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LT  Ralph D. HORNE

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)

 

SERVED IN:

Crew 1

ID: 2419