Stanley W. Yates to Paul West

Letter from Stanley W. Yates to Paul West following the 1995 100th reunion in Fort Worth, TX – dated Oct 22, 1995

Dear Paul;

….Some crew history. Crew was formed in early 1944 at Rapid City, south Dakota and completed B-17 phase training in June of 1944. From Rapid City we picked up a new B-17G in Kearney, Nebraska … departed the States July 4th, 1944 via Gander, Newfoundland and Prestwich, Scotland July 9th, 1944. We joined the 100th Bomb Group July 17th, 1944 and flew our first combat mission July, 28th, 1944 to Merseburg, Germany.

On our 14th mission to Nurnberg, Germany we encountered flak and Stevenson (Robert L. Stevenson – the pilot) was hit in the left thigh. While Stevenson was in the hospital the crew flew with other 1st pilots and on other crews. I am unsure what date or mission Stevenson was returned to flying duty, but I think it was the Nov. 2nd mission to Merseburg.

The crew flew together the Dec 30th mission to Kassel. All the crew with the exception of Stevenson had 30 or more missions and the crew was disbanded. Stevenson, with 25 missions was assigned a new crew. Henderson (Floyd E. Henderson – the crew’s original co-pilot) was assigned as 1st Pilot of the Carl Hedon crew. (Shot down Dec 31st at Hamburg.)
See notes at end from 100th database.

Leffingwell had finished with the Kassel mission, I had 33 missions and finished with Duke Quin’s crew on Jan. 7th, 1945. The Enlisted men were sent home. Stevenson finished his tour Feb.9th, 1945….

Best Wishes
Stanely (Bill) Yates.

Notes:
Crew #133

351ST SQDN. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 17 JUL 1944..

ON THE 31 DEC 44 ( HAMBURG) MISSION FLOYD E. HENDERSON WAS THE FIRST PILOT OF A CREW THAT APPEARS TO BE MAINLY THAT OF CARL J. HEDIN…jb

(On the 31 DEC 44 ( HAMBURG) mission, FLOYD E. HENDERSON was the first pilot of this crew.. Appears mainly that of Carl J. HEDIN…jb

A/C #42-31066 “Fools Rush In” MACR #11366, MICRO-FICHE #4183

EYEWITNESS: “A/C 42-31066 received a direct hit by flak just before “Bombs Away” , and the bombs were salvoed. The A/C fell off on the right wing and dropped onto A/C #43-38124 piloted by Lt. Clifton M. Williams. Both aircraft went down in flames and one exploded” (See Williams crew below)

On 31/12/44, S/Sgt Roland L. Douglas, from the crew of Gerald Brown, was flying in place of Gordon Sinclair and was made a POW.

Note

Gordon Sinclair was removed from Navigator’s school one day short of graduation for some unknown infraction, probably the Training Command acted a bit over zealous in view of the need for trained Navigators. The 351st Sqdn. Commander (Harry Cruver, a man known to have had some disagreements with training command personnel during his cadet days) corrected this bit of over zealousness by immediately promoting Sinclair to M/Sgt and making him the Navigator for the Sidney Johnson crew, where he completed a tour. This from Charles M. Beck, of the Sidney Johnson crew. …pw)

Following crew members located by Stanley W. Yates as of 1995

Crew #133

Missions of Stanley W. Yates