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�O U R RED C R O S S LADY
This all began when w e started a n e w feature in the 8Ball Tails w e call "Memory Lane" (Vol. 2, Issue # 3 ) and
used a picture taken in Shipdham at the Red Cross club on
the occasion of a visit to the base by Lord Mayor William
Finch of Norwich. W e asked the membership if anyone
could recall the name of our Red Cross lady. F R A N K BATA
of the 66th B o m b Sqdn. came forth with her name, along
with the story of what a great help she had been keeping
him in touch with his younger brother stationed at
another English base. He also recollected that she was
from Roanoke, VA. With that to go on, w e started on
what turned out to be a sad search. I first asked Art
H A N D , our membership search expert, to give m e a
computer run on any members w e have in Roanoke. He
came up with J A C K RUSSELL, 68th Sqdn. w h o responded
to m y request that he would see what he could find out
about HELEN H O B A C K . In no time at all he sent m e a
copy of the 4-2 I -49 Roanoke Times Obituary page which
noted Helen's death. The notice also listed a surviving
brother named S A M U E L H O B A C K living in Baltimore.
Once again a request to A R T H A N D quickly got m e an
address and telephone number. I called and first got his
wife, and after telling her w h o I was and of m y search for
information about Helen, I was able to make a return call
later. W e made contact that evening and after talking with
her brother Sam. the story began to brighten somewhat. I
found in our search to see where life had led our pretty
44th Red Cross lady that, in the few post-war years of
her life, she was happily fulfilling her dream to be an
actress.
She had moved to Baltimore, found work in a
publishing company which financed her continued studies
in Shakespearean Theatre and was broadening her acting
experience doing summer stock. In the pursuit of her
dream, she never married. Her most successful theatrical
venture was the development of an evening's program of
her adaptations of Shakespeare's heroines in his most
famous plays. With authentic Elizabethean costumes, she
formed a small company of three which included her
brother Sam and another stage hand. They travelled,
giving her solo performances in Boston, N e w York and
N e w Jersey, in what must have been a most happy time
for our blossoming actress. Tragedy struck in the winter of
1947-8 when she slipped on an icy sidewalk and took a
severe blow to her head. A year later she did not survive
surgery undertaken to remove a brain tumor. So the
curtain came d o w n before the career of this developing
actress could reach full bloom. So, as she served her
country and fellow m a n keeping them in touch with h o m e
and what they were fighting for, so she must have
brought the vitality of her persona to her audiences. The
44th B o m b Croup honors her and is thankful for the
precious time in her short life that she gave to us.
�Conwimfe,
Here indeed is the Art of the Forgotten Language. Miss
Hoback's every inflection is perfect and her scanning of the lines
leaving nothing to be desired. She simply holds you entranced with
her magic charm. I can imagine no more pleasant way of spending
an evening than to watch Miss Helen Hoback in her
characterization of "Shakespeare's Heroines."
Percival Vivian,
Weil-Known New York Director
Miss Helen Hoback shows remarkable ability in action. She
has a charming personality and a large general ability.
Binney Gunnison
Dean Emeritus Curry School
Miss Helen Hoback, in "Shakespeare's Heroines," gave us a
delightful evening of entertainment. Her pleasing costumes and fine
acting added much to the enjoyment of the scenes. All students and
lovers ol Shakespeare should especially enjoy her delineation of the
various characters.
Ruth K. Coddington
•
Roanoke and a;
• A Cross
Helen Hoback is an artist of unusual ability. She vividly
presents her Shakespearean portraits in costume. Each personality
steps straight from the story onto the stage. A delightful club
program.
Mrs. George a. Layman
Past President, Roanoke Woman's Club
BEIOW: EARIY 1944 LoNdoN, TbE BusiEST REd C R O S S Club ON TFIE PIANET.
I have heard and seen Miss Hoback in her Shakespearean
program. It was artistically done with much skill and effectiveness
and well received by the audience. It gives me a good deal of
pleasure to commend her program to anyone desiring a splendid
evening of entertainment. She is a young woman of rare beauty and
accomplishment and I predict for her a brilliant future.
G.A. Layman, President
Roanoke City Education Association
3
�more on Rouen, March 8,1943
Editor:You've often read my comments about having a story or letter from one person tickle the
m e m o r y of another w h o will then c o m e in with more to tell about the mission or incident which gives
another view of the same subject. These different subjective views, put together, combine to give us an
objective view of history. In this case w e go back to the last issue of "The Tails" and our story about
our visit to Villers-Ecalles, France. While there, w e were honored to participate in the memorial
ceremonies commemorating the 67th Squadron crew of Lt. Clyde Price, flying "Miss Dianne," w h o were
shot d o w n on the March 8, 1943 raid on the Rouen, France railway marshalling yard and crashed at
the site of the memorial marker where w e were assembled.
This first piece is co-authored by Jean Pierre Marie and Joel Huard, both members of the Noncommissioned Officers of the French Army Air Force Reserve (l'ANSORAA). O n e of their organizational
charters is to carry on research and documentation of the air wars over France in both World Wars. Our
connection and correspondence with them began with an inquiry they m a d e to us seeking information
on the 44th B o m b Group losses on the March 8, 1943 raid.
Though much of their article has its basis from the Missing Aircrew Reports in the Will Lundy Roll of
Honor records, it also offers us a view of the raid from the view of the German fighters defending that
vital rail center. (Stele translated m e a n s m o n u m e n t or memorial marker). This article appeared in
their l'ANSORAA JOURNAL.
O O O
"Stele to the allied aviators of Villiers-Ecalles
note about the destruction of two bombers B24 "LIBERATOR"
Mars 8,1943
On March 8, 1943, at 12h 03, 9 bombers B24
"Liberator" of the 44th Bomber Group, (67th
squadron) of the 8th Air Force, took off from their
base of SHIPDHAM, very near NORWICH. They were
to meet 7 other B24's coming from the 93rd Bomber
Group (329th Squadron), at BEACHY-HEAD, on the
southern coast of England near EASTBOURNE.
The objective assigned to them was the switchyard
of SOTTEV1LLE LES ROUEN. This mission, important
because of the switchyard's strategic position,
consisted of a manoeuvre of diversion which was
supposed to allow 54 other American bombers, B17
Fly Fortress, to simultaneously attack another
switchyard, that of RENNES.
The Captain James O'BRIEN of the 68th Squadron
with major POSEY, 66th Squadron, aboard, w h o was
commanding the whole of the American formation,
were constrained to interrupt their mission.
John HUSSELTON, one of the members of their team,
had passed out because of a lack of oxygen. They
left the formation, notified their base by radio in
order to obtain the help of an ambulance and
landed. John HUSSELTON was taken off the plane.
They took off again immediately with the number of
crew members reduced and caught up with the
formation just above the English Channel.
W h e n captain O'BRIEN was forced to land, captain
Clyde PRICE of the 44th Bomber Group took the
place of the leader of the formation, lieutenant
Robert BLAINE moved up to the second place.
The crew members of lieutenant BLAINE, having had
two wounded during a previous mission, was not
supposed to take part in the mission, but after the
briefing, they succeeded to put together a complete
crew and received authorization to participate.
Sergeant Kenneth L. ERHART, of the weaponry
section, and Roy E. GOSL1NE, of the mechanics
section, volunteered willingly. They occupied, one
and the other, a machine gun position aboard the
B24 number 41 - 23784 to which the crew members
had given the name of "MISS DIANNE." It was one
of the 9 first B24 "Liberator" to arrive in England on
October 10 1942. Will LUNDY was responsible for the
maintenance on the ground of this plane. Today
(May 10 1997) he has become the historian of the
44th B O M B GROUP VETERANS ASSOCIATION.
The 16 bombers crossed the coast of France at 13h
53 at ST VALERY EN CAUX. A few minutes later,
between YERV1LLE and PAV1LLY the pilots were
looking for their fighter planes: some P47
"THUNDERBOLT," expected to replace the 25
"SPITFIRE" of the R.A.F w h o were stopping their
coverage. This was supposed to be the first
�participation of these American fighter planes on an
escort mission since the beginning of the hostilities.
However, delayed by the first attack of the objective
at the north of France, they encountered severe
opposition and were delayed too long by these
combats, they were prevented from coming to ensure
the protection of the "Liberators."
succeeded in jumping from the plane with a
parachute. A prisoner of the German troops, he had
the chance, a few days later, to return to the crash
site. The plane had not exploded, the bombs were
still on board.
Leo FRAZ1ER finished the war at the Stalag LUFT HI.
The crew members of the bombers, for whom the
objective was to last no longer than a few minutes,
were preparing themselves for the attack.
lt was at this moment that 30 FW 190, of the JG 26
"SHLAGETER," of the Luftwaffe, were arriving at 14h.
With the sun behind them, they m a d e a surprise
attack on the American pilots w h o thought they
were seeing their own fighter planes arrive.
Wutz GALLAND, who was leading the patrol of the
F W 190 German fighters, launched his attack on the
bombers: from the front and on the right flanks of the
formation with the help of major Pips PR1LLER.
The "oberlieutenant" Peter CRUMP fired a long round
from his machine guns at one of the airplanes. He
w a s able to see clearly a good number of impacts
around the pilot's position. As he distanced himself
in a long nose dive, he saw with horror that he was
in line with the deballasting of the bombs of a
"liberator." H e escaped by a very tight bend... The
plane that he just hid crashed in the part of a
wooded valley to the north of the Seine...
Their attack was devastating, the leading B24
caught fire, followed by the second bomber. The
other crews were forced to break up the formation.
The leader, captain PRICE and the lieutenant
BLAINE, his second man, were hit by the shot of
numerous German fighter planes. These planes w h o
were commanding the mission, now out of combat,
left the other crews without information needed for
the planned attack.
Without the protection of allied fighters, the crews
had to resolve to set out for the North and rejoin the
fixed rallying point at NEUFCHATEL EN BRAY, then
set themselves out towards the point of passage on
the coast, chosen for the return to B1V1LLE SUR M E R
in between LE TREPORT and DIEPPE.
The plane number 2, piloted by lieutenant Robert W
BLAINE, crashed into French ground at S1ERVELLE.
The sole survivor, lieutenant Leo 0. FRAZ1ER
LT. LEO FRAZJER, 1997
He was the victim of a heart attack in 1995 which
left him in fragile health and he decided not to
participate in the trip of the 44th Bomber-Group
Veterans Association organized to go to Europe from
M a y 27 to June 7 1997...
It is only on February 2,1997 that the point of
impact of this was able to be confirmed thanks to
the help of M. Yves L01SEL, mayor of S1ERV1LLE who,
responding to the request of the author of the
present note, addressed to him a death certificate,
which reads thus: "The 12 Mars 1943, at 18h,
Monsieur Gustave NEMERY, farmer at S1ERV1LLE,
discovered on the plane, hamlet of Plix, the body of
a male individual of which the particulars are the
following: decapitated body, dressed in a khaki
military uniform, possibility wounded by a bullet
just about the ankle. The collar of the jacket had this
inscription: KRE1SS1G - M C ATOR - M A C - DILI FIELD. An identity plate belonged to the deceased
and turned over to the mayor March 20 1943 by a
�member of the occupation army at the moment of
the burial. The plate carried the following
information - OSCAR F KRE1SS1G 110 105 44...
According to every probability, the deceased was the
radio operator on the BLAINE crew fallen at
S1ERV1LLE, 400 meters from the place where the
body was found at the time of an aerial combat
taking place March 8 1943..."
The plane of the leader, "Miss Dianne" that captain
Clyde E. PRICE was flying, was hit by the enemy
fighter planes and by the Flak, seriously hit at the
front and at the fuselage center, the oxygen and
hydraulic circuits destroyed... The plane having
immediately caught fire, the signal to escape was
given ...It is sergeant Kenneth L. ERHART, one of the
two replacement machine gunners w h o gave this
information in the report that he made to the
military authorities after his return to the United
States.
Because of the frontal attack, the personnel at the
piloting position could not evacuate. Kenneth
ERHART helped sergeants Iris WYER and Deane
DEVARS to jump from the machine gun posts of the
right flank. He observed that sergeant FLESHMAN
was already dead, after which, he was also able, he
himself, to get out from the right flank.
Upon touching the ground, he saw lieutenant GROSS
arrive. His abdomen was gashed open. He died in the
arms of Kenneth ERHART under the regard of the
Germans.
"He had asked me to take his watch and to give it to
his mother, but the Germans seized it..." he declared.
Deane DEVARS and Iris WYER, wounded by the Flak
and burned, were captured one or two days later, not
having succeeded in getting themselves away from
the occupants w h o were looking for them.
As for Kenneth ERHART once that he become a
prisoner and that lieutenant GROSS was dead, the
German soldiers turned them over to the troops of
the LUFTWAFFE and he was taken to a hospital. He
never learned of what kind of medicine they used to
treat his burns, but the burns left no scars. He was
taken care of by French doctors and watched over by
German doctors, then he was taken by train to
Stalag-Luft to be interrogated and taken to Stalag
Vll, in M O O S B E R G in Baviere.
Kenneth E R H A R D was a close friend to Will LUNDY,
w h o was responsible for the maintenance on the
ground of the B24 "Miss Dianne" during the war. He
later became the historian of the 44th B O M B GROUP
VETERANS ASSOCIATION. The most part of this
report succeeded in being established with his very
helpful collaboration.
"MISS DIANNE" had exploded above BARENT1N, a
section of the plane in flames fell upon the housing
development of the BAD1N Establishments and
destroyed some houses. The greatest portion of the
plane and the bodies of the 8 victims ended their fall
at V1LLERS ECALLES where a stele was erected in
remembrance of the allied aviators of w h o m the
identity was only able to be established by the
confirmation of the points of impact that each of the
two B24 of the 44th Bomber Group. This
confirmation would only come February 2 1997.
The stele was inaugurated August 22 1948 by Maitre
Andre MARIE, president of the Council (First
Minister) and the mayor of BARENTIN, in the
presence of Monsieur the Consul of the United States
of America. A formal speech was given by Monsieur
RICHARD, author and the one w h o brought the
monument to fruition, adjunct of the mayor of
V1LLERS ECALLES, then a moving exaltation of the
spirit of sacrifice by M. Andre MARIE preceded the
deposit of a wreath of flowers while a plane of the
Aeroclub of Normandy dropped flowers over the
crowd.
Monsieur LEBLOND, the mayor then received the
honored guests at the town hall. Among the
spectators, a young boy of 11 years who dreamed of
becoming an aviator... he became one... and since
M a y 8 1983, a group of non-commissioned officers
of the reserve, members of their national association
(l'ANSORAA) participate each year, at the outskirts
of the municipality, of the former combatants and of
the inhabitants of V1LLERS ECALLES at the
commemoration of the remembrance of the allied
aviators whose names appear ever since on the
monument.
9
�This next piece is a letter sent in by Jim O'Brien in which he relates the mixed emotions of having to
relinquish the lead of the group to save the life of a crew m e m b e r , then, upon rejoining the group,
witness the simultaneous loss of both the Price crew, w h o had assumed the lead, then the Blaine crew
w h o had taken # 2 position.
2921 South Estrella Circle
Mesa, AZ 85202-7842
December 29,1997
Dear Roy,
I wrote a letter to Will Lundy and mentioned how much 1 enjoyed the story of "The Trip" in the
Winter Issue of the "8 Ball Tails." The visit to Rouen, the site of the memorial to the two 67th
aircrews and the account of Lois Cianci receiving her dad's dog tag from Guy Cressant were real
drama.
1 thought 1 would add this postscript to the story of the two 67th Squadron crews that were
shot down on the Rouen mission of 8 March 1943.1 knew Lt. Clyde Price and Lt. Robert Blaine
and some of their crew members very well. Clyde Price was a devoted family m a n w h o always
talked about the day when he could complete his missions and return to his wife. W e had many
conversations together at the Officers club. W e were not connoisseurs of the bar, but w e found
satisfaction in the side chairs listening to the music and news of the BBC broadcasts,
Major Jim Posey, Group Exec, and 1 were the designated Group Leaders for the Rouen mission
flying in m y aircraft "The Rugged Buggy" of the 68th Sq. W e had taken off and assembled the
Group over Shipdham when S/Sgt John Husselton, one of our waist gunners, was reported to
have fainted at his gun position. Jim Posey and 1 concluded that w e would have to give up the
lead position and return Husselton to the base. Price and Blaine then took over as deputy leads
and w e quickly returned Husselton to a waiting ambulance at Shipdham and then took off again
with nine crewmen to catch the 44th just as they were crossing the Channel.
One of the memorable quotes of the day was, "Are Those Spitfires?" from bombardier, Norius
Crisan when w e saw a bunch of fighters about 4000 ft. above us and to the left. The Polish
Spitfire Squadron was to be our escort. They were not Spitfires and soon, from the typical headon position, about 35-40 German ME109s and FWI90s came in at us. The Price and Blaine
aircraft quickly went down under the withering fire. Very few in that formation thought they were
going to survive that German attack, but fortunately the Polish Spitfires showed up in time to
chase them away. The Germans had achieved their purpose because in all of the confusion very
few of our bombs hit the railroad yards.
1 had m a n y experiences in m y 21 missions with the so called "fickle finger of fate," but 1
always felt that I owed John Husselton something for taking us out of that lead position on the
8th of March 1943, although there was no joy in the loss of the two 67th crews. As well stated
by John Muirhead in his book, Those W h o Fall, "it was kind of a Russian roulette that w e played
and w e pulled the trigger as many times as w e could." Another irony was that when John
Husselton returned from his prescribed "R&R", his first mission was the Kiel raid of 5/14/43 when
w e were shot down in the "Rugged Buggy." He was one of our eight crew members w h o survived
as P O W s for two years. 1 have never been able to reach him after the war.
Sincerely,
Jim O'Brien
�The last piece of these views comes to us by letter from Gloria Erhard, widow of S/Sgt. Kenneth I.
Erhard, Waist Gunner on the Capt. Price crew. S/Sgt. Erhard was one of three gunners in the rear of the
airplane who were able to bail out and survived the crash to become POW'S. The story, taken from his
diary and recollections passed on to his wife prior to his death, give us a view of the tragic end of a
tough mission. May 1 add that this mission took place at the height of those early days when the 67th
was suffering terrible aircrew losses and the ground support personnel were asked to volunteer for
aircrew duty. S/Sgt. Erhard from the Armament Section and S/Sgt. Roy E. Gosline from the Engineering
Section were two of those valorous men who took that step forward. S/Sgt. Gosline did not survive the
crash.
SLIGHTLY CONDENSED LETTER FROM GLORIA ERHARD
AFTER VIEWING SOME OF THE PHOTOS TAKEN AT
THE CEREMONIES AT V1LLERS ECALLES, FRANCE,
JUNE 1997, THE MONUMENT. THE FLOWERS, THE
CEREMONIES MUST HAVE BEEN AWESOMELY
BEAUTIFUL TO HAVE BEEN SEEN FOR THE FIRST
TIME, AND SO DEDICATED TO YOUNG. HANDSOME
AMERICAN FLYERS W H O GAVE THEIR LIVES AND
FREEDOM BECAUSE OF THE WHIMS OF A STRANGE
LITTLE MAN W H O M WE KNEW AS HITLER. IT MAKES
ONE ANGRY, SAD, PROUD OF OUR YOUNG MEN
W H O WILLINGLY LAY DOWN THEIR LIVES, THEIR
FREEDOM TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD
FROM ONE OF THE "ISMS" WITHIN AN "ISM" OF
OUR O W N WHICH IS CALLED PATRIOTISM.
1 WAS TRYING TO LOOK BEYOND THE PHOTOS TO
WHERE KEN AND THE LIEUT. FROM DENVER
(MORTON P. GROSS) MAY HAVE LANDED. KEN
NEVER SPOKE OF THE FIERY CRASH. PERHAPS HE
DID NOT SEE IT. THEY LANDED NOT TOO FAR FROM
A ROAD WHERE GERMAN SOLDIERS WAITED IN A
PARKED TRUCK. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES TO
COME DOWN IN THEIR PARACHUTES AS THE ENEMY
PLANES "TOYED" WITH THE TWO "CHUTISTS,"
CAUSING THEM TO GO UP AS WELL AS DOWN,
SHOOTING AT THEM ALL THE WHILE. WHEN THEY
LANDED, THE LIEUTENANT CALLED, "KENNY BOY!
KENNY BOY!"
KEN WAS TRYING TO DISENGAGE HIS HARNESS
AND FIGHT OFF THE SOLDIERS W H O WERE
GATHERING AROUND HIM AT THAT TIME. "HANG
ON! I'M TRYING TO GET OVER THERE," KEN YELLED
OUT. HE PUSHED AND SHOVED HIS WAY TO LT.
GROSS BUT FOUND HIM FATALLY WOUNDED,
ALMOST SHOT IN HALF. SO HE GATHERED THE LT. IN
HIS ARMS WHILE BEING TOLD, "TAKE MY WATCH
AND GIVE IT TO MY MOTHER. TELL HER 1 LOVE
HER." HOWEVER, THE WATCH WAS SNATCHED AWAY
BEFORE THE EXCHANGE COULD BE MADE, TAKEN
AWAY BY AN ENEMY SOLDIER. KEN DID NOT KNOW
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BODY OF THE LT. BUT HE
WAS MARCHED TO A BARN WHICH WAS NEARBY.
WHILE RESTING THERE IN SOME HAY, KEN
EXAMINED HIMSELF TO DISCOVER WOUNDS TO HIS
LEGS, FLAK WOUNDS IN HIS NECK. HIS FACE AND
HIS HANDS WERE BURNED WHEN HIS OXYGEN
MASK HAD CAUGHT FIRE. TOO, HIS TORSO
RECEIVED SOME BURNS AND A FEW FLAK
WOUNDS, AND HE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME
BREATHING.
LATER HE WAS LOADED ONTO A TRUCK AND TAKEN
TO A SMALL HOSPITAL WITH FRENCH DOCTORS BUT SUPERVISED BY A GERMAN DOCTOR. THE
FRENCH DOCTOR WHISPERED, "WATCH YOUR
BOOTS —" BUT WAS INTERRUPTED WHEN THE
GERMAN YELLED, "NO TALKING". A SALVE WAS
APPLIED TO HIS BURNS, WHICH AMAZINGLY
HALTED THE PAIN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE
WORST FLAK WOUNDS WERE TREATED, BUT THE
REST OF THEM WERE LEFT UNTREATED.
HE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A TRAIN DEPOT AMPLY
COVERED BY SEVERAL GUARDS. THEN ON TO AN
INTERROGATION CENTER WHERE HE WAS HELD
FOR 10 DAYS IN ISOLATION. THERE KEN WAS
QUESTIONED EACH DAY BY THE HAUPTMANN AND
HIS SERGEANTS. HE WAS SHOCKED THAT THE
GERMAN SPY SYSTEM WAS SO GOOD THAT THEY
HAD KEN'S COMPLETE 201 FILE!! CAN YOU
BELIEVE IT! THEY EVEN HAD HIS MOTHER'S
MAIDEN NAME, FATHER'S NAME, KEN'S PREVIOUS
OCCUPATION, CHURCH, ETC.
SIGN THIS PAPER OR YOU'LL NEVER SEE YOUR
FAMILY AGAIN! AND "JOIN US - WE'LL DO BIG
THINGS FOR YOU. DO NOT GIVE YOUR NAME, RANK,
SERIAL NUMBER! W E ALREADY HAVE IT ALL! SIGN
IT OR YOU W O N T GET YOUR MAIL" ETC.
ONE SERGEANT PUT HIS FACE NEXT TO KEN'S AND
THREATENED HIM. KEN SPAT IN HIS FACE, SO OF
COURSE, THE GERMAN HIT HIM IN THE JAW WITH
�HIS RIFLE BUTT AND KEN FOUND HIMSELF ON THE
FLOOR. ONE DAY KEN DECIDED HE HAD HAD
ENOUGH INTERROGATION AND REFUSED TO GET
OFF HIS COT. HE PUT HIS ARM OVER HIS EYES,
HEARD THE GUARD LEAVE, HEARD OTHER
FOOTSTEPS AND NEXT CAME BRUTAL PAIN, NEARLY
THE WORST HE'D EVER FELT. THE HAUPTMANN WAS
BEATING HIS BARE FEET WITH A RIDING CROP! HIS
BOOTS, BY THE WAY, WERE HIDDEN UNDER HIS
COT.
ONE TIME, AFTER JUST CROSSING A BRIDGE AT
L1NZ, GERMANY, THEY WATCHED ALLIED PLANES
STRAFE AND BOMB THAT BRIDGE! ALL IN ALL,
THEY MARCHED 281 MILES TO BRANAU WOODS,
AUSTRIA (HITLER'S BIRTHPLACE) TO REST AND
AWAIT THEIR FATE. A FEW DAYS LATER, THEY WERE
ALLOWED TO SCROUNGE FOR FOOD, THEN AT
NIGHT LIE AWAKE LISTENING TO CREAKING NOISES
WHICH THEY HOPED WOULD BE TANKS MOVING IN
THE VALLEY BELOW.
BUT AFTER THE 10th DAY, KEN WAS SENT TO
STALAG Vll-A, MOOSEBURG, GERMANY WHERE HE
MET OTHER AMERICAN AIRMEN, SOME OF W H O M
REMAINED FRIENDS UNTIL HIS DEATH.
IT WAS ON 2 MAY, 1945 WHEN AN ARMY JEEP
DROVE UP TO THEIR ENCAMPMENT WITH A
CAPTAIN AND A CORPORAL ON BOARD, LOADED TO
THE HILT WITH WEAPONS. THE CAPTAIN STOOD UP
AND SHOUTED, "YOU ARE NOW FREE! CONSIDER
YOURSELF ON ACTIVE DUTY" OR WORDS CLOSE TO
THAT MEANING.
IN SEPTEMBER, 1943, THEY WERE SHIPPED TO
STALAG XV11-B, KREMS, AUSTRIA. HE WAS ONE OF
THE FIRST AMERICAN CONTINGENT THERE, WHERE
THEIR NUMBERS GREW FROM LESS THAN A
THOUSAND TO OVER 4300 IN 1945.
AS THE WAR PROGRESSED, SUPPLIES BECAME
MORE RARE. RED CROSS PARCELS WERE FEW
BECAUSE THE GUARDS STARTED HELPING
THEMSELVES. WHEN THE REGULAR GUARDS WERE
REPLACED BY HOME GUARDS, CONDITIONS
BECAME WORSE. MANY POWs BECAME ILL, BUT THE
HOSPITAL HAD LITTLE MEDICINES FOR TREATMENT.
IT HAD AN X-RAY MACHINE BUT LITTLE ELSE. THERE
WAS AN AMERICAN DOCTOR, MAJOR BEAUMONT,
BUT KEN KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT HIM, AND TO
MY KNOWLEDGE, NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT
HIM AFTER THE WAR.
KEN STAYED IN THE SERVICE FOR AWHILE, E
A PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD (UNIT) FOR
PARTICIPATION IN A B-29 FLY-OVER AT MANILA,
CELEBRATING ITS INDEPENDENCE IN 1947. ALSO
PARTICIPATED IN THE BERLIN AIRLIFT WHEN
RUSSIA CLOSED THAT CITY DOWN IN 1948(7). ALSO
WAS IN A NON-STOP SITUATION THAT BROKE ALL
RECORDS. THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS, HE KEPT
ASKING HIMSELF THE AGE-OLD QUESTION, "WHY
ME? WHY WAS 1 SPARED WHEN MISS DIANNE'S
CREW PERISHED?"
1 AM POSITIVE GOD HAS SET KEN'S MIND AT
WITH A SUITABLE ANSWER. KEN IS AT REST NOW,
BUT HE LIVES IN MY HEART.
KEN WAS NEVER FURNISHED WITH A UNIFORM OR
SIMILAR CLOTHES, SO HE WAS FORCED TO WEAR
THAT POOR OLD FLIGHT SUIT AND WHATEVER ELSE
HE COULD SCROUNGE. TO KEEP REASONABLY
CLEAN HE'D USE HIS THIN BLANKET, WASH HIS
CLOTHES WHEN WATER WAS AVAILABLE, SHOWER
WHEN HE COULD. FOOD CONSISTED OF SAWDUST
BREAD, GRUEL, ACORN COFFEE AND WHATEVER
ELSE THE RED CROSS PARCELS OFFERED.
IN APRIL, 1945, THE RUSSIANS WERE ADVANCING,
SO THE GERMANS STARTED MARCHING THE POWs
TOWARD THE ALLIED FRONT. THERE WERE ABOUT
4100 POWS WENDING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE
ALPS IN ALL SORTS OF WEATHER. GENERALLY, KEN
WAS IN FRONT, AS THERE WAS SO LITTLE TO EAT
THAT HE WANTED A CHANCE TO FIND ANYTHING.
THEY ATE TREE BARK, ANY LEFTOVER BERRIES,
FIELD MICE, SMALL CHUNKS OF STALE BREAD.
w
�seat of Immediate Past President, it is m y
intent to m a k e the job description one of
"Recruiter at Large" working to bring the
44th elements back together under the
umbrella of a federation wherein each
element maintains it's identity and w e share
a c o m m o n journal and meet annually at a
joint reunion and pay dues to the parent
organization. I a m convinced that if w e wish
to avoid watching each of the 44th elements
wither and die, w e must reach out and join
hands, younger with older, to maintain the
strength to sustain this proud organization
into the next millennium.
Our Bronze B-24 contributions were very
good. Our m e m b e r s contributed
approximately $2,250. (A few sent their
contribution direct to 2nd A D so w e don't
have an exact total) and w e matched that
from our treasury, so w e m a d e a respectable
contribution to the U S A F A Court of Honor
presence of our great old warbird.
With the cancellation of our England/
France trip, I see some room on the schedule
for attendance to the 50th 2nd A D bash at
O a k Hills Resort outside of Chicago M a y 2225. M y golf tournament winner's trophy from
the 48th reunion is getting dusty; maybe I
had better get back there and see if I can get
a n e w one!
Lolly sends her best wishes. She loves
Savannah and is looking forward to seeing
ya'll (that's a Southern You All) there in
October. I can hardly wait to get back to
Johnny Harris'ribhouse!
See you in Savannah
Your Prez.
I can't believe it's 8-Ball Tails time again.
The months are falling off the calendar and
w e will be heading for Savannah before w e
k n o w it! There are all the preliminary
registration forms in the centerfold of this
issue, so be sure to get them filled out and
on the way.
To bring you briefly up to date on the
reunion, Mike Yuspeh, our Reunion
Chairman, is up and running and busy
making final arrangements for all the
dinners, tours, transportation, etc. A n d it all
looks great. You all will recall the centerpiece
of this reunion will the unveiling and
dedication of our 44th B o m b Group display
in the Mighty Eighth Air Force M u s e u m . The
display replicates the four ship lead element,
Suzy Q, Horsefly, Buzzin' Bear and the
borrowed 376th aircraft, at the instant before
b o m b s away over the target at Ploesti. W e
will be commemorating all of the veterans of
the Ploesti attack, additionally, w e will be
honoring those still living. In January, I sent
a personal letter to each k n o w n living Ploesti
veteran inviting them to the reunion and
unveiling and telling each that w e will be
specifically honoring the living Ploesti
veterans. Since this will, most probably, be
the last gathering of this heroic group under
one roof, w e expect it will be an event of
national news media interest and w e don't
want you to miss this historic event. The
response from the Ploesti raiders has been
terrific and w e will have some of the raider
widows joining us as well. If you have not yet
visited the Mighty 8th A F M u s e u m , this
reunion is really a must. I placed a notice of
our reunion in the Air Force Times inviting
44th veterans from the B o m b Wing, the
Strategic Missile Wing and the Air Refueling
Squadron to attend, let's hope w e get some
response.
Looking to the future; w h e n m y term
expires and I m o v e to the n o w vacant Board
10
�Miscellanea
1998 England-France Trip has been cancelled.
Regrettably, every once in awhile, we all make a bad call. It appeared from the survey we conducted at the General
Meeting that w e had more than enough to fill a bus. A strange thing happened on the w a y to the Forum. W h e n it came time to
sign up, w e barely came up with a dozen adventuresome travellers. Perhaps concern over the World Cup Soccer matches in Paris
while w e would have been there, or our own big Reunion this year in Savannah and the 50th Anniversary of 2nd Air Division
Reunion M a y 23-26 in Oak
Brook Hills, Illinois affected
the sign-ups. Whatever, w e
i VILLERSECAILES
are sorry to tell those who
Vf
did make reservations of our
<o9;r
cancellation. You should
have been notified by
^*<£% j
Waterhouse Tours by now. It
is too bad! W e had some
INFOS
MUNICIPAL
wonderful arrangements
made with both our English
and French friends.
As an example of the
excitement displayed by the
French at the prospects of
our return, I have copied the
cover of the January edition
of the Villers Ecalles
Municipal bulletin with
photos of our '97 visit and an
inside story about the plans
for a '93 visit. Well, perhaps
in '99 w e will have occasion
to travel to England to
dedicate the new Arrow Air
Centre, then go on to France
for the occasion of meeting
our friends by those who
missed the last trip.
n
�Our Hard Working U.K. Representative
In early January, Steve Adams, our always onthe-job representative in Norwich, got a call from
Paul Wiatr, a U.S. Navy Reserve member living in the
Chicago area. Paul is the son of, now deceased,
Sgt. Rudolph Wiatr, Tail gunner on the Lt. Leonard
Louik crew which joined the 67th Sguadron in
December, 1944. Paul was soon to arrive in England
on a two week temporary duty tour. He made
contact with the Memorial Library and obtained
Steve's e-mail address. They made contact and
made all the arrangements on the Internet, He
wanted to tour his father's old base, so Steve made
the appropriate contacts and on Saturday, January
17, accompanied by Phyllis DuBois (no doubt she
provided the car), they met Paul at Thorpe Station
and took him to Station 115, Steve reports it was a
bitter cold windy day. They first went to Combat
Wing Hq, where Andrew Doubleday hosted them
with hot coffee and a nice visit before a log fire, then
a tour of all the various rooms. Resuming the tour,
they went to the 67th living site, then to the flight line
where they walked to the end of the main runway
where Paul stood in silence for several minutes. He
then stated that he felt close to his father while he
stood at the very spot his father had started the take
off roll on his combat missions. On with the tour it
was down to the Tower and then to Arrow Air where
Nigel Wright hosted lunch and gave Paul some 8-Ball
Stickers. They lingered, visiting too long and were late
for Paul's train so they had an additional hour of visit.
I wanted to relay this account of a "routine" visit
by even a non-member such as Paul who has an
interest in the 44th and is made to feel so welcome
by "our Man in England." He does this year round,
sometimes taking vacation days from work to see
that 44th visitors visit and leave feeling they have
been treated very special. Steve's address is in the
Board Directory. Take the time to drop him and his
lovely, supporting wife, Janice a note telling him how
much we appreciate all he does for our proud 44th.
Incidentally, Paul asked Steve if it was permissible
for him to join the Association, to which Steve
replied: " You are a lot more entitled to belong to the
44th B o m b Group Veterans Association than I am.
With this, he handed him a membership application.
Editor.
A LATE BREAKING STORY ABOUT OUR MAN IN ENGLAND
THIS BRINGS M E T O W H A T C A N W E D O FOR
I got an E-mail from Steve telling m e he had been
STEVE? ITHINKITISIMPORTANTTHATWE
contacted by C B S in London. He had been referred
HAVE HIM ATTEND O U R SAVANNAH
to them by the Memorial Library (does that sound
familiar) when they called saying they wanted to do a REUNION T O SEE A N D TAKE PART IN THE
UNVEILING OF O U R PLOESTI DISPLAY.
documentary piece on the wartime 2nd A D bases in
East Anglia. They were told Steve had the best photo REMEMBER, HE IS THE 66TH SQDN.
HISTORIAN AS WELL AS BEING O U R UK
archives and was the most knowledgeable man in
REPRESENTATIVE. ADDITIONALLY, I W A N T HIM
the whole area on the B-24s and their bases in
England. They arrived with an entire camera crew and A N D JANICE T O MEET A N D FEEL A PART OF
not one, but two very attractive reporters and spent 5 THE 44TH FAMILY AS A G R O U P A N D N O T
JUST SINGLY O R IN SMALL TRAVEL G R O U P S
hours with Steve touring Shipdham Airfield (what
AS W E VISIT ENGLAND. I A M GOING TO ASK
else!). They had a visit and coffee with Mr.
Doubleday (this is getting to be a regular tour stop), O U R TREASURER T O SET UP AN A D A M S
Arrow Air and all the various sites. This all ended up REUNION A C C O U N T WHICH I WILL OPEN
with them doing an interview with Steve, which will be WITH A $20 CHECK. I W O U L D LIKE THOSE
a part of the documentary. He promises to send us a O F Y O U W H O W A N T T O SAY THANKS, STEVE,
TOSENDALONGA$10OR$20BILLOR
copy of the tape and also not to forget his 8-Ball
C H E C K M A R K E D "THANKS STEVE" TO: 44TH
friends who knew him before he became a star of
television. Isn't this great, our guy is putting the 44th BGVA, P.O. BOX2367, SALTLAKECITY, UT
84110-2367. THEN W E C A N THANK HIM A N D
right in the public eye.
JAN PERSONALLY FOR ALL HE D O E S A N D
ALL THE SUPPORT SHE GIVES HIM. Y O U R
12 PREZ THANKS YOU.
�44th BOMB GROUP
Swiss Internees—We Need Some Help!
This E-Mail from Steve Adams tells the story:
Subject:
Date:
Tuc, 24 Mar 98 19:57:37 G M T
From:
Stephen A d a m s <S.RAdams@btinternet.com>
To: Roy O w e n <rowen@sonic.net>
Hi Boss,
I have been helping an English boy with his research. H e is interested in the aircraft from the 8th
that were interned in Switzerland. I scanned his letter to m e ana tried to send it to you but it was to
big, so I have condensed it a little so I can e-mail it to you. H e is asking if you could put a regues
in the Tails asking if any of the crew m e m b e r s would contact him and answer s o m e guestions
about their time being interned.
"I have enclosed the info on the 9 aircraft of the 44th B G w h o went d o w n in Switzerland during 4345. I have listed them by pilots n a m e , aircraft serial, date and aircraft type.
1. 2nd Lt. Eugene N. Dyer
18-3-44
B-24J
42-109800
2. 1st Lt. George D. Telford
18-3-44
B-24H
42-7618
3. 1st Lt. Robert R. Lucas
18-3-44
B-24J
42-100400
4. 2nd Lt. Winston C. Irwin
18-3-44
B-24H
41-29431
5. 1st Lt. Hollis R. Nichols
18-3-44
42-100112
B-24J
B-24J
6. 1st Lt. R a y m o n d J. L a c o m b e 18-3-44
42-100643
Sack Artists
7. 1st Lt. Rockford C. Griffith
13-4-44
B-24J
42-100330
21-7-44
42-110049
B-24J
8. 1st Lt. John R. Anderson
Mary Harriet
21-7-44
42-95226
B-24H
9. FIO Donald F. Tofte
Channel Hopper
I would like to get in contact with as m a n y of the m e n on these nine crews, so I could ask
guestions about their flight and their time in Switzerland. I have s o m e photos and info. I would b e
willing to swap or pay for anything sent to m e .
Robert Martyr
120 Brendon, Laindon,
Basildon, Essex
SS15 5XN
England
Roy: He is a good kid. I have given him photographs and helped him were I can, but I would n
give out any addresses. If you put it in the tails and they write to him that would b e great. The Swiss
Internees Association have been helping him a lot. M y thanks to anyone w h o can help.
Steve
Editor: This request is to ALL of the crew members
on those crews listed. Please take
the time to make contact with Robert Martyr and contribute copies, I repeat COPIES of
anything you might have with the caveat that you will be given credit for the material
(diaries, photos, etc.) that you provide and will receive a copy of his research
document when completed. This could be a very valuable addition to our own archives.
13
�44TH BOMB GROUP VETERANS ASSOCIATION BOARD
President : Roy W. Owen T506J
6304 Meadowridge Drive
Santa Rosa. CA 95409-5839
Phone: f707J 538-4726 Fax: T707J 538-1212
e-mail: rowen@sonic.net
Director : Michael "Mike" yuspeh T506J
7214 Sardonyx St.
New Orleans. LA 70124-3509
Phone: T504J 283-3424 Fax: T504J 283-3425
e-mail: mikeyuspeh@worldnet.att.net
Vice President : James H. Clements T506J
4124 Calculus Avenue
Dallas. TX 75244
Phone/Fax: T972J 243-4657
Director : Nancy L Van E P P S fHq. SqdnJ
13922 River Road
Pensacola. FL 32507
Phone/Fax: T904J 492-2041
Secretary : Edward M. Dobson T67J
118 South 15th Avenue #1
Bozeman. M T 59715-4130
Phone/Fax: T406J 587-2490
Membersh iP Co-Chair : Search Art Hand f66J
517 Elm Street
Paris. (L 61994
Phone/Fax: T217J 463-5905
e-mail: butch@tigerpaw.com
Treasurer : Gerald fJerryJ FoIsom f506J
3582 East Dover Hill Road
Salt Lake City. U T 84121-5527
Phone T801J 733-7371 Fax: T801J 942-9988
e-mail: 44thbgva@mail.xmission.com
Membership Co-Chair : Roster
Tom Shepherd T66/67J
10597 Cambrooke Cove
Collierville. T N 38017
Phone: T901J 854-6558 Fax: T901J 853-4229
e-mail: sheep@wspice.com
Historian : C.W. "Will" Lundy T67J
3295 North " H " Street
San Bernardino. CA 92405-2809
Phone/Fax: T909J 882-2441
e-mail: willundy@aol.com
P.O. Box 315. Bridgeport. CA 93517 fSumJ
Phone/Fax: T619J 932-7349
Director f67J Archivist
Anthony "Tony" Mastradone
9111 Tuckerman Street
Lanham. M D 20706-2709
Phone/Fax: f301 J 577-1487
44th Group Vice President to 2nd A D A
Richard D. Butler T506/67J
16494 Wagon Wheel Drive
Riverside. CA 92506
Phone T909J 780-7421 Fax: T909J 780-1459
U.K. Representative : Steve Adams
28 Bassingham Rd.
Norwich. England N R 3 2QT
Phone/Fax: 011-44-1603-400221
e-mail: s.P.adams@btinternet.com
Director : Edw. K. "Mike" Mikoloski f66J
626 Smithfield Road #702
N. Providence, R1 02904
Phone/Fax: f401 J 353-0144
ASSOCIATION MAILING ADDRESS:
44th BGUA
P.O. Box 2367
Salt Lake City. U T 84110-2367
Director : Robert J. Lehnhausen f68J
709 West Meadows Place
Peoria. IL 61604-3447
Phone/Fax: T309J 685-2490
14
�WILLSEZ
Back in March, 1995, Lt. Gen. EG. "Buck"
Shuler, Ir. Chairman and C E O of The Mighty
Eighth Air Force Heritage Center wrote to
all organizations connected with the 8th Air
Force of W W #2. His message was that this
new organization had a goal to create and
maintain an electronic data base of
individuals w h o served in the Eighth Air
Force.
Shortly after that, your Prez Roy Owen and
met briefly with Buck at the annual reunion
of the 2nd A D A in Kentucky to discuss his
goals and means to accomplish this
Herculean task. Later, w e also talked with
Mary Beth Barnard, Director of History and
Archives at The Heritage Center w h o was
involved with development of software with
which to record that vast amount of data.
Naturally, both Roy and I were pleased to
cooperate with them, being aware of the
large amount of data which w e in the 44th
B G already had accumulated and the
pressing need to organize it for better usage.
With this goal in mind, we invited Tony
Mastradone into the picture, as he had been
instrumental in working with m e for several
years visiting the archives in Suitland to
obtain m a n y documents which I needed for
our history. Happily, Tony agreed, so w e
decided to begin a project to copy the
interrogation forms stored in our mission
folders.
An Interrogation Report form had been
prepared for each crew participating on
each mission for every mission during our
Operational period in England and Africa,
so this was the obvious way to obtain the
data required for the goal of The Heritage
Center - Data Base for Individuals. These
forms would provide most of the data
required for our combat crewman, but
would entail considerable expenditures to
copy and handle m a n y thousands of forms.
Happily, Tony and I had worked to obtain
m a n y of these forms in order to establish
and confirm m a n y facts regarding our
Operational activities - Roll of Honor,
missions flown, aircraft data and general
history of the Group. W e decided to start
with the end of the war in England, last
mission flown of 25 April, 1945 and work
back to the first in 1942. This was done
because w e had relatively few I.R. previously
copied and w e could pick up more data for
other purposes.
ITony has done an excellent job working
with the staff, fighting his way through the
massive tangle of government w h e n they
moved all of the archival documents in the
Washington, D.C. to the new, huge complex
building closer to his home. He recently
advised m e that his records show that
overall, he has copied over 9.000 forms! His
work has taken him into the records of
early 1944. so he still has quite large
numbers yet to complete. In order to hold
d o w n the expense, he plans his work as
efficiently as possible, telephones ahead,
asks his Archivist friends to "pull" the
mission folders he will need, so that he can
begin work on them immediately upon his
arrival. This will lessen the number of trips
which will ultimately be required. It costs 10
cents per copy for each form w e need, and
expensive to mail, so money has become a
problem so far as our budgets are concerned.
So he has cut back on this work for the
present.
As one can imagine, it also becomes a
problem for m e to organize, separate and
file these forms after I get them. I've been
forced to purchase plastic filing containers,
and n o w have to store them in m y garage as
there is no longer filing space in m y war
room. They must be kept in a safe place
until w e can begin the task of data entry.
Recently, it was learned that the software
being developed by Mary Beth Barnard at
The Heritage Center failed to handle the job
requirements, so they have adopted a new
�program. Procite, which was developed for
use by libraries, and are utilizing it to
compile listings of names only at this time.
Consequently, with precious time slipping
away, it seems necessary that w e take
positive steps to do more than that with all
of this precious store of records. Tennessee
T o m m y Shepherd has offered to develop
some recording forms utilizing the c o m m o n
software which several of us already are
using to be able to m a k e data entry now.
These "golden" years will not last forever, so
bit in teeth, w e plan to forge ahead.
recording what w e feel is essential and
important. Hopefully, w e can m a k e it work
well enough so that other members of the
2nd A D A Groups will join us so that what is
developed can be shared with these other
groups. In that manner, at least the 2nd
Division records will be compatible a m o n g
us all, for whatever purposes.
The 8 Ball Tails ©
Official Journal of The 44th Bomb Group
Veterans Association, Inc. ©
Compiled, written and published tri-yearly
6304 Meadowridge Dr., Santa Rosa, CA 95409,
Roy W. Owen, Editor. Printed and mailed Bulk
Rate at Salt Lake City, UT under USPS Permit
#6923. All original written material such as
letters, stories, excerpts from personal diar
or memoirs, drawings and photos submitted to
this journal will become the property of the
44th Bomb Group Veterans Association and will
be copyright protected except where noted.
The text and photos are otherwise reproduced
from official USAAF and USAF documents and
photos which have been released for
Thanks to all of these efforts, I am now able
publication. Permission is granted for the
to utilize these papers for a multitude of
contents of this journal to be reproduced
specifically for personal archives. Otherwise
purposes including the ability to verify
copyright material herein may be reproduced
missions for our combat m e n and to answer
by the journal of other incorporated non-profi
so m a n y questions regarding missions, w h o
veterans organizations so long as this
flew them, on which planes they flew, etc.
publication is properly credited and prior
They have been a great boon to m y ability to
permission is granted by the editor.
answer questions sent in by next of kin,
Those submitting letters, stories and phot
crew mates, etc. I can serve you all so m u c h
the editor or historian must do so with the
better than in the past in answering your
understanding that this material will most
questions.
likely be published in this journal as a matter
of interest to the members/subscribers of the
Association and this journal. While every
Hopefully our budget and treasury will be
attempt will be made to answer all of the
able to withstand these expenditures. W e
material received, there is no explicit or
will keep you posted with developments.
implied guarantee that an answer will be
Too, if there are others willing to assist us in
provided or published. Except for specific
any way with this project, please don't be
requests for the return of original documents
and photos, all material submitted will become
bashful. Drop a note and tell us what you
the property of the 44th Veterans Association,
think you can do to help. W e will listen very
Inc.,
or its successors.
carefully!
Due to space limitations and to ensure the
clarity and brevity of submitted material, the
Will Lundy
Publisher/Editor reserves the editorial license
to add, cut or otherwise modify all submitted
material so long as the original context of th
material is maintained.
�Savannah Reunion - 44th Bomb Group
Early arrival Saturday, October 24th
• Registration
• Tour Historic Savannah City Tour - Gray Line 11/2 hour (Cost $16)
• # 1 - Leave Hotel 1:00 p.m. - Return 2:30 p.m.
• # 2 - Leave Hotel 3:00 p.m. - Return 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 25th
• Registration 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Historic Savannah City Tour with Admission and tour on one of Savannah's Mansions.
Leave Hotel 1:00 p.m. - Return 3:00 p.m. (Cost $20)
• Reception - Days Inn: Cash Bar 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Dinner on your own.
Monday, October 26th
• Registration 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• First shuttle bus leaves Hotel at 9:00 a.m.forMighty 8th Museum.
• Visit Mighty 8th Museum.
• Buffet lunch at 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
• Program to dedicate Ploesti Exhibit -1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Shuttle bus returns to Days Inn at 2:45 p.m.
• Shuttle bus leaves at 5:00 p.m. for Convention Center.
•Banquet at Savannah Convention Center - Buffet and open bar.
-Ceremony
-Bag Pipes and Disk Jockey will provide entertainment.
•Shuttle bus returns to Days Inn 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 27th
Tours
• 9:00 a.m. Board Meeting for 44th Bomb Group Association (Hospitality Room)
• Low Country Tour (plantation site) - Cost $25 - Leaves at 9:00 a.m., returns 12:00 noon.
or Leaves at 1:00 p.m., returns 4:00 p.m.
• Squadron Dinners - Mighty 8th Museum.
Shuttles to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Dinner served at 7:00 p.m.
Shuttles to return at 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 28th
• Annual Meeting 9:00 am. (Whereabouts to be announced)
• Tour on Savannah River Queen. Dock at 1:30 p.m., return at 3:00 p.m. (Cost $17.50)
• Visit to Old Fort Jackson
Shuttles to leave at 6:00 p.m.
Dinner at 6:45 p.m.
Shuttle returns at 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 29th
• Leave for home.
17
m
�44th Bomb Group Reunion
October 25 - 29, 1998
Days Inn/ Days Suites • 201 West Bay Street
Savannah, Georgia
(912) 236-4440/Reservations Dept. (9 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
Please print or type only. All information must be completed.
Name:
Daytime Phone #:
Address:
City/State/Zipcode:
Spouse or Guest's Name:
Reservation - Accommodation: Send (the 1st Night's Deposit)
Arrival Date:
Departure Date:
Smoking: •
Non-Smoking: •
Room Type: Standard Double: •
Cost + 12% tax - Total *or current tax rate.
1) Standard $62 + 1 2 % tax = $69.44/night
2) Suites $82 + 1 2 % tax = $91.84/night
1 Bdrm Suite: •
lk I st night deposit should be sent to hotel with reservation
prior to 9/25/98!
•^DISCOUNT N O T AVAILABLE T H R O U G H 1-800 NUMBER!
You may send a check or indicate your credit card number and expiration date.
Hotel Policies
-k The hotel accepts credit cards and cash at check-in.
-k Check-in time is 3 p.m. Check-out time is 1 1 a.m.
~k Cancellation is no later than 48 hours prior to arrival.
We offer a cafe on property, open 6:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. , re-opens at 5:30 p.m. u
p.m. the next day.
If you are driving to the hotel, complimentary garage parking is available. Should
taxi service from the airport or Amtrak, the following telephone number may be helpful: Coastal
Shuttle - (912)964-5999.
"^"Please send one copy with payment to the hotel and keep on copy for your recor
(912) 234-0841 Ext. #147 and identify your group for the discounted rate (Monday - Friday 9
a.m. to 4 p.m.)
We look forward to seeing you in OCTOBER, 1998!!!
®
�44th Bomb Group Reunion
October 25 - 29, 1998
Savannah, Georgia
Registration Form
Please print or type only. All information must be completed.
Last Name: First (Name Tag)
Spouse:
Address:
City
Phone (
)
Guests & Relation:
Squadron:
State:
Zipcode:
Total to Attend:
REUNION COST: $ 140 PER PERSON
Tour # l October 24 - Historic Savannah City Tour $16 # Attending: Amount $
Time: o 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
o 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 pm.
Tour #2 - October 25 - Historic Savannah City Tour $20 # Attending: Amount $
w/Mansion admission 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tour #3 - October 27 - Low Country Tour $25 # Attending: Amount $
Time: o 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon
o 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Tour #4 -October 28-Narrated River Tour $17.50 # Attending: Amount $
Time: l :30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Total Amount: $
Registration must be received by October 11, 1998. No Registration will be processed after tha
Mail To: Mike Yuspeh • 7214 Sardonyx Street • New Orleans, LA 70124-3509
Phone: (504) 283-3424 • Fax: (504) 283-3425 (6 rings to pick up.)
NOTE: If you have sent in previous information, please fill out this form and mail with check
®
�COST OF REUNION - REGISTRATION
Complete Reunion - $140
This price includes:
Registration
Reception Days Inn
Transportation to Mighty 8th Museum
Admission to Museum, Lunch at m u s e u m
Transportation to Banquet, Convention Center, buffet, open bar (45 min.).
Transportation & Squadron Dinner.
Transportation & Old Fort Jackson admission and buffet.
All tours subject to number of people who sign up.
If not enough interest, tour will be cancelled.
20
�THEREUPON
Autumn leaves rustling, together
to the appointed place the old warriors come.
Pilgrims, drifting across the land they fought to preserve.
Where they meet is not so important anymore...They meet
and that's enough for now.
Greetings echo across a lobby.
Hands reach out and arms draw buddies close. Embraces,
that as young m e n they were too uncomfortable to give,
too shy to accept so lovingly.
But deep, within these Indian S u m m e r days they have reached
a greater understanding of life and love.
The shells holding their souls are weaker now,
but hearts and minds grow vigorous remembering.
On a table someone spreads old photographs; a test of recollection.
And friendly laughter echoes at shocks of hair gone gray or white, or merely gone.
The rugged, slender bodies lost forever.
Yet they no longer need to prove their strength.
S o m e are n o w sustained by one of "medicine's miracles",
and even in this fact they manage to find humor.
The w o m e n , all those w h o waited, all those w h o love them,
have watched the changes take place. Now, they observe and listen,
and smile at each other; as glad to be together as the men.
Talk turns to war and planes and foreign lands. Stories are told and told again,
reweaving the threadbare fabric of the past.
Mending one more time the banner of their youth.
They hear the vibrations, feel the shudder of metal as propellers whine and whirl,
and planes come to life.
These birds with fractured wings can see beyond the mist of clouds,
and they are in the air again, chasing the wind,
feeling the exhilaration of flight, close to the heavens;
the wiid and blue yonder of their anthem.
Dead comrades, hearing their names spoken, wanting to share in this time, if only in spirit,
move silently among them. Their presence is felt and smiles appear beneath misty eyes.
Each, in his o w n way, m a y wonder w h o will be absent another year.
The room grows quiet for a time.
Suddenly an ember flames to life. Another memory burns.
The talk m a y turn to other wars and other men, and of futility. So this is how it goes.
The past is so much the present.
In their ceremonies, the allegiances, the speeches, and the prayers, one cannot help but
hear the deep eternal love of country they will forever share.
Finally it is time to leave. Much too soon to set aside this little piece of yesterday, but
the past cannot be held too long for it is fragile.
They say, "Farewell...see you next year, God willing", breathing silent prayers for one another.
Each keeping a little of the others with him forever.
Rachel
Firth
From the
DAEDALUS FLYER, Spnng 1997
21
�FOLDED WINGS
February, 1998
Claudie E.Anglin
11111194
Not data located. Notified by
son, Gary
George Bakantic. Jr. 4/16/88 506th Sq. Pilot assigned on 20 Dec 44. Crash landed on 23 Feb 45
on the continent atA-64, St. Dizier, France. Plane was
salvaged. Last mission flown was 20 April 45. Return to U.S.
Harold A. Barnes 1/97 68th S/Sgt. Barnes was a gunner on Lt. Robert C. Koablein's crew.
Assigned to the 68th Sq. on 29 May 44. Harold completed his
tour on 8 Sept 44.
Norman E. Bartlett 11/26/96 67th Lt. Bartlett was a 1st pilot in the 67th Squadron, assigned with
his crown in June 44, and flew hisfirstmission on 7 July. He
was promoted to 1st Lt. on 1 Aug, and to Capt. on 24 Nov 44.
In his later missions he was flying as a Lead Crew, completing his tour with 32 missions on 12 Dec, and on 19 Dec he
was assigned to the 70th RCDfor return to the U.S.
Herman D. Bowman 3/27/97 Served with the 1132 Quartermaster Corps as a Sgt.
Samuel Bryan. Jr. 12/16/90 66th S/Sgt. Bryan was a tail gunner on the Charles Craven crew.
This crew transferred into the 66th Sq. in Aug 44 from the
492nd BG, flew theirfirstmission 1 Sept 44. They concluded
their tour on 29 Dec 44.
James M. Burton 2/14/97 506th S/Sgt. Burton was a tail gunner on Paul Duretfs crew.
Assigned to the 506th Sq. in July 44 andflewfirst mission on
12 Aug 44. Crew completed their tour in Jan 45 with 35
missions.
John M. Butler 10/30/92 67th Tail Turret gunner on Lt. Harold F. Hess crew. On their 6th
mission to Mont de Marson, France, 27 March 44, their plane
was badly damaged, forcing them to bail out over Spain.
Crew eventually transferred to the 9th AF where they all
completed 50 missions.
James B. Caulfield. Cpl 1/7/98 Arrived Shipdham March 43. Assigned to 506th as communications specialist transferred to 492nd in March 44 returned
to U.S. on 8 July 45.
Carlisle Crutcher 1983 HQ.67,506 50th Station Complement, ASN 0-905334 1st Lt. Crutcher
sailed to England on the Queen Mary in Sept 42. At
Cheddington he was the Group's S-2 Officer. Was promoted to
Captain Dec 42. Capt. Crutcher was Group Public Relations
Officer in April 44, was 67th Sq. Public Relations Officer in
Aug 44 and Oct 44 was transferred to the 50th Station Compl.
Squadron in the same capacity.
22
�Roy C. Cunningham
1994
George B. Davis, ETC
7197
RoyM. Devlin
67th
...He was assigned to the 506th Sq. on 1 Dec 43. Davis served
a co-pilot in the 506th Sq.for both Lts. Dean Miller and John
W. Grow. Jr. Hisfirstmission was 14 Jan 44 and nine more
with Lt. Miller, then 10 more with Lt. Grow. They transferred
to the 66th Squadron in April 44 toflyas a lead crew, finishing
up with 31 total missions on 21 June 44. Stayed in the Air
Force and retired as Lt. Col.
1121197
66168th .
William M. Duffy. Jr.
9/24/97
Robert E. Gjestrum
11126197
Robert G. Godwin
70/97
Gonzales Gomez
Frank T. Goosen
Herbert A. Hastings
Earle V. Hawkins
1972
• •• T/Sgt. Cunningham was the engineer on Lt Fred P.
Hildebrand's crew. They were assigned to the squadron on 24
Jan 45, flew theirfirstmission on 16 Feb 45, completed 23
more before the end of hostilities.
.. Devlin joined the John W. Glow's crew as a navigator in Ap
44 when that crew transferred into the 66th Sq. On Sept 1 he
transferred to the 68th Squadron to join Lt. Torrell's crew. On
5 Oct 44 he was on DS to Ketteringham until 14 Jan 45 when
he was permanently transferred to HQ.
..Lt. Duffy was 1st pilot in the 506th Sq.from Dec 43 to March
44. On 29 Jan 44 he made an outstanding landing returning
from a mission, badly damaged with wounded aboard, and a
ball turret which would not retract, he successfully completed
a tricycle landing without any further damage to the plane or
the turret. His last few missions heflewas Group lead for the
44th BG.
68th
. T/Sgt. Gjestrum served as the engineer for the Richard Dona
crew, which was assigned on 2 June 44. Robert completed his
tour in Sept 44 and transferred to the 12th RCD on 16 Sept 44
to return to the U.S. We last saw Bob at the San Antonio
reunion.
66th
. S/Sgt. Godwin was a gunner on Norm Nutt's crew after being
transferred from Leo Crooks crew. He completed the war with
Norm's crew and flew home on 29 May 45 in the famous
aircraft, Glory Bee. Robert was an active member of the 44th
BGVA, attended the Salt Lake City reunion in October and
suffered a fatal heart attack a day after returning home.
67th
Death was confirmed by Arthur Hand when searching for this
man in Superior, Arizona.
11119174 Unknown Death confirmed by Arthur Hand when searching for this man
in Michigan.
1/30/98
Date
67th T/Sgt. Hastings served as a Radio Operator on the Capt.
Edward Reynold's crew. This crew flew itsfirstmission in Nov
44 and flew missions until the end of the war in 45. They
returned to the States in U-Bar, 42-50539.
Unknown
. Lt. Hawkins joined the 68th Sq. in June 43, served as a copilot for George Martin in Africa including the Ploesti mission
44 and flew missions until the end of the war in 45. They
returned to the States in U-Bar, 42-50539.
23
�Lee E. Howell, Sr.
7/28/94
1132 QM
Lee's rank was Pfc.
Howard Lewis Hinman 12197 67th Lt. Hinman was a 1st pilot in the 67th Squadron in Dec 44. O
16 Jan 45, whileflyingon left wing of Col. Snavely, bot
airplanes were severely damaged byflak,causing both p
to be abandoned just inside Allied territory. Lt. Hin
badly injured and taken offflyingstatus. He was replac
Raymond Maynard.
John R. Jaquis Unknown .... 68th Lt. Jaquis was a navigator on the FIO Donald F. Tofte crew
which joined the 68th Sq. 8 July 44. Theirfirstmission
18 July and on their third mission, 21 July 44, Channe
was severely damaged byflakLeaking fuel, he landed in
Switzerland. Lt. Jaquis was interned, but returned t
on 31 Oct 44.
Albert Ed Jones, Sgt Unknown .... 661340th He served from Sept 42 to June 45. Sgt. Jones was
out on the line, assisting the Tower personnel in hand
operations, meeting and directing visiting aircraft
with emergencies.
John Robert Ki I gore 2/16/98 66th Lt. Kilgore sewed as a navigator for Capt. Louis Mazure
lead crew. On 5 June 44, Capt. Mazure was killed, his
badly damaged, but limped back to southern England w
the crew bailed out. Lt. Kilgore broke both bones in
spent 8 months in hospital for treatment for his sever
The Command Pilot, Col. Vance, 489th BG, was awarded
Medal of Honor for ditching this aircraft, as it had a
on board.
Stephen Kincaid Unknown Still Researching.
Roy E. Kirkland Unknown Still Researching.
James R. Lewis, Lt 7995 506th Lt. Lewis was co-pilot for Lt. FredRawson's crew. They were
assigned to the 506th Sq. on 4 Feb 44,flewtheirfirstmi
on 20 Feb. Their plane was badly damaged, had to be ab
doned over enemy territory. Tail gunner RA Wapensky'
was damaged and partially burned, so Lt. Lewis hoiste
onto his back, jumped while both hanging on tightly,
opening of the chute caused the Sgt. to pull lose, fal
death. Lt. Lewis was a POW until war's end, was recom
mended for a Silver Star.
Dixon C. McEver, Jr. 5/20/97 67th Lt. McEver flew as a co-pilot for the Capt. Joseph Herrma
crew. He was assigned the end of May,firstmission flo
D-Day, 6 June 44. Many of their missions were aboard
less Fosdick. Completed tour of 31 missions on 15 Aug
James H. McEver 5/6/77 506th Lt. James McEver was a brother of Dixon, flew his missions
prior to Dixon's. James was a co-pilot for Lt. Jack M.
crew, which was assigned in April 44. Hisfirstmission
A
May 44, but a collision with a German fighter brought
^-i
down. Luckily, all crewmen survived to become POWs.
24
��~^~7>t7Ters panichure7!^afeTT7ol5Truine POWsr
Lt. Wessinger
was co-pilot
for the FIO
Donald
James
O. Wessinger,
Jr.
Unknown
....
68th Tofte crew
assigned to the 68th Sq. on 8 July 44. While on their third
mission their aircraft was badly damaged byflakand fuel
leaking, landed in Switzerland. Lt. Wessinger was interned.
returned to Shipdham on 27 Oct 44.
NOTE: The three FIO Tofte crew members listed above were confirmed deceased by their crew mate, Albert Brown
Exact dates could not be established.
I WISH I W A S 18 AGAIN
-George BurnsAt a bar down in Dallas
An old m a n chimed in...
and I thought he w a s out of his head...
Just being a young man, I first laughed it off,
when I heard what this old m a n said.
He said "I'll never again turn the young ladies head...
or go running of into the wind...
I'm three-quarters home, from the start to the end...
and I wish I w a s eighteen again.
I wish I was eighteen again, and going where I've never been...
But old oaks and old folks...
standing tall, just pretend,
I wish I was eighteen again.
Now time turns the pages, and life goes so fast...
The years turn the black hairs all gray. I talk to s o m e young folks,
but they don't understand the words
this old man's got to say.
I wish I was eighteen again...and going where I've never been,
but old folks and old oaks, standing tall, just pretend,
I wish I was eighteen again....
Lord, I wish I w a s eighteen again.
26
�January 10,1998
Gerald FoIsom
PO. Box 2365
Salt Lake City, Utah 84102-3620
1 appreciate the tremendous amount of work and effort you and Art Hand and others must have put into producin
the 44th Veterans Association Roster. 1 feel that the least 1 can do is to provide some of the bits and pieces that 1 a m
aware of and let you fill in the big picture.
Dixon and James McEver from Waco, Texas, were both pilots and both served in the 44th. James didn't serve for
very long. On April 8,1944, on the w a y to Brunswick, and on his one and only mission, he met an FW190. The result
was a mid air collision and both planes blew up. Miraculously all crew members survived and became POWs. (Pages
219-220 Lundys ROLL OF H O N O R ) .
1 did not meet James until after the war when we were both students at the University of Houston. James had
saved his money while in the P O W camps (actually, what else could he have done?) On the other hand, being in the
8th Air Force, 1 had very little incentive to save money. However, 1 did have a great time exploring London. After the
war, things changed again. James w a s n o w affluent and sowing his pent up wild oats, and 1 was now broke and also
had a pregnant wife. So, while 1 secretly admired his new life-style, 1 knew 1 could not keep up with him, so w e kind
of drifted apart. The last 1 heard of him w a s that he had accidently drowned one Saturday afternoon at a swank
private party. The date was June 5,1977 in Houston, Texas.
Dixon McEver 1 knew well. In different planes, we sort of skipped along together from Casper, Wyoming in Marc
1944 to Topeka, Kansas, and the 44th in England. W h e n w e arrived at Topeka, our crews were given brand spanking
new B-24s and sent on our way. W e went north by w a y of Lake Erie, N e w England, N e w Foundland and Iceland, and
then on to the 44th in England. W e did get an eight day layover in Iceland because of the horrible weather. W e
utilized the time mainly trying to thaw out. W h e n McEver's crew left Topeka, they headed leisurely for England by
way of the Caribbean and Africa before dropping in on us at Shipdham. W e were proud of the w a y they managed to
handle their rum and coca-cola on their w a y over.
You can believe that all the way over we had heard about what had happened to James. At that time we had no
idea that w e were also headed to the 44th. W h e n w e finally settled down in the 44th, w e heard the details of what
had happened to James. That is w h e n w e realized that the fun and games were over and the war was about to begin
for us - for real.
Dixon is listed in the deceased directory, but James is not. I think we should correct that.
Recently 1 received a new copy of the 44th Bomb Group's Roster and while checking it out to see if my name wa
spelled right, 1 discovered another John Butler listed in San Carlos, California. 1 was getting ready to visit m y
daughter who lives down the road in Cupertino, so 1 called the phone number that was listed. 1 was thinking in terms
of having a cup of coffee and comparing notes. Mrs. Butler answered the phone and told m e he had been deceased
for over four years. W h e n 1 explained w h o 1 was (another John Butler) and w h o 1 had called, she insisted that 1 come
over and look at his collection of mementos. So m y daughter and 1 went over to visit. W e had a very pleasant and
enjoyable visit. Their h o m e is on a large hilltop with a spectacular view of San Francisco Bay. N o w the part that 1 a m
sure will interest Art Hand, John Butler was on the Ploesti Raid. I saw his records of his trips from Shipdham to Africa
and his records of Ploesti. Apparently he w a s one of the few that m a d e it all the w a y back to Africa. Also, at some
point he was transferred to the 15th Air Force in Italy.
Best regards,
John E. Butler
5931 Reamer
Houston, Texas 77074
27
�BeatingtheBushes
^
By Art Hand & Will Lundy
ISAAC ABEYTA: 1107 Harvest Rd, Cherry Hill. NJ 08034. Isaac was in the 66th Squadron, was on
Flaherty's crew, served as a tail gunner, flew the Ploesti mission and many others.
THEODORE H. DOWALO: 127 West Richardson Ave., Langhorne, PA 19047-2827. 67th Sq. Gunner on L
Craig's crew.
MICHELE ANDERSON: 6363 South Fairwind Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84084 (801) 963-1387. She
Folsom's daughter.
BERNARD A. GREENFIELD: 322 State Street, Apt. 1, Carthage, NY 13619-1441 (315) 493-2317. Ber
was assigned to the 67th Sq. He worked with the D F Station out on "the line."
THERESA MURPHY McKENNEY: 308 Goodwin Road, Eliot, ME 03903 (207) 439-2866. Theresa is the
daughter of Lt. William t. Murphy, Lt. Houle's crew, lost at sea on 18 Nov 43. See Page 33 herein.
MID AMERICAN AIR MUSEAUM: Liberal, Kansas
DANI SU STRANGE: 9307 Gary, Lubbock, TX 79423. She is the daughter of Fritzi Selasky.
JEAN B. ROBBINS: 9145 Ahmann Ave. Whirtier, CA 90603 (562) 696-4638. Sgt. Robbins served as
turret gunner in the 506th Sq. flew with the Bakanic crew Dec 44 to April 45.
LINDA WESTON: 10 Sydenham Court, Berkshire Close, Portsmouth P01-1RE. Linda and her husband
the farmhouse next to Site 2. She was "mum" to the 506th.
LT. MATT YLITALO, USMC: 176 Glenwood Drive, Hubert, NC 28539. Sent in by Don Ukens.
"New" members, people who had previously been members who dropped out for various reasons, b
"seen the light" and have again joined us, or been located.
WILLIAM BRADY, JR.: 3139 Sam Houston, Forest Road, Lake Charles, LA 70611. 67th Sq. Ploesti,
Suzy Q with Brandon.
CLIFFORD H. BAUER: 833 South Eliseo Drive, Greenbrae, CA 94904 (415) 461-2936. 66th Sq. Wife
DOUGLAS S. EDEN: Route 4, Box 4452 Lot 8 Donna, TX (956) 464-2571.
PAUL JAMES: 287 Starview Drive, Rutherfordton, NC 28139 (704) 287-7513. 66th Sq. Al Graham's
HAROLD A. KRAMER: 7016 North Tahoma Ave., Chicago, IL 60646-1134 (773) 763-7128. 464th SD. W
ADRAIN LANCASTER: 6218 Anglewood Lane, Cottondale, AL 35453 (205) 556-1309.
HARRY H. POWERS: 12400 Oak Leaf Court, Auburn, CA 95603 (916) 823-0610. 68th Squadron.
DOYLE V. SHARRETT: 19301 West Desert Forest Dr., Sun City, AZ 85351 (602) 933-2047. 806th Ch
ARCHIE M. THOMAS: RR #7, Box 7080, Palestine, TX 75801-9111 (903) 729-6779. 67th Squadron. W
28
m
�MEMORY LAME
A fARM JUST Off ThE bASE. ANyONE RECOqMJZE ThE pyRAMid ROOf?
EXCUSE ME,
is This
TITE TRAJN TO
29
BENqhAzi?
��MAIL CALL
editor: This comes from Sue Johnson Vondenberg.
After Gen. Johnson possed a w a y , I sent s o m e
biographical material to Steve fldams a n d asked him
to see that the €nglish Press, especially in Norfolk, got
the material and would "do right" by our General uuith
a nice article. Steve turned it over to Steve Snelling,
veteran reporter of the €astern Daily Press, a n d
between the extensive photo archives Steve fldams
has and the intimate knowledge Steve Snelling has of
the General, both during and post-war, h e authored a
"farewell to a Legend" which w a s a magnificent
tribute to him and w a s given a full p a g e in the
eastern Daily Press published in Norwich.
Steve sent m e a copy to pass on to Sue. UJe
got calls from all over €ngland from English
friends uuho knew or k n e w of General
Johnson. It was so wonderful to see h o w
revered our boss w a s in our beloved England.
Dear Royi,
Thank you so very much for the wonderful
clipping! Steve fldams wrote and told m e it
was a wonderful tribute and I w a s going to
ask you to make m e a copy. It w a s so
thoughtful of you to send m e an original. I
hove one problem with the article—I w o n d e r w h o told
the author that D a d w a s "small"!!! That must have
surprised you too! O h well, I
guess it m a d e a better story!
UJe missed you at the
funeral, but you certainly
couldn't leave such a fine
birthday celebration!
I want to thank the
members of the 44th B G V A
for the donation in Dad's
name to the Air Force Aid
Society. Barrett Taylor, w h o
was such a great help to m e ,
told m e Dad had set up the
program at the behest of
General Arnold after W W I I
It was such an honor to
have so m a n y m e m b e r s of
the 44th at the funeral. I
wish I could have had hours
and hours to talk to
everyone. I heard so m a n y
wonderful stories.
M y husband, Sandy, and I are in the process of
nominating D a d to the National Aviation Hall of Fame. I
a m the portrait artist for the NflHF and I want to draw
his portrait for posterity! I have already done the one
for Sandy's father.
The Farewell to D a d in the 8-Ball Tails w a s
beautiful. Vou all k n e w him the best and really wrote
the very best article.
Thank you again for the news clipping.
Very Sincerely,
Sue
TkE H O N O R A R Y P^U 1>EARERS foR GENERAI JOIINSON, IETT TO RiqfiT: Col.
Ed. "MikE Mikoloski (66TIT), NANcyVoN Epps (14TEI C B W ) , AwihoNy
MASTRAdoiNE (67xh), Col. RickARd D. BUTIER (506TEI), Col. WilliAM
BARRETT TAVIOR (14TIH C B W ) , Col. WilliAM R. C A M E R O N (67TII/HQ.
44Th B G ) , BRiq. GEN. jAck GibsoN (Ho. 44Th).
TkE USAF H O N O R GuARd pREpAREd TO IOWER TEJE CAskET of GENERAI
LEON JOIHNSON iNTO his A R U N Q T O N NATJONAI CEMETERY HNAI RESTJNQ PLACE.
��obout a short talk I gave at the January meeting of
the British Legion. They were interested in the amount
of battle damage w e had to contend with and did w e
have any crash landings. The one I did talk about—but
don't remember the n a m e — w a s the plane which
came in—think a landing gear gave w a y and hanger
#3 (464th sub-dept) replaced the b o m b a y walkway
(temporarily) with a telephone pole. Then it w a s
flown to the Wattan Depot for the actual walkway.
There is an article on this but don't have time to look
it up. I know I had some kind of a job on that plane the
night it was in—they used to put m e on de-icers or
fuel cell replacement.
Oh...I did get on opportunity to m a k e an entry into
my log as the weather cleared one morning and I took
up Piper Cherokee.
UJhile visiting m y in-laws in Shipdham, I had the
privilege of placing a wreath on the 44th B G memorial
located in All Saints church yard. The occasion w a s
"Remembrance Day" Nov. 11th (celebrated on
Sunday, 9 Nov 97). The British Legion conducted their
poppy drive prior to this holiday. At their service, they
remember all their veterans w h o sacrificed their lives
in WLUI, WWII, Lorea and Falkland wars. The n a m e s of
the servicemen from the village w h o never returned
are read and then a prayer is recited.
Regardless of the many years which have passed
since WWII, members of the Shipdham British Legion
never forget the airmen from the 44th B G w h o gave
their lives for their country, as in the past, I went along
that afternoon, with a contingent of the Shipdham
British Legion to place a poppy wreath on the
memorials in Watton, Deophas Green and at Arrow Air
on the Shipdham Base.
Simple as these ceremonies are, it still gives one time
to think and
remember our
friends w h o gave
so much for us.
Sincerely,
AIC.
This touching letter comes from Theresa Murphy
McKenney, daughter of 2nd Lt. William T. Murphy,
Navigator on the 1st Lt. Joseph L. Houle 67th Sqdn.
Crew which, after suffering heavy battle d a m a g e over
Kjellar Airfield, Oslo Norway, on the 18 November
1943 raid, were forced to ditch approximately 50 miles
short of €ngland landfall. The entire crew perished in
the ditched aircraft.
TkERESA MuRphy M C K E N N E Y AT TIHE MEMORIAI M A ^ E R «Ii AnlrnqTON
NATioNA. CEMETERY b . kER M *
2Nd
LT. WJIUAM "T Mu-phy. Sta «
ACCOMPANiEd by kER SON, Rick McKENNEy ANd GRANDSON, MATTK.EW
WilliAM McKENNEy AfTER T k E MEMORIAI SERVJCE iN kis koNOR ON
OcTobER 10,1997.
Dear Mr. Owen:
A memorial service was held at Arlington National
Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia on October-1C 1997
for 2nd Lt. William T. Murphy, a native of Highland
Falls NY. He served in the 8th Air Force 67th Squadron
44th B o m b Group in WWII as a navigator, B-24
iZlTond
w a s awarded the Purple Heart and A,r
Uberator, an
HJstonQn
Alfred Cataldo
4 5 Wianno Rd.
Yarmouth Port, CA
02675-2178
0°rThe
4° h Bomb Group Veterans Assn., for sharing
Ltrmation from his Roll of Honor. To^quote from Mr.
Narway: "€nemy aircraft made attacks both before
33
«>
�the target and again on the return. M a n y ships were
damaged by an unexpected attack out of the sun on
the return, and were lost due to these attacks and by
running out of fuel and having to ditch. The 67th
Squadron lost three ships and 68th lost two..."
S o m e would say "Why have a memorial service
now?" T w o years ago, during the 50th anniversary of
the end of World W a r II, m y grandmother's niece,
w h o m I had never met , contacted m e . She had read
an article in National Geographic about the World W a r
II Cambridge Cemetery in Cambridge, Cngland where
the names of 5,126 Americans w h o gave their lives in
the service of their country but whose remains were
not recovered, are inscribed on a 472 foot wall, the
Tablets of the Missing. The government must have
attempted to let m y mother know of this memorial
when it w a s dedicated in 1956 but she had moved
from the last known address which they had on file as
I'm sure w a s the case with many WWII widows. Only
someone w h o has been through a loss where there is
no tangible place to go to pay h o m a g e can understand
h o w moving this discovery was.
April 1996, this same relative, Kathryn Schoch,
sent m e information that the next of kin could request
a memorial marker be placed at Arlington National
Cemetery for WWII veterans whose remains were not
recovered.
18 November 1997 There were months of phone
colls and sending for forms. W h e n I took the completed
application to the post office. I sent it Certified Moil to
be sure of its receipt. W h e n they stamped the date, it
w a s notable that the date w a s November 18th, the
day he w a s reported missing in action August 1997
The last flying B-24 Liberator flew into the former
Grenier Air Base Manchester, NH (where he had been
stationed). M y M o m read about it after the fact, but I
w a s able to bring the picture of this plane that he w a s
so proud of to show everyone when w e assembled
before the ceremony at Arlington. Next year I'll find
out ahead about the tour and go aboard.
September 1997. Invitations to the memorial
service went out and in the process, I heard from so
many people w h o had known m y Dad in so m a n y
different ways. To quote from a letter I received from
someone in his 67th squadron: "November of 1943
w a s a deadly time in WWII and I salute Lt. Murphy and
all w h o flew with him on those perilous days. I know
because I w a s there also. They indeed "signed the
skies with their honor."
10 October There w a s a room in the
Administration Building for us to gather and the
chaplain came in to meet us. I had brought his pictures
and medals and documents and the rubbing of his
inscription from Cambridge Cemetery. W e followed in
motor procession to the site and 6 young airmen met
us. The pace ot which they moved, and the regard
shown for the flag as they removed it from the car,
unfolded it for the prayers then refolded it to give to
m e , w a s so calming and beautiful and full of respect.
There w a s a 21 gun salute and seeing the m e n in
uniform high on the ridge with the sun outlining each
one w a s a powerful tribute, as w a s the playing of
Taps. The day w a s perfect—warm, sunny, with a
gentle breeze blowing the golden leaves from the
trees. It w a s like nothing else and w e were privileged
to be there to remember him ond pay tribute to him at
last.
M a n y m e m b e r s of the family were able to attend,
while others, unable to travel because of poor health,
sent w a r m letters with information about m y Dad.
One, w h o m I had never met had saved a scrapbook of
clippings which m e a n so much to m e now. In o way, it
makes not having known him more tragic, but I've
learned so much more about him which I can share
with m y children and grandchildren. His great
grandson, Matthew William, w a s among those present
at the memorial service and will be able, like the rest
of us, to return to pay h o m a g e to his great
grandfather in the years to come...to remember him,
to say a prayer and to give thanks for the sacrifice he
m a d e for us oil.
Theresa Murphy McKenney
308 Goodwin Road
€liot, M € 03903
(207) 439-2866
Cditor: Thank you so much, Theresa, for sharing with
your 44th family, the emotional experience of finally,
after 54 years, being able to honor and bid a loving
farewell to your heroic father with your family at your
side.
It is only lately, with witnessing situations like
yours and that of Lois Cianci, where, time
notwithstanding, the loss of o dearly loved one in o
far a w a y conflict in circumstances that prevent
personal involvement in seeing to a final place of rest,
w e are coming to understand that the loved ones left
behind will bear the feeling of on unfulfilled need. This
is a need to have s o m e sort of opportunity to bid a
personal farewell which will be an assurance that the
life of their loved one is truly over. W h e n one comes to
understand that feeling, w e need not ask, "Why have
a memorial service n o w ? "
Theresa, w e are very proud that you have chosen
to remain a part of the 44th family. W e will save a
membership for both Rick and Matthew.
���
Dublin Core
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Title
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8 Ball Tails
Newsletter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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8 Ball Tails Volume 2 - Issue 5: Spring 1998
Source
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<span>44th Bomb Group Veteran's Association Website (<a class="in-cell-link" target="_blank" href="http://www.8thairforce.com/44thbg" rel="noreferrer noopener">Now Inactive</a>)</span>
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Spring 1998