Casualty Report from May 8, 1944
Detail
MACR: 04578
Target: Berlin, Germany
Base: Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk, England
Crash: Destroyed by fighters on the way out - crew forced to abandon the aircraft along route until the heavily damaged Savage crashed at Handrup some 50 Kilometers southwest of Bremen, Germany. There was no initial burial information for S/Sgt Robert H. Marbach. Some have assumed he bailed out before the crash but did not survive the parachute decent. (paul west)
Squadron: 349th BS - 100th BG (H)
Aircraft
Aircraft #: 42-31710
Aircraft Type: B-17G
Aircraft Name: The Savage
Aircraft Code: XR-F
Pilot: Lt Donald E. Riggle | O-812658
POS: P
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: Captured near Vechta
Copilot: Lt Joseph W. King | O-817462
POS: CP
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
NAV: Lt Wayne H. Parkhurst | O-984985
POS: NAV
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
BOM: Lt Kenneth B. Hurst | O-701456
POS: BOM
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
ROG: TSgt Carl F. Glade | 35423194
POS: ROG
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
TTE: TSgt Edwin R. Scott | 32830177
POS: TTE
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
BTG: SSgt Robert P. Marcell | 36815231
POS: BTG
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
RWG: SSgt Gilbert W. Sandoval | 18550796
POS: RWG
Status: KIA
State: New Mexico
Notes: Hit in the arms and legs by a 20mm shell. He was bailed out with a static line by the crew in hopes he would be picked up and treated by German Medical Personnel, who rendered service when ever possible and are credited with saving many American flyers. The parachute was seen to open but Sandoval died on the ground or more likely was dead when he landed. His body was found in Holingen, Germany. The Germans buried him in the Russian POW Cemetery at Vechta. He was moved to Ardennes (N-9-212) - Final Internment - Ardennes B-15-19
LWG: SSgt Robert H. Marbach | 38459027
POS: LWG
Status: KIA
State: Texas
Notes: Final Internment - Ardennes D-6-19
TG: TSgt Lynn Matthews | 38458545
POS: TG
Status: POW
State: State N/A
Notes: Wounded and hospitalized by the Germans at Bissel
EX1: N/A First, MI, Suffix Last Name | N/A
POS: N/A
Status: N/A
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
EX2: N/A First, MI, Suffix Last Name | N/A
POS: N/A
Status: N/A
State: State N/A
Notes: No notes on this crewmember
Crew Notes
REMARKS: On the 8th of May 44 for two days in a row the Hundredth sent 32 aircraft to Berlin. On this trip the Gp was using a new device called CARPET (a powerful transmitter that operated on the same frequency that the German Range Tracking device used) If properly used formations could have at least protections for 2 miles in direction. Lt Riggle's A/C released their bombs but began to trail behind for some unknown reason; finally disappearing. Two of the crew were KIA and 8 survived. (This was all the information recorded until Don Riggle met Bill Thompson at the 100th 1993 Little Rock, AR reunion; here Riggles completes the story....pw) "The oxygen system was knocked out just as bombs were released. The only alternative was to dive down to 15000 ft. to survive. We were on top of an overcast on the way to Berlin and I intended to stay in the clouds on the way back. After about twenty minutes we ran out of cloud cover and were immediately attacked by a flock of ME-109s. We were pretty well shot up - out of ammunition and on fire in the right wing. The control column went limp after a hit in the tail - with no control there was nothing to do but bail the crew out. The two waist gunners (R.H.Marbach and G.W.Sandoval) were dead, so they were put on static lines and the crew left the A/C." /s/ Don Riggle....November 1993.
Report Notes
Notes on this report N/A
