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�44 TH BOMB GROUP
VETERANS ASSOCIATION BOARD
2002
Official Journal of The
President: Gerald (Jerry) Folsom (506)
3582 East Dover Hill Road
Salt Lake City, U T 84121-5527
Phone (801) 733-7371 Fax: (801) 942•9988
e-mail: 44thbgva@xmission.com
Compiled, written and
Historian: C.W. "Will" Lundy (67)
2519 WestvilleTrl
Cool, C A 95614-2008
Phone/Fax: (530) 886-8636 (Winter)
e-mail: willundy@aol.com
P.O. Box 315, Bridgeport, C A 93517 (Summer)
Phone/Fax: (760) 932-7349
The 8 Ball Tails©
44th Bomb Group
Veterans Association,
Inc.©
published tri-yearly at
2041 Village Circle
Membership, Search: Art Hand (66)
East, York, PA, by Ruth
517 Elm Street
W
. Davis-Morse, Editor.
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Printed and mailed Bulk
Phone/Fax: (217) 463-5905
e-mail: k9hwp@comwares.net
Rate at Salt Lake City,
Secretary & 8 Ball Tails Editor:
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U T under U S P S Permit
Director: Robert Lee Aston (67)
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#6923. All original
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written material such
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as letters, stories,
e-mail: leeaston@popoinetia.net
e-mail: rewdm@blazenet.net
excerpts from personal
Director: Robert Paul Kay (Paul) (68)
Treasurer: To be determined.
diaries or memoirs,
10411 Brook Lane S W
drawings and photos
Tacoma, W A 98499
Immediate Past President:
submitted to this
Phone: (253) 584-4420
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will become the
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Director: Richard Lynch (67)
property of the 44th
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Phone/Fax: (401) 353-0144
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The text and photos are
Phone/Fax: 011-44-1603-400221
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from official U S A A F
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to be reproduced
specifically for personal
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copyright material herein may be reproduced by the journal of other incorporated non-profit veterans organizations so long as this
publication is properly credited and prior permission is granted by the editor.
First Vice President: Roy W. Owen (506)
6304 Meadowridge Drive
Santa Rosa, C A 95409-5839
Phone:(707)538-4726 Fax:(707)538-1212
e-mail: Rowen44bg@aol.com
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Visit our website @ www.44thbombgroup.Gom
Those submitting letters, stories and photos to the editor or historian must do so with the understanding that this material will most
likely be published in this journal as a matter of interest to the members/subscribers of the Association and this journal. While every
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or published. Except for specific requests for the return of original documents and photos, all material submitted will become the
property of the 44th Veterans Association, Inc., or its successors.
�506 & 67t& S<%uad>uM&
Dick Butler was 20 years old when
break from formation to avoid
he was sworn into the United
flying into the incendiaries,
States Air Force. WWII was only six
making them easy targets for the
weeks in progress, and Butler
German fighter planes. Five B-24's
knew exactly what he wanted to
were lost." (Ed. Note: The
do. He wanted to fly. He had
Luftwaffe also paid a price, 23
fighters fell to the guns of the
already gotten his license as a
Liberators.)
civilian pilot, and he promptly
signed up for aviation cadet
Along with the memories of flak
training. He had studied at San
and fighters, Butler remembers
Diego State College, University of
the difficulty of maintaining the
Southern California; then after
formation at a high altitude. The
induction, Williams Field,
Second
Lieutenant
Richard
D.
temperature
was 54-56 degrees
Arizona; Lindbergh Field, Merced
Butler. Photo taken January,
below zero, certainly a shock to a
AAF, San Diego; then Luke Field,
1943 in West Palm Beach,
young
m a n born and raised in
Arizona, where he received his
Florida.
California. The entire crew made
pilot rating and commission as a
it
back
safely,
and could revel in the fact that
Second Lieutenant. That same day, he
this dangerous mission earned the 44th B o m b
married his high school sweetheart, Ardith
Group a Presidential Unit Citation. This was
Lundy.
the first such award to a unit in World War II.
With all the enthusiasm of a young aviator,
Wiping out the sub pens was crucial to the
Second Lieutenant Butler arrived in England
war effort. At that time, the U-Boats were
as co-pilot on Earthquake McGoon, February
persistently causing damage to the supply
1943, flying via West Palm Beach, Puerto
lines that stretched across miles of ocean.
Rico, and Marrakech, French Morocco.
The Germans knew the importance of this
His skills were put to a test soon after arrival; operation, which is the reason they defended
it with such ferocity.
the mission -- May 14 at the Krupp Submarine
shipbuilding installations and German Navy
submarine pens at Kiel, Germany. That
memorable event was well documented by
Roy O w e n in the S u m m e r 1999 issue of the 8
Ball Tails. The plan had been for B-17s to drop
500 pound H D bombs; and Liberators were to
follow with 100 pound incendiary clusters.
"I remember the sky we were flying through
was full of junk," Butler remembers, "flak,
plane parts and the incendiaries that c a m e
apart immediately. On-coming pilots had to
®
Three days later, Liberators were off from
southern England to the U-Boat pens and
docks at Bordeaux, France. It was a twelve
hour mission, the longest yet out of England.
Flying low level over the Bay of Biscay, the
Group successfully bombed their target and
m a d e it safely back home. This was
considered to be a perfectly executed
mission, credited to the extreme secrecy of
the mission and the success in precisely
hitting the target. They climbed to a bombing
�devised seven months previously by President
altitude of 20,000 feet on approach to the
Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill at
French coast. (This was low level flying over
water, unlike the Ploesti mission which came later.)Casablanca.
North Africa
Word came that the group was to fly to North
Africa. W h e n they set off to Benghazi, the
Earthquake McGoon crew was sent first to an
airfield near London for wooden crates. It was
later learned that these crates contained
models of the Ploesti oil refineries.
While Generals Patton and Montgomery were
winding their way through south Sicily to
Messina, the 44th was bombing marshaling
yards in Italy; air dromes in Sicily and Foggia,
Italy; marshaling yards in Naples and Rome.
(Orders for bombing the Littoria Yards in
Rome were, "Don't hit the Vatican"). Keeping
the Germans on the defensive in Italy was
part of the grand plan which had been
Dick remembers life in Africa. It was no
picnic. The m e n dug their own trenches
around their tents. It was hot; there were
mosquitoes, flies, scorpions, huge locusts and
other insects. The blowing sand was an
unending problem, keeping it out of the
engines and the food. The surrounding desert
was littered with trashed equipment, a good
hiding place for snipers. Despite all
difficulties, low level flying was becoming a
practiced art in the desert of Libya, flying
over the models of the oil fields of Ploesti, in
preparation for OPERATION TIDAL WAVE.
The Ploesti Mission
Finally, Sunday, August 1st arrived. The
briefing was in an open air theater. The
importance of
this mission was
emphasized, in
that 'even if
every plane was
lost, but the
target was
destroyed, it
would be worth
it', truly a
sobering
statement. Col.
Leon Johnson
m a d e an offer,
"Anyone w h o
doesn't want to
go on this
mission can
back out now,
and there will
be no
recriminations.'
Nobody
accepted his
Earthquake McGoon crew
offer.
Back L to R: Henry R. Zwicker (Bombardier); Walter I Bunker (Pilot); Richard D. Butler (Co-Pilot);
William P. Newbold (Navigator)
Front L to R: Clement C. Boulanger (Tail Gunner); William Middlebrooks (Waist Gunner);
Gerald D. Mason (Radio Operator/Gunner); Loy L. Leeper (Engineer/Gunner);
Donald M. Chamberlain (Ass't Engineer/Gunner); Warren K. Kooken (Asst. Radio/Gunner).
�The Ploesti story has been documented in
many publications, but the valor of those w h o
flew into that fiery cauldron can never be
overstated. The m e n were up at 4:30 a.m.,
and took off at 7:30 from the dirt runway in a
dust storm.
Dick and his pilot, Lt. Walt Bunker, took turns
flying the thirteen hour mission, driving on
through thick clouds, high mountain ranges
and a thunderstorm; later encountering hay
stacks and box cars that camouflaged antiaircraft guns. Even a building that looked like
a hospital, with a Red Cross on the roof, was a
hidden gun emplacement. Despite all that,
flying with the force led by Lt. Col. Posey,
they plowed through and successfully bombed
the Blue Target, (later recognized to be the
fuel source for the Luftwaffe.).
The Blue target was the Creditul Minier
Refinery, the only refinery that produced
aviation gasoline. It was the only target on
the mission that was completely destroyed
and never re-built during the war. Its loss to
the Germans severely limited Luftwaffe
training and operation for the rest of the war.
(Note: Col. Johnson was on the White 5
target. Lt. Col. Posey, Deputy Group Guide,
led the force on the Blue Target.)
The planes flew at treetop level to maintain
secrecy and later, to avoid flak. However, the
Germans knew they were coming, and were
ready. "At one point w e were flying at an
altitude of 100 feet," Butler remembered,
"and a fighter flew straight at us. W e
expected him to rise to avoid a crash, but
instead, he went under us. I never thought he
could get through; but our tail gunner saw
him climb skyward, after passing under our
plane." Flying at the height of the cornfields
to avoid fighters and flak towers, the 44th
headed back to Benghazi. (It was later noted
that a B-24 was found to have a stalk of corn
in the bomb bay.)
"I could see that our #3 engine was knocked
out, but the pilot thought it was #4. I
®
feathered #3, and he pushed the feathering
button for #4. With both engines off on the
same side of the plane, the right wing went
down almost to the ground. I immediately
unfeathered #4, it started right up and w e
evened off. Our flight engineer, Loy Neeper
reported that our right wing came to within
20 feet of hitting the ground." Seeing that
they were operating with three engines, other
pilots slowed down and kept pace with the
Bunker plane until they got back to Benghazi.
Immediately upon landing, someone checked
Butler's dog tags; and since he had Type B
blood, they rushed him into the hospital to
give blood transfusions. By the time this was
finished, debriefing was completed, and he
didn't get to share the booze!!
Of the 178 planes dispatched that day, 163
m a d e it to the target area. 446 m e n were
killed or missing; 130 wounded; 108 became
P O W s and 79 were interned in Turkey. 88
returned to h o m e base. It was a thirteen hour
trip, with 2,300 miles to be covered. From
then on, all missions were measured against
Ploesti, the bloodiest mission in WWII. Col.
Leon Johnson was one of five w h o received
the Medal of Honor for leading the 44th. He
considered the medal to be the property of
the m e n w h o flew with him.
Given time to place his participation in
historical perspective, Butler stated that he
believes his greatest life contribution was
engaging in the destruction of the Blue
Target.
Although bombing the Rumanian oil fields was
reaching into the heart of Hitler's war
machine, there were more wasps' nests
waiting. After a few days of R&R, and twelve
days for the ground crew to repair the
damages of the anti-aircraft and German
fighters over Ploesti, Dick's crew's next
assignment was to a Messerschmidt plant in
Austria at Wiener-Neustadt, then Foggia, Italy.
5
�The 44th Bomb Group then returned to
Shipdham, its home base in England. The crew
was transferred from the 506th Squadron to
the 67th Squadron. Walt Bunker was promoted
to 67th Operation Officer and Dick became
pilot of the crew. After only about two weeks
back in England, the 44th B o m b Group was
ordered back to North Africa, this time to
Oudna Airfield near Tunis. The reason for this
return to North Africa was to support the
allied landing at Salerno, Italy. By the time
the Group arrived, however, its support of the
allied troops at Salerno was not needed.
Back to Wiener-Neustadt
Therefore, the Group was assigned to some
other bombing missions, the third of which
was back to the Messerschmidt Factory at
Wiener Neustadt, Austria. Flying Squadron
Deputy Lead in Miss Emma Lou, ft N-860, with
six planes in his formation, he saw his leader's
plane get hit and blow up. Soon all others
went down. He moved into #4 position in
another formation, a position he recognized
as extremely vulnerable. That formation
disintegrated, his #3 engine was hit, and he
was low on gas. Returning to Tunis was not
possible, so he m a d e an emergency landing at
the airfield near Catania, Sicily.
He had no hydraulic system, the right wing
was damaged, with a cable shot out; his right
flap went up, the left went down on the
approach to landing at about 100 feet of
altitude, causing the plane to skid. There
were B-25s on one side of the runway, gallon
drums of gasoline on the left, and at the end
was a Sicilian on a bike, w h o Dick thought
they were going to hit.
"With no brakes, we continued off the runway
into a sand bank and the nose wheel
collapsed," he continued. "I left the plane in
Sicily. One m e m b e r of m y crew was wounded
and placed in the hospital. On the second
night, in a tent used as a night club, I ran into
a high school friend. He was flying a C-47,
carrying 55 gallon drums of gas to Sicily from
North Africa."
Hitchhiking to Shipdham
The friend volunteered to take Dick's crew
back to Tunis. W h e n they arrived, they found
that the 44th BG had departed for England,
and no transportation was available for the
crew. Dick's friend, Jim McColl, then offered
to take the crew to Algiers to see if they
could catch the 44th. W h e n they got to
Algiers, there was no sign of the 44th or any
other possible airlift. Jim agreed to take the
crew to Oran. W h e n they got there, again no
sign of the 44th. Jim said he just could not
take them any farther, as he had been doing
this all on his own, and his group did not know
where he was. (Several years later, Jim McColl
served under Dick as a B-29 pilot.) After two
days at Oran, Dick got the crew a flight to
Marrakech. There the crew got a MATS flight
to Prestwich, Scotland, and then train rides
back to Norwich, then on the Liberty truck
back to Shipdham. Needless to say, everyone
was surprised to see the crew, thinking they
had been lost.
Explosion on a Training Mission
Flying with a n e w co-pilot on a test and
training mission back in England, an explosion
occurred in the #2 engine, and all other
engines quit when the plane was at 800 feet,
entering the traffic pattern. Dick had no
choice but to go straight ahead for a crashlanding. The plane went through a tree into a
Brussels sprout field, where it broke up and
started to burn. Dick went out the demolished
left side of the plane, and the co-pilot went
out the right. Eleven of the m e n aboard were
able to get out. Loy Neeper, Engineer, went
back into the burning wreck and brought out
the twelfth man, the bombardier. Dick and
the co-pilot were the most seriously injured.
General Johnson, w h o was in the control
tower, saw the crash. He immediately got into
his staff car and proceeded to the accident
scene, where he helped move Dick to an
ambulance. Dick had a broken left arm and
broken left ankle. Dick, the co-pilot Gerald
Grell, and the bombardier "Nick" Nickolson,
went to the hospital. Nick was OK and left in
a couple of days. Dick and Gerald returned to
�Shipdham after about two weeks, where it
was decided that they should be returned to
the States as hospital patients.
Back to California
After a series of stays in various hospitals,
they returned to the States on the ship, lie de
France. At Halloran General Hospital on
Staten Island they were placed on a hospital
train for the trip west. Dick eventually wound
up at Hoff General Hospital in Santa Barbara,
California. The General Hospital was close to
his h o m e in San Diego. There he was united
with his wife Ardith, received a leave and
preceded to San Diego for the first meeting
with his daughter, Emily Louise (Emmy Lou),
who had been born just prior to the Ploesti
Mission.
Force Base for three years, followed by three
years as Commander of a B-52 wing. His final
assignment, prior to retirement, was as Chief
of Staff of the Fifteenth Air Force.
Of the original crew of Earthquake McGoon,
one did not survive the war: Henry Zwicker,
Bombardier, w h o was flying with the Charles
Henderson crew at Wiener-Neustadt. Four
members of his crew are still alive: in
addition to Dick, William P. Newbold,
Navigator; Loy Neeper, Engineer; Warren K.
Kooken, Asst. Radio Operator/Gunner. All
four are Ploesti veterans, and are m e m b e r s
of the 44th BGVA and the Second Air
Division Association.
After his bones were healed, Dick was
assigned to Herrington AAF in Kansas, where
he started flying B-29s. W h e n the war ended,
he decided to stay in the Air Force, where he
spent the rest of his 30 year career in the
Strategic Air C o m m a n d . Besides the B-29, Dick
flew B-50s, B-47s and B-52s. He flew combat
missions in the Korean and Viet N a m wars.
Although extremely modest about his own
experiences, Col. Butler has m a d e major
contributions in seeing that the sacrifices of
the 44th BG and 2nd Air Division are not
forgotten. He has been a major player in the
support of the 2nd Air Division Memorial
Library in Norwich, England. In the past year,
he was elected Executive Vice President of
the 2nd Air Division, and will move into the
presidency later this year.
He was promoted to Colonel in April, 1957,
and had several very important assignments.
He served as Base Commander at March Air
Ardith and Dick have been married 59 years
(soon to be 60). They have six children, seven
grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
Foreground: James Wright L to R: Dick Butler, Ardith Butler, Dan Butler. Theresa Butler,
Emily DeShazo, Kay Drake, Frank Drake, and Kevin Watson.
�GERALD W. FOLSOM, PRESIDENT OF 44TH BOMB GROUP
TREASURER
enthusiasm. At any reunion, you can
see both of them registering, selling,
managing, and now presiding. At
Barksdale, Jerry moved into the
presidential spotlight, succeeding
'Mike' Mikoloski, w h o stepped down
from the top position.
Pi
Air Academy, Blythe, California. He
never got used to the poor food and
temperatures of 130 every day, nor
the metal on the P T 19s which were
too hot to touch. Next he went to
Bakersfield, California, for basic
flight training; then to Stockton,
California for advanced training. He
graduated December '43, then flew
A T for Bombardier training for a
month, and then to Kingman,
Arizona, where he flew B-17
transition as co-pilot for Aerial
Gunnery. In February '44, he came to
Salt Lake where crews were made
up. O n March 6th, they went to El
When WWII broke out, Jerry was
managing a grocery store; but long
before that, he w a s reading about the
flying Aces of W W I . He knew he
needed two years of college to qualify
for the Corps Cadet Program, but
when they dropped that requirement
in July '42, he applied. Before he
could get to Manchester, N H to take
the test,
his draft
notice
came. O n
August
He never dreamed that his new
26, 1942,
assignment would explode into a full
he w a s
time occupation, leaving little time
sworn
for other things he likes to do into the
gardening, hunting and fishing, or
Air
helping the 8th Air Force develop the
Corps.
Hill Air
Six
Force
months
Museum.
later he
He
reported
married
to
Beverly
Crew Going Over
Manchester,
Front L to R: Nathan Woodruff, Carl Miller, Perry Morse, William Retham,
in 1997,
NH,at
Harold Maggard, William Uvanni. Back L to R: Paul Boensch, Willis Edgecomb,
who
Fort
Gerald Folsom, George Bieber.
jumped
Devens,
into the
Paso, Tex-Biggs Field for transition
Mass overnight; then C a m p Kilmer
Chores
In 1997, Jerry and Bev
and overnight by train to Nashville,
in B-24s.
of the
participated in tour of England
T
N
for
Classification.
After
four
A 4ju
and Europe with the 44th BGVA.
The Crew Gathers
.,
Pictured: Guy Cressant handing weeks of tests, he w a s approved for
Wltn
Lois Shaeffer Cianci the box
In Salt Lake City, the members of
pilot training and w a s on his w a y to
great
containing the Clair P. Shaeffer Santa Anna, California, for pre-flight
the George Bieber crew trained
dog tag.
together. Jerry w a s co-pilot. In May
schooling; then to Primary at Morten
Gerald Jerry' Folsom retired from
his accounting and system design
occupation to dedicate himself to
becoming a full time treasurer of the
44th Bomb Group. Contacting all
those buddies, working with Roy
O w e n to build the organization, w a s
more fun than saving companies from
bankruptcy or scandal. Enron w a s
not the first to carry out secret deals,
as Jerry rapidly learned when CEO's
appealed to him for help.
t
. f
�they arrived in Topeka, Kansas,
where they picked up a new plane. On
June 1, they proceeded to Bangor
Maine, Goose Bay Labrador, B W 1 ,
Greenland, then to Valley, Wales. "At
B W 1 Greenland, w e had to fly up a
fiord with mountains on each side.
The landing strip has a glacier at the
end, 10,000 feet high." he recalled,
"No going around. You take off the
opposite way from the landing. It w a s
there that I first thought more about
what might lay ahead than any other
time.
'June 6,1 went down to the mess
hall for breakfast, and off to one side
of the mess hall w a s an alcove where
lots of men were listening to a radio.
It was D-Day" and what I heard did
not sound good. Then over the Tanoy
P.A. System came, "All pilots, copilots, bombardiers and navigators
report to the briefing room at 12:00
hours." Jerry remembers the
questions that rose in his mind.
"They have 80 planes with crews
here. They are going to send us on
our way. I could imagine landing,
stopping on the taxi strip or other
such place, gassing up, loading up
with bombs and a m m o , dumping off
our baggage, and w e would be on our
way. Will w e be able to recognize a
German plane? A German ship? Will
they be flying formation like w e had
done in training?"
At the Briefing Room, he learned
that they just wanted officers to
check their planes for pilferage. The
wind w a s blowing 80 mph. Chained
on the wing tips of each plane, they
had big dump trucks loaded with
gravel.
When we got to Ireland for a
refresher class in aircraft and ship
identification, w e found out w e were
aircraft that day, probably from flak.
This mission w a s the only one in
which w e encountered enemy
fighters. It is our most memorable
mission—our first, and the most
enemy action of any of our 35
missions."
19 Missions flown.
Many in Consolidated Mess.
assigned to the 44th BG, and would
be flying out of Shipdham.
Meeting the Enemy
On July 9th the Bieber crew
boarded Consolidated Mess for
their first mission to an aircraft
and ball bearing factory in
Bernburg, Germany, the longest
mission the 8th had flown at that
time. "Here w e learned about flak.
Those black things - puffs - were
not clouds. W e soon came to
realize that when you could see the
red ball of fire in the exploding shell,
it w a s close... and it left one of those
black things... and it causes holes in
your plane.
"As we approached the target,
about 50 German M E 109s came at us
from 12:00 high. There were two
blinking lights on each wing, like
strobe lights. Immediately w e
realized those were cannons on the
wings, and they were shooting at us!
Well, they missed. That w a s our first
initiation of enemy fighters.
"As we turned to the left from the
target, I counted 13 planes going
down, one burning, and 97
parachutes. Was I scared?? M y
thoughts were - 'so this is combat.'
"Our plane had not been damaged.
It w a s still flying. No one w a s hurt.
However, our group did lose three
Fifty-eight years later, Jerry vividly
remembers being wakened at 3:00 or
4:00 A.M., washing in cold water,
eating powdered eggs, and going to
the briefing where the target w a s
unveiled, and a green string showed
8 Missions flown in Joplin Jalopy.
the pathway. Then by truck or jeep,
they went to their planes, checked the
equipment on the assigned plane,
(usually Consolidated Mess or Joplin'
Jalopy) and then climbed aboard. A
flare, generally red, w a s a signal to
start the engines. After an engine
check, a signal flare would tell the
pilots to prepare to taxi; at briefing
they had learned which plane they
were to follow.
"On take-off we held the plane with
brakes while the engines revved up.
W h e n airborne w e climbed to 7,000
feet, and then found the plane w e
were to form up on, that famous
yellow and black striped Lemon Drop.
If it were still dark, the formation
plane would fire red flares, similar to
R o m a n candles which are used for
4th of July celebrations. Lemon Drop
would fly in circles, waiting for the
�where you spread the formation out
and make a climbing 360-degree turn.
W h e n w e got up on top, about 26,000
feet, w e found ourselves alone! W e
circled for a while, still carrying a
"At this time we would climb to the load of bombs and with bomb bay
designated altitude, 22-24,000 feet,
doors opened, consuming a lot of gas.
then head for the enemy coast. At
No other planes showed up. W e
14,000 feet, w e put on our oxygen
spotted an open area and dropped our
masks. Without oxygen, at 16,000 feet bombs. W e did not know where w e
you would feel woozy; at 20,000 feet
were—just knew w e were in the
you would pass out in 30 seconds.
Munich area. (Only later did they
learn that the lead plane's bombsight
"The predictions of enemy action
had been destroyed by flak and his
were not always accurate. Sometimes
interphone was shot out, making it
a lot of action was predicted, and
impossible to tell the deputy lead
there would be very little. Other
bombardier to take over and drop the
times it w a s the opposite. Of course,
bombs.)
w e could see flak along the mission
route or in the target area. W e got
Willis Edgecomb, navigator,
nervous when they started
determined, 'If w e get flak in five
bracketing us in. W h e n the flak
minutes, we're here; in 15 minutes
started getting bad, gunners would
we're here; if no flak, I'll know where
throw chaff out the waist windows.
w e are.' Bill Uvanni, radio operator
Chaff were strips of paper that looked
got a radio 'fix' and w e headed home.
like tinfoil on one side. It came in
W e didn't get any flak, so w e kept on
bundles, about the diameter of a
our northwest heading, and after a
Campbells soup can. This was to foul
while, w e got out of the clouds. There
up the German radar they were using
w a s a cloudbank running diagonally
to measure our altitude."
from the northwest to
entire group to assemble in the
formation. At a given time, they
would head out for the mission on the
pre-planned route.
* I i.
southeast France. As a lone
plane, w e knew w e were not
safe, so w e skirted along the
cloudbank. If w e saw a plane,
which could be a German
fighter heading toward us, w e
slid over into the cloudbank.
This happened several times,
but none ever attacked. W h e n
w e got back to Shipdham, w e
had five minutes of gas in the
tank.
$4 %> .W'%
Gerald Folsom, Co-Pilot; Willis Edgecomb, Navigator;
Paul Boensch, Bombardier; and George Bieber,Pilot.
Although Bernburg was the most
unforgettable mission, the trip to
Munich had its frightening moments.
"We were ordered to make a frontal
penetration, and assemble on top of
the clouds. Afrontalpenetration is
"On another mission deep
into Germany with a heavy load, w e
were on our way home when our # 3
engine quit. Nathan Woodruff,
engineer, advised us that it had run
out of gas, and that the other engines
were low on gas; and furthermore, we
might not have enough gas to get
home. W e were at about 20-21,000
feet. I remembered a conversation I
had several months previously with a
cruise control engineer: 'You have a
real good engine, but if you ever need
to really save gas, you can use a
setting, (if m y memory serves me
correctly) around 200 R P M and a
manifold pressure of 2600. Keep the
cowling flaps closed, and if the
cylinder head temperature doesn't get
above 210 degrees, you will be OK.
Open the cowling flaps a little if it
goes too high. Keep the engines
running at this setting as long as
they will.'
"With the plane on descent attitude
and this setting, w e headed home.
Gas got so low, w e did not think w e
would make it, so w e alerted the
English rescue service, in case we
ditched in the English Channel. We
crossed the channel at 4-5000 feet
and made it to the base. Our crew
chief told us the next day, 'Good thing
you did not have to go around, or you
would not have made it.' W e came
back with an unexploded shell in the
wheel well. It turned out to be a dud."
Jerry remembers a mission where
there were over 230 holes in the
plane, and nobody was hurt. Bill
Uvanni, radio operator, had a piece of
flak miss his head by less than six
inches, and later he looked at the
quarter-size hole it made in the plane.
Some Sights Were Beautiful
Some Had Hidden Danger Lurking
"One of the nicest missions was a
flight down the Rhone River to Lyons,
France to an airfield. One could
readily see the Alps with the snow on
top. With the sun shining on them, it
w a s a beautiful sight, very
�picturesque. This w a s a mission in
which w e were briefed for fighter
activity. There w a s none, nor any flak.
there w a s a blown fuse and a spare
one. I put the spare in, and things
went operational again. What a
relief! If that little fuse had not
blown, w e would have cashed in our
chips. Of the many personnel 1 have
told about this, none had ever heard
of it.
Another time, heading home from a
mission, w e were approaching the
coast. It w a s a nice sun shiny day not a cloud in the sky. It w a s a very
relaxed atmosphere. All of a sudden
"When I think of our crew's narrow
w e lost power. It w a s like someone
escapes., Perry Morse, tail gunner,
had turned off the keys on your car.
whose can of Spam and orange
At that instant there were four big
bursts of shell fire - anti aircraft fire, exploded from flak, also cutting his
parachute harness; and Bill Uvanni's
and it w a s much bigger than
near miss, I can only believe in
anything w e had ever seen, and it
Divine intervention. Someone Else
was right there in front of us. It
w a s riding with us that w e couldn't
seemed as though w e could have
see. W e finished 35 missions with the
reached out and touched it. If w e had
same members w e started with,
not lost power, w e would have been
except for one originally assigned to
there. It w a s meant for us, and they
the ball turret, w a s later reassigned
had us zeroed in.
to another crew. At the time w e
Of course, we immediately dropped
finished, w e were told that w e were
out of formation. I believe w e were
the first crew to complete 35
leading the upper element that day.
missions and no one getting hurt.
W e could not imagine w h y w e lost
After the Missions
power on all engines. The engineer
had no idea - it had to be the
"I was offered the opportunity to go
supercharger, but why? I vaguely
into Intelligence - interpreting bomb
recalled in one of the engineering
strike photos. They made it really
sessions, something about a fuse for
appealing, promotion in a couple of
the supercharger. While the engineer
weeks. Major in a month. I asked
w a s checking the wiring, I went
'will I have to fly any more combat.
Oh yes, four missions a month. I had
orders in m y hand, taking m e off
combat. After completing 35 missions
with no problems, I thought it best to
decline." Jerry w a s awarded the Air
Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and
the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Jerry and his tail gunner, Perry Morse at
the American Cemetery for Airmen at
Cambridge, England.
down to the supercharger under the
flight deck. There w a s a smaill
access cover. I slid it sideways and
From Shipdham, Jerry was sent to
the 61st troop carrier command, near
Grantham and Sherwood Forest, to
instruct pilots to fly B-24's that had
been fitted with a 500-gallon gas tank
in each bomb bay. The concept w a s to
ferry gas to Patton. But to his
knowledge, it w a s never used. Each
plane would have been a flying bomb,
if it w a s ever hit or crashed.
He left England in early January,
1945, on the ship Pasteur, originally
built for the Mediterranean. They
came home with no escort. The
Captain said he hoped he didn't zig
when he should zag. At that time,
they had four U-boats around them,
but the ship w a s fast enough to
outrun them.
He spent the next 6 months in
Victorville, California, flying
navigators and bombardiers in
training w h o were using the new top
secret experimental radar. He w a s
discharged August 25,1945,11 days
after the Japanese surrender.
Post WWII
Jerry attended the University of
Utah and received a degree in
Accounting and Business
Management. He spent about 40
years designing accounting systems
and resolving business problems,
both in accounting, financial and
credits policy. As a lover of fishing,
he became active in the Salt Lake
County Fish & G a m e Association,
serving as President for one year.
Was Secretary/Treasurer for many
years and a member since 1949, and
w a s presented with a Lifetime
Membership in 1991 of the Utah
Wildlife Federation. He became
Regional Director of the Utah Wildlife
Federation 1961-63, and Vice
President for two years. He w a s
presented life membership in 1991.
This group is an Affiliate of the
National Wildlife Federation.
After semi-retiring in 1985, he set out
to organize the Utah Chapter of the
Eighth Air Force Historical Society in
1992, and w a s Secretary/Treasurer
�r
until last year. He became Treasurer
of the 44th B G V A in 1995, and has
been influential in increasing
membership from 575 to over 1000 at
the present time. Ascending to the
Presidency last year, he is seriously
seeking a replacement for the
position of Treasurer. A m o n g his
many goals are to perpetuate the
44th's history through the Database,
and to entice the young family
members of veterans to pick up the
torch.
Memorable Moments
for Jerry
Right: Will Lundy and Roy
O w e n unveil the monument to
Miss Dianne at Viller-Escales.
Below Right: The 44th Bomb
Group Veterans were honored.
Jerry has three children, one son
and two daughters, five grandsons,
three granddaughters. The three
oldest grandchildren are in college.
After fifteen years of being single,
he met
sons and two daughters. Although
she has her own business as a
successful professional men's tailor,
she takes time to help out for our
44th B G V A Reunions. In the ballroom
at Reunions, they can frequently be
seen demonstrating they're freestyle
dancing techniques.
Besides Jerry, only four other
members of the Bieber Crew are still
living, Paul Boench, bombardier;
Harold Maggard, waist gunner;
Nathan Woodruff, and Perry Morse.
From
the Editor:
Where is your database'.' You write me letters (for which I am grateful), b
when I try to find you in the database, you are not there! Why? Your
database is the last thing you can fling into the future.
Your children and grandchildren are asking questions about
WWII. You have magnificent stories of an event that cannot
ever be replicated. Wliat will happen when you are not there to
answer the questions?
Do It Now!
12
�Very recently when I w a s at the bank making a
deposit, a young teller (in his mid twenties)
asked, "What is this 44th B o m b Group? I told him,
"The B o m b Group I flew with during WWII".
"What w a s that?" he asked. Further conversation
Just a few passing thoughts and comments, now
followed. He commented that he had never heard
that I have partially recovered from the 44th's
of any of this; didn't remember hearing of it in
European tour to France, Belgium, Germany and
school. This is just a recent instance of people not
England... Details will be in the next issue of the 8 knowing our past. Recently I spoke at a Memorial
Ball Tails.
Day service. I told them what it w a s like, flying on
missions; what w a s involved, etc. - nothing
It is with considerable appreciation that I
heroic. Several commented afterward—glad to
participated in ceremonies honoring our missing
hear m y recollections, never having heard these
men while in Europe. Those people, our European things before. T w o people involved with the
friends, are dedicated to placing markers and
planning of the service asked, "Why is it so hard
memorials at crash sites in recognition of the
to get one of you fellows to speak?" I a m no
sacrifice w e made to set them free.
speaker... I relate it as though I w a s telling a
hunting or fishing story. Most of you have done
One of my objectives and goals is to preserve our that, and could tell your story the same way.
history before it is too late. Before there w a s a
There is no need to enhance it like some fish
written language, the elders of the tribe passed
stories—the solid truth is powerful. (Do you
information to the next generation by storyknow when a fish grows the most? After it is
telling. You, as an individual, have lived and
caught!!!)
participated in a massive effort to free the world
of an evil force, unlike anything that has
It makes you feel good that it is appreciated,
happened before or since. You must become a
especially when they come up and say 'thank you,'
story-teller. Ancients preserved their history on
ask questions and want you to tell more.
stone tablets; the Indians, with petrographs on
canyon walls. With m o d e m technology, w e have a To go along with these thoughts, I remind you that
better w a y — b y computer in our Database on a
many of you—too m a n y — have not sent in your
CD. Already the letters and diaries which many
biographies. This is not just of your military
have sent are recorded and preserved in our
service. W e like to preserve a little information
Database. This is far better that stored in a box in about you - what you did before the service, and
some basement, attic or elsewhere. W e created
what you did after, and about you and your family;
this history Let's preserve it for the next
and of course, what you did during the war. This
generation, our children and their children.
will be preserved on a computer database disc
called a CD. Help us out.
As individuals, you can help preserve our memory
by telling your story or stories at local schools
Time is running out.
and other organization meetings. This is your
opportunity. They are looking for speakers.
People, all ages, are interested in this information
that they cannot get in a classroom.
/
13
�Will Sez
Slowly, but surely, much work continues to
be accomplished on completing our
Military Heritage Master Database. As
most of you know, it is my fondest dream
to put as much of our history as possible
into Arlo Bartsch's super program. For
many years, Art Hand, W e b b Todd, Norman Kiefer and I,
as squadron historians, did our best to obtain as much of
our respective squadron's records as possible. Much of it
came from the official microfilm rolls obtained from Maxwell
AFB. W e then built on these basic records by searching for
our long missing veterans to obtain more personal data
from the combat men themselves. Art Hand was very
important, as he did much of the searching for our "missing"
members. Many of you not only gave us your personal
recollections and experiences, but also your personal
diaries. From all of this, w e each produced our own
Squadron history book, but got no support from the leader
of the 44th B G H M G , and had to finance them ourselves.
As a consequence, w e could not afford to order more than
a minimum of books, so only a very limited number were
printed, and where soon were out of print.
When we reorganized in 1994, many conflicts and problems
were resolved, but w e had to begin anew. There was great
cooperation and resolve, much interest but no money. Our
previous leader disposed of nearly $35,000, but nothing
remained, not even equipment. Thanks to the leadership
and hard work by our new President, Roy O w e n , w e
quickly became solvent, and were getting many things
done. However, as the Squadron Historians job was done
so far as their books were concerned, interest moved on to
other events. However, as I had always been designated
Group Archivist, the keeper of our historical papers and
memorabilia, that job continued. Letters, diaries, stories,
articles, books, etc. continued to arrive and were filed away.
Tom Shepherd and I often discussed this continuing
growth of priceless material, hoping that it would be utilized
in some manner so that it could be made available to our
members and the public in some readily available manner.
Computer programs were investigated and found wanting.
However, one day Tom learned about Mr. Arlo Bartsch and
his self-designed and wonderful computer program. That
was the answer! Here was a way to reduce all of these
great stacks of papers to perhaps one C D disc! Not only
reduce it to that tiny space, but make it all AVAILABLE with
a few well-placed clicks of a mouse!
Yes, it was clearly possible to do all of this, but of course, it
would be expensive. H o w much? No one knew, not even
Arlo. Yes, Arlo had placed his own bomber group's sortie
reports and associated data, into his program but had done
it himself; for the most part, while he was refining his
programs. So w e had to learn by trial and error, give limited
work to Arlo to process as our funds could provide.
The 44th BGVA Board resisted the process of going to the
membership for additional funds, but eventually it was
inevitable. Happily, many of you members were most
generous and again there were funds available for
additional work beyond the entering of mission sortie
details. Tony Mastradone volunteered his time and efforts
to visit the Archives near D.C. hundreds of times to copy
over 8500 sorties and associated papers. Now, resources
are again low, but there is much work still sitting here near
my elbows. Much of this data is material not used in the
Squadron books or my Roll of Honor book, but certainly
related to our history. My R O H book was printed in 1987, as
were the Squadron History books in this same period.
However, there are so many new personal memories
related to those events in files here that should be utilized
by placing them into this database. This material cannot be
added to books, but it surely could be entered into our
database, wherever appropriate. W h e n added to the bare
sortie reports, it can bring to life the events that took place
on that plane or that formation. They should be added to an
existing diary and/or to a personal legacy portion. They
belong wherever the information can enhance existing
stories.
Why am I pushing for this expenditure so hard? Time is
growing short for our generation. O n e of these years, it will
be my time. I want to see these papers utilized to record
your history, your many efforts to win, your sacrifices to
become known, not forgotten. What about donating these
records to a College, a museum, a military base, or
whatever? Sure, better than into the paper shredder.
However, these facilities can do little more than place it all
into files where the public will never look. Only the
dedicated scholars or future historians will find it and then
make little use of it.
So, my plan is this: When we find it again necessary to ask
financial assistance to continue this data entry work,
could you again help us? Every little bit will help us
move that much closer to being the O N L Y bomber
group in the 8th Air Force to have accomplished a
near complete data based history.
�44th Bomb Group 2002 Reunion
Wing/Strat. Missile Wing
October 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11,2002
pMAHA
i HARE. WELLJ^^H
Holiday Inn, Omaha Central 1-80 - Omaha, Nebraska
Hotel Reservation Form ^pMaM&w
OMAHA CCMTRAL t-»Q
Reservations m a y only be m a d e by telephone directly with the Hotel's Reservation Department by
calling (402) 393-3950. To receive the contract rate, the attendees should identify themselves as being
with the 44th B o m b Group. All reservations should be m a d e by September 6, 2002. After this date, the
hotel will release the remainder of our room block. Additional reservation requests will be honored on a
space and room available basis.
Guaranteed Reservations. Rooms can be guaranteed for late arrival to an individual's credit card o
advance deposit equal to one night's room and tax at the time of reservation. The deposit will be credited to the attendee's account. Check in time is 4:00 p.m. on reserved date, or refunds will be m a d e only
if the reservation is cancelled 48 hours prior to the scheduled day of arrival. Guarantee m a y be m a d e by
check or credit card.
Guaranteed Group Rates: $90.00 tax included, Single or Double
Please fill out this information prior to making your reservation call. It will serve as your rec
will be given a confirmation number by the reservation person.
Confirmation #: Name:
Arrival Date:
Organization: 44th B o m b Group Veterans Association
Address:
City: State: Zip code:
Additional Person in Room: • Yes • No Name of additional person
Credit Cards: American Express, MasterCard, DiscoverCard, and VISA
Credit Card Number: Expiration Date:
Name of Credit Card:
Your account is due upon conclusion of your stay and must be reviewed
and paid at the front desk at departure.
�*74e Sunykea* How*
\ssv>e-
Veterans and Dignitaries at the Winbrin Memorial Site of the Finder Crash Foreground: Norman Powell; Front R o w L-R: Sydney Paul, Jack Schiffer, Russell
Huntley, Charles Hughes, Perry Morse, Lee Aston & the Mayor of Winbrin in 1944 (donor of the property for the memorial); Second Row: Bill Kelly, Will
Lundy, Louis DeBlasio; Jerry Folsom. Top Row: Peter Loncke, (Belgium Airman & Master of Ceremonies); Mayor's Representative of Houffalize.
Irene & Will Lundy meet Belgium friend Luc
Dewez, longtime admirer of WWII airmen. Luc, a
member of the 44th BGVA, is the author of Cruel
Skies, a well researched account of the air war.
Luc can be contacted at Lucdewez@skynet.be.
Louis DeBlasio's family met Peter w h o found the crash
site of Southern Comfort. L R Ann Natelli, Peter Loncke,
Louis DeBlasio, Carol & Frank Amato.
If the Queen is too busy to see you in
London, you can be photographed with her
at M a d a m e Toussaud's W a x Museum. The
red carpet is laid out for you.
Norman Powell and Bill Kelly. Bill undertook the assignment
of piloting Norman's wheelchair through most of Europe, up
stair steps and hills, around monuments and onto buses.
16
When the 44th went to Cologne to bomb the bridge across the R, they
were told, "If you hit the Cathedral, don't bother coming back." The
spires of the cathedral are still there, and a new bridge has been built.
�*•* •*•* A m p 2002 Reunion
October 7-11
Holiday Inn • Omaha, Nebraska • Schedule of Activities
Monday, October 7
9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m
9:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m
1:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m
12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m
8:30 p.m.- 11:00 p.m
8:30 p.m.- ?
Registration
Board Meeting
Board Meeting
Guided Tour of O m a h a (Optional)
Hospitality Room Open
Reception (Finger Food & Cash Bar)
Hospitality R o o m Open
Hotel shuttle to Casino
Tuesday, October 8
7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m Cornhusker Breakfast Buffet
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m
Registration
11:00 a m
Tour Buses to Strategic Air C o m m a n d Museum,
Lunch on your own at Museum.
3:
°0 P-m
Buses return to hotel.
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m
Hospitality Room Open
7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m
Squadron Dinners
9:00 p.m.- 11:00 p.m
Hospitality Room Open
Wednesday, October 9
7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m Cornhusker Buffet Breakfast
10:00 a.m
Bus leaves for Joslyn Art Museum and Old Market
Area (Bus will shuttle between the Market area and the Museum).
2:30/3:00 p.m
Buses return to hotel.
11:00 a.m
2 Buses leave for Offutt A F B (42 people each).
11:30 a.m
Bus #1 Group to O'Club for lunch.
11:30 a.m
Bus #2 Group to Strategic Command. Underground
C o m m a n d Center tour.
1;00 P-m
Bus #1 Group to Strategic Command. Underground
C o m m a n d Center tour.
1:00 p.m
Bus #2 Group to O'Club for lunch.
2:30 p.m
Buses leave for hotel.
3:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m
Hospitality Room Open
6:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m
Cash Bar at Banquet
7:00 p.m.- 7:30 p.m
Post Colors; Pledge of Allegiance, Candle Lighting
& present Awards.
8:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m
Grand Banquet
9:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m
Dance, Visit & Have Fun.
7:00 p.m.- 9:00 a.m Cornhusker Breakfast Buffet
9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m
General Membership Meeting
12:00 noon
Those not on tours, lunch on your own.
11:00 a.m
Bus #1 Group to O'Club for Lunch.
11:30 a.m
Bus #2 Group to Strategic C o m m a n d Ctr Tour
1:00 p.m
Hospitality Room Open
1:00 p.m
Bus #1 Group to Strategic C o m m a n d Ctr Tour.
1:00 p.m
Bus #2 Group to O'Club for Lunch.
2:30 p.m
Buses leave for hotel.
5:00 p.m
Hospitality Room Open
6:00 p.m
Cash Bar Cocktails
7:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m
Dinner, Entertainment & Dancing in Hotel.
TVe'U tee you,
tfaettf
Thursday, October 10
Friday, October 11
Check-Out, Farewell, Safe Journey Home, Be seeing you in 2003!
�44th Bomb Group 2002 Reunion
October 7-11, 2002
Holiday Inn • 3321 South 72nd Street • Omaha, Nebraska
Registration Form
Please print or type. All information must be completed.
Last Name:
First Name (Tag):
Spouse:
Squadron (Circle one): 66th 67th 68th 506th Hq or
Address:
City:
State:
Zip code:.
Phone: Fax: Email:
Guest(s) & Relation:
Number to attend Reunion @ $210.00/each Amount $
Tour #1: Monday, October 7 - Omaha Historical Tour $ 19.00 per person
Time: Bus leaves hotel at 1:00 p.m. An exciting and informative escorted historical tour of Omaha.
Number to attend Tour @ $19.00/each Amount $_
Tour #2: Tuesday, October 8 - Exit 426 Tour
$36.00 per person
Time: Buses leave hotel at 9:00 a.m. return at 3:00 p.m. First we will visit the Strategic Air and Space Museum. The newest and one of the larg
military museums in the U.S. We will have an included buffet lunch at Mahoney State Park Lodge, which overlooks the scenic Platte River After
lunch we will visit the Lee Simmons Wildlife Safari Park. We will see a variety of wild animals in natural habitats.
Number to attend Tour @ $36.00/each Amount $
Tour #3: Wednesday, October 9 - Omaha Heritage and Art Tour
$ 23.00 per person
Time: Buses leave hotel at 10:00 a.m. A look at Omaha's glorious past! We'll split our day between the Druham Western Heritage Museum,
former main terminal of the Union Pacific Railroad and then shuttle to the Grand Dame of Omaha's art galleries. You will have lunch on your own
in the Old Market District, center of the restored original city center. Buses return to the hotel at 2:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Number to attend Tour @ $23.00/each Amount $
Tours #4 and #5: Wednesday, October 9 and Thursday, October 10
$16 per person
Lunch at the Offutt AFB Officer's Club and tour of the Commander U.S. Strategic Forces Command Center.
Time: Both days, the buses will depart the hotel at 11:00 a.m. A rare opportunity to see where the planning for the application of our nuclear
forces takes pace and the command center which would direct and control them. Whether you go on Wednesday or Thursday will be dependent
on the earliest receipt of your Registration Form for the tour. The first 84 received go Wednesday and so on. See Reunion Schedule of Activities.
Number to attend Tour @ $l6.00/each Amount $
Total of Registration and Tours enclosed by Check: Amount $
v
18
Registration must be received by August 1, 2002. No registrations will be taken after that date.
Mail a copy of this Registration with your check to:
Roy W . O w e n • 6304 Meadowridge Drive • Santa Rosa, California 95409-5839
Phone (707) 538-4726 • Fax (707) 538-1212
BE PROMPT!
�On April 25, Steve Adams, our UK
Representative, called to inform us that our
dear, enduring friend, Phyllis DuBois had lost
her long battle with cancer and died the
previous evening at the private BUPA Hospital
in the suburbs of Norwich, England. We surely
will miss this wonderful woman who had long
displayed her particular love and devotion to
our 44th Bomb Group.
Phyllis first came to our attention when she
was hired as Staff Librarian in the 2nd Air
Division Memorial Wing of the Norwich
Library. From her beginnings at the Library,
she found a friend in Steve Adams who was
willing to assist in her need to learn her way
about the world of the 2nd Air Division B-24
Bomb Groups. She was an arduous student
and, along with her association with Steve,
became a fast friend of the 44th and the preeminent Research Librarian in the field of the
B-24 history in the World War II Air War over
Europe. When her employment contract was
finished with the Memorial Library, it was our
good fortune that Phyllis' family had left her
financially secure. This enabled her to remain
in herfieldas a Freelance Research Librarian,
continuing to live both in Norwich and work in
the area of history which she had come to love.
Among the many good deeds she selflessly
accomplished for the 44th, one surely stands
out in the minds of most 44th members. In the
aftermath of the disastrousfirewhich
destroyed the library, and particularly the 2nd
®
Air Division Memorial wing, it appeared that
all the historical holdings of the Memorial
Wing had been lost. Phyllis, assisting in the
recovery efforts to see what might have
survived, discovered the entire 2nd Air
Division Bomb Groups histories that had been
micro-filmed and which had survived the fire;
they were stored in the basement. All of the
groups were notified; but strangely, none
showed any interest in preserving this treasure
but the 44th. Through her good will and
friendship with the Library staff, she was
allowed to sequentially remove thefilm,which
she took to Steve Adams. He tirelessly
reviewed, carefully catalogued, indexed and
replaced in the new fireproof library archives.
Between the two, the 44th history in the 2nd
Air Division will be available to historians for
generations to come.
Phyllis' memory by the 44th will be embodied
in a beautiful wreath at her Memorial Service
at Horsham St. Faiths, England on May 8,
2002. It will say: To Phyllis, an Enduring
Friend of the 44th Bomb Group. We Will Miss
You. From Stephan and Janice Adams and The
Members of the 44th Bomb Group Veterans
Ass'n.
Additionally, the 44th BGVA will contribute
$100 to start a perpetual Phyllis DuBois Book
fund within the 2nd AD Memorial Wing of the
Library. Books purchased from the fund will
bear a donation plate in the name of the
Phyllis DuBois Memorial Fund. For anyone
caring to donate any amount to her fund,
please forward a check payable to the 44th
BGVA to the mailing address inside the
front cover of the 8 Ball Tails. Mark your
check Phyllis DuBois, and the amount
will be placed in her memorial
account. Please give her a
thought when you donate.
_y
19
�»>)
JOE MILLINER'S
MEMORY OF PLOESTI
AND THE GHOST OF
"LADY BE GOOD"
Ed. Note: In 1954, two oilmen found a
crashed B-24 in the desert in Libya. It
solved the mystery of the lost plane that
missed the airfield at Benina Main, and
continued south until it ran out of gas.
The bones of the last crew member of
"Lady Be Good" were found in I960.
Almost immediately, w e began to train at
low altitudes, but w e had no idea why.
The aircraft assigned to us had many
problems. The reaction to the controls on
turns to the right w a s slow, but left
turns were okay. Always tailend Charlie.
W e all knew that most tailend Charlie's
didn't return, especially against fighters.
had been minimal. Most raids had been
very successful. The biggest problem
that w a s causing a lot of engine failure
w a s the reddish sand that blew all the
time. You ate this sand, drank this sand,
and expelled sandy feces.
A shortage of flyable aircraft was
becoming a big problem, with the flyable
Joseph Milliner read an article in a small
After a short training period, orders came ones going to experienced crews. Poker,
California publication about the Lady Be
through on moving the group to North
swimming naked in the Mediterranean
Good and questioned the date of the
Africa. Our crew got as far as Southern
Sea, and a little boozing at the Officer's
plane's loss. He assumed it w a s merely
England.
W
e
had
to
land
at
a
very
small
Club (tent) occupied a lot of time. W e
an editorial error. Just recently he bought
air base. Due to engine problems, the Bwatched the sky everyday for new
a copy of "The Lady's Men," and the
same date 'jumped off the page like a
2 4 w a s grounded. A few days later a Carrivals, having been assured w e were
shooting star.' The first magazine w a s
54 came in, picked us up and carried us
next in line.
correct! Years later, he still puzzles the
to Marrakech, French West Africa.
At this time a target was being set up in
difference in date, according to his
Again
we
were
delayed.
the desert south of the airbase, which
personal recollections:
w a s known as Benina Main. Planes
I hitched a ride on a French Army Truck
"Our crew was assigned B-17's and sent
taking off to bomb this target formed at
to
Casablanca.
W
o
w
!
What
a
town.
I
the northern route to England. Upon
low altitudes and made the bomb run at
arrival in Scotland, our B 17s disappeared. stopped briefly at a local watering hole
an even lower altitude. No one except
for a drink. Everyone in the place w a s
Getting new orders, all the crews were
command knew what was going on.
dressed in white robes and turbans, with
relegated to travel by train to Bovington,
Everyone had his opinion, but no one
a long curved knife sticking from a sash
a location just outside London, for
knew for sure. Various rumors cropped
of various colors. The looks I got were
reassignment. At Bovington the orders
up and circulated around the base. One
more chilling than the drink in m y hand.
were misplaced, and m y crew ended up
rumor mentioned the oil refineries in
as forgotten. W e resided in a Quonset
Romania. This one turned out to be true.
Finally we moved on to Benghazi in
hut for about four weeks. The other
Libya. Rommel had just departed rather
Ploesti
crews were getting their orders daily and
hastily and left tri-motored aircraft, plus
moving on. When the orders came, w e
Ploesti was where some of Hitler's
a lot of junk everywhere. The skeletal
reasoned that maybe w e could finish
largest oil producing refineries were
remains of the Italian Air Force littered
their missions and go home.
the horizon for miles.
located. A low flying aircraft could lob
bombs into the well-protected cracking
We soon realized chances of finishing
We pitched tents and tried to settle in, plant, boiler houses, stiles and pumping
twenty-five missions was about as
hoping to give Mussolini a little hell from
stations.
remote as swimming the English Channel.
the air. Everyone w a s gung ho. Losses
It could be done, but it w a s not probable.
�The briefing started.
Because of the lack of aircraft, my crew
had been left out. Changes in crew
members were taking place every day.
Members of m y crew were distributed to
other crews.
I found little to do during this period
other than bartering for eggs from the
Arab tribes that passed through the area.
Three cartons of cigarettes were too
damn much for a dozen eggs. The Arabs
always tried to barter for the blue duffel
bags with drawstrings. They wore them
as trousers. This had something to do
with their religious belief that the next
Christ would be born of man. From then
on, I gave each of these m e n wearing a
duffel bag a questionable look, but never
questioned anyone's belief.
Early one morning in June 1943,1 was
outside the corner of m y tent trying to
start a fire with camel chips and
anything else that would burn. The
desert contains very few trees and fuel
is scarce. I had just traded for two dozen
eggs from one of the many Arabs that
traveled through the area with their
families. The m e n usually ride a small
donkey, with the wife and kids following
closely behind. The m a n always had his
hand out. Buchees-a\ms.
After finally getting a fire started and
placing the Jerry can over the fire, I w a s
about to go back inside the tent when an
Army truck (deuce and a half) pulled up
in front of the tent. Nine men, in various
military dress, were all riding atop duffel
bags and other paraphernalia of the
traveling Airman.
they had landed at the wrong airfield and
wanted to know the location of the
376th B o m b Group, to which he had
been assigned.
seemed odd that they went south
instead of west. I did not linger very long
pondering these questions. I would
probably never know. So what?
Since my crew was in line to receive the
next replacement aircraft, I w a s hoping
that maybe he w a s at the right base. So
I asked him the name of his aircraft and
he said it w a s "Lady Be Good." I planned
to keep this name in mind in case he
might be reassigned. I liked the name.
Over a month later, some time in July, I
heard that a Lt. William Hatton, his crew
and "Lady Be Good" had been shot down
over Naples. I just assumed the date w a s
recent and didn't inquire about the loss
date or time. All I knew was, this w a s
the crew that had visited m y tent in June.
The 376th Bomb Group had recently
moved from a base at Soluch, south of
Benina Main, to a base west of our
location near Benghazi. I pointed out the
direction he had to take to reach the
376th B o m b Group.
So goes the war. The British and the
Americans had kicked Rommel out of
North Africa; but the war w a s actually
just beginning for the Army Air Force.
After exchanging a couple of 'good
lucks', he climbed aboard the vehicle and
said, "Let's go."
I don't recall him giving the driver any
directions. In fact, after they left, I don't
remember seeing a driver. Besides, if the
truck w a s sent from the motor pool,
surely all the drivers would know the
location of the five B o m b Groups in that
The truck and crew members continued
to the end of the row of tents, then
made a 90° turn to the left. This put
them on a straight line south. This w a s
in the direction of Soluch, the former
location of the 376th B o m b Group. They
just kept going south until they
disappeared in a cloud of dust over the
horizon.
Just what was happening here? They
never deviated from the southern course
toward the former location of the 376th.
The Mystery Began Here
Had they misunderstood the directions?
The ranking officer, a 1st Lieutenant, slidDid they have sand in their ears?
Something seemed amiss here, but
off the vehicle from just behind the cab.
what? I did not see or hear a plane in
W e shook hands as he introduced himself
that vicinity all morning. Maybe he had
as Bill Hatton, then continued to
landed at the 389th group airfield. It just
introduce his crew members. He said
A couple of days before the Ploesti raid
w a s scheduled, a friend of mine came by
m y tent and asked m e if I would
accompany him on this raid as his copilot. His o w n co-pilot had such a severe
case of dysentery that the furthest he
could get from the latrine barrels was about
fifty feet.
This raid was estimated at about 2,400
miles. The plane commander, Charlie P.
Henderson, got a positive YES. I w a s off
for briefing in the nearby Quonset hut. It
w a s a little late to absorb the
information being passed on, especially
reading the m a p provided by Charlie.
August 1,1943, was a day some called
Black Sunday. Others called it a Sunday
in hell. People began to stir as early as
2:00 a.m. S o m e had not slept a wink. A
few had walked part of the night, in Tshirt and boots, between tent and latrine
barrels. (They had a war going on with
dysentery). However, they still made the
raid.
I awoke about 2:30 a.m., dressed and
headed to the mess hall, which w a s
already half full. I cannot recall if the
breakfast consisted of eggs over sand or
sand over eggs. It could have been S O S
mixed with sand on toast. It didn't
�matter. Most ate quietly and seemed
well aware that this might be their last
breakfast. I ate slowly and tried to
observe the veterans at the meal. A lot
of these guys had been at Alamogordo,
Clovis, and Lincoln. Most of them had a
few missions under their belt. Somehow
I felt that a lot of these men would not
return.
The final briefing ended. A very solemn
group of men headed for their respective
aircraft. I had flown with this crew
before and knew all the crew members.
After a brief inspection, all boarded and
took their post. They checked and
rechecked their equipment. I had gone
over the checklist so many times that I
knew it by heart. I had never failed to
kick an engine in very quickly. A small
puff of smoke from each engine and all
four were buzzing, and checking all the
gauges, everything read GO.
Charlie, the plane commander, better
known as "Punchy" w a s a big rawboned
man in his middle twenties. An
outstanding football player at a western
Texas college, he muscled the B-24 like a
piper cub into the blue sky. Before w e
had reached 1000 feet, w e passed over a
B-24 burning fiercely on the ground.
Later it w a s learned that two crew
members survived that crash.
Forming at about 7000 feet, the 44th
was off. It was too late to chicken out
now. Out over the Mediterranean
everyone was more relaxed. Some even
tried to make jokes. Others tried to sleep.
The formation w a s not very tight. Charlie
and I took turns flying the big aircraft,
which seemed to be a bit tail heavy and
maybe somewhat sluggish. Maybe this
was due to the throttle setting, having
never flown a B-24 with this kind of
load. However, w e were able to maintain
our position in the formation without any
trouble.
Everything seemed to be going fine until
the Isle of Corfu. A B-24, from the front
of the lead group, went sliding to the
right in a steep dive and hit the water,
exploding instantly in a huge puff of
black smoke. The plane had no sooner hit
the water than another plane slid by.
This B-24 also came from the same area
of the formation, but did not seem to be
in trouble. It disappeared to the rear and
w e could no longer see what happened.
No one, except the lead group, knew that
these two planes carried the Mission
Navigator, the person responsible to lead
these crews to the target. The second
plane carried the Deputy Navigator.
Clouds were beginning to form and
everyone w a s getting a bit upset.
Formation flying in clouds w a s not m y
bag, especially over mountain terrain. So
Charlie took over.
Breaking from an opening in the clouds,
w e saw a flat land of farms and small
villages. This must have been a banner
year. All the fields had yielded an
abundance of corn, hay and wheat. Fat
cattle were observed in the green
pastures. This w a s a land of plenty. Their
mode of travel w a s a bit behind, horses
and wagons or two wheel carts. Our
group had dropped to a lower altitude to
keep from alerting the German radar
system. So far this seemed to be
working, as not a fighter w a s spotted.
Target White
Across the countryside, the B-24s drove
ever closer to their targets. For m y
group, the target had been designated
White V. By now the map of the target
area and the last IP w a s beginning to
clear in m y mind and I began trying to
read the area in the distance with m y
binoculars.
Suddenly, huge columns of dense black
smoke began to rise into the sky.
Sighting the railroad leading into these
explosions, I knew immediately that this
w a s our target. I leaned over and pointed
this out to Charlie.
Charlie maybe set his jaw a bit firmer,
but otherwise he never changed
expression. He made m e put on the
entire armor, the flak jacket, steel helmet
and a pair of goggles that appeared out
of nowhere. He explained that in case he
got hit, I should grab the yoke
immediately. I felt a bit silly being
dressed in this monkey suit, but I realized
it would help save m y life. The final IP
(identifying point) w a s Floresti, northeast
of Ploesti, meaning the bomb run would
be down the railroad track in a
southwesterly run. The fighters had not
shown up and the flak w a s non-existing.
Than all hell broke loose. The doors of
the freight cars parked on the tracks
opened, revealing a variety of arms. They
lit up the area with a display of firepower
that w a s very accurate and devastating.
What a baptism of lead! You could see it
coming, leaving circles of smoke in its
wake. It w a s at that instant that I
realized those bastards were trying to kill
me. I w a s frightened, then angry. The
battle lasted about two minutes.
Suddenly I became very serious and
calmer. I had regained m y composure. It
w a s a very w a r m day, but cold sweat
w a s running down m y back when w e
engaged the now burning tanks. Smoke
had n o w reached about 10,000 feet and
more tanks were blowing up. The target
w a s totally obliterated by the smoke.
The leader, Col. Leon Johnson never
hesitated plunging into the burning
inferno, black as night. I thought the
leader had to be nuts. I wondered if
Charlie w a s going to follow. Follow he
did.
Passing over a burning oil tank with
bomb bay doors open, the heat rushing
from the burning tanks threw the B-24
�into a much higher altitude. This didn't
phase Charlie. Unable to see the ground,
he pushed the nose down, then leveled
off. What courage!
Reaching a clear area, we could see we
were under another ship. The nose of our
aircraft was almost in the bomb bay. If
he dropped his bombs, there would be no
way he would miss us.
Thinking that Charlie needed help, I
grabbed the control and kicked the right
rudder, moving us from under the leader
to our #2 position. At this point, w e
were clearing the smoke and Charlie
slapped my hands off the yoke. W e were
over our target.
What a mess. All this had lasted less
than four minutes. It seemed like hours.
All w a s not over. Taking a deep breath, I
became aware of someone over m y left
shoulder. Turning to take a look, there
stood the bombardier. At a first glance,
the bloody bandage on his right hand
looked like he was holding his intestines
to keep them from falling out. At this
time of day, if there were any cookies
left in m y stomach, this would be the
time to toss them. Turning away and
regaining my wits, I looked back and w a s
relieved to see it w a s a bloody bandage.
Things were quieting down, but the race
was still on. At this point, saving fuel
w a s of great importance and the flight
engineer went to check ours. When he
came back, Charlie and the engineer put
their heads together and decided the gas
and the injured were the #1 priority. The
hospital at Malta had much better
facilities than the base at Benina Main.
Besides, what w e had seen of the many
battered aircraft, there had to be lots of
wounded.
The trip over the Mediterranean was
uneventful. Everyone relaxed. Soon,
The battle was still going on and plenty
Malta was giving Charlie the okay to
of fighters, especially what looked like
land. An ambulance was waiting to take
ME210s, were firing at aircraft ahead of
the wounded to the hospital. Some of
ours. A B-24 flying at the same level
I hardly had time to look out and see the
the crew members kissed the ground, in
about 200 yards ahead of Charlie, w a s
fighters approaching at one o'clock at
this case solid rock. Malta w a s nothing
burning fiercely from the bomb bay. At
the same level. Their wings lit up like
but a huge boulder sticking out of the
this point, I came out of m y semi-shock
Christmas. Their aim w a s deadly. They
sea. One of the crew members kept
and started calling the number on the
were so close that the smoke from the
walking around the aircraft, observing
aircraft, urging them to pull up, which
bullets was hitting the aircraft. There
the hundreds of holes and muttering,
they did. The pilot hung the plane on the
was a sudden explosion and m y pant legs
"We've had it." He must have repeated
four props and pulling up to about 1,000
this at least 50 times. M y legs felt weak
flew up past m y knees. This scared the
feet, the big bomber flattened out. T w o
hell out of me. Looking down I did not
and I headed for the officer's club
men came out of the waist windows.
immediately. After a couple of jiggers of
see any blood. The 2 0 m m blew a large
Both chutes opened. The B-24 then fell
good bourbon and some food, I visited
hole in the plane's nose and the rush of
over on its left wing and started back to
the wounded men in the hospital. They
air was what hit m y pant legs. When I
earth.
had been taken care of and seemed in
looked up, an 8 8 m m w a s pointed directly
at the aircraft on the same level. Charlie
As it neared the ground, my heart jumped real good spirits."
had to pull up to avoid hitting it. The
into m y throat. The bomber w a s headed
The Enigma
8 8 m m had to be out of order because
straight for us! It hit the ground not over
the Germans in the tower seemed to be
a hundred feet away and burst into
Years later, in the fall of 1960, Milliner
working on it.
flames. I wrote down the number of the
saw a picture on the cover of a magazine
aircraft and watched as others plowed
which caught his eye, a B-24 with the
Meeting the 98th
into the ground. Above, a M E 2 1 0 apname "Lady Be Good" painted on the
peared
to
be
dropping
something
on
the
nose. "A chill developed in m y spine. I
If an aircraft ever needed air brakes, this
wildly
scrambling
aircraft.
All
of
us
quickly opened the magazine to the story
was one of those times. On leaving the
surmised
that
what
w
e
saw
were
pieces
and became more and more interested as
target, Charlie encountered at least
falling
off
the
fighter,
reflecting
in
the
I read about what had happened to
twelve aircraft, all pink (Col. Kanes'
sunlight
as
it
fell
to
the
ground.
It
w
a
s
William Hatton, his crew and the plane
outfit from the 98th Bomb Group),
taking
a
pounding
from
the
fifty
caliber
"Lady Be Good." What a fascinating
crossing directly in front of us at the
machine
guns.
It
didn't
take
long
for
it
to
story.
This w a s the crew that had
same ground zero altitudes. It w a s a
pull
up
and
wing
over
out
of
range.
A
stopped at my tent in June, 1943,
beautiful job of kicking the big plane
waist
gunner
reported
that
it
crashed
in
looking for the 376th Bomb Group.
around to miss them. Again, Charlie w a s
a
cornfield.
a hell of a pilot.
�As I reread the story, I realized the dates
seemed different. The date to the story
was over two months earlier than when
the crew had been at my tent in 1943
asking for directions. April 4 was the
date "Lady Be Good" went missing. I
wasn't even in North Africa at that time!
H o w could this be? There had to be two
William Hatton crews. This was slowly
blowing my mind. I reread the story very
slowly trying to match the dates in the
story with the dates in my memory.
Nothing matched. Maybe I needed a rest
and then things might begin to match up.
That has not happened to this day.
Many unanswered questions concerning
what happened that day in June, 1943,
remain unanswered. Why did the truck
carrying the crew of the "Lady Be Good"
head south when I clearly stated the
base they were looking for was west?
Why did the "Lady" go so far off course
over Italy, winding up over the East
Coast near the heel of the boot? Naples
is on the West Coast. W a s the navigator
inebriated, confused in charting the
course, incompetent? W h y wasn't he
able to contact anyone at the tower at
Benina Main? H o w did they come to be
440 miles south of Benina Main, buried
in a sea of sand?
that I get when the name "Lady Be
Good" is mentioned.
The question remains who, or what, was
the crew that visited my tent that day in
June of 1943 looking for the 376th
Bomb Group and flying an aircraft named
"Lady Be Good?"
Ed. Note: Joseph Milliner is the author o
"The Angel and The Eagle," a description
of his personal experiences in WWII. On
August 16, 1944, on a mission to the
Just recently I read the book "Lady's airfields and Marshalling Yards at Foggia,
Italy, Milliner was copilot on Buzzin'
Men." There were no answers there.
Bear.
Flak was heavy and fighters were
"Lady's Men" just verified the dates and
persistent. The plane went down. Four
other data concerning the loss.
members were KIA; two escaped and
I've tried to put this out of mind or treat
returned to England; four, Milliner
it as a dream, but I can't shake the chill
included, were POWs for nearly two years.
44th BOMB GROUP VETERANS ASSOCIATION
44th B o m b Group
Veterans Association
R0. Box 712287
Salt Lake City, Utah 84171-2287
n Yes, Count m e In!
a Annual Membership Dues for year 2002 $20.00
~l Life Membership Dues 60 and over $125.00
n Life Membership Dues 40 to 59 $150.00
Join u s n o w s o you don't m i s s t h e next 8>-f3ali Tails.
Name
Spouse
Address
City
Tele: I
State
)
_Z'P.
Fax: (
E-Mail Address:
Group:
Friend
Donation:
Squadron:
Crew of:
Relative of:
Thank you for joining usl
Did you know that the 44th BGVA is not closed to veterans and wives? Any member or interested person may join as an Associate
Member. Family members regularly request information about brothers, uncles, fathers or cousins. Any of these people are eligible to join
and share the benefits of reunions, publications and camaraderie with WWII airmen
whose awesome stories continue to unfold with each gathering.
24
�THE FLAK HOUSES
It has been said that when a crew had been on a number of heavy missions, they became 'flak
happy.' The treatment was to send them to a 'Flak Shack'for Rest and Rehabilitation.
These houses were really military bases with a Commanding Officer, Adjutant and
enlisted men. The Red Cross girls established the social events, trying to make it as
home-like as they possibly could. (Ed. Note: After polling several veterans who went
to a 'Flak Shack,' I learned that none remembered being 'flak happy,' but they
certainly remembered the joy of being away from the War.)
These houses were run as a joint effort of the Army and Red Cross, and were
renowned for the therapeutic benefits they could offer to the all-male-world of combat
airmen. One of the most memorable ivas Roke Manor, a beautiful estate situated in a picturesque
countryside. Many men from the 44th remember the luxurious clean white sheets, tasty food and
plenty of soap and water. Former owners had decorated it in breathtakingly beautiful and
comfortable furnishing, and only a bicycle ride away was The Dukes Head, a favorite 'watering
hole'.
The activities offered at Roke Manor were myriad: golf at nearby Southampton, horseback
riding through the beautiful countryside, Softball, tennis, archery and much more. Railway
service to London and other parts of England was easily available. Nicest of all, there were girls.
The Red Cross workers planned special events, and young ladies who lived nearby came to the
Manor to attend dances, play volleyball, tennis and golf
Typical of the Red Cross worker was Betty jane Thomas, (now living in York, Pennsylvania). A
28-year-old college graduate from Seattle, Washington. Betty saw the Red Cross as her
opportunity to get into the War. The criteria for this assignment was to be over 25 years of age, in
good health and with the maturity to take responsibility. Betty spent only a short time in
England; and like everyone involved in the war, she accepted any assignment.
She flew across the Atlantic on Christmas Day, 1943, and stayed until the war was over. She
served donuts and coffee from her ' Clubmobile', greeting the young men as they climbed off the
troop ships, ready to go to war. This was during the biuld-up for D-Day, and as Captain of the
Clubmobile, she served in Ireland, England and Scotland. When General Patton moved across the
Channel, her unit was close by. They entered the Continent at Utah Beach, and followed the
Third Army all the way to Aachen, Germany. When Patton ran out offuel, so did the
Clubmobile.
The 44th BG remembers the frustration ofBastogne, in that the weather was too
©
prohibitive forflying.Betty Jane remembers it in Paris, where a flood of wounded soldiers
filled the corridors of the American Hospital. She clearly remembers reaching Dachau,
where the young girls were advised not to go look at the scene of death. However, she saw
the starving survivors who were able to walk past the truck; and to this day, she can never
erase them from her mind.
Just as the veterans cannot ever forget the War, neither can the Red Cross
Workers, whose job was to make life a little easier for those who liad the job of doing the fighting.
�SGT. DALE V. LEE
POW,
ESCAPEE
"I was flight engineer and left waist gunner on
the Horace W . Austin crew - B-24 F - Southern
Comfort. I trained at Mechanic School, Keisler
Field, Mississippi; B-24 School at Consolidated
Aircraft plant. San Diego, California; Gunnery
School at what is n o w know as Nellis Air Base, Las
Vegas, Nevada. Crew training with Lt. Austin was
at Tucson, Arizona; then Flight School at
Almogordo and Clovis, N e w Mexico."
Lee flew 111/2 missions, each different, but
each a solemn experience. " O n one flight the #1
cylinder on our #2 engine was hit. Our instruments
were reading okay, and w e still had plenty of
power; but w e were losing oil like crazy. Although
w e were extremely concerned, the #2 engine was
feathered, and w e flew back on the other three. W e
came home late, but w e made it back.
"The low level flight to Ploesti still stands out
clearly in m y mind. W e had a super group
commander and a great crew. I've always felt proud
that our group hit our target, in spite of all the
obstacles as w e flew in. There was lots offireand
smoke, and airplanes on all sides being hit and
going down. I distinctly recall one plane going d o w n
in the mass of black smoke. The wounded plane
pulled straight up. Before stalling out, two airmen
bailed out. Their chutes were so strikingly white in
all that dark, black smoke. T w o German fighters
came in and got those guys. I could see their bodies
slump in their chutes, a sight I'll never forget.
"During this flight, I saw a German Sergeant. He
had three rows of troops lined up in formation. I
just wanted to even the score, with them having
wiped out so many of m y good buddies. In m y
anger and frustration, I opened m y 50 caliper gun
and m o w e d right down their lines. That experience
has come back to haunt m e many times in m y later
years, but at that time it seemed so justifiable and
right.
26
During the flight, our right wing was very low
to the ground. The pilots had the control wheel
against the stops, and the wing just stayed down.
( W e could have been in the slip stream of the lead
aircraft.) A n d r e w Fabiny, co-pilot, reached over
and got just a little bit more power out of #4 engine.
The wing quivered and came up ever so slowly. It
appeared to have had zero clearance between the
wing and the ground. After our return to base, the
first thing the three of us did was to go out and
examine that wing. W e hadn't previously voiced our
anxiety, but when w e had a chance to examine it,
w e just stood and looked at each other in amazement
that the paint was not rubbed off.
"We had two boxes of incendiaries, and as we
came over the oil tanks, w e poured them out. I tried
to pour a steady stream out m y left waist window.
Glenn Hickerson, tail gunner, kept shouting, 'You
got another one. Y o u got another one.' About that
time, a big concussion from a large gun knocked
T h o m a s Purcell on his butt. (He was manning the
right waist window.) H e spilled his box of
incendiaries all over the floor of the plane. I made a
m a d scramble to pick them up and toss them out in a
hurry.
"Another colorful event was this old lady that
stood right out in the middle of this commotion. She
was calmly pumping water into a bucket; and if
there is any humor in all of this, it would have been
this scene. (Ed. Question: Was she thinking she
could put out thefireat Ploesti?) At the end of the
mission run was a cornfield.There were a number
of high, two wheel carts pulled by a team of oxen.
Carts were all over that cornfield, as those poor
oxen were just going berserk. The excited farmers
were in hot pursuit, trying to bring them under
control.
"When we got back to home base, Col. Johnsonjnet
us at the
Interrogation
Shack. H e
shook m y
hand and
said. 'One
of those is
enough in
anybody's
lifetime.'
' Ploesti Veterans - General Johnson and Dale Lee
�Each mission had different problems. Most German
fighters would attack from above and behind. Lt.
Austin would carry two degree flaps on our ship.
W h e n the fighters came in, Glen Hickerson would
yell, 'move', and Lt. Austin would pull theflapsup.
The plane would drop about 20 feet, and the
fighter's 2 0 m m s would burst overhead. In m y
position ( L W ) , I could not see thefightersas they
flew by so fast, but Hickerson would shoot his guns,
and a half second after his guns stopped, I would lay
on mine as the fighters came flying through and
underneath. W e got a lot of 'hits' using this sort of
team work.
Our last trip was the Foggia mission, and this
was probably the most successful mission you could
ever want. There were three groups of us. N u m b e r
One group got thefirstthird of the airfield; N u m b e r
T w o picked up where thefirstleft off and wiped out
the second third. Our group, N u m b e r Three, picked
up the last third of thefield-missionaccomplished.'
On our way out, we could see flashes of ack-ack
guns, and just knew that a 'beast' was on its way.
Approximatelyfifteenminutes after releasing our
bombs, our group was covered by 50-150 fighters
from Goering's Pet Squadron. W e had a b o m b hangup, and I was trying frantically to pry it loose.
About that time, our ship gave a big shudder. I
finally managed to release the b o m b by disconnecting
the whole shackle. Then I could get the b o m b bay
doors closed. I looked out m y window and saw a
hole more than three feet long in the top side of the
wing outboard #1 engine. It looked like a giant low
torch. I marveled then, as I do now, w h y that wing
did not fold. The fire was following the transfer
hoses into the airplane, and it was one big inferno.
The left rudder was completely shot off. Holes
appeared in the fuselage. It looked like a newspaper
with holes poked through with a pencil. O n e thing
still puzzles m e . O n the curvature of the fuselage,
over m y head, there was split approximately 1/2
inch wide and a l l / 2 feet long, and this split
followed the curvature. Not only was the skin split,
but the stringers as well. I thought, ' N O W h o w can
they shoot like that?' B y this time, 5 0 % of m y
clothes were burned off. Our communications
system was gone, so there was no way of knowing
what was going on up front, but I knew it was time
to do something. I poked Charles J. Warth, hatch
gunner, and pointed to Hickerson in the tail."
With schrapnel wounds on his legs and clothes
onfire,Lee bailed out the left waist window. " W e
were at approximately 25,000 feet, and the cold air
felt good-so good. I free-fell as far as I thought I
should. About that time, I fell through a bunch of
Germanfighters.Remembering the image of the two
airmen shot in their chutes at Ploesti, I delayed
opening m y chute. I rememberfloatingon m y back
in what seemed a slow turn, watching our burning
plane go down. Although it still seemed a long way
to the ground, I finally pulled m y rip cord. I hit the
ground very hard, severely injuring m y back. Next,
eight or ten angry civilians attacked m e , beating m e
on the head, shoulders, back and legs with guns,
clubs and even pitch forks."
From there, he was placed in a civilian jail with
at least six inches of human excrement on the floor.
The next day, with eight other prisoners tied
together with ropes, he was led d o w n the street with
civilians beating them, spitting and pelting them with
rocks. "They had absolutely no compassion for the
guys with broken bones, severe burns and wounds.
S o m e had eyes so badly swollen and bruised, they
couldn't see."
The captives were held in a jail at Bari, then
moved to a railroad station, which was being
bombed by the British. From there they were moved
into a crowded railroad boxcar, moved to a prison
where 2,500 British prisoners were being held. Food
consisted to two half-inch-long macaronis in two
cups of water, once a day.
Several of the prisoners managed to break a hole
in a brick wall with a bed post and escape. They
crawled through high tension wires and barbed wire
entanglement. (Ed. Note: It is unfortunate that this
group could not know that the Italian military was
sick of the war, had arrested Mussolini, and had
begun opening doors for prisoners to escape.)
Along with six other escapees, Lee walked more
than 300 miles, hiding from the Germans, sleeping
in the m u d and on frozen ground. They had no food,
clothes or water; and day and night were hunted by
the Germans, w h o droppedflaresand used search
dogs to find them. Only two of the six escapees were
capable of making decisions. The others followed
along in shock.
�"Heavily armed Nazi soldiers walked so close to
our hiding place, I could have spit on their boots,"
Lee recalled. "At one point, w e planned to hide in
an olive grove, only to discover it to be a large
camouflaged German armored group camp. W e
reported this to the 47th Fighter Group, w h o did not
believe it. However, they dropped a b o m b and all
hell broke loose. Then they went back and totally
wiped it out.
"When we got back to Africa, we couldn't
convince anyone of w h o w e were, as w e had no
uniforms, no dog-tags or any kind of identification."
The war still had a long way to go. When the
group got back to Washington, D.C., they were
given Secret Orders, stating that they could reveal
nothing to anybody about their experience, except
the Commanding General or G-2. This restriction
imposed an ongoing stress on Lee that has never
completely gone away. In time, he found peace by
buying dairy farms in Washington state and
producing prize Holsteins.
Forty years later, with his wife Alice, Lee
returned to the area where he had been imprisoned.
H e measured the distance the group had run the first
night they escaped - approximately eighteen
kilometers, and had climbed about 4,000 feet.
Very little has been written about the activities of
nurses in W W I I , but the survival of many
American's wounded can be attributed to their
efforts. Only in the last years of her life, was Alice
able to tell her story of working in a Field or
General Hospital—the long, brutal hours, donating
her o w n blood for transfusions, and bandaging the
bloody and infected wounds of m e n w h o had lain for
hours, unattended. M a n y of the m e n w h o were
brought from the Nazi prison camps arrived so
weak, they had to be spoon-fed. Mostly, she
provided hope that they would not die, that they
would recover and go home; unfortunately, many
didn't.
Two members were lost on that fateful mission:
Paul Singer, (Navigator) had a ripped chute, and
did not survive. Sheldon Finder, Bombardier, was
killed in the plane. The rest of the crew all made it
to the ground. Lt. Austin; Lt. Fabiny; Sgt. Joseph
Jett, Engineer, Sgt. Ray Whitby, radio operator;
Sgt. Thomas Purcell; Sgt. Charles Warth; Sgt.
Glenn Hickerson and Dale Lee all became P O W ,
and later Escapees.
A farm girl from Nebraska, Alice always wanted
to be a nurse. She received her education at the
Lutheran Deaconess School of Nursing in Chicago.
After graduation, at age 20, she enlisted in the Army
Nurse Corp. She crossed the Atlantic on the U.S.S.
Westpoint, along with 13,000 troops. They had no
escort, and twice had a Submarine Alert. They slept
fully clothed, life jackets in hand, and no lights
allowed.
When his wartime wounds became too
oppressive, Lee sold his farms and is n o w in
retirement. In the past year, he lost his wife Alice.
Alice was a Registered Nurse whose war experience
gave her an understanding of the physical and mental
pain of the events that Lee had undergone. She, too,
had black memories. (Ed. Note: Lee has documented
the experiences of the six Escapees. More details
will appear in a later issue.)
In Liverpool, England, October 13, 1944,
church services were continuous in a room so
packed, they had to wait until somebody left before
others could enter. "I watched the young boys, so
solemn, heads bowed in prayer and often tears
streaming d o w n their faces," she recorded. "I knew
many would never return; or if they did, possibly
physically or mentally maimed."
From Liverpool, the nurses traveled by troop
train to Southampton, where they boarded an
�English ship to cross the English Channel, arriving
at O m a h a Beach. Wearing dress uniforms, they
descended the rope ladders onto landing crafts,
which took them to the Beach. Next they were
loaded into open military trucks, each truck guarded
by four soldiers. "As w e traveled along the road, w e
saw battle weary soldiers coming out of the woods,
all shouting, 'American girls! Nurses!' They were so
eager to talk to someone from back home, especially
women, they were almost frantic."
The nursing team set up the 179th General
Hospital in the badly bombed city of Rouen, France.
In addition to mothers and little ragged children
begging for food or scrounging in garbage cans, the
endless supply of wounded were a heart breaking
story. Over the next several months, she moved to
several different hospital units, a Station Hospital
and a Field Hospital. In Daggendorf Germany, she
helped set up an Occupational Hospital.
Alice and Dale celebrated their 51st wedding
anniversary. They have five children. She passed
away in the past year.
Dale and Alice's daughter, Kathy, R.N.,
realized the long-term effects of the war on those
w h o could not or would not describe their feelings.
She has done considerable research on Post
Traumatic Stress Syndrome, a disorder that is only
recently receiving serious attention in the medical
community.
Ed. Note: It has been said that it takes 100 years for
a country to get over a war. For Dale and Alice Lee,
fifty-seven was not enough. Both have been loyal
members of the 44th BGVA, happy to be with other
veterans whose lives were carved by the war. Like so
many nurses, Alice's story has never been recorded.
However, her contribution to our fighting men was
of immeasurable value.
She remained in the service until March 22,1946.
W h e n she returned home, her family knew, and she
knew, that the farm girl from Nebraska could never
be the same.
Alice looks at her old dress apparel,
now in a museum.
�THERE HE
WAS...
Lt. James Tomblin, 66th
Sq. documented his war
experiences in a book which
he dedicated to the 150,000
allied airmen killed in the air
war over Europe. 45,000
airmen were taken prisoner
during that time. Because so
many dramatic stories
started out, There I was...
"my guns jammed," or "I had
three 109s on my tail", etc.,
he named his book, "THERE I
WAS, Story No. 45,001."
me). Both the bombardier's
parachute and mine lay there
together. These were snap-on
chest packs with two heavy
metal rings that snapped into
place on the parachute
harness we always wore. The
chest packs were too bulky
for either the bombardier or
myself to wear during flight.
We were flying on the
wing of the leader of the
high squadron. Lt. Rasmessen
was the pilot leading that
squadron - but he was at the
same altitude of the group
leader, not the required 100
to hit the silks today." The
feet above. W e often
pilot was Arthur Ledford.
wondered if this lower
W a s I getting his final puffs
altitude of the high squadron
on his cigar before take-off?
caused our plane to be shot
I always wondered how he
down. (The A A F employed
could smoke something so
strong so early in the morning. pattern bombing at this time,
which meant that one
Inspired by a Jimmy
squadron would fly 100 feet
It
takes
a
long
time
to
get
Stewart appeal in 1942, the
above the lead squadron and
20 bombers off the ground
seventeen year old Tomblin
the other squadron 100 feet
at
30
second
intervals
while
found the concept of
lower. Bombardiers in each
it's still dark and somewhat
becoming a commission
plane would release their
foggy. Then the constant
officer, silver wings and
bombs when the lead plane
climbing and assembling until
flight pay too irresistible to
released theirs. This caused
the whole wing of three
pass by. He entered the
a
wide "pattern" of bombs
groups are together.
Aviation Cadet program.
being dropped.)
As we ascended out over
Tomblin's book has many
the Channel to our bombing
dramatic scenes, but none
more so than October 30
altitude of 22,000 feet,
SATURDAY,
when, as Navigator on the
bombardier Dick Pascal and I
SEPTEMBER 30th
Arthur Ledford crew, they
crawled through our little 10
T O T (Time over the
set out to bomb the
foot long tunnel up to the
target)
was 1:25. W e
Marshalling Yards in Hamm,
nose. Dick got into the nose
Germany. Tomblin recalls how
turret, his regular post, and I received three direct hits in
the tail, bomb bay and the
that day began.
closed the access door,
nose, 30 seconds before the
locking him in. I spread his
"Meeting at the plane,
target.
W e fell out of
flak suit on the floor (he
climbing aboard with our
formation. The No. 1 engine
couldn't wear it while in the
was completely disabled, the
gear, there was very little
turret of the plane between
No. 2 engine losing power, the
conversation. An unusually
the two large .50 caliber
No. 3 was on fire, and No. 4
glum tail gunner, Hank Starr, ammo cases on each side of
was
OK. The hydraulics were
muttered "we're going to have
30
�knocked out also and the
bomb bay doors would not
close. Had I occupied m y
usual position between the
ammunition cases in the nose
as I had on all previous
missions, a piece of flak
would have undoubtedly
struck me.
As it was, I had decided
to stand up on this mission
for some reason, and I got
the compass heading before
we went over the target,
instead of afterwards. I was
standing when flak came
through the nose and went
between my legs and into an
oxygen bottle under the
navigator's table. I started to
call the pilot about it, but
decided there was too much
excitement, anyhow.
The bombardier called up
all the crew members. All of
them answered but the tail
gunner. H e called the tail
gunner three times, and then
told the waist gunners to go
back there and see about
him. At first they balked
because they were so afraid.
They were scared stiff, but
Dick then ordered both
Weiner and Bertollio back to
the tail. Then they reported
back the situation: "Hank's
done for," came the voice of
Bertollio over the intercom.
"Yeah, there's a big hole in
his head," said Weiner.
The pilot came back on the
intercom - he had been on
command, trying to contact
some fighters, without avail and told the waist gunners to
get Hank out of the turret-
put a static line on his rip
cord and throw him out the
camera hatch. They told him
they couldn't get him out, but
he ordered them and made
them get him out. Hank was
taken out of his turret.
The pilot called me and
asked for an E T A (estimated
time of arrival) to the Rhine
River. Once across the Rhine,
we would be over Allied held
territory. I computed an ETA
of 2:00 p.m., using the air
speed and wind we had over
the target. Since our air
speed had dropped, I thought
I should add 5 minutes more
to the time. Instead I
subtracted the 5 minutes and
gave Ledford an ETA of 1:55.
I'll never know why I did this
silly thing. Ledford said later
he would have given the order
to bail out sooner, had he
known.
It was just then that the
pilot ordered everyone to bail
out. Of course, neither Pascal
nor I heard the order.
Pascal got out of the
turret, and he had closed the
turret doors and was just
closing the back hatch doors
when all four engines quit and
the intercom went dead. The
hydraulics were already gone;
we lost them over the target.
It became absolutely quiet.
Pascal didn't know the
engines had quit. I tapped
him on the shoulder and
pointed to our parachutes,
the snap-on chest packs
laying under the navigator's
table. H e crouched down and
I looked under the table back
toward the bomb bay, and
saw fire back there.
We decided we ought to
leave. H e still didn't know the
The pilot then gave the order engines were out. H e handed
m e up my parachute and got
to prepare to bail out, and I
his. I put mine on and looked
took off my flak suit. The
up
above the navigator's table
upper turret, Sharp, asked if
to the pilot's rudder pedals
he ought to get out of his
and
saw the cockpit, which
turret, and Ledford said
was
empty. A big tongue of
"yes." (He had forgotten
flame went across it while I
about him.) So Dick Pascal
was
looking. I made up my
said he thought he had
mind to leave the airplane
better get out of his nose
then,
and crouched down just
turret. It was now about 15
behind the bombardier. Just
minutes to 2:00 o'clock.
as Dick reached for the
Pascal unplugged his
emergency release handles,
intercom, preparing to leave
which were supposed to
the turret. While I was
jettison the nose wheel
helping him (it's very cramped
doors, the flames came up
into the nose and both of us
in the nose and two doors
must be opened and closed to
were enveloped in flames.
Then I saw Dick pull the
get anyone out of the
release handles and saw one
turret), I accidently
door disappear. The second
unplugged my own intercom.
�door did not release. Dick
crawled out, laid on the door
and began pounding it with his
hand. So I sat back and
waited (eyes closed) until I
thought Dick had time to get
out. I was in the fire all this
time, and I could feel myself
burning. Then, just as I
started to move toward the
door opening, I thought
something had come between
m e and the fire because I
was no longer on fire. I
thought that it was the
navigator's table, and that I
was going to have to move it
to get to the possible escape
opening under the nose wheel.
Two seconds later, I
found myself out in the air.
Just as I left the ship, I felt
my parachute leave me. I
could not find it at first.
Then I heard something
flapping above my head and I
looked up, and there it was,
still attached. The static
lines had been tacked on with
thread to the parachute
harness, and the thread had
burned through, leaving the
chest pack about 8 feet
above my head. So I pulled it
down to m e and pulled the rip
cord. The parachute opened.
Looking across the way, I saw
Dick in the air at the same
level I was, and a part of a
wing came fluttering by. Then
I looked down below m e and
saw a large tree. Then I was
on the ground, landing in a
small ditch next to a barbed
wire fence. I remembered to
clear my ears on the way
down. I also remember
holding the rip cord in my
hand, wondering if I dropped
it, if it might injure
somebody. Strange thought!
A rip cord is a 1/4" diameter
steel rod curved to form a
handle. It is pretty heavy.
The plane obviously had
exploded, but I heard nothing
and felt nothing. Both Pascal
and myself were badly
burned, and Dick's left hand
was broken by some flying
object. Strangely enough, m y
left hand was very badly
burned, but the rayon glove I
had on my right hand wasn't
even singed.
I got out of my parachute
harness and got out of the
ditch. Over the fence, I saw
a civilian farmer. H e started
talking to m e in German. I
could not understand him. So
then he said, "Parlez vous,
France?" Thinking I might be
talking to a member of the
underground, I got very
excited. Remembering I had
just completed two years of
high school French, I said:
"Mais oui.J' etude pour deux
ans dans I'ecole." H e
responded immediately,
correcting my French, just
like my French teacher. "Non,
Non, Non!. beuxans, beuxans!
(duzan - as though one word).
Then he said "Avez-vous le
bon-bon?" Hoping he might
help m e evade capture, I gave
him my escape kit containing
maps, money, and
concentrated food, some of
which was chocolate. I think
he may have heard of escape
kits before. Then he walked
away. This was probably the
most bizarre thing that ever
happened to m e during the war.
Then a truck full of
soldiers pulled up on a dirt
road about 100 feet away.
The leader of the group had a
sub-machine gun. He gave me
an order three times, without
my understanding him. He
then pointed the gun directly
at me. That is scary, looking
down that gun barrel. A
soldier indicated that he
wanted my parachute.
Another soldier helped me
get my parachute
disentangled from the
branches and I was taken to
a haystack about two blocks
away. The road I walked on
was lined with women and
children staring at us. The
children didn't seem to be
afraid, and I knew I looked
pretty terrible with my face
and hair so burned.
When I got to the
haystack, I saw Pascal sitting
there. The Germans had
already captured him. He
stood up and shook hands
with me. W e sat around the
haystack, with a lot of
civilians around us, who
thought it was an interesting
sight. Ledford came up about
15 minutes later. Just before
Ledford came, a staff
sergeant from a B-17 was
brought to the same
haystack. H e had a flak
wound on his left arm. W e
also saw another parachute at
about 10,000 feet in the air.
One of the German
soldiers put salve on Dick and
myself - face, ears, my left
�hand, and ankles. W e
were the enemy, had
just bombed one of
Germany's large cities,
and this soldier was
showing compassion!
Dick had had on his
helmet, but I had been
bareheaded.
About 4 o'clock
they moved us to a
little old jail about
8x10 feet. W e were
put there for the
night. There were
seven of us from two
different crews, four
of us injured. Ledford
tried to talk a doctor
into letting him go to
the plane, which had
crashed close by, and
The Ledford Crew
get a first aid kit for
Top Row L-R: Arthur Ledford, Pilot; Harold Armstrong, Co-pilot;
some morphine, and
James Tomblin, Navigator; Richard Pascal, Bombardier.
also to get his fighter
(service cap). They
Bottom Row L-R: Johnny Bertolio, Waist Gunner: Bruce Starr, Ball
wouldn't let him. About
Turret Gunner; Henry Starr, Tail Gunner; William Wright,
6 o'clock that evening,
Engineer; F. Weiner, Waist Gunner; Eddie Shanx, Radio Operator.
a doctor came in and
gave us some
morphine. Dick slept
building to tell these men we
Munster, about 45 kilometers
all night, but I woke up at 10, away. The town we were
were OK.
12, 2, 4, 6 and 8 - every two
captured in was Nordwilde,
We went on to the
hours. I drank some water
about 300 population. W e got
hospital. There, someone
during the night, but threw it
to Munster and stopped at an
bandaged
my hand with a cloth
right up.
airport. The three ablethat
felt
somewhat
wooden,
bodied men took one dog tag
About 9 o'clock the next
as though it had wood
from each of us, and took
morning (Sunday), the
particles in it. A gauze cloth
them inside a building at the
Germans came in with some
was put on my face. W e were
field. Ledford saw some men
kind of sandwich and a cup of
taken to a room with a couple
walking away he identified as
coffee. M y eyes were swollen
of other guys in it. W e were
members of our crew:
shut, I couldn't see; but I
put to bed, and stayed in that
Armstrong (co-pilot), Wright
took a bite from the sandwich
room for about seven days.
(engineer), Weiner (waist
and drank a sip of coffee
gunner), and he believed
Tomblin's book, "There I
because it was liquid. They
Sharp
(radio
operator)
he
Was" provides a vivid
took us out and put us on a
was not sure. H e told the men
description of life as a badly
truck and started us towards
who were going into the
burned and blinded veteran,
�traveling by train w h e n Allied
planes w e r e bombing, eating
the m e a g e r foods t h e
G e r m a n s supplied and m a n y
other discomforting events.
M o r e of his story will appear
in a later issue.
1st. Lt. Ledford remembered
four hits with flak. "Number 1
engine went out immediately, and
#3 was hit, but still producing
some power. However, it was
burning, and burned through the
side of the fuselage. W e also took
a hit around the waist and one
near the tail, which got our tail
gunner, Henry P. Starr.
"After being hit, we lost
power and speed, rapidly dropped
behind the formation. W e were
able to hold to approximately 300
feet per minute descent, and
when w e reached 17,000 feet, I
told the waist gunners to go to
the tail and check on Starr to see
if he was alive. When they
reported that the top of his head
had been blown away, w e
decided to leave him with the
plane.
"Approximately 35 minutes
off the target, the fire burned
into the plane, and everybody
left, except the bombardier Lt.
Pascal, navigator Tomblin, and
myself. Those two could not get
out due to a malfunction of one
of the nose wheel doors. When
the plane eventually blew up,
they were standing on the doors
and were blown out into the air,
where they pulled their cords and
landed OK."
The 44th Bomb Group's PX
Flying 8 Ball Patches $14 + $2 Postage
Back issues of 8 Ball Tails $5
Write 44th BGVA, P.O. Box 712287, Salt Lake City, U T 84171-2287
Flying 8 Ball Shirts $25 + $3 Postage
Flying 8 Ball Caps $15 + $2 Postage
Pins (Specify Squadron) $5 + $1 Postage
Write Sam Misceli, 6398 Dawson Blvd., Mentor, O H 44060-3648
Kevin Watson's book Ruth-Less and Far From Home is the story of
the tragic crash of the A/C #41-24282, 506th Sq. It is available
through Amazon.com; signed copies can be obtained through
hometown.aol.com/kpwats7. The cost is $20. His book is a tribute to
the James Bolin crew of Ruthless. Y o u m a y contact Kevin at 29
D o w n s Valley Road, Eastbourne B N 2 0 9 Q G , UK.
44th BOMB CROUP, The Flying Eightballs, a 115 page
documentary of the 44th B G is available for $55 from Turner
Publishing Company, 412 Broadway, P.O. Box 3101, Paducah, KY
42002-3101. This hard-bound 9 x 1 1 book has 128 pages of
historical material, and biographies of m a n y veterans. A good
reference book for new members seeking information.
THE WILD BLUE YONDER is a chronology of the James N. Williams
crew, (66th BS) as recorded by Warren F. McPherson. McPherson's
detailed repon tells the story from induction to his last mission,
concluded by a kiss on solid soil. The Tail Gunner who later became
a minister presents a lively and accurate account of the life as an
N C O in the maelstrom of war. Cost $10 for a soft cover, 32 page
ringed book. Write 1016 E. Rockwood Street, Springfield, M O
65807-5092.
PURSUIT IN THE PYRENEES, by Archie Barlow, Jr., is an account of
a three month effort of evading the e n e m y in German-occupied
France, 1944. The price is $20. Write L. B. Wright, 3911 Black
Locust Drive, Houston, TX 77088-6904. Telephone: (281) 931-1932.
Email: Wright@juno.com.
THE ANGEL AND THE EAGLE by Joseph E. Milliner is a personal
story, written in 3rd person, of his experiences as a pilot, a family
m a n and a distraught father whose son, a helicopter pilot, tragically
disappeared in Laos during the Vietnam War. Milliner describes the
fury of the Ploesti Raid, target White V in dramatic detail. Then there
was Foggia, where Buzzin Bear crashed, and four of the crew were
lost. According to Joe, his ever faithful Guardian Angel JOSEPH
saved him from parachuting into the flaming plane. Milliner's signed
hardcover book is available for $11.95, (postage incl) Write 281
Fincastle W a y , Shepherdsville, K Y 40165.
Email: Mackie0126@aol.com
�FOLDED
WIN!
May, 2002
Prepared by:
ALEXANDER, DAVID W
09/15/85
0-376286
68th Sq. Pilot
Lt. Alexander was one of the two first
replacement crews to join the 68th Squadron
in April, 1943. They had trained in B-17s,
but the 44th as replacements; obviously
because there were no new B-24 crews
available. Lt. Alexander flew his first mission
on March 31st as a co-pilot for R.B. Houston
crew. He flew both the Ploesti and second
Weiner-Neustadt raids from Africa. On 10
August 1944, he completed his tour of duty
with 26 missions. Then he transferred to the
93 C B W effective 28 April 1944.
BARTLEY, FOUNT BOYD 03/20/02
38274336
506th Sq.
Sgt. Bartley, along with his twin brother,
served with the R. J. Hruby crew. Time
period was from mid April 1944 to 12 July
44, while completing 30 missions. Both
brothers were aboard when Lt. Hruby was
forced to ditch in the North Sea on 29 April,
their fifth mission. All of the crew survived
with no serious injuries. Fount lived only a
few months after Art Hand had located him,
and received his records and much data.
BERGMANN
HAROLD F.
2001?
67th Sq.
Sgt. Bergmann
served as the Engineer
on the Lt. W . D. Carter
crew that arrived in the
67th Squadron in June
1 944. This crew completed
30 missions during the
summer of that year, ending
their tour of 30 missions by the
end of August.
CLARK, CLETUS C 02/09/02
17157054
506th Sq.
Sgt. Clark was the Engineer on the R. J.
Hruby crew, the same crew as Fount B.
Bartley (listed previously). Both served the
same missions and the same experiences in
that most amazing ditching on 29 April
1944. Both completed their tour of 30
missions on 12 July 1944.
DABNEY, WILLIAM C. Jr 03/1 7/02
0-2044418
67th Sq.
Lt. Dabney joined the 67th Sq. in early April
1 943, a transfer from the RAF, and was
assigned to 1st Lt. W . R. Cameron's crew as
co-pilot. He flew his first mission on 4 May,
as co-pilot to Capt. Phillips, but with Lt.
Cameron's crew. After two more missions
from Shipdham, the 44th BG was placed on
Detached Service in North Africa in
preparation for the famous low-level Ploesti
mission. He flew ten missions from Africa,
including Ploesti with 1st Lt. Cameron's
crew, and one final mission with Lt.
Carpenter's crew on 13 August 1943. He
was then transferred back to the U.S.
IDEN, DONALD B No date
0-767814
506th Sq.
Co-pilot for Lt. W.S. Salfen. This crew flew
their first mission on 24 August 1944; then
two more on consecutive days. They were on
their unlucky 13th mission, 7 October,
when, near the target, they were hit by two
�r flak bursts, and had to abandon
ship. Lt. Iden
and seven others from his crew parachuted
successfully to became P O W s .
KERR, JESS L 07/6/90
0-699073
Lt. Kerr was the Bombardier on the W . D.
Carter crew, that joined the 67th Squadron
27 May 1944. Their initial mission w a s
flown on 6 June, "D-Day;" with their 30th
and final mission completed on 30 August
1944. Tragedy nearly occurred on 27 June,
when their aircraft was severely damaged;
their co-pilot lost three fingers to flak; and
one main landing gear tire punctured by flak.
With great skill, the pilot made an excellent
and safe landing in "Glory Bee. " Lt. Kerr w a s
awarded the D.F.C. and Air Medal with three
Oak Leaf Clusters.
NOWAKJOHNC 12/01/01
The only information found for John is that
he served with the 18th Weather Station.
Time served is unknown.
SEEVER, ROBERT G 01/25/02
0-700554
1
67th Sq.
Captain Seever w a s a pilot in the 68th Sq.
Lt. Seever and crew arrived at Shipdham on
15 August 1944, and he quickly completed
his first mission on the 25th, as a co-pilot
with T.C. Kay crew. He completed his tour of
duty with 30 missions on 24 March 1945.
Lt. Seever flew his first four missions in
succession to get off to a very fast start. He
and his crew also flew both of the 44ths two
low-level supply missions. The second of
which was also his 30th and final mission.
His crew was also promoted to lead crew
status; flew their first PFF lead on 28
December 1944, as well as all of their
remaining missions. Capt. Seever w a s
awarded a D.F.C. and Air Medal with four
Oak Leaf Clusters. On a personal note, Bob
loaned all of his personal COLOR
photos to us to copy for our records.
Jo my knowledge these are the only
color photos found for our 44th BG.
Extremely rare.
36
STIEFEL, MAX A.
06/01
0-801102
66th Sq.
Lt. M a x A. Stiefel w a s the Navigator on the
R. W . Bridges crew. They joined the 66th
Squadron in Africa, too late for the Ploesti
mission. M a x flew his first mission as
Navigator on the R.E. Felber crew for the first
attack on Weiner Neustadt, Austria.
Following that, he rejoined his regular crew
and quickly flew several more missions, first
from Africa and then from Shipdham.
Returning to North Africa in mid-September,
he completed three more in Sept. On
October 1st, the Group returned to Weiner
Neustadt, but this time against fierce
opposition. The R. W . Bridges crew was shot
d o w n near the target, with Lt. Stiefel being
captured and a P O W while on his ninth
mission.
THOM, GEORGE J. 07/12/01
0-742628
67th Sq.
Lt. Thorn w a s a pilot in the 67th Squadron,
after he and his crew joined that Sq., in
January 1944. He and his crew flew their
first attempt for a mission on 3 February, but
it w a s recalled. The first mission, then, was
6 February to Siracourt, France. Among the
very tough missions were those to
Helmstadt, Gotha, and Furth during "Big
W e e k " in February, plus two more to Berlin.
His 17th, and last mission, was to
Langenhagen, Germany on 8 April. The 44th
B G lost 11 aircraft and crews that included
Lt. Thorn's. All ten crewmen survived to
become P O W s , but it w a s a miracle that Lt.
Thorn lived. For reason still unknown, Lt.
Thorn w a s not wearing a parachute when he
left his airplane. He explained that he was
most fortunate to come d o w n into a large
tree that broke his fall, and also broke many
of the bones in his body, including his back.
He was, and is, a large man. Several years
ago, at a reunion, he told his story, but never
followed up with his offer to get it into print.
At the time that he retired from Service, he
w a s a Colonel, and had worked in the
Pentagon for many years.
�(3D
^
mm, ® S-J&AI
Mrs. Charlotte
Paterson, owner of
the Shipdham Aero
Club was a m e m b e r
of the RAF during
WWII. She worked on
Catalinas, which were
used for submarine
surveillance.
(3D
From Julian Ertz, 44th BG representative
to the 2nd Air Division Association: The
location of the 2nd A D A Convention,
August 28 - September 3, 2002, has been
changed to the Hyatt Harbor Hotel in
Baltimore, Maryland is not finished, due
to construction problems. Ed Note: The
44th's own Dick Butler will be moving
into the presidency of this esteemed
organization. Let's all show our support
by coming to honor him in this
prestigious post.
From the Embassy of France: Any veteran
who served on French territory, in French
territorial waters or French air space from
June 6,1944 to May 8,1945 is eligible to
receive a "Thank-You-America Certificate"
from the French government. Along with
your application, include copies of
documents, showing you served during
that period. Applications can be obtained
at your local VA. If that is not accessible,
contact your Editor, Ruth Davis Morse or
George Insley, 865 Little Valley Road,
Roseburg, O R 97470, and w e will m a k e
one available.
General John Gibson recently
celebrated his 92nd birthday. He is
recovering from a series of health
problems; but with grit, is going forward.
He would appreciate a card from his
friends: 7008 Gateridge Drive, Dallas, TX
75254.
A m o n g the unexpected surprises at the 2
A D Reunion in Norwich, coupled with the
Grand Opening of the Memorial Library,
was a beautiful medallion. On one side
was the image of the Forum, h o m e of the
Library; on the reverse side was a B-24.
These mementos were the gift of Bud
and Mike Chamberlain (489 BG) and the
Butlers, Dick and Ardith.
Reginald Carpenter, Pilot of Horsefly,
remembers his engineer, the late
Vincent Huenerberg:
"Vincent and I had a very special
relationship, both friendly and technical.
He was well mannered and friendly, a
marvelous Engineer w h o always did his
best to see that the aircraft was kept in
tip top condition. O n the low level Ploesti
mission, August 1, 1943, when w e were
forced to ditch in the Mediterranean Sea,
Vincent was the first crewman to go out
the top hatch. The aircraft's tail was torn
off, and it was sinking nose down very
rapidly. Vincent s w a m to the left dingy
hatch, which was now under water, and
attempted to deploy it; but the door was
jammed, and he could not open it.
Rapidly, he s w a m over to the right dingy
hatch; and fortunately he was able to
open it and deploy the dingy. W h e n I
finally got free off the cockpit and c a m e
to the surface, the first thing I saw was
Vincent standing in our one and only
dingy, pulling all the survivors into it. If it
were not for his strength and
�determination to deploy that remaining
dingy, w e would have all perished. All
who survived owe their lives to Vincent,
the best engineer a pilot could have.
She acquired his picture from a negative
he gave her long ago. She is also
inquiring about Lt. Ackerman's younger
brother Arthur. Does anybody have any
knowledge of him?
Regrettable, S/Sgts. Walter Brown and
Edward Durrand were crushed on the
flight deck when the top turret tore loose
from the fuselage, and they were unable
to escape.
Among her treasures is this picture of the
Lt. Charles C o n n o r crew, which she
wants to share. Perhaps someone can
identity s o m e of these m e n :
I have very happy
memories about m y
association with Vincent,
and they shall go with
m e forever."
Top row L-R : (Name not recognized), copilot; Lt. Edward J. Ackerman, navigator;
Hansen, tail gunner, w h o later became
P O W ; Lt. Charles Connor, pilot.
From England: Elizabeth
Mills of Southampton
would like to know the
whereabouts of Lt.
Jack Holtzman, a
longtime friend of
her sweetheart, the
late Lt. Edward J.
Ackerman.
Ackerman was the
Navigator on the
Ruthless #4124282 Bar Y, which
crashed in
Eastbourne,
England.
Elizabeth's mother
frequently shared
the family h o m e
with both Holtzman
and Ackerman.
W h e n the Ruthless
crashed, it was a
severe loss to
Elizabeth and her brother William, w h o
still frequently climb Butts Brow to visit
the Memorial site.
Her last knowledge of Holtzman, former
native of Chicago, is that he flew 30
missions, the last being May 9th, 1944
Bottom Row: The only one she could
identify is (center) J a m e s Bales,
engineer/top turret gunner, who later
crashed in Eastbourne. Can anyone fill in
the missing names? Or the name of the
plane?
From Frank Stegbauer, Navigator, 67th
Sq.: " W e were flying to England on a B17, Kansas to Labrador, then across to
Scotland. The b o m b bay was loaded with
�cigarettes, gifts for our fighting men. It
was December and the weather was bad
in Goose Bay, so w e were delayed
several days. Then over the North
Atlantic, five planes were lost,
supposedly due to ice on the wings.
history is available through Computer
Generated Data Ltd. at a price of $150.
Send check to:
"When we got to Scotland, the pilot
contacted the Tower, and they told him to
go around. He said, I can't. I'm too low on
fuel.' He m a d e a right turn and landed.
W h e n he hit the hard runway, the engine
quit. W e got out and kissed the ground.
Then w e went to the B-24s.
"The death of my tail gunner, Charles
Ray, m a d e m e think again of our times
together, during and after the War. Ray
got shot twice when he was overseas.
Then he went quail hunting with a friend,
and the fellow accidentally shot him. I
don't know why he was so unlucky, he
kept getting shot!!!" In his southern
vernacular, Frank remembered his friend
as a 'good ole boy.' Ed. Note: Frank
became a Captain on his 20th birthday,
the youngest Captain over there at the
time. My conversation with him led to a
great gift which he presented to me: a
copy of Will Lundy's book. The History of
the 67th Squadron. This is a true treasure
that is scarcer than Tom Dewey orAlf
Landon badges!!!
•A
Check the Web Sites
Check out:
http://www.44thbombgroup.com.
W e are asking veterans to check your
boxes of photos and albums for pictures
of planes, old diaries, and any
information which can expand the
available knowledge of the 44th's history.
Have you checked out the Military
Heritage Database?
Find: EighthAirForce.com.
This site is undergoing m a n y changes.
Check it out! A disc for the available
44th BGVA
P.O. Box 718277
Salt Lake City, UT 84171-2287
One third of the purchase price will go
into the 44th BG Treasury.
A Moment of Glory General Theodore
R. Milton, USAF (Ret) wrote this: "We
didn't know it then, but w e were living at
the peak m o m e n t of America's glory.
There was no questioning the Tightness
of what w e were doing, no hostile media
types nosing around for a story. The
reporters w h o did visit us were almost
wistfully eager to be helpful, and so were
the occasional visiting politicians w h o
asked nothing more than a picture, taken
with some of the boys. As w e look back
from this great distance, those seem
splendid days. The m u d and the cold are
scarcely remembered, and our lost
comrades remain forever young, their
faces unchanged, unlike the rest of us.
We have all learned long since, you can
never go back. ...there will never again
be such a group, united in purpose,
young and free of the plagues that mark
much of today's society.
��
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Title
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8 Ball Tails
Newsletter
Dublin Core
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Title
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8 Ball Tails Volume 4 - Issue 4: Summer 2002
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
Summer 2002