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These men were assigned to
the 533rd Squadron of the 381st Bomb Group in Ridgewell, England. Twenty-three crewmen and one civilian
were killed in a massive bomb explosion while servicing the B-17, 42-30024, on June 23rd, 1943. Nine crewmen were buried on April 12, 1949 in Section E Plot 39 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
Pfc Robert M. Ashcraft Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
T/Sgt Ervin Bohlander Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Cpl Charles A. Feeley Zachary Taylor Nat’lCemetery
Cpl George Fiamma Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Cpl Milton J. Foerstel Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Cpl Melvin L. Jerkins Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Cpl Guy McDuffee Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Sgt Joseph L. Neel Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Sgt Louis Smulowitz Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Cpl James H. King
S/Sgt Elwood H. Harris
2/Lt Paul E. Tull Cambridge
American Cemetery
Cpl Joseph F. Sproha
S/Sgt Michael J. Egan Long
Island Nat’l Cemetery
Sgt Joseph J. Kristapavich
Sgt Christian Langolf Cambridge
American Cemetery
Cpl Elmer F. Madden Cambridge
American Cemetery
S/Sgt James J. Lintgen
Sgt Henry Bongiorno
Cpl James A. Main Cambridge
American Cemetery
Cpl Roger H. Allen
Sgt Dennis L. Collins
T/Sgt Charles H. Wilton Golden
Gate Nat’l Cemetery
British Civilian John Hunwick
The 381st Bomb Group flew their first mission on June 22, 1943. While the
airplanes were being loaded for the next day's mission, there was an accident on the line. A bomb went off and 23 crewmen,
together with a British civilian cycling to work, lost their lives in the explosions. Sixteen 300-pound
bombs were being loaded when 11 exploded. 6 crew members were in the ship cleaning their guns. Electrical specialists were
working on the tail wheel.
Not one man who was at the plane is alive
to tell what happened. There were a few wounded, but these men were working on planes some distance away. They did not know
what struck them. One officer was killed in a plane far away, having been there inspecting his instruments. An object flew
into his plane and blew his head off. The plane in which he was sitting was scrapped because it was wrecked beyond repair.
It had holes all through it.
The Robert Withers' crew, onboard
#42-30024:
T/Sgt Erwing Bohlander, S/Sgt Edward
H. Harris, S/Sgt James J. Lintgen, Sgt Christian Langolf, Sgt Louis Smulowitz, Sgt Joseph J. Kristapavich
From the Alexander crew onboard
#42-29992:
2nd Lt Paul E. Tull
The majority of deaths were among
Ground Crew members:
Cpl James H. King, Cpl Milton J.
Foerstel, Cpl Charles A. Feeley, Cpl Joseph F. Sproha, Sgt Henry Bongiorno, Cpl Roger H. Allen, S/Sgt Michael J. Egan, Cpl
James A. Main, Sgt Joseph L. Neel, Cpl Elmer F. Madden, Sgt Dennis L. Collins, Cpl Guy McDuffee, Pfc Robert N. Ashcraft, T/Sgt
Charles H. Wilton, Cpl Melvin L. Jerkins, Cpl George Fiamma
British Civilian
Mr John Hunwick, killed while cycling
near the base on his way work
The Chaplain conducted the funeral for
these men on June 26, 1943, at the Brookwood American National Cemetery, Surrey, England, located about 25 miles south of
London.
This B-24, 42-40879, “Belle Starr” and crew were assigned to the
425th Squadron of the 308th Bomb Group. They were shot down on August 24, 1943 on a bombing raid to
Hankow, in Japanese-held China. While 6 crewmembers evaded capture, on
August 26, 1949 the other four members of the crew were buried in Section E Plot
137-138 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
Major Ellsworth, William W, Pilot Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
S/Sgt Hutchinson, Alvin S, Gunner Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
S/Sgt Reed, Ray W, Gunner Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
S/Sgt Smith, Donald W, Gunner Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Lt Rosenburg, Harry Navigator Evaded Capture
Lt Young, Lionel "Jess" Bombardier Evaded
Capture
T/Sgt Gieseke, Bill Engineer Evaded
Capture but died next day! Buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
at Honolulu, Hawaii
Pannelle, Ray Gunner
Evaded Capture
1/Lt Foster, Jack T. Copilot Evaded Capture
Uebel, Ed Photographer Evaded Capture
After five hours the Liberators approached Hankow and its twin city of Wuchang
along the Yangtze River. The bombers lined up on their target, the second of two airfields. Flak started bursting around them,
and then the little red light flickered on the pilots’ instrument panel, indicating bombs away. Then came the intercom:
“I see fighters taking off!” Off to the right a distant airplane was paralleling their course. Then there was
another heading right at them.
The B-24s had been under attack
for some time when a popping sound was heard from the inferno in the bomb bay. Flames were streaming from the right wing and
engine 3.
After hearing the alarm, the navigator Rosenburg parachuted from the floor escape
hatch and the bombardier Young quickly followed him. A fighter made several passes at Gieseke shooting off half of one foot
as he floated down.
The two gunners, Pannelle and Smith, were working frantically with tail gunner
Ray Reed to extract Hutchinson from inside the ball turret. Uebel stood waiting to jump with the others. Suddenly the right
wing broke off, and the bomber went into a tight spiral. Centrifugal force threw Pannelle out one of the open waist windows
and Uebel out the other. The other gunners died when Belle Starr hit the ground. Also left aboard was the pilot Ellsworth
who was still at the controls.
Chinese guerrillas collected the downed fliers near the village of Hsiung Chian
Tung and, carrying Gieseke on an improvised stretcher, managed to evade Japanese searchers. Gieseke died of his injuries a
day after the mission.
From the book "China: Up and
Down" by 1/Lt Jack T. Foster
This B-25 Mitchell and crew were
assigned to the 447th Squadron of the 321st Bomb Group. On December 2, 1943 the crew was shot down by
flak near Chieti, Italy. There were no survivors. Three crewmembers were buried on January 11, 1950 in Section E Plot 260-261
at the Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery.
1/Lt Williams, William T., Pilot Sicily-Rome American Cemetery
2/Lt Drury, Alfred C. Copilot Unknown Burial Location
S/Sgt Brown, Charles O., Jr. Bombardier Sicily-Rome American Cemetery
S/Sgt Godwin, Charles D. Engineer Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
S/Sgt Boza, Elmer V. Radio Operator
S/Sgt Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Sgt Kazar, William F. Gunner Zachary
Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
December 2, 1943
447th BS War Diary: 12 of our planes
took off to bomb a road bridge near CHIETI, Italy. The flak was so terrific that casualties resulted. One of our planes, piloted
by 1st Lt. W.T. Williams who was on his 52nd mission, was shot down. Other members of the crew were: 2nd Lt. A.C. Drury, S/Sgt.
C.O. Brown, S/Sgt. C.D. Goodwin, S/Sgt. E.V. Boza, and S/Sgt. W.F. Kazar. S/Sgt. James M. Batteiger, engineer of the plane
directly in front of Lt. Williams saw a direct hit on the right engine. He watched it fall to about 3000 ft, still going down
and out of control. 448th Sq. also lost a plane, which exploded in mid-air. This ship was flown by no other than the Squadron
C.O., Major Bates. Two other planes, piloted by Lt. Fallone and Lt. Jahrhaus,
each landed with only one engine operating. Both planes had the oil lines of one of their engines shot out and Lt. Jahrhaus’
plane also had a flat tire. Lt. Broyles had the tail assembly of his plane shot up. Lt. Beeson had the rudder of his plane
hit.
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