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This
B-17 Superfortress and crew were assigned to the 527th Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group. On January
5, 1944 the plane had an accident taking off in the darkness from a base in England and the ten crewmembers perished. On April
28, 1949 seven of the ten crewmembers were buried in Section E Site 35 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
2/Lt Dale C. Killion,
Pilot
2/Lt Paul R. Chamberlain,
Copilot
2/Lt Robert L. DeGroff
Jr, Navigator
2/Lt Remy Bourque,
Bombardier
T/Sgt Earl Crumpton, Gunner
S/Sgt Kenneth R. Matlack, Gunner
Sgt Victor R. Morphonios, Gunner
S/Sgt Morris Weiss, Tailgunner Buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery
T/Sgt Hubert C. McIntyre, Gunner Buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery
S/Sgt Harry E. Hancock, Gunner Buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery
This
B-24 Liberator and crew were assigned to the 740th Squadron of the 455th Bomb Group. On December 20,
1944 the aircraft crashed into a granite cliff in Italy during bad weather and while returning from a mission. There were
no survivors. On December 13, 1949 five crewmembers were buried in Section E Site 229 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Pilot Stewart,
William J Jr, Capt Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Co-Pilot Ehrenkranz,
William, 2/Lt Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Navigator Thompson,
Harold A, Flt Off Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Bombardier Kerker,
Barton G, Flt Off Florence American
Cemetery
Engineer Schulte, Joseph P S/Sgt
Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Radio Oper Rausch, Robert L, T/Sgt
Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Gunner Nila, Pete, S/Sgt
Sicily-Rome American Cemetery
Gunner
Wrigglesworth, Harry N, T/Sgt Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
Gunner Krugh, Walter M, Sgt
Gunner
Field, Joseph F S/Sgt
The crew were all KIA on
20 December 1944. The aircraft crashed into solid granite about 8 miles north of San Marco, Italy, while heading toward the
Adriatic Sea.
37 B24's took off to bomb the
Skoda Works at Pilsen, Germany. Only 27 aircraft dropped bombs on the target.
The Group lost 6 aircraft, 5 were by unexplained causes while 1 was seen to crash into a mountain. 62 crewmen were MIA.
Seven aircraft returned early, one because of an oxygen leak, four due
to engine trouble, and two because of fuel problems.
One aircraft bombed Klagenfurt as an alternate because of a late
takeoff that prevented it from making contact with the formation.
One aircraft bombed Regensburg after developing
engine trouble before reaching Pilsen.
One aircraft had to salvo its bombs between the IP and the target due to engine
failure.
The remaining 27 aircraft bombed
the Pilsen Skoda Works, Czechoslovakia. By the way, this was actually the first alternate target. The group bombed
Pilsen because the formation was 30 minutes behind schedule for the primary target due to a headwind.
One aircraft
landed at the Isle of Vis, which may have been considered as missing. Another aircraft was thought to be lost, but actually
landed at another airfield. The weather over Italy was terrible that day, with a very low ceiling. Two aircraft
almost collided at the airfield as they both broke through the clouds, one attempting to land from the north, and the other
from the south. Their report for December 1944 stated that a total of three aircraft crashed into the mountains
due to weather.
This
B-17 Flying Fortress, 42-30398, “Patches,” and crew were assigned to the 429th Squadron of the 2nd
Bomb Group. On October 29, 1943 the aircraft was hit with flak with seven crewmembers killed and three crewmembers taken prisoner.
On February 15, 1950 one crewmember was buried in Section E Site 294 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
1/Lt George R. Howell, Pilot (KIA)
2/Lt Edward E. Gray, Copilot (KIA)
2/Lt John W. Cashore, Navigator (POW)
2/Lt Berbard J. Lewis, Bombardier (KIA)
T/Sgt Paul B. Cassingham Gunner (KIA) Florence American Cemetery
S/Sgt Francis
X. Hughes Gunner (POW)
S/Sgt Leland L. Dishong, Gunner (KIA) Zachary
Taylor National Cemetery
S/Sgt Byron R. Drury, Gunner (KIA)
S/Sgt Robert L. Thompson, Tailgunner (POW)
T/Sgt Robert
H. Bryson, Radio Operator (KIA) Florence American Cemetery
Genoa,Italy - Mission No. 90 October 29,1943.
The
primary target for this date was the Ball Bearing Works at Turin, Italy. Due to a cloud cover over the target, the Marshalling
Yards at Genoa were bombed by 28 aircraft that dropped 345, 500 lb GP bombs. Some hits were observed through cloud cover around
the target hindering bombing and observation of results. Flak over the target was very heavy, good altitude, poor deflection.
B-17 42-30398, piloted by 1st Lt George R. Howell, was hit by flak just after dropping its bombs. The plane caught
fire and disintegrated in midair.
Statement of S/Sgt Francis H. Hughes, after liberation. "About 30 seconds after
dropping our bombs, our plane was hit by two bursts of flak. One burst hit in the radio room and the other hit at the tail
wheel. As soon as our plane was hit, the pilot told us to bail out. I was flying in the ball turret position. I was watching
the bombs go to the target when we were hit. After getting out of the turret and getting on my chute, I saw the front of the
plane was broken off at the radio room, and I bailed out through this opening".
"I did a delayed jump of about eight
or ten thousand feet...at that time, I also saw that the plane had broken off at the tail wheel, leaving only the waist of
the plane floating".
"I landed in the water of Genoa Harbor and was shot in the shoulder while in the water, was given
first aid and then taken to a hospital. After around 10 days, in a private room, I was moved out and met Sgt Thompson who
told me Lt Cashore had just left for prison camp." During this time, I did not see, nor hear, of any of the rest of those
not mentioned above.
There is a SECOND book, called “Defenders of Liberty”,
on the 2nd Bomb Group which has a repeat of the narrative in the book “The Second Was First.” It has
a slightly different description of the loss of 42-30398.
Plane number 42-30398 "Patches", piloted by Lt George R.
Howell, of the 429th Squadron, took a devastating flak strike through the fuel tank for number 3 engine seconds after bombs
away. Now in flames, the plane nosed up, rolled completely over, went into a spin, and soon started to disintegrate. Observers
reported four and five parachutes.
The narrative related by S/Sgt Francis H. Hughes is repeated word for word as in
the first book, with the added sentence "These three crewmen, Hughes, Thompson, and Cashore were the only survivors".
"One
of those who perished on Lt Howell's crew, was the radio operator, T/Sgt Robert H. Bryson. He had written the poem, which
is recorded in the 429th Squadron History." This is the Poem referred to :
Lightnings in The Sky
Oh, Hedy
Lamarr is a beautiful gal
And Madeline Carrol is too,
But, you'd find if you query a different theory,
Among any
bomber crew;
For the loveliest thing of which one could sing,
(This side of The Heavenly Gates),
Is no blonde
or brunette of the Hollywood set,
But an escort of P-38's.
Yes, in the days that were passed, when the tables
were massed,
With Glasses of Scotch or Champagne,
It's quite true that the sight was a thing to delight,
Us ,no
longer the same nowadays in this game,
When we head North from Messina Straits;
Take the sparkling wine, make mine
every time,
An escort of P-38's.
Byron, Shelley and Keats, ran at least a dozen dead heats,
Describing the
view from the hills,
Or the valleys in May, when the winds gently sway,
An army of daffodils;
Take the daffodils,
Byron, the wild flowers Shelley,
Yours to the myrtle, friend Keats,
Just reserve me, those cuties, those American
beauties,
An escort of P-38's.
Sure, we're braver than hell,
On the ground all is swell,
In the air it's
a different story;
We sweat out our track, through the fighters and flak;
While we're willing to split up the glory,
Well, they wouldn't reject us, so heaven protect us,
And, before all this shooting abates;
Give us courage to
fight 'em, and
One other small item,
an escort of P-38's.
T/Sgt Robert H. Bryson
Thanks to Jim Peters
for referencing these books called “The Second Was First" and “Defenders Of Liberty” which are available
from the 2nd Bomb Group Association.
From Jim Peters:
I was stationed at Tortorella,
which was approx 8 1/2 miles east of the little town of Foggia on the south side of a road to Manfrdonia,...a small fishing
village on the Adriatic coast.
Amendola
was approx 2 1/2 miiles further east on the north side of the same road to Manfredonia. The two AAFs were so close, that when
the 2nd and 97th took off, they flew right over our tents in my squadron area, at an altitude of some 100 ft or so, on the
first circle, and then on each succeeding circle (to form the Group) they were some 200 or so feet higher.
James S.
Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My
Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)
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