritage Center were in attendance.
Two other members of the 44th Bomb Group – Don and Carole Bridges were
guests at the event, with special seating arranged by Jack Giblin, Director of Education Services at the Heritage Center.
The Bridges and Morse examine the 100+ year old saber.
Don is the son of Donald Bridges (66th
Squadron), a Radio Operator/Gunner on the Richard Bridges crew. Their plane, Fascinatin’ Witch, went down at Wiener-Neustadt on 1 October 1943. Bridges was a POW for two years.
M/General Martin, Commandant of the Carlisle Barracks, cited Morse for his 35 missions over occupied Europe, pointing out that he was a member of the Greatest Generation.
PERRY MORSE INVITED TO CELEBRATE THE ARMY’S 200TH BIRTHDAY
BY CUTTING THE CAKE WITH A SABER!
THE 8 BALL TAILS NOTES THE PASSING OF ELIZABETH PAUL
Sidney and Elizabeth Paul were regular attendees of Bomb Group Reunions, as long as their health permitted. Sidney served two year on the 44th BGVA Board.
Elizabeth passed away on 28 February 2012. Sidney has pointed out that both were active wartime members of the 44th. Sidney
was a pilot who fl ew 35 missions, while Elizabeth was a nurse in the states, caring for 44th BG wounded.
25
WWII TRIVIA
One of the astonishing events in WWII came in 1941 when Rudolph Hess, a close associate of Hitler, fl ew to Scotland and announced that he had a peace proposal for the British government. Just before he left Germany, he sent a message to the Fuhrer, stating that ‘should the project end in failure, Hitler could distance himself by calling me a mad man’.
The offer was that Germany would relinquish all the occupied territory, if England would join Germany in attacking the great threat of Russia.
Just recently information has been revealed, that Churchill was well aware of the offer, and made a decision not to negotiate with Hitler. His plan was to destroy him!
Of course, it has been recognized that Hitler destroyed himself by attacking Russia without dressing his soldiers for winter. Many froze to death. It unleashed a major assault by the Russian Army that led to a vicious non-stop march to Berlin.
On 25 April 1945 the Army from the East met the Allies from the west at the Elbe River.
ATTENTION VETERANS & FAMILIES
Scott Ramsey, a WWII history buff, writes for a number of publications, and collects WWII memorabilia. Without question, veterans want their families to have their wartime materials, but some-times they run out of space, and would like it to go elsewhere.
Our fi rst choice is to the Army Heritage Education Center in Carlisle, PA. If they have an abundance of certain materials, a number of private collectors are looking for memorabilia, Scott Ramsey among them.
On several occasions, Scott has found that some families have put items on the sidewalks for trash pickup! Don’t let WWII be thrown into trash bins. These are treasures!
Scott can be located at [email protected]. His address is 128 Marin Drive, Panama City, FL 32405.
There are two other collectors who belong to the 44th BG: David Webster ([email protected]) and Richard Halliday([email protected]). Both are equally determined to take care of any memorabilia that they are able to collect.
Word of this very active member of the 2nd Air Division passed away recently, according to a message received from Robert Cardenas. Cardenas had led the effort to create the B-24 Memorial in San Diego, California, and both Chamberlain and Richard Butler, Past Presidents of the 2 AD, joined in the effort to raise funds for the project; their names are on the plaque, honoring contributors.
This memorial was featured in the Summer 2012 issue of the 8 Ball Tails.
BUD CHAMBERLAIN HAS FOLDED WINGS
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.
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MAIL & E-MAIL
Eric King, a British member of the 44th Bomb Group VA, remembers the arrival of the 44th BG to Shipdham:
“The 44th arrived on 10 Oct. Saturday afternoon 1942. I saw them arrive mid afternoon. An RAF ac brought them in, and by the time I got there, a crewman had walked into a prop. All thought he had died, but I think he survived...LUCKY. I fi rst met Milos (Strickland) late ’42, and we both borrowed bicycles to bike to Hingham, where I now live, to visit The Eight Ringers, a public house.When we came out, both cycles had been stolen, so we had to walk home, and Strick to his base. Later Strick brought Dennis Newson and Wally Barnard. We went to the pub about 7:00 o’clock, drinking until 9, then into the Fish & Chips shop. Had a good fi ll there. Strick & Roy loved their chips.We then returned to the pub. Strick would then order 10 pints of beer, as it was getting near closing time. H would then drink the top of each pint, so when the landlord called time, we had pints of beer that had been started, so if the policeman came, he couldn’t say any-thing. By the time we went home, we were well oiled up. When we got to where we had hid our bikes, Roy said “I will ride this son of a bitch”. He didn’t get far before he fell into the road, and he cut his eye open badly. Strick had to get him into the base hospital. Roy got better, returned to fl ying. I saw him quite often until he went missing.I think he was lost at Kiel.
I MISSED Roy, and when I asked Strick if he had seen Roy, he said ‘no’, he hadn’t seen him.
My work took me away from Shipdham,so I lost all touch with the boys. I never
knew what had happened to Roy, until I was given a book called Fields of Little America. There was a photo of Roy, and then I learned the truth. I was devastated.I know where Roy is. I would love to hear what happened to Strick. This is what we called him. These were lovely boys. You can all be proud of them. I will always love them. I will never forget. I would like to think there are some relatives out there.
Editor’s Note: If anyone knows of any kinfolk to these three airmen, please contact Eric. His E-Mail address is: [email protected]. The people he is inquiring about are Sgt.Milos Strickland, who he believes was a crew chief and Sgt. Roy Klingertail, Gunner.
In June when George Washburn was in England, he took this photo of Eric King at his home. That B-24 on his house is a duplicate of a smaller version of the one on the hanger at Shipdham, which he and his son installed. Eric turns 90 in December.
Eric King
27
FOLDED WINGSNo funeral gloom, my friends, when I am gone.
Think of me as withdrawn into the dimness; Remember all the best of our past moments and forget the rest,
And so to where I wait, come gently on.Unknown author
Baumgardner, Raymond #1933567th Squadron 2012 The database has no information about Cpl. Baumgardner’s activities while serving, but his family has supplied information about his service. He served from 7 March 1942 to 20 September 1945.
Baumgardner was a teletype opera-tor, working both day and night shifts while stationed at Shipdham. Appar-ently he had access to all information about the planes, destinations, bomb loads, targets and communications.
He was living in Salt Lake City at the time of his death.
Boyer, James (Andy) #36755 506 Squadron December 2012 Staff Sgt. Boyer was a Crew Chief at Shipdham.His principal assignment was on MyEver Lovin’ Gal, which to his sorrow, was lost on its 25th Mission over Magdeburg.
Boyer was originally stationed in Barksdale, Louisiana. In 1943 he was sent to Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City, OK for night training. He sailed across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary; and when he arrived in Shipdham, he had to wait for the planes for the 506 Squadron to arrive.
After the war he was employed in the insurance business, later in the Appliance business.
Boyer was extremely active in Masonic and church activities. He was preceded in death by his wife Joan. News of his passing came to Jackie Roberts from his
son. He was living in Ohio at the time of his death.
Evans, David #20143 6th Squadron 22 September 2012 S/Sgt. Evans was a gunner, having fi lled every position in his 16 missions beginning in 3 June 1944 until 15 March 1945. He fl ew with 13 different pilots: LouisMazure, Leon Vance, Jr., (Command Pilot), Steven Maurice, James Williams, Thompson Daily, Albert Leghorn, Billy Rosser, Edward Hendrickss, C. R. Hinshaw, Allen Graham, Amos Alley, John Muldoon and Charles Hess.
On his second mission, 5 June 1944, fl ying in Missouri Sue/Missouri Belle,piloted by Command Pilot, Leon Vance,Jr., the plane was hit by both fl ak and fi ghters, killing the pilot Louis Mazure. The bombs failed to drop over the target due to a malfunction of the bomb site; and on the second run, the attacks began.
Vance was wounded, but Evans parachuted to safety, along with the other two gunners, the Co-Pilot, 2 Navigators, Bombardier, 2 Bombardiers and the Engineer. Vance survived the crash after ditching the plane in the ocean, but was killed on the trip back to the ZOI.
For his decision to turn the plane into the Channel, rather than crash into homes in England, Vance was posthu-mously awarded the Medal of Honor. It was delayed in presentation until his daughter became four years of age, in
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FOLDED WINGS
the hope that she would remember the event.
Lt. Bernard Bail, Navigator, who had placed the tourniquet on Vance’s leg, helping him survive until he could ditch in the Channel, was presented the Distinguished Service Cross at a 44th
Bomb Group reunion.After the war, Evans became a sales-
man for various retail companies. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, a marriage of 63 years, their four children, nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Like all veterans, David Evans did not talk about his war experiences. However, he did tell Dorothy that he had twice parachuted from the plane. Unfortu-nately, the database records only one instance, but I think this is such a strong recollection, the Tails editor wants to add it to his record.
Fisk, Robert B. #20216 66th Squadron. 17 November 2012 Lt. Fisk was a Navigator on the C. R. Hinshaw crew. He fl ew 30 missions, all into Germany. His fi rst was 27 September 1944; his last 15 March 1945. On one mission he fl ew with Sterling Dobbs as Command Pilot.
The Hinshaw crew in three different A/C: Scotty Mac, Jail Bait and Big Time Operator.
Information of his passing came from a family friend, Chris DeVoe. It was not possible to locate his family. According to DeVoe, Fisk was living in Syracuse, NY at the time of his passing.
Henry, Howard (Pete) #20627 67th
Squadron 2011 Captain Henry was a Pilot, entering Shipdham fi ve days after
D-Day. The Database credits him with 32 missions, but he probably fl ew 35, having received the DFC. His fi rst mission was June 11, 1944; his last, 25 February 1945. Henry fl ew with three Command pilots, Elmer Hammer, Wil-ford Nolen and Dale Benadom. He fl ew in fourteen unnamed planes, plus Phyllis, Myrtle the Fertile Turtle, Glory Bee, Henry, Big Time Operator andJersey Jerk. He was married to Mary Lanier Henry.
Information of his death came from his son, living in Moline, IL.
Hruby, Richard #20738 506 Squadron 25 May 2012 Lt. Hruby was a pilot, fl ying 32 missions, his fi rst on 19 April 1944. After his fi rst mission with Sidney Paul, he fl ew with his own crew. On D-Day, he fl ew two missions: Caen (Vire) and Colleville-St. Laurent.According to the Database, his last mission was 12 July 1944.
On 29 April 1944, fl ying to Berlin in A/C #41-29513Z, they sustained heavy damage over the target. They had a damaged gas tank or gas lines. One stuck prop at 2500, one engine surging as much as 600 RPM. They ran out of gas over the North Sea and ditched. All crew survived. The plane fl oated about 15 minutes, and they spent another 30 minutes in the very cold water, hanging onto a half infl ated raft. Fortunately, they were picked up by a British mine-sweeper, HMS “Cotsmuir”.
The Hruby crew fl ew in Down De Hatch, Ole Cock, Sabrina III, Glory Bee and Passion Pit, plus many unnamed A/C .
After the war, Hruby was employed by Northampton Textile until it closed.
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He was preceded in death by his wife Betty. The couple had fi ve children, seven grandchildren and fi ve great grandchildren. At the time of his passing, he was living in Columbus, New Jersey.
Hruby was a loyal member of the 44th BGVA, and a regular attendee to reunions. He was extremely popular, holding his audience spellbound with his descriptions of some combat missions.
His successful ditching in the North Sea earned him great acclaim, but it was information he modestly preferred not to discuss in any group.
Ed: Note: Will Lundy reported that the ditching took place near the English coast, but Hruby’s personal account stated that it was in the North Sea.
The Hruby crew had the only set of identical twins known to be in the 44th BG.
This editor could fi nd only one other case in which a pilot had successfully ditched with no loss of life – Fred Jones, fl ying in Available Jones, went down in the Mediterranean after the Ploesti mission.
Henry, Howard (Pete) #20627 67th
Squadron 2011 Captain Henry was a Pilot, entering Shipdham fi ve days after D-Day. The Database credits him with 32 missions, but he probably fl ew 35, having received the DFC. His fi rst mission was 11 June 1944; his last, 25 February 1945. Henry fl ew with three Command pilots, Elmer Hammer, Wilford Nolen and Dale Benadom.He fl ew in fourteen unnamed planes, plus Phyllis, Myrtle the Fertile Turtle, Glory Bee, Henry, Big Time Operator and Jersey Jerk.
After the war, Henry attended New York University College of Engineering, in which he earned a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering, Later a Master’s in the same fi eld. He was married to Mary Lanier Henry; their fi rst son, Michael Paul was born while he was in college.
Information of his death came from a son, living in Moline, IL.
Mastradone, Anthony (Tony) #2122567th Squadron December 13, 2012Sgt. Mastradone was a Medic, serving 3 ½ years in Shipdham. He was fi rst qualifi ed as a Medical Technologist, later as a Lab & Surgical Technician. He fi rst trained at Barksdale, then Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma, then at Shipdham. Tony crossed the ocean on the Queen Mary, and returned on the same vessel.
After the war, Tony was employed as a Medical Equipment Specialist, fi rst for a private company, later with the U.S. Civil Service working in Washington, DC. He retired in 1979.
Tony served on the 44th BG Board for a number of years. During the MikeMikoloski’s presidency, he was awarded the Leon Johnson Award for his years of assistance to Will Lundy. Living in Washington, he researched the Library of Congress for 44th BG documents, helping Will complete his book, Roll of Honor and Awards of the 44th Bomb Group.
Tony’s death precedes his wife Cathy, who is living in a nursing institution in Washisngton, DC. News of his passing came from his longtime friend Richard Halliday.
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Misner, Robert E. #23535 66th
Squadron 4 May 2012 Captain Misner was a Navigator, fl ying in the early years of the war with some very renowned pilots and commanders. He fl ew in the 6th mission of the 44th BG on 6 December 1942 with Bill McCoy. He also fl ew with Algene Key. William Brandon, James Kahl, Dexter Hodge, Robert Abernathy and Rowland Gentry. Leon Johnson was Command Pilot on one mission.
Some of planes in which he fl ew his 25 missions were: SCRAPPYS PAPPY, AVENGER, QUEEN ANNE, FORKY 1 andPRINCESS CHARLOTTE/SURE SHOT.
On the mission to Romilly Sur Seine, France, 20 December 1942, while fl ying to the target, AVENGER was under heavy attack by Fighters. Algene Key,pilot, took strong evasive action, but the Belly Gunner was KIA and the Assistant Radio Operator and Tail Gunner were seriously wounded, but the heavily damaged plane made it safely back to Shipdham.
Misner’s last mission was 14 November1943. His son, Robert Misner, reported that his father fl ew four additional missions out of North Africa. Apparentlyhe was with a different bomb group, as the Database records only 25 from Shipdham.
After the war, Misner became a veterinarian. Information about his passing came from son Robert to George Washburn.
At the time of his death, Dr. Misner was residing in Newport News, Virginia.
Oshel, Loren L. #21563 66th
Squadron 11 September 2012 Cpl.
Oshel was an Airplane Mechanic, whose special assignment was maintenance of Shoo Shoo Baby, which displayed 13 bomb decals of its service. Oshel served eighteen months in Shipdham. After the war he received a degree in AgricultureEngineering at Kansas State University. He spent 30 years in the United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, frequently sent to other states in assignment. After retirement, he was hired by an engineering consulting fi rm, and took an assignment to Indonesia as a water-shed and erosion control specialist.
Oshel is survived by his wife of 66 years, Maxine, 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, also a twin brother in California.
News of his death came from his wife Maxine.
Pierce, Robert #21683 68th Squadron6 May 2012 S/Sgt. Pierce was a Gunner, having fl own 28 missions from 6 July 1943 to 31 May 1944. He fl ew with ten different crews: John Diehl, Jr.; George Martin, Robert Lehnhausen, James Cary, Herman Gentry, Raymond Townsend, Andre Champion, Charles Kuch, Myron Sesit and Arnold Larsen. With those many pilots, he fl ew in Victory Ship, Eager Eve/Hag Mag/The Mothball Queen, Lemon Drop, Bing’s Big Box, Pistol Packin Mama, Pizz and Moan/Tootie Roll, Paper Doll/Lady Dot, Full House, T.S.Tessie/Beck’s Bad Boys, Any Gum Chum, Patsy Ann II and Jose Carioca.
In Will Lundy’s book, Roll of Honor and Casualties, he reported that on the trip to Bremen, Germany, fl ying with James Cary in Bing’s Big Box, a plane
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which was fl ying on the right side of their plane, brought its tail in contact with the #4 engine of Bing’s Big Box,causing Cary’s plane to slide to the right and into a very severe spin. The ‘bail out’ alarm was sounded, but gravity pull was so severe, the crew could not move. The pilot and Co-pilot, Robert L. Lee, were able to pull out of the spin at about 10,000 feet, but were out of the formation. They salvoed the bombs in an open fi eld. Their cloud cover helped them evade fi ghter attacks. At the coast, however, they came under heavy fl ak, but managed to get across the Channel and safely back to Shipdham, with no injuries.
After the war, Pierce was employed as a Mechanical Engineer for the Hood Rubber Company. He was preceded in death by his wife Rose, a marriage that spanned 50 years. The couple had no children, but were extremely close to three nephews, Andrew, John and Peter Pierce.
News of his passing came from a great, great grand nephew, Daniel Pierce.
Tobiaski, Joseph #22321 67th
Squadron November 2012 T/Sgt. Tobiaski was a Radio Operator/Gunner on the Robert Gunton crew. He fl ew 30 missions, the fi rst on 27 May 1944.
Although most of his missions were with Gunton, he fl ew one with Frank Davido. On one occasion he fl ew with Howard McCormick as Command Pilot.
Among his 30 missions was the one on D-Day to Colleville & St. Laurent. All others were in France and Germany, bombing oil refi neries, air fi elds and rail lines.
After the war, Tobiaski worked as an Equipment Engineer. He and his wife Julie had fi ve children and 11 grandchil-dren. He was living in Jupitor, Florida at the time of his passing.
Information of his death came from his daughter Julie.
Wright, James #22645 68th Squadron 6 March 2012 Col. Wright was a Bombardier on two crews: RussellErikson and Richard Beckingham.According to the Database, Wright fl ew 30 missions. He fl ew in Lady Geraldine, Lili Marlene, Helllzla Droppin, Three Kisses for Luck and Louisiana Belle.His fi rst mission was on 5 November 1944; his last on 25 April 1945, the last mission of the war.
Before the war, Wright had attended the College of Engineering at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. After the war, Wright joined the U.S. Reserves, later the USAF reserves, serving a total of 39 years.
Wright and his wife, Marion, (a marriage of 66 years) had two sons. At the time of his death the couple resided in Sun City, Florida. Marion Wright notifi ed the Editor of the Tails of his passing.
44th Bomb GroupVeterans Association
2041 Village Circle EYork, PA 17404
A cup of gold spills from on high, and sunlight paints my wings.A cotton quilt, an azure sky. These are the airman’s things.
There is a peace, there is a joy that moves all those who’ve fl own.As earth unrolls, as lakes deploy, and eye meets tone on tone.
And God comes, too, when spinning blade, its winding movement stills,When need portends, “Be not afraid, but join as one our wills.”
So let me fl y on silvery wing until my day runs thin,A greater skill will surely bring this airman gently in.
A cup of gold spills from on high, and brightly shows the way.There is no night, no danger rude. This is a wondrous day.
My course is set for altitude, where pilots all convene.For I am in the Hand of God, with fl ight plan He has seen.
By Ray Ward, (Read at services for K.J. Kurtenbach, Stalag 17B Camp Leader)
