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�44 TH
BOMB GROUP
VETERANS ASSOCIATION BOARD
2002
Official Journal of The
President Emeritus: B/Gen. John H. Gibson
(Ret)
7008 Gateridge Drive
Dallas, T X 75254
Phone (972) 239-0559
U.K. Representative: Steve A d a m s
28 Bassingham Rd.
Norwich, England N R 3 2 Q T
Phone/Fax: 011-44-1603-400221
e-mail: s.p.adams@btinternet.com
Compiled, written and
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
Historian: Roger Fenton
4311 East Sunrise Drive
Phoenix, A Z 85044-1010
Phone: (480) 893-3761
e-mail: lomadanger@aol.com
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
Secretary & 8 Ball Tails Editor:
Ruth W . Davis-Morse
2041 Village Circle East
York, PA 17404
Phone (717) 846-8948 Fax: (717) 846-6688
e-mail: rewdm@blazenet.net
Treasurer: Richard Lynch (67)
Box 518
Conrad, IA 50621-0518
Phone: (641)366-2414
e-mail: r_blynch@netins.net
Immediate Past President:
Edw. K. "Mike" Mikoloski (66/67)
626 Smithfield Road #702
N. Providence, Rl 02904
Phone/Fax: (401) 353-0144
e-mail: E K M L I B 4 4 @ m s n . c o m
The 8 Ball Tails©
44th Bomb Group
Veterans Association,
Inc.©
published tri-yearly at
2041 Village Circle
East, York, PA, by Ruth
W. Davis-Morse, Editor.
Printed and mailed Bulk
Archivist: C.W. "Will" Lundy (67)
Rate at Salt Lake City,
2519 WestvilleTrl
UT under USPS Permit
Cool, C A 95614-2008
#6923. All original
Phone/Fax: (530) 886-8636 (Winter)
e-mail: willundy@aol.com
written material such
P.O. Box 315, Bridgeport, C A 93517 (Summer) as letters, stories,
Phone/Fax: (760) 932-7349
excerpts from personal
diaries or memoirs,
Membership, Search: Art Hand (66)
drawings and photos
517 Elm Street
Paris, IL 61944-1417
submitted to this
Phone/Fax: (217) 463-5905
journal will become the
e-mail: k9hwp@comwares.net
property of the 44th
Bomb Group Veterans
Director: Robert Lee Aston (67)
Association
and will be
830 Cardinal Drive
Elberton, G A 30635-2606
copyright protected
Phone/Fax: (706) 283-1337
except where noted.
e-mail: leeaston@negia.net
The text and photos are
otherwise reproduced
Director: Robert Paul Kay (Paul) (68)
10411 Brook Lane S W
from official USAAF
Tacoma, W A 98499
and USAF documents
Phone: (253) 584-4420
and photos which have
ASSOCIATION MAILING ADDRESS: been released for
publication. Permission
44th B G V A
is granted for the
P.O. Box 712287
Salt Lake City, U T 84171-2287
contents of this journal
to be reproduced
specifically for personal
archives. Otherwise,
Visit our website @ www.44thbombgroup.com
j
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.
Those submitting letters, stories and photos to the editor or historian must do so with the understanding that this
most likely be published in this journal as a matter of interest to the members/subscribers of the Association and this journal. While
every attempt will be made to answer all of the material received, there is no explicit or implied guarantee that an answer will be
provided 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.
�r
Another took At Europe
There W A S time to \&u$h; * time to crvj,
A time to be inspired A time to remember.
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Kneeling: Larry Herpel. First Row (standing): Left to Right: Sidney Paul, Elizabeth Paul; Jack Schiffer, Delores Shipley, Jackie Roberts,
Mary Aston, Marie Hughes, Ruth Morse, Ann Natilli, Louis DeBlasio, Carole Amato, Frank Amato. Back Row: Jerry Folsom, Bill Kelly,
Norman Powell, Beverly Folsom, Charlotte Huntley, Lee Aston, Russell Huntley, Perry Morse, Lois Cianci, Tony Cianci, Charlie Hughes,
Will Lundy, Irene Lundy, Rose Maglione, Larry Maglione, Lowell Roberts.
Larry Herpel is probably one of the great optimists
of this century. Imagine trying to put another trip
together after the cancellation on Nine-Eleven!
Grounded in N e w Orleans for four days, he had to
cancel the first trip by phone, begging those he
could contact to notify others. H e managed hotel
and guide cancellations, sent refunds; and then
worked on the next adventure. In late M a y the
entourage reassembled and Paris was waiting.
Walking steps d o w n the Eiffel Tower is a bit
laborious, but there is lots of trivia to be learned
along the way. The French flag was taken d o w n in
June, 1940, when France fell. Lucien Sarniquet
carried it back up August 25, 1944, when Paris
was liberated, but at his o w n peril. A lingering
German shot at him. (Until then, the Germans
were loving Paris. They hated to give it back to
the French.)
The City of Lights was celebrating Liberation Day
with a ceremony at the Arch of Triumph and a
parade of well groomed horses and riders in stately
uniforms. W e couldn't get near the Arch, as
dignitaries were everywhere.
The Castle at Versailles was breathtakingly
beautiful, but its beauty was overshadowed by bad
weather. T o see the rail car where the Treaty of
Versailles was signed, and where Hitler danced in
triumph when France fell, required a longer
journey. We'll see that on the next trip.
j
3
�Jackie Roberts and the
Administrator at
Normandy.
At Normandy, Jackie Roberts found her father's
n a m e on the Wall of Honor; and w h e n the
Administrator learned that the daughter of a
missing airman was present, he hurriedly grabbed
wet sand and highlighted Jack Ostenson's name, so
it photographed clearly. Although most of us have
been to Normandy previously, and had seen the
monument and endless rows of graves; it is no less
awesome on a return trip. It truly is hallowed
ground.
Our Belgium friend, Peter Loncke, led us to the
monument at Winbrin, honoring the Pinder crew.
O n hand for a beautiful ceremony were Joseph
Lafalize, the Burgomaster and his wife, Marleen,
w h o donated the land for the monument. It is
located only about 100 yards from the crash site of
A C #42-7547 X-Bar. This gentleman was mayor at
the time of the crash. M a n y of the local people
came to the event. S o m e remember January 29,
1944, w h e n the plane went down; and many have
a very clear m e m o r y of G e r m a n occupation. A
representative of the current mayor delivered a
stirring speech of appreciation to Americans. Peter
read his p o e m of gratitude (printed on Page 6),
and called for a m o m e n t of silence, in memory of
those w h o perished at that site.
Along with the plaque naming the crew, is a
smaller plaque inspired by Forrest S. Clark, in
honor of his friend A b e Sofferman. Wishing to
complete his tour, Sofferman flew that mission in
place of Clark, forfeiting his life for this decision.
Sidney Paul
at
Normandy.
Peter Loncke, Jerry Folsom, Joseph Hofalize and a dignitary from the local villag
honored the members of the Pinder Crew.
�The next day, Peter led the bus to the T o w n Hall
at Hamminkeln, Germany. Here a mayor's
representative and a capable interpreter honored
the members of the Crandell and Chandler crews;
w h o crashed in nearby Wesel. While enjoying tea,
coffee, soft drinks and snacks, 44th B G members
listened to declarations of gratitude for peace
between our countries. In the audience was Peter
Emmerich, the anti-aircraft gunner whose careful
aim brought d o w n K-Bar from the 67th Squadron;
and Southern Comfort from the 506 Squadron; and
according to the records, two from another group.
Bastogne stands as one of the most ferocious
battles in Europe, and it took place in the coldest
winter that the Continent had ever known. Called
'Hitler's Last Gamble,' it was the Fuhrer's last
ditch effort to turn back the tide of Allied soldiers
that were painfully but steadily advancing toward
the Fatherland. A well preserved Sherman Tank
sits in the T o w n Square, and the M u s e u m tells the
story of the grit and determination of Americans to
prevail. A look-out tower, shaped like a five point
star, provides a view of the distant town.
The names of all the 48 states are listed, all
credited for contributing to the victory which
Americans call "The Battle of the Bulge."
Europeans call it "The Ardennes Battle." General
George Patton was assigned to bring relief to
General McAuliffe's beleaguered troops.
In his earthy way, General Patton sized up
the situation. H e said, "This time the
Kraut has stuck his head in a meat
grinder; and this time I've got the
handle." W h e n Patton arrived and when
the skies cleared, the planes unleashed
furor on the enemy and supplies to our
soldiers. Hitler's last gamble was a loser.
Division. Doubleday's efforts to preserve and
enhance the complex were very apparent. W e
wandered through the old buildings, trying to
imagine their uses 57 years ago. It is a farm again,
but the land shows traces of its glorious history.
Our British friend John Page accompanied us to
the Control Tower, n o w tragically dilapidated. Its
owner sells construction cranes all over the world.
From the tower, you can look across at the Aero
Club. There are lines of light green amid the dark
green plantings. Those are traces of the 44ths
runways. The asphalt was removed years ago, but
still shows evidence of past glory. The members of
Shipdham Aero Club prepared a reception and
dinner for the group that was magnificent. Mike
Artherton, Vice Chairman, had told m e on the
previous night, that they were planning a festive
event. It was truly delightful, climaxed by inviting
Jerry Folsom to cut the ribbon to a beautiful
newly-constructed deck.
Mike gave Jerry and me a tour of the changes
which have been made, and his aspirations for the
future. The Club is eager for an on-going
relationship between their members and the
families of the 44th; and they have m u c h to offer
When we crossed the Channel and saw
that historically welcome sight, the White
Cliffs of Dover, w e remembered the song,
and w e sang it. In Norwich, Steve A d a m s
joined us at the 2nd Air Division
Memorial Library. For those w h o had not
seen it before, it was absolutely
captivating. N o matter h o w long anybody
stays there, it is never long enough.
Andrew Doubleday, his wife Debbie, neighbors
and friends joined together in hosting a spacious
setting of delightful treats in the complex where
B/Gen. Leon Johnson commanded the 14th Air
Will Lundy climbed to the top of the tower he worked so valiantly
to preserve. Unfortunately, time and circumstances have brought
the tower to almost complete ruin.
�for the arrangement. They plan to expand
the M u s e u m and strengthen the sixty year
old structures which were hurriedly
constructed to meet the immediate needs of
the War. Mike is in charge of the grounds,
and envisions a Memorial Garden. (Editors
Note: Do you have any ideas of how the
Club should be preserved? What should go
into the Memorial Garden ? They would
like to hear from the 44th. Do you have a
child or grandchild who is interested in
flying? The Aero Club would like an
exchange program with American and
British children. What a fantastic
arrangement that could be.)
Lois Cianci, Charlie Hughes and Lee
Aston took advantage of the invitation to
fly. Lois rode in a glider, and was given
the opportunity to sit at the controls. What
a joy for her, looking d o w n on the same
runways her father had looked upon long
ago. The Aero Club has 75 members w h o
fly, plus their families and 30 social
members. Currently there are fourteen
planes and five gliders based there. Are
you interested in a contact? Mike Atherton
can be reached at M.Artherton@Netcom.co.uk
The history of the 44th is tied to the
Shipdham Aero Club. All of the members,
plus Mrs. Paterson, owner, want to
maintain an on-going contact with
Americans. It is a relationship that w e
cannot allow to wither. The planes at
Duxford, the graves at Cambridge, the
monuments in London are all part of our
history and our psyche. W e know it, and
so do the English people.
When we were ready to go home, Beverly
Folsom summed up the trip very succinctly.
She said, " W e thought the 1997 trip could
never be equaled, but w e were wrong. This
one was just as amazing."
To all Aircrew of the United States
A r m y Air Force who flew in WWII.
By Peter Loncke
Sgt. Belgium Air Force
Boys of then,
w h o are m e n today,
turned in their civvies
to free m y land.
volunteers they were,
these aircrew chaps,
w h o gave the Hun
no place of fun.
Belgian people in those days
would listen carefully to their voice,
the voice of their engine
w h o night and day boasted their morale
in a magnificent way.
No one else
as those involved,
will ever understand
the meaning of it all.
A song of freedom high above,
w h o would bring relief
for the people
I so dearly love.
My father and mother,
and many more,
have prayed for you
to win the war.
We think of them,
these magnificent m e n
of the united States Air Force,
w h o served and died to free m y land.
�Vhoto Album
44* B G V A ~ Trip of Europe 2002
In Belgium: At the Wall of Honor, Jackie Roberts and Lois
Cianci pay tribute to T/Sgt. Clair P. Schaeffer, Lois's
father, whose plane piloted by Frank Sobotka, was lost
January 21,1944.
1
In Shipdham: John Page, longtime friend of the 44th
BGVA, and Peter Bovell, Chairman of the Shipdham Aero
Club, discuss the Club's future.
Steve and Jan Adams. Steve has made
major contributions to preservation of the
history of the 44th, both at the Aero Club
and in the Memorial Library of the 2nd Air
Division in Norwich.
The bus driver w a s able to wind his way to the little village of Gratenoix
and to the wooded area w e had visited in 1997. The scenery at
Beaussault looked different. Trees had been cut and the dirt road was
widened. Nevertheless, w e found it, the monument to the crash site of
the Sobotka Crew. It had been recently painted; and to Lois's delight, she
saw that the townspeople had placed a fresh bouquet of flowers on the
monument. It reminded us that the tragedy of the Sobatka Crew was not
forgotten. Lois posted a tiny flag into the bouquet, honoring her father
and letting the local people know w e had been there.
®
�r
Jerry Folsom and Mike Atherton look over the
area where a Memorial Garden is proposed.
Mike's enthusiasm spills over when he
discusses his plans for developing the
Shipdham Aero Club into a functional, living
monument to the 44th Bomb Group.
Larry Herpel stands at the entrance to the 506
Squadron Headquarters, honoring his uncle, 1st Lt.
Virgil R. Fouts. Fouts was pilot of the A/C Cactus,
which went down off the coast of Holland. There
were no survivors. It was the crew'sfirstmission
and the 506 Squadron'sfirstloss. Virgil Fouts is
recognized on the Wall of Missing at Cambridge.
It is not possible to walk into the area, as noisy dogs
provided a secure barricade. However, in the interest
of protecting against the epidemic of animal
infections, a posted sign requested that nobody enter
without carefully de-contaminating their shoes.
Andrew Doubleday points to old buildings which he is
working to preserve on his historic farm, former
headquarters of the 14th Combat Wing.
Brian Peel and Perry
Morse renew an old
friendship that started
57 years ago.
*e V*M
�In Germany: Peter Loncke, Louis DeBlasio and Jerry Folsom listen attentively to the moving ceremony in the Mayor's
office in Hamminkeln, Germany. The hospitality w a s truly gracious. Orchestrated by Peter, the Mayor's representative
delivered a beautiful statement of gratitude for peace. A piece of art depicting B 24s at nearby Wesel, painted by a
Belgium artist, hangs on the wall of the Mayor's office, a reminder of a time when the skies were less peaceful.
The restoration staff at
the air m u s e u m at
Duxford, England are
optimistic that they will
find the necessary parts
to rebuild a very old, very
dilapidated B 24.
Ready to debark from
the Rhine cruise are
Lois Cianci, Jerry
Folsom, Tony Cianci,
Larry Herpel and
Beverly Folsom.
�Shipdham. H e is irreplaceable, a
real treasure himself. Thank G o d
his work is being saved."
"Thank you for calling on me for
this most worthy cause, Will
Lundy's valuable and dedicated
work. It is very important that it
be preserved. I would like to
think that historians will look
back 200 years from n o w and
find our story of the Greatest
Generation."
"Thank you for the decal and
trying to preserve this collection
of stories. Please accept m y
donation in m e m o r y of m y Dad."
"Sending this donation in memory
of m y Uncle."
The 2,500 letters which were sent
out several months ago brought in
a sizable donations in the amount
of $13,400.00, which will be used
to record volumes of information
about our W a r experience onto
our database. Thankfully, it also
brought 40-45 new members w h o
never before belonged to the 44th
B o m b Group Veterans
Association.
Unfortunately, some letters came
back stamped "Deceased." Those
m e n were once with us, and n o w
they are gone, along with their
recollections of the War.
Many of the responses came from
widows and children of members
of the 44th. Their messages were
so gratifying, I feel that I should
share some with our readers:
"Thank God for Will Lundy!! He
answered m y plea for help in
locating m yfirsthusband's
military records and his time at
"Pleased to send this donation in
m e m o r y of m y beloved husband,
w h o gave his all."
"Sending this donation; wish I
could do more."
"Donating my first month's pay."
There are many letters written in
this vein. I wish I had saved some
of thefirst,but I never expected
such a flow of memorial letters. It
does tell m e that W W I I is still
very much a part of the awareness
of the families w h o still want to
know about those w h o fought.
The Military Heritage Database
will have true value, long after all
of us are gone.
I want to personally thank all
w h o supported this project
Gerald Folsom, President
Introducing...
Roger Fenton
44th Bomb Group Veterans
Association Board Historian
With the approval of the Board I
have, with his assent, appointed
Roger Fenton tofillthe vacancy
of our Historian left when our
long serving, beloved W i U
L u n d y stepped d o w n in order to
direct his attention to entering
the remaining archives into the
Military Heritage Database, and
update and add to his Roll of
Honor and Casualties book.
Roger began as a researcher for
families seeking information
about the 44th B G V A . H e works
with the Internet, database, and
frequent discussions with Will
Lundy, Archivist par excellent,
researching for relatives seeking
information of someone that was
in the 44th. At last count, Roger
has responded to over 200 requests.
Roger is a Member of the
Association. His father, Milton
Feinstein (Fenton)flewtwo
complete tours with the 44th B G .
Milton passed away in 1991.
(Editors Note: Getting help from
the offspring of a veteran is a
blessing to the 44th. Our history
is so complex, and technology is
so challenging, the value of
Fenton's help cannot be overstated.)
�Operation Varsity Revisited
"They told us it w a s a 'milk
run'/' Louis DeBlasio stated,
recalling March 24, 1945. It was
a low level drop of supplies for
the British Paratroopers w h o
had established a bridgehead
across the Rhine River, 2-1/2
miles W N W of the little town
of Wesel. DeBlasio had been
R W Gunner of the Chandler
crew. The recollections of Sgts.
DeBlasio and Robert Vance,
Tail Gunner, were documented
in Vol. 1, Issue 7 Winter, 1998 of
the 8 Ball Tails. Returning to
Wesel on the recent trip to
Europe sparked n e w interest in
the details of that crash.
Fourteen of the nineteen
bombers dispatched by the 2nd
Air Division did not return.
The 506 Squadron, 44th B o m b
Group led the 14th Wing on the
mission. O n the previous night
there was a leaflet-dropping
operation by other B-24 Units
and British Mosquitoes. O n the
24th, sixty-nine tons of supplies
were loaded onto the B-24's,
with each plane carrying 2-1/2
tons of over 20 bundles. Twelve
bundles were stashed in the
b o m b bay, six around the
Sperry ball turret aperture and
three in the emergency hatch in
the Tail, displacing Vance from
his tail position. This m a d e the
plane tail heavy; so to compensate,
the guns and ammunition were
removed from the aft section of
the plane.
scattered about were abandoned
parachutes left by the
advancing paratroopers. The
planes dropped to 300 feet as
they crossed the Rhine to
assure pinpoint accuracy. The
bell rang, and the two gunners
shoved out the supply bundles.
In the recent trip to Wesel,
DeBlasio was amazed to learn
that w h e n the plane stopped
burning, a teenage boy entered
the wreckage, and he was able
to fire one of the guns stowed
in the front of the plane. Crew
members had been told they
dared not to fire them, for fear
of hitting their allies.
Then, looking out the waist
window, to their horror, they
saw a m a n fall from the aircraft
flying alongside, and watched
as he hit the ground. H e had
become entangled in some
parachute shrouds, and was
pulled from the aircraft with
the supply drop. (This was Sgt.
Anibal Diaz, L W Gunner, on
Lt. Leonard Pyle's crew.)
Most of the crew had not
bothered taking their 'flak'
suits; but Vance and DeBlasio
decided to prepare for the
worst. Their decision to take
the suits saved their lives. This
was the 8th mission for the
Chandler Crew on the Southern
Comfort IV,
Sitting at an anti-aircraft gun
was a Peter Emmerich, age 16.
Peter was doing as he w a s
told-shooting at American
planes. H e shot d o w n four. Just
as the Southern Comfort was
pulling from the drop zone
and banking to the left,
Emmerich's ammunition
struck the plane, causing it to
Leading the formation, the 506 stall momentarily and shudder.
crossed the North Sea at 1,000
Sgt. T h o m a s Clark, L W
feet, and w h e n they reached the Gunner, w h o was in the waist
coast of Holland, they descended
with DeBlasio and Vance,
to 500 feet. The progress of the
helped them open the
war was apparent as the planes
bulkhead door to the b o m b
plowed eastward. Cologne and
bay; but they had to close it
other cities, bridges and docks
immediately. N u m b e r three
were almost completely
engine was afire.
destroyed. A s they approached
Wesel, they could see Allied
DeBlasio and Vance assumed
gliders on the fields, some
ditching positions; the plane
smashed into each other, and
went d o w n , then bounced
�upward. It flew another 100
feet, went d o w n again, circled
and split. DeBlasio and Vance
rolled out. Clark stumbled to
the split; but the plane
exploded before he could exit,
and he died with Chandler;
H u g h O'Donnell, Co-pilot;
Robert Dantsler, Navigator;
T h o m a s Cordes, Bombardier;
Eugene Elliott, Radio
Operator; and Sarkice Nedder,
Engineer and Top Turret Gunner.
J
9
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m B 1
l""i
•« igSr'v^
Sgt. Robert Vance returning to Shipdham after
his crash and P O W experience.
A member of Leslie Lee's
Crew, flying
second only to Ploesti in
as nose
losses for a low level
gunner,
mission.
Richard
Lynch,
Meeting the man who
watched the
shot him d o w n w a s an
destruction
awesome experience for
of both
Louis DeBlasio and his
Crandell's
family. Peter Emmerich
and
explained that he was 16
Chandler's
years old w h e n he w a s
planes.
pulled from
Nineteen
school and
Thomas Cordes, Bombardier on
m e n to the
taught to
Southern Comfort KIA at Wesel.
44th died on
shoot the
that mission.
anti-aircraft
DeBlasio and Vance survived
gun. With Peter
and were rescued ten days later
Loncke
by the advancing 2nd U.S.
interpreting,
Armored Division, along with
Peter talked
John Delaney, a P-47 pilot w h o
eagerly to Louis;
crashed after diving at the A A
and later,
guns and dropping white
presented him
phosphorus.
with a gift of a
Through Internet activities of
Peter Loncke, Thomas Cordes's
family has recently become
interested in this crash. It was
awesome for them to learn that
this task force supply drop
suffered all of the B-24 losses. A
total of 22 A / C went d o w n ,
was long gone. Contrary to the
assumption that the plane's
wing had been caught on a
tree, he learned that an electric
power pole had caused it to
circle and split at the fuselage.
That m a d e it possible for the
two gunners to roll to safety,
just minutes before the plane
burst into flames. With Peter
Loncke interpreting, Peter
Emmerich eagerly told his
story; and even w h e n there
w a s no interpreter, he
continued explaining his
experiences in W W I I .
Living in the area is an elderly
gentleman w h o also watched
the plane go down; but being
in ill health, he could not be
present. His wife and several of
the townspeople came to meet
us; and through their gestures,
w e felt their goodwill and
friendship.
hand-carved
wooden
cannon. The
Peter Emmerich and Louis DeBlasio
crash site did
meet 57 years after their
first encounter.
not look
familiar to
Louis—the rows of corn were
replaced with hay; the w a g o n
he and Robert Vance hid under
From a film m a d e
by Ursel Harvel,
Loncke was able
to locate the crash
site and then find
Emmerich and
others w h o had
been present in
1945. A s it
happened, the
negative had been
turned upside
down; so by
watching the
screen in the
mirror, he was
able to locate the
site.
�Russell Huntley's Games With
The Romanian Guards
good tunnel
going, but then
there w a s a big
rainstorm. Our
tunnel collapsed.
The guards
started checking
out our tunnels;
and each time
they sent a m a n
in, he c a m e back
saying that it
ended in dirt.
They just couldn't
figure out w h y
w e did that."
If the German
and Romanian
guards of the
Ploesti P O W s
spend any time
reminiscing
about prisoners
w h o were a
'pain in the
neck', I'll bet
Russell Huntley at Bern Castle.
they can't forget
Russell Huntley,
"At one point, the Romanians asked us if
67th BS. He laughs w h e n he describes his
any of us would like to work for them, in
six escape antics, all of which brought him
exchange for better food, more freedom, etc.
back to interrogations, solitary confinement
W e would be asked to sign a paper that w e
and considerable discomfort.
would not try to escape. I don't k n o w
"As prisoners, we were allowed to play
baseball, and sometimes the ball would go
over the fence. A guard with a gun would
permit one of us to climb the fence and
retrieve it, so the g a m e could go on. Once I
climbed the fence, and the group created
great excitement so the guard wouldn't
notice that I ran away. They soon caught
me, and a very polite German officer said,
'We won't punish you if you tell m e h o w you
did it.' Of course, I w a s not able to tell the
truth, so I told him I escaped through a drain
pipe. They sent a m a n through the rusty
pipe, and it broke. The officer accused m e of
lying, so I reminded him that they sent a
heavier man. He must have believed m e , as I
didn't get punished that time."
"Another time, a group of us started digging.
W e dug and dug and dug. After a long time,
w e realized that effort w a s hopeless. W e
were just tunneling up and d o w n under a big
mountain. Another time, w e had a pretty
®
whether any Americans would have
accepted; but w e would have threatened
anyone w h o might have considered it. W h y
should w e help our enemies win the war?"
Operation Tidal Wave, which targeted
Ploesti, w a s Sgt. Russell Huntley's 7th
mission. The crew of 1st Lt. Elmer H.
Reinhart, A/C 42-40371 G named G. I. Gal,
w a s following Lt. Col. Posey to Target Blue,
the Nazi's source for aviation fuel. It w a s
totally destroyed.
G.L Gal was the last ship away from Blue
Target. With part of a wing shot off, the
plane emerged into criss-cross ships, and the
pilot w a s unable to catch up with his
formation, making him an easy target for the
M E 109's. They shot a w a y most of the tail
turret, but, miraculously, George Van Son
crawled away alive. Waist gunners Alfred A.
M a s h and Robert Wolfe were injured; radio
operator Huntley gave them first aid.
j
13
�Engineer Frank Garrett reported, "Gas w a s
pouring out of a hole near #3 engine; the
tunnel w a s a wreck; the tail turret hanging
by a thread. The left vertical and horizontal
stabilizers were almost shot off; the left
ailron w a s practically gone, and there w a s a
big hole under the #1 engine with oil
streaming out."
Reinhart tried to gain altitude. The crew put
on their parachutes as the plane heaved and
quivered from nose to tail. At 3,600 feet, he
turned on the automatic pilot and hit the bail
out button. Gerald Totten, Navigator;
Richard Pendleton, Bombardier; and Charles
Starr, Co-pilot, joined the rest of the crew in
the d o w n w a r d plunge. Apparently Starr's
chute did not open properly; and it w a s later
reported that in his misery, he asked to be
shot. He w a s listed as KIA.
Huntley was interned for thirteen months at
Timis de Just, 17 k m south of Brasov, North
Romania. A m o n g his interesting recollections
w a s on August 1, 1944, a group of soldiers
c a m e with wine and cheese, celebrating the
happy event of 'defeating the American Air
Force.' Circumstance rapidly refuted their
dubious celebration. Only about a month
later, the Germans were evicted from the
area, and the Americans were set free.
Flying in a B-17 decorated with American
flags, they were transported to Bari, Italy.
Huntley's post-POW experience was no less
dramatic. He w a s sent to Atlantic City for
redistribution, and w a s hoping to become a
cadet, and ultimately a pilot. A psychiatrist
politely told him 'that he w a s proud of him;
but after his combat and P O W experience,
he needed R & R, and w a s to be sent to
Florida for 120 days. Immediately thereafter,
Huntley had another physical, and twenty
minutes later sat before the s a m e
psychiatrist. This time he w a s declared in fit
condition, and w a s to be sent to the Pacific,
flying in a B-29. Huntley called the m a n
s o m e unpleasant names, and did not go to
the Pacific.
Next he w a s told that he would become a
Master Sergeant, and w a s about to be sent
to Almagordo, N e w Mexico, as a Gunnery
Instructor. "I told them the only thing I knew
about guns w a s h o w to shoot a 50 caliber
out the nose of a B-24. They assured m e I
would do fine; and all I had to do w a s pass
this test. I took the test; and every answer
that I knew, I deliberately answered
incorrectly. Those that I didn't know, I left
blank. The next day I w a s congratulated for
doing so well on m y test!!!"
Huntley got out of that assignment by
signing up for Radar School. He w a s
assigned to a c a m p in Truax, Wisconsin,
along with a group of combat crew
returnees. The first morning a corporal c a m e
in and ordered them, all sergeants, to m o p
the floor and clean the barracks. A n uproar
ensued; the corporal ran off to report their
disobedience, and a kindly major from W W I
c a m e in and alleviated the situation. The
travails of being a returnee and e x - P O W
continued; and finally Huntley got
discharged.
He gave himself time to think it over, and
decided to re-enlist. He attended O C S ,
became a Second Lieutenant, and worked
his w a y up to Major, specializing in
electronics. His last position w a s head of
Communications for the S A C Headquarters
in O m a h a , Nebraska. After his discharge in
1965, he started a business selling Blue
Gold, a non-hazardous cleaning substance.
His customers are Pratt Whitney, Rolls
Royce and other notable corporations.
Russell's wife Charlotte started a business,
selling vitamins and herbal substances. They
retired recently, and are traveling to all the
reunions that they missed by keeping their
noses to the grindstone.
(Editors Note: It would be interesting to
know what the Romanian guards talk about,
when they remember the War. I wonder if
they still think Americans dug useless
tunnels for recreation!)
�Sgt. Dale Lee's Saga of
Evasion
(continued)...
Sgt. Dale Lee (506 Sq.) survived the Ploesti Raid, but
his plane, Southern Comfort, went down after a
successful mission to Foggia. Captured and harassed
by civilians, along with six other detainees, Lee broke
from the Italian stronghold and set forth on a harrowing
trip back to Africa, then England, then home.
The day before they managed to break out, the
Germans planned to move the prisoners into Germany.
A commotion among the guards gave the prisoners the
opportunity to use their crude tools, smash through a
brick wall, and make their escape.
"We ran like hell, as far as w e could that first night," he
recorded. "When w e could run no more, w e slid off the slope
of a steep mountain road." Straddling trees or any kind of
brush, they leaned against the mountain and took a brief rest.
Years later, with his wife Alice, Lee retraced his escape route,
and learned that they had run 18 k m that first day; and had
climbed 4,000 feet up the mountain.
They headed for Italy's high mountains, resting and
planning by day; walking at night, using the North Star as their
guide. They headed for the boot of Italy, figuring the allied
invasion would come from that direction.
The Unending Quest For Food
For food, they stole figs, grapes and garden vegetables.
One man traded his jacket for cheese that was absolutely
delicious. Unfortunately, when morning came, they saw what
was in the cheese--T)ig fat worms." " W e ate it anyway," he
recalled, "flicking the worms aside when they crawled out."
Having been told that garlic was a good blood purifier, Lee
ate three big cloves, hoping it would clear up the infected
shrapnel wounds in his legs. Its biggest effect was to give him
bad breath. Their search for food was unending and generally
unsuccessful. Every sound was threatening-even a falling leaf.
Finally, two Canadians from the British 8th Army arrived in a
4 wheel drive vehicle; and out-running Germans, w h o lobbed
shells at them, they arrived with joy at a British camp, where
food and hot coffee awaited them. Later the driver of the jeep
drove them through a rainstorm to a Red Cross station where
they enjoyed the luxury of sleeping on dry cots. From there
they made their way to the 47th Fighter Group (P-40's), who
helped them to the next camp, the 101st Airborne.
Lee's most vivid recollection of that brief encounter was a
rollicking battle with an Italian P O W over his right to have
second portions of the dinner. The m e n of the 101st cheered
Left to Right: General Jimmy Doolittle, Joe Jett, Tom Pursell, Dale Lee.
(Editors Note: Years later Doolittle autographed this picture right under his
nose, but the writing could not be picked up photographically.)
him on, as pots and pans clattered around from the skirmish.
The m e n of the 101st are forever endeared in his memory, for
supporting his right to more food.
Getting Back Into The System
After that, they got a flight to Africa, near Tunis. By then they
looked so totally disreputable, nobody could believe they were
American airmen. Only when the major at the base found their
names on the list of those who were to receive the DFCs, by
virtue of their mission to Ploesti, did he believe they were
telling the truth. They were finally back in the system.
The D F C medals were pinned on them by none other than
General Jimmy Doolittle, who was genuinely interested in
their experiences at Ploesti, and also their experiences as
escapees. H e gave them secret orders for their return to
England.
Frustrating moments continued, and tolerance was in short
supply with these escapees. At the air base near Tunis, a
mess sergeant refused to feed them because they didn't have
a mess kit. They went to the Supply Sergeant, who upbraided
them for losing their mess kits. Finally, Joe Jett, normally a
quiet, gentlemanly sort, grabbed the Supply Sergeant by the
throat and pounded his head against the wall, shouting, "When
I bailed out of that G-- D - plane on fire, the last thing I
thought about was m y mess kit." Immediately there was no
further arguing about mess kits.
The 8th Air Force in London interrogated the group, then
sent them to various camps to speak to the troops about their
experiences behind enemy lines. In time for Christmas, 1943,
they m a d e it home.
�This cartoon from the collection of Lt. James Tomblin (66th Squadron) from his account
"There I was, Story #45,001"
�Will Sez
It seems appropriate at this time to advise
everyone that earlier this year I found it absolutely
necessary to ask that I be dropped from the job of
44th B G Historian as it w a s taking nearly all of m y
available time. For years I have been attempting
to correct, update and add to m y Roll of Honor
and Casualties book as the first edition w a s
printed in 1987. Since that time I've learned of
many errors in it that needed corrections. M a n y
more events have been located that should be
added to that text to better describe what took
place in m a n y of these incidents.
The Board acted on this request, dropped me
from that position and put Roger Fenton into it.
Roger accepted the offer and n o w is busy doing a
great job of responding to the m a n y people
asking for data about our m e n w h o served during
WWII. I a m sure that he will perform with
excellence. Perhaps this will start a trend to have
more, younger people to step in, take over to
lead our Croup into the future.
Another younger man, Jim Hamilton, became
acquainted with the 44th B G w h e n he was
researching for his book. T h e Writing 69th, (now
in print). H e kindly offered to re-design m y book,
and then to m a k e the actual corrections and
additions into that book. Photos will be added, as
well, but due to all of this, it will be necessary to
produce two books. The first is nearing
completion and will cover the time period from
mid 1942 through 31 D e c e m b e r 1943. T h e
second, of course, will span the period of 1 Jan
1944 to June, 1945. If possible, w e will have a
manuscript available at our reunion in O m a h a for
examination by you that attend.
M y hope is that as soon as this change in
Historian permits, I will be able to m o v e along
more quickly with the book revision. As soon as
the text is completed, it can be transferred into
the Master Data Base. Also it can help m a k e
progress in moving more of our archival material
into the Master Data Base.
Arlo Bartsch is now well underway in his plans to
place more emphasis on our Roll of Honor, m a k e
it more prominent in his program. Jerry Folsom is
relaying m u c h of this material to his secretary,
Brenda, w h o processes it, makes it ready for data
entry.
Of course we are limited in the extent of this
work depending upon these costs. But m y hopes
are that s o m e h o w , someway, s o m e o n e will locate
donors w h o see that it is needed for the future
generations to learn. It seems very important to
m e that w e d o our best to keep the deeds
performed by our C o m b a t M e n forever readily
available. These deeds against terrible odds
managed to hold the advances of Hitler's might
away from England until others arrived to help us
take the war back to Germany.
The Military Heritage Database
To help your children and grandchildren
I when they ask questions about WWII, we
have an opportunity to make sure you are
- always there to answer them, and they are
learning YOUR version of the story
Order your Military Heritage Database disk now Make sure
you and all of your comrades of WWII have included their
contribution to the history of the 44th Bomb Group. \bu ha
Wliat will happen when you are not there to answer the
questions?
For more information regarding biographies, please
contact Jerry Folsom @ P.O. Box 712287, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84171-2287. H e has the necessary
forms to be submitted for this database. H e also
has details for ordering your very o w n disk. E-mail:
44thbgva@xmission.com
Do It Now!
§
17
�COMMEMORATIVE AIR FORCE SPONSORS SEMINAR ON "PLOESTI" WITH
44TH BOMB GROUP VETERANS ASSOCIATION PARTICIPATION.
The names of Colonel William R. Cameron and
T o m Holmes, Jr., will long be remembered in
Midland, Texas, where these two distinguished
members of the 44th B o m b Group Veterans
Association captivated the 150-200 members and
guests of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF)
attending the P L O E S T I Seminar sponsored by that
organization and the American Air Power Heritage
M u s e u m on Saturday, June 15, 2002. (Editors
Note: The Commemorative Air Force was formerly
known as The Confederate Air Force of Midland,
Texas.)
These two veterans of the daring low-level raid
on the oil fields in Ploesti, Romania, related their
personal experiences and observations of this
dangerous but vital mission in their typical low
key, sensitive but thorough, accurate and nonjudgmental manner. Both, Colonel Cameron and
T o m m y Holmes, had completed their combat
experience and leadership on this hazardous
mission. Colonel Cameron, as pilot of "Buzzin
Bear," led the six plane element on General
Johnson's wing serving as the Deputy Group
Leader. Their target was the Colombia Aquila
(White V ) target that was already ablaze having
been mistakenly bombed earlier by aircraft of the
93rd B o m b Group, w h o following the mission
leading 376th B o m b Group, turned at the wrong IP
(Initial Point), missing their assigned targets and
selecting "targets of opportunity." " T o m m y "
Holmes, as pilot of "A Wing and a Prayer," flew
in a separate 21 plane formation led by Colonel
James Posey against the Creditul Minier at Brazi,
(Blue Target) which they destroyed completely.
The focused, attentive and appreciative
audience responded to the presentations with long
and loud applause followed by an animated
"Question and Answer" session that reflected their
intense interest, respect and appreciation.
Also attending were Colonel Edward K.
Mikoloski, Nida Holmes and Fritzi Selasky.
18
Bill Coombes, the S E M I N A R M O D E R A T O R ,
opened the program by introducing and
acknowledging "Fritzi" Selasky as the person most
responsible for bringing this seminar to fruition.
H e stated that it was Mrs. Selasky w h o wrote him
several months ago when she heard of the monthly
seminar programs the C A F were conducting, and
suggested that they consider sponsoring one of the
"greatest air battles of all times," PLOESTI. After
several exchanges of letters and numerous
telephone calls, the program became a reality.
Among others invited, but unable to attend
were the following veterans of PLOESTI: Lt. Gen.
K.K. Compton, 376th B G and Mission
Commander, M / G e n William H . Brandon, Group
Ops 44th B G and Pilot of "SUZY Q", Colonel
Richard Butler, Reginald Philips, Robert
Lehnhausen, Henry Lasco, Charles Hughes,
William Dabney and Colonel Dexter Hodge.
Bill Coombes, in his letters to us, referred to
the affair as "...a G R E A T seminar series
program!" and also the following, "The many,
many regular attendees of these programs came to
m e and said that it was an outstanding event." Mr.
Coombes also expressed his thanks to the
participants for the unique L O N D O N C L O C K
presented to him and his wife, which they will
place in a position of honor in Bill's office with an
inscribed placard listing the 44th B G V A and
names of the donors.
Members of the 44th BGVA have a standing
invitation from the C A F to visit their Museum,
Memorial Gardens, Annual Air Show and Seminar
Programs.
(Editors Note: This report was written by the
44th 's Immediate Past President, "Mike"
Mikoloski. In his customary modesty, he failed to
mention that he was also the principle speaker at
this event. His topic was a glowing history of the
44th Bomb Group.)
�LT. ROCKFOKD C. GRIFFITH'S AMAZING FEAT
As preserved in a yellowed, updated
newspaper from the collection of
Dale Lee:
"While the parachutes of their crew
dotted the horizon, the pilot and copilot landed a "junk heap" Liberator
bomber at 150 miles an hour-saving
the life of the wounded ball turret
gunner w h o could not bail out.
"A crowd of 500 airmen and ground
crews gathered to greet returning
raiders, w h o watched in awed
silence, and broke into thunderous
cheers when the landing w a s
completed.
"The pilot w a s Second Lieutenant
Rockford C. Griffith, a twenty-three
year old farm boy from Oklahoma.
Damaged controls forced Griffith,
with the aid of his co-pilot, Second
Lieutenant Lawrence W Grono, to
hit the runway with only one wheel.
The bomber roared along on the
wheel; then one wing touched the
ground, and the Liberator s w u n g
around, skidded backwards 300
yards of the runway, and came to
rest, right side up.
Floating all around the airfield were
seven members of the crew ordered
to jump because the plane w a s
unmanageable. All landed safely.
Twice on the w a y home from Norway,
Griffith's bomber fought off attacks by
F W 190's and Ju 88's, which raked
the bomber from nose to tail with
cannon and machine-gun fire. This
knocked out two engines, destroyed
the hydraulic system and reduced the
plane to a flying junk heap. "I k n e w I
had to bring her in because of the ball
turret gunner. H e couldn't get out."
(Editors Note: The date was
November 18,1943. Can anybody
name the turret gunner whose life
was saved byLt's. Griffith and
Grono's courage and expertise?)
44th BOMB GROUP VETERANS ASSOCIATION
44th B o m b Group
Veterans Association
P.O. Box 712287
Salt Lake City, Utah 84171-2287
•
•
•
n Yes, Count me In!
Annual Membership Dues for year 2003 $25.00
Life Membership Dues 60 and over
$125.00
Life Membership Dues 40 to 59
$150.00
Join u s now eo y o u don't m i s s the next cVBall Tails.
Name
Spouse
Address
City
State
Tele:
Fax:
Zip.
E-Mail Address:
Group:
Associate:
Donation;
Crew of:
Squadron:
Relative of:
Thank you for joining usl
Due to increased costs, the Board of Directors at the annual meeting, authorized an increase of dues
to $25.00. T h e last increase w a s five years ago. Membership in the 44th B o m b Group Veterans's
Association is still a bargain in today's world.
19
�Lt. David Saylor
44ther
Discovered in
British
Columbia
This past July
Photo Identification Needed!
who served from October '43 to
November '44. He completed his 35
missions with his crew piloted by Lt.
David Saylor. AMAZING! to run into
a fellow 44ther on holiday in Canada.
Warren said he had had no contact
with his former crew members and
didn't know about our 44th BGVA.
28, Mary and
Lee Aston had
He would like to know if any of them
an amazing
are still alive. C A N A N Y OF YOU A L L
chance meeting
H E L P HIM FIND HIS C R E W
with a lost 44th
M E M B E R S ? If anyone can, write
Bomb Group air
Warren Rohrer at 1321 Cherry St.,
crewman,
Wellington, Kansas 67152; or
Warren Rohrer,
telephone at (620) 325-3222.
in the Butchart
Gardens, Victoria, B.C., while both
were touring the Pacific Coast of
Are you a Veteran who flew the low
Canada and Alaska. While walking
level mission to Ploesti?
the gardens, Lee stopped to rest on a
bench and puff on his pipe as Mary
From Luc Dewez, our Belgian friend:
went to the gift shop. Lee turned to
"For years I have been collecting
see a man that was sitting on a bench
memories of the veterans who flew
behind. Lee could hardly believe his
the low level mission to Ploesti.
eyes. The man was wearing a blue,
Recently I have been working with an
baseball-style cap with lettering that
editor, a 100th B G Veteran; and w e
read "44" Bomb Group."
are now seeking a publisher. I would
be so grateful to hear from 44th B G
veterans who were on that mission,
and who would share their
experiences, anecdotes, official
documents, photographs -- any
information that would describe the
awesome event."
•;,- -:.- -.'.- -.'.- -.'.- -.'.- •:: -.'.- -;.- -;.- -;,- •.'.- -:.- •/.- -/.- •;.- -,*.- -.'.--:,--.•.- •;.- -:.- * * *
From Steve Adams, another Ursel
Harvel's photograph: Can anyone
identify any of these men, believed to
be the cooks for the 68th Squadron?
.'..•..<.-•..<-.•..•- .•..-..'. .•..
Arthur V Cullen Crew!
Tim Mackey,
nephew of 2nd Lt.
John L. Mackey,
67th Squadron, is
hoping to find
someone who
remembers his
uncle. Lt. Mackey,
Navigator on the
John L. Mackey
Arthur V Cullen
crew He was killed on his 5th
mission to Dunkirk, France, February
15,1943. A/C #41-23783 Betty Anne/
Gallopin Ghost was brought down by
enemy fighters. Seven airmen were
killed, including Donald MacDonald,
Command Pilot.
Tim Mackey can be reached at 80
Hollow Woods Drive, Pequea, PA
17565; telephone: (717) 284-4414.
Warren Rohrer, 506 Squadron, and Lee
Aston meet in Victoria, British Columbia.
Luc is making a serious effort to
inform young people in his country,
Lee immediately moved over to sit bythe awesome experience of WWII. He
is the author of Cruel Skies, a studied
the man and introduce himself.
account of the air war in Europe. Luc
Pointing to his own 44th B G V A cap
can be contacted at 8 Paul Pastur
with the 8 Ball logo, Lee gave his
Street, 5190 Han-sur-San, Belgium.
name and discovered Warren Rohrer,
a B-24 gunner from the 506 Squadron E-mail: luc.dewez@skynet.be
•k-k
�FOLDED
MINOS
September,
2002
BURKE, RICHARD
M. Date unknown.
31170058 68th Sq.
He joined the
Squadron on 1 9 June
1943 and flew his first
mission on 13 August as a
Waist Gunner on the R. J.
Lehnhausen crew. His next one was with B.
H. Gildart on 1 October and most of his total
of 31 with that crew. He completed his tour
on 22 April 1944.
Prepared by:
*******
AYERS, EDWARD
1 May 2002. Not in 44th
BG. Was brother of man KIA only.
BILLMAN, ROBERT J. 23 March 2002 68th
Sq. 37137220. Joined the Squadron on 5
March 1942, arrived in England on 2 October as
an Engineer for the R.E. Erwin crew. He flew
five missions, the first being 7 Nov. 1942 with
M.V. Sullivan; and the fifth on 13 March 1943
flew with M. C. Howell. Possibly transferred to
the 389th BG later.
BLAINE, HAROLD E. Date unknown.
31110213. Harold first served with the 806th
Chemical, later transferred to the 67th Sq.
where he worked in Tech Supply.
BOLGER, JAMES M.
June, 2002. 506th Sq.
Flight Engineer with the James Clement's crew
for many of his missions. He arrived in England
in January 1943. He flew his first mission on 18
October, 1943 with the Bunce crew and his
third with J. Clements. He was on his second
tour at end of war when he completed his 38th
mission dated 18 April 1945. He was
discharged in September, 1945. DFC medal.
BRUMM, HAROLD J. 29 June 2001 506th Sq.
Harold was a Flight Engineer, flew his first
mission on 25 May 1944 as a member of the J.
C. Titter crew. He completed his tour of 35
missions on 9 August 1944, apparently all of
them with the J. C. Titter crew.
CANNETTI, DOMINICK Date Unknown
32626523 He joined the 68th Sq. on 14 April
1944 as a member of the C. D Peretti crew.
They flew their first mission on 22 April
1944, he as a Tail Gunner. Their last of 31
missions was completed on 2 October 1944.
The crew transferred to the 70 RCD on 9
October for assignment back to the U.S.
CARPENTER, WILLIAM W. 18 January 2000 T
129133 67th Sq. He flew his first mission on 6
November 1944 as Navigator on the J. M.
Bledsoe crew. This crew flew their last mission
of the war on 25 April 1945, with Lt. Carpenter
finishing with 30 missions or more. They
returned to the U.S. flying A/C #42-50741.
CLAESSEN, KENNETH 5 March 2001 67th Sq.
Cannot identify any data.
CLARK, CLETUS C. 9 February 2002 17157054
506th Sq. He served as Aerial Engineer on the R.
J. Hruby crew. Their first mission was dated 20
April 1944. On their sixth, 29 April, the crew
made an amazing safe ditching in the North Sea
with no injuries. They completed their 32nd and
last mission on 12 July 1944.
CLIFT, REESE R. 4 Sept. 1999 14071610
68th Sq. Aircraft Mechanic. Like most of the
ground personnel in the Engineering Sections,
Reese made both trips, to England and return, on
the Queen Mary. The "cruise" over in early
September 1942 and the return in late June, 1945.
COINER, MAYO L Date Unknown 0-678688
67th Sq. Lt. Coiner, Navigator, flew his first
mission on 21 September 1943 with the W . S.
Aldridge crew and most of his 33 missions. His
last few were flown with different PFF crews
serving as Navigator-GEE. His final mission of his
tour was with the T. L. Harrocks crew.
j
21
�COSTELLO, GEORGE B. Date Unknown
36216016 506th Sq. Aerial Engineer. George
was a regular member of the J. S. Gurman
crew, flew his first mission on 19 May 1944.
But on their fifth mission, 28 May, their aircraft
was shot down, and the entire crew became
Waist for H. W . Moore on 17 May, and Tail
Gunner on E. R. Mitchell on 29 May 1943.
His tour ended when he was Interned in
Switzerland on 18 March 1943, Tail Gunner for
R. J. Lacombe.
POWs.
GARRISON, EDWIN 13 February 2002. Cannot
identify at this time.
f
CURRIE, THOMAS
10/17/01. 12175210 67th
Sq. Thomas served as Aerial Engineer on the C.
C. Spagnola crew which completed their first
mission on 26 August 1944. He completed his
35th and last mission on 6 February 1945.
DAMBACHER, ALBERT N. July, 1995. 67th
Sq. Al was a replacement Waist Gunner on the
John J. Mueller crew. This crew started their
tour on 1 April 1944, while Al completed his
first mission on 24 February 1944 with the G.
W . Johnson crew as a Gunner. His next few
were with various pilots until his 9th when he
joined the Mueller crew on 19 April. He
completed his tolr on 25 July 1944 serving as a
Waist Gunner.
DELACY, GEORGE W. June, 2002. 66th Sq.
George was onepof the original and oldest of the
66th Sq. combat gunners at Barksdale Field. He
was the Tail Gunner on the aircraft Jenny/Lady
Luck on the first^missions flown by the 44th BG.
Unfortunately, he suffered severe frostbite on
12 December 1942 that ended his combat
career. He was 97 years old at the time of his
passing.
DOWD, JOHN Fi 2/11/01 2011 3596 68th Sq.
John was a Gunner on the D. F. Tofte crew that
joined the 68th Sq. on 8 July 1944. Their first
mission was flown on 18 July, second on 19th,
and last on 21st|July. Badly damaged by flak,
they crashlanded in Switzerland, and all of crew
were Interned. John escaped twice, was badly
treated, and finally was repatriated back to the U.S.
GILSENAN, HOWARD STEVE 3 May 2001 68th
Sq. (Difference in spelling) Gunner for the E. K.
Kohler crew that joined the Sq. in early July
1944. They flew their first mission on 16 July
most of them with the aircraft "Corky." They
spent a week in Scotland at a Rest Home, for R
& R, (3 to 10 Sept.) and continued their
missions through to 30 November 1944,
completing 34 missions for Gilsenan. On 13
December they rotated to 70th RCD to return to
the U.S.
GRALEY, BRUCE 16 April 2002 506th
Squadron Ordnance. No further data located yet.
GRAY, ARNOLD 12 June 2001 506th Sq.
Arnold was a Navigator, flew his first three
missions with different crews. His first one was
9 September 1943 with the L. S. Davenport
crew; second with H.J. Laudig on 21
September; and his third on 24 September with
J. A. Bunce. Apparently, he was assigned to the
W . M. Maynor crew, as his last four were with
this crew. They were: 5 November, 18
November, 26 November and his 11th mission
came on 20 December 1943 when they were
shot down, became POWs.
HADDOCH, SAMMY W. 1993. 14181734 66th
Sq. Sammy was a Ball Turret gunner on the D.
R. Talbott crew that flew their first mission on
30 January 1944. On 20 February, this crew
made a rough crashlanding. Then on 15 March,
on their 10th mission, they were attacked and
forced to bail out over Holland. Sammy became
a POW.
FINK, ROBERT D. 31 July 2001. Served in 44th
Headquarters.
HICKMAN, F. JACKSON October 1996 67th Sq.
Ground Crew. "Jack" was an Aircraft Mechanic.
FLISTER, HENRY ODELL Date Unknown
He was a member of Ground Echelon that went
36232737 67th Sq. He flew his first
mission as Tail Gunner for the newly
to England on the Queen Mary in early
arrived W . A. Roach crew on 1 May 43.
September, 1942. He first served on the M.
v£ In succession he then flew as Tail
Bagley crew, but later, he became an Assistant
Crew Chief on the R. D. Davis crew. He returned
Ul ^ r c Gunner for R. I. Brown on 4 May, Left
22
�to the States in May, 1945 with orders for a
month furlough and then return to duty.
However, orders were changed, most of the
men had too many "points' for further overseas
duty, so were assigned to bases near home.
HOBSON, THOMAS B. 11 July 2002. 506th
Sq. 0-791426.?Tom was one of the original
506th Sq. pilots that joined the 44th BG in
England in late February, 1943. He served as
Co-pilot for G. Rebich on their first mission on
31 March and on until after Ploesti. On 21
September 1943, he flew his first mission as 1st
Pilot after he and his crew were transferred to
the 66th Sq. His plane was damaged badly by
fighters, most If crew bailed out, and he was
captured to become a P O W on 1 Oct 1943. That
was his 21st mission. Tom was recalled into the
Army during the Korean War. He then retired as
an Army Colonel.
HUGHES, WILLIAM D. 1987 0-727993 68th Sq.
Pilot. Joined the 68th Sq. on 8 March 1942. He
arrived in England on 2 October 1942 with the
68th Sq. Air Echelon. He was co-pilot for Lt.
Cramer; then became a 1st Pilot on D S to Africa,
flew both tough missions to Ploesti and Weiner
Neustadt. Completed his tour of 25 on 18 Nov. 1943.
HURLEY, DAVID G. Date Unknown 35330744
68th Sq. Aircraft Mechanic. W a s a passenger on
A/C #42-109805 on 25 May 1945 upon return
to the U.S.
JACOBS, L. G. Date Unknown 67th Sq,
16146649. Radio Operator for the J. A. Struthers
crew. He flew his first and all 37 of his missions
with this crewlMission #1 dated 18 August
1944 and mission #37 dated 23 February 1945.
Crew returned jo the U.S. on 19 April 1945.
JOHNSON, NORMAN B. Date unknown.
39454377 68th Sq. Gunner on the H. C. Palmer
crew. Flew his first mission on 3 March 1944
and his 14th and last on 9 April 1944. Crew
was force to land in Sweden on 3 March. He
was released on 16 October 1944 and returned
to base.
JONES, CLARENCE R. 9 February 2002
12096377 68th Sq. He joined the
Squadron on 8 July 1944 as an Aerial
Engineer on the D. F. Tofte crew.
They flew their 1st mission on 18 July and
their 31st on 21 July 1944. On this last
mission they were force to land in Sweden and
Interned. Later, on 19 October, they returned to base.
KRYSZCZUK, CHESTER J. May, 1998. 506th
Sq. Chester was the nose turret gunner on the
A. R. Rockman crew that flew their 1st mission
on 1 November 1944. They completed their tour
of 30 missions plus on 11 April 1945.
KIRMSE, ROBERTS Sept. 2000 68th Sq. 0699530. Bombardier on the A. V. Larson crew,
when on their first mission dated 21 May 1944.
Then he flew missions with several different
crews. From 16 August, he was assigned to the
S. L. Dobbs crew, a PFF crew. He completed his
tour of 33 missions on 15 October 1944.
MILLER, ALLEN W. 18 May 2002 67th Sq. "Bill"
served as a Gunner on the Roger S. Markle crew
from February to May, 1945. He flew his first
mission on 12 March and his last on 18 April
1945. He is credited with at least nine missions,
but could have flown more during early April. He
is survived by his wife, Marcella and two sons.
McFARLANE, ROBERTS 30 November 2001 0
885100 68th Sq. Served as Assistant Armament
Officer in the 68th Squadron.
NELSON, OD/S E. (Curly) 23 January 2002
18085241 67th Sq. "Curly" was an Aerial
Engineer for the Capt. Howard W . Moore crew,
one of the first crews in the 67th Sq. On 5
October 1942 they departed from Gander Lake,
destination England. He flew five combat
missions with this crew from 6 Dec. 42 to 16
Feb. 43, but was "grounded" due to severe ear
problems. Reassigned to Crew Chief, he soon
established exceptional records of missions
flown without an "abort" or early return due to
mechanical problem. He and his assistant, Carl
Hall, crewed Old Iron Corset, recorded at least
129 missions with no early returns. It completed
the war, and I was proud to have flown back to
the States with these two mechanics. On the
last leg of the flights. Old Iron Corset took off
45th from Greenland and was first over the base
in Connecticut. Old and war-worn, but still one
of the fastest and best. Curly was exceptionally
popular and one of the best!
23
�NUTTER, KENT 30 May 2002. 13071509 68th
Sq. Kent joined the 68th Sq. on 26 Oct. 44 as a
Tail Gunner on the H. M. Garbade crew. Their
first mission was dated 29 November 1944.
Their last of 26 or more was dated 18 April
1945. (PossibJy flew one or more in early April,
reports missing) They returned to the U.S. flying
A/C #44-40276 ih late May, 1945.
O'BRIEN, JAMES
1ES E. 2002, 0-435700 68th Sq.
Pilot. Jim flew his first mission and first for the
44th BG on 7 November 1942. His second was
on 9 November. On 14 May 1943 he was flying
as Major and 68th Sq. Commanding Officer.
They were shot down and Jim became a P O W .
Jim was very active, attended reunions and
wrote several very good recollections of his
wartime experiences.
REED, JOHN y.|l6 May 2002 0-660004 66th
Sq. Pilot Lt. Reed flew his first mission on 12
December 1942 as a co-pilot for R. J. Abernethy.
Following that, he continued to serve as co-pilot
for several pilots, including Bill McCoy, T. E.
Scrivner, and RJE. Miller. On 4 April 1943 he
flew his first mission as a 1st Pilot. He took part
in the difficult 14 May raid on Kiel, and then on
to North Africa. Wohn completed his tour of 25
missions on 21 August 1943 in Africa.
PARTRIDGE, WILLIAM R. February, 2002 0
685953 66th and 68th Squadrons. Lt. Partridge
was a Navigatorlon the W . 0. Peterson crew
that had transferred into the 44th from the 446
BG. They had already completed ten missions
with that Group. He flew his first mission in the
44 BG as a Radar Navigator for the W . 0.
Peterson crew on 5 June 1944. On 10 October
he was transferred to the 68th Sq. and
completed his tour as a Radar Navigator on 22
February 1945 with the H.M. Garbade crew.
RAY, CHARLES W. May 2001. 14170302 67th
Sq. He was a Gunner, flew his first mission with
the D. H. Dines crew on 24 February 1944 as a
Waist Gunner. His second one was with the W .
E. Wahler crew, also as a Waist Gunner. Then
he served with several other crews . He finished
his 29th mission with the E. C. Holmer crew
on 30 December 1944.
24
ROSENGREN, ROBERT E. 19 March 2002
506th Sq. Robert was a Gunner. He flew his
first mission as Waist Gunner with the G. S.
Stevens crew. His second was with the J.
Clements crew, Belly Gunner on 30 November.
His third and fourth were as a Hatch Gunner for
the N. Purdy crew on 11 January and 14
January 44. He then joined the L. Waine crew,
flew two missions with them. Then, the entire
crew was transferred to the 15th A.F. in Italy
where they completed their tour total of 50.
SMITH, FREDERICK J. 26 January 1991
3031080 68th Sq. Sheet Metal worker. He was
a member of the Ground Echelon, Engineering
Section, that went to England in early
September 1942 and returned to the States
with them in late June, 1945. He also was one
of the men who was on D.S. to Africa in the
middle of 1943 to attack Ploesti, Weiner
Neustadt and many other targets.
SNYDER, BETHEL A. Date unknown. Service
data also unknown.
STIEFEL, MAX A. 1 June 2002 0-801102 66th
Sq. Max was a Navigator on the R. E. Felber
crew when he flew his first mission on 13
August 1943. He then transferred to the R. W .
Bridges crew, flew with them on 16 and 19
August; then 7 and 15 September. On his ninth
mission, 1 October 1943, the Bridges crew was
shot down and he became a P O W .
TAYLOR, WILLIAM Date Unknown. Cannot
locate him in our records.
THOMPSON, MOODY E. 29 June 2001
18085261 67th Sq. Moody was a member of
the 67th Ground Echelon that went to England
in early September 1942. He served there until
June 1945, when he returned back to the
States on the same Queen Mary. His job
classification cannot be located at this time.
TITKEMEYER, CHARLES W. 1 7 July 2002 0796626 66th Sq. Lt. Titkemeyer was the
Navigator on the R. E. Felber crew that joined
the 66th Squadron in June, 1943 and very soon
assigned to D.S. in North Africa. His first
mission was to the Oil Fields of Ploesti, 1
August 1943, by far the toughest. With but two
exceptions, he continued to fly as Navigator
with the Felber crew until late December, when
�they became a Lead crew. As a Lead Navigator,
he occasionally flew with other crews, until he
finished his tour of 28 missions on 12 March
1944. Charles kept a fine, detailed log of his
missions that he donated for our history.
TUREK, BENJAMIN J. 1988 67th Sq. Ground
Personnel, Engineering Section. Ben served as
Aircraft Inspector during 1943, later he was
promoted to T/Sgt. in charge of Tech. Supply.
He returned to the U.S. on board the Queen
Mary in late June, 1945.
TODD, MARK or MACK 13 March 2002 68th
Sq. Cannot identify
lent
VILLEMEZ, LAWRENCE
R. May, 1999
\WI
18062086 68th Crew Chief. Lawrence was one
of the Ground Echelon personnel w h o sailed to
England in ear[y September, 1942. He served in
that capacity until he returned to the U.S. by
flying home on A/C #44-49397, piloted by 1st
Lt. T. R. Williams. He also served in N. Africa on
D.S. in September and early October, 1943.
WAGNER, CHARLES H. Date Unknown
13029488 68th Sq. Aircraft Mechanic He, too,
was a member of the Ground Echelon that went
to England on board the Queen Mary in early
September 1942. But he returned to the U.S. in
late May 1945 as a passenger on A/C #4295021.
WHITWORTH, JOHN L. 2 January 2002
34448789 68th Sq. John served as Left Waist
Gunner on the W . H. Barry crew that was shot
down on its very first mission, 8 April 1944.
John kindly supplied his recollections of that
mission and how the crew parachuted to
become POWs.
WOOD, FRANCIS M. 1 8 May 2002 341 3301 2
68th Sq. M/Sgt. Crew Chief. He was a member
of the Ground Echelon that sailed to England in
early September, 1943. He also served in Africa
on the two Detached Service assignments in
1943. He flew back to the U. S. on 26 May,
1945 on his aircraft number 42-50806 E,
Louisiana Belle, piloted by R. G. Erikson.
ZEE, WALTER J. (Zubowicz) 7 August 2002
67th Sq. Sgt. Zee flew his first mission on 24
February 1944 as a crewmen on the R.C.
Griffith crew. He also flew as Gunner on the G.
J. Thorn crew. Later, he joined the Charles H.
Mercer crew that flew their first mission on 21
March 1944. His last of 30 missions was flown
on 6 June 1944, D-Day. Awarded the DFC medal.
DUBOIS, PHYLIS 24 April 2002 Phylis, our
great friend and former supervisor of the
American Room in the main library of Norwich,
has folded her wings. She has been a faithful
worker for that library and for our 44th BG as
well. Even after being relieved of her duties in
that American Room some years ago, she
continued her efforts to assist us in every way
possible. She was particularly concerned with
the official Roll of Honour and attempted to help
all of us to get it as accurate as possible. W e
miss her and owe her a great debt of gratitude.
Bless you, Phylis.
The 44th B o m b Group's PX
Making friends is as easy as
pointing at your cap!
"The man was wearing a blue, baseball-style cap with
lettering that read "44" Bomb Group."
Flying 8 Ball Patches $15 + $1 Postage
(Indicate Squadron: 66th, 67th, 68th, 506th w/
nose color of squadron. Also available
headquarters service squadron, all colors.)
Blue Liberator Shirts $30 + $3 Postage
Flying 8 Ball Shirts $25 + $3 Postage
Flying 8 Ball Caps $15 + $2 Postage
Pins (Specify Squadron) $5 + $1 Postage
Write: Sam Miceli
6398 Dawson Blvd.
Mentor, O H 44060-3648
WILTERDINK DONALD J. No date. No
records can be located for this man.
25
�» » «
(
^
mm
® s-jtAft
B-24 Plaque at Hill Air Field
on 8th Air Force Memorial.
From Jerry Folsom:
A Plaque with 44th B o m b Group Markings has been
installed on the 8>th Air Force Memorial near the Hill
Field Aero Space Museum at Hill Field, Roy, Utah.
Two years ago, the 44th B G V A board allocated the
money for this distinction.
The Hill Field Aero Space Museum is unique in that
it has a B-24 that was salvaged from an Aleutian
Island, being restored. Completion is expected in the
next couple months.
They have on display a 4000 pound piece of rock
from the White Cliffs of Dover with a emulated
emergency landing field that was on top of the cliff.
This is nostalgic to many crews who flew from
England.
July 31-August 1, 2 0 0 3 . The Ploesti stories are so
awesome, a new generation of B-24 buffs are eager
to meet the men who flew that mission.
&
Setting the Record Straight:
From Ed Mazer, Radio Operator and Gunner on the
Lt. William Wahler Crew, 67th Squadron: "The
bombardier who helped Tail Gunner Joseph Meskinis
was Lt. Tom Murray. The mission was to the
Langenhagen Airdrome in Germany. Wahler was able
to bring Judy's Buggy safely across the Channel
before crashing. Murray placed Meskinis in his
parachute from his turret and placed him in his
parachute harness, only to learn later that
Meskinis's chute did not open. All other members of
the crew balled out and survived. Besides Wahler,
Murray, and Mazer, the following crew members were
on that fateful mission, April b, 1944: Pietro Pino,
Co-Pilot; Grover C. Trumbo, Navigator; Clyde Bickel,
Engineer; Carl Hager, Radio Operator; Charles
Harmeyer, Ball Turret Gunner; Charles Ray, Waist
Gunner; and James Warren, Waist Gunner. (An
error in Lt. Murray9s name wae In Vol. 4, Issue #3,
Spring 2002 issue of the & Ball Tails.)
In a telephone call, I learned why Ed Mazer did not
fly with his crew on that mission. April 8,1944, was
Passover, a Jewish holiday. "A Catholic Chaplain
came to our barracks that morning. Because I was
Jewish, he gave m e a pass to London" Carl Wager
flew in his place.
Mazer read Frank Stegbauer's account in the 3
Ball Tails about his friend, the late Charles Kay,
According to Stegbauer, Ray was shot twice while
overseas; then 'shot by a friend while quail hunting.'
Mazer said, "I was a friend, but I didn't shoot him. I
shot past him at a bird, and just missed his head.
It almost scared me to death, that I came that
close."
(Editors Note: it had to be rather sobering for
Charles Kay, also.)
Attn: Ploesti Participants and Buffs: Flans are
underway for a 60th Anniversary Celebration of the
Ploesti Mission in Salt Lake City, Utah. The date is
�From Marge
Beiber, widow
of the late
George Beiber.
July 14th is Bastille Day in France, ending centuries
of rule by monarchy. July 21st is Independence Day
in Belgium. Do you know the country from which they
were liberated?
Answer: Holland.
&
From Forrest 5. Clark:
I enjoyed the
article about
Georges co-pilot, 'Jerry' Folsom. Unfortunately,
George's last name was not spelled correctly in the
article. (Editor acknowledges error). Beiber was the
beloved pilot on the Consolidated Mess and
sometimes on Joplin Jalopy, and his crew can never
praise him too highly.
George Beiber
Paul Boench, Bombardier, describes him as a man
with great concern for his crew, a good listener, and
a man with a great sense of responsibility. Boench's
happiest memory with Beiber was returning home on
the S S Brazil. "We played checkers the whole way
home," he recalled, "using a pocket-size set we had
gotten from the Red Cross."
Waist Gunner Harold Maggard considered beiber
the best pilot in the 6th Air Force; and his
reputation must have resounded through the 5 0 6
Squadron. Many unassigned airmen, needing a few
more missions to complete their tour, wanted to fly
with him. Tail Gunner Perry Morse remembers him
fondly for many reasons, including that Beiber
loaned him his officer's jacket. Navigator Willis
Edgecomb loaned his to Harold Maggard. They used
it for entry into the Officers Club to watch the
performance of their Bombardier Paul Boensch, a
member of the 44th B o m b Group Band. Lt. George
Beiber passed away M a y 23,1995.
&
From Dick Butler:
The name of the pilot who had to abandon a beloved
plane, Earthquake McGoon, in Bari, Italy, after a
harrowing scene at Wiener Neustadt, was William S.
Aid ridge.
"I was the radio operator on a B-24 of the 44th
BG. W e had dropped our bomb load and were
heading as fast as we could for home base. A s we
did so, the formation loosened up considerably. It
usually did. It was a scramble to "get the hell out of
there" W e were deep over Nazi Germany.
"I recall suddenly looking up from the top turret;
and there, to m y surprised eyes was another B-24,
bomb bay doors open and bombs clearly visible. It
looked like it was only 100 feet above us, but I know
it must have been more.
"Someone on our crew blasted over the
intercom, "Watch out, B-24 above us." Immediately
the pilot dove down and out of the way, leaving In a
hurry. A few minutes later the B-24 peeled away
and dropped out of our sights. If those bombs had
gone, we would have been blown to bits.
"Was it an intruder that had Infiltrated our
loose formation or was it an illusion? W e had been
briefed that the Germans were employing captured
American bombers to infiltrate our formations, and
in a suicide mission, try to collide with or drop
bombs.
"When we got back at Interrogation, the officers
told us they had reports of captured B-24's
intruding into our formations. Then the question
follows: Were there any German pilots trained to fly
B-24's? Answer: There were"
(Editors Note: Clark is trying to contact the
members of the K.C. Griffith crew, (67th Squadron)
including Lt. Bob Weatherwax; Co-Pilot Bill Tinsman
and Bombardier, Lt. David Edonds. Any information
about experiences with this crew would be
appreciated. Write 703 Duffer Lane, Kissimmee, FL
34759-4114; telephone (363) 427-0371; e-mail
B24vet@aoi.com).
��
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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 5: Winter 2002
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<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
Winter 2002