LT Ralph D. HORNE |
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UNIT: 349th BOMB Sqdn | POSITION: P | |
SERIAL #: O-748415 | STATUS: POW | |
MACR: 04948 | CR: 04948 | |
Comments1: 19 MAY 44 BERLIN (CRASHED AT SEA) |
COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:CREW 1st Lt Ralph D.Horne,Jr P POW 19/5/44 BERLIN 1st Lt John M.McGrath CP POW 19/5/44 BERLIN sn# O-697436 2nd Lt Douglas L.Hiley NAV POW 19/5/44 BERLIN 2nd Lt Jack T.Evans BOM POW 19/5/44 BERLIN TAPS: 16 MAR 1990 S/Sgt Robert L.Fosdick TTE POW 19/5/44 BERLIN TAPS: 08 FEB 1979 S/Sgt Lawrence C.Wiley ROG POW 19/5/44 BERLIN TAPS: 10 NOV 1975 Sgt Carlee G.Hunt BTG POW 19/5/44 BERLIN TAPS: 30 MAY 1950 Sgt Joseph Perinsky,Jr. RWG POW 19/5/44 BERLIN TAPS: 22 JAN 1971 Sgt Shelly M.Hall,Jr. LWG POW 19/5/44 BERLIN Sgt Joseph G.Staron,Jr. TG POW 19/5/44 BERLIN TAPS: 25 JUL 1969 349th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44. MACR #4948 Micro fiche #1768 A/C #42 97607 Little specific information to the 1oss of this a/c is available. The following is quoted from a letter from Birger Hansen of Copenhagen,Denmark to this writer in March 1984:..jb "An unknown a/c was observed under control and apparently in no serious trouble at 1508 hours near 5420N 1200E heading for Sweden. The a/c had passed Lolland Island just shortly before it was hit by FW 190s. The pilot managed to ditch the a/c 8 km south of Glacno Island,and the crew successfully paddled ashore in the dinghys. Standard ditching procedures were used with all but the pilot and co-pilot in the radio room. There were no injuries from the combat action or the ditching except for a slight scratch on Sgt Joseph G. Staron's head. Lt's Horne and Evans and T/Sgt's Willey and Fosdick were taken POWs in Nyrup town on the 20th May at 0900 hours and the rest of the crewmembers became POWs in Snedinge town the same day at 1000 hours." The crew was on their 20th mission, having flown their first mission too MARQUISE, MIMMOYEQUES (NOBALL) on 19 Mar 1944. EMAIL = jackandrita@optonline.net UNAME = John M Mc Grath CONNECTION = I am a 100th veteran FEEDBACK = Feedback:"I would like to correct and add to the bio of my crew under 349th SQ- crews. Ralph and I were both 1st Lieutenants when we were shot down. It was also our 20th mission. We were hit by FW190's from 12 o'clock high. The number 3 and 4 engines were hit and lost all power. We tried to feather the two props but to no avail. That's why we looked like we were in no serious trouble. As we dropped out of formation we were attacked from the rear. The tail sedction was severly damaged. How Joe Staron escaped with a scratch is a miracle. As I glanced out my side window the FW190 was overtaking us and was no more than 20 yards off our right wing. He must have been wounded, no sane pilot would come that close and slow. He continued slowly to pass us and continued in a slow left turn in front of us where the bombardier and navigator finished him. We were losing altitude fast and our navigator said with our rate of decent we would never reach the channel, but we might reach Sweden. We opted for Sweden but never made it. We ditched as stated, were captured in Denmark and spent the rest of the war in various German POW camps" Mission List of 1st Lt John M. McGRATH, CP 1. 19/03/44 MARQUISE, MIMMOYEQUES (NOBALL) 2. 22/03/44 BERLIN 3. 28/03/44 CHATEAUDUN 4. 8/04/44 QUACKENBRUCK 5. 10/04/44 MALDEGEM (RHEIMS) 6. 11/04/44 ROSTOCK 7. 12/04/44 LEIPZIG 8. 13/04/44 AUGSBURG 9. 19/04/44 LIPPSTADT 10. 20/04/44 FLOTTEMANVILLE 11. 22/04/44 HAMM 12. 24/04/44 NECKARSULM 13. 26/04/44 BRUNSWICK 14. 27/04/44 FLOTTEMANVILLE (NOBALL) 15. 27/04/44 LeCULOT 16. 1/05/44 WIZERNES (NOBALL) 17. 1/05/44 SAARGUEMINES 18. 7/05/44 BERLIN 19. 9/05/44 COUVRON 20. 19/05/44 BERLIN (SHOT DOWN)MEMO 2:
Crews 21st Mission. Aircraft ditched near Glacno Island and crew succesfully paddled ashore on dinghys. Entire crew was captured and were POW's
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:
TARGET: Berlin | DATE: 1944-05-19 | |
AIRCRAFT: (42-97607) | CAUSE: FW-190 - Ditched at Sea |
BURIAL INFORMATION
PLOT: | ROW: | |
GRAVE: | CEMETERY: |
PHOTOS:

Ralph D. Horne, Jr. crew. Standing (left to right); Ralph D. Horne, Jr., Douglas L. Hiley, John M. McGrath, and Jack T. Evans Kneeling; Lawrence C. Wiley, Robert L. Fosdick, Shelly M. Hall, Jr., Joseph G. Staron, Jr. an Carlee G. Hunt. Joseph Perinsky, Jr. not pictured. Detailed Information Photo courtesy of John M. McGrath

John M. McGraft CP with the Ralph D. Horne crew. Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives)

Douglas L. Hiley NAV with the Ralph D. Horne crew. Detailed Information (100th Photo Archives)