MACR PILOT: 1Lt William L. Greiner - O-748399 |
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MACR: 07815 | FICHE : 02862 |
ORGANIZATION |
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LOCATION: AAF Station #139 | COMMAND: VIII AF | GROUP: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF |
SQUADRON: 351st BS | DETACHMENT: | |
DETAIL |
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DEPARTURE:AAF Station #139 | INITIAL COURSE: E | |
INTENDED DESTINATION: Merseburg | ||
MISSION TYPE:Operational |
WEATHER & VISIBILITY AT TIME OF LAST REPORT |
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CONDITION: 6 - 8/10 Clouds |
GIVE |
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DATE: 1944-07-29 | TIME: 11:55 | LOCATION: 5350N - 0800E |
SPECIFY: Last Sighted |
CONFIRMED OR BELIEVED REASON FOR LOSS |
LOSS DUE TO : Enemy aircraft |
OTHER REASON FOR LOSS:
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AIRCRAFT: 42-107007 |
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TYPE: B-17 | SERIES: G | |
ENGINES: |
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MODEL: R-1820-97 | ||
A: SW-009056 B: SW-008749 C: SW-009691 D: 43-64595 |
INSTALLED WEAPONS: |
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A: 953000 B: 952605 C: 158499 D: 158284 |
E: 717345 F: 158284 G: 952766 H: 158323 |
I: 744571 J: 717245 K: 158219 L: 158605 (m) 869179 |
PERSONS BELOW ARE LISTED AS: |
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CASUALTY TYPE: | Battle casualty | |
NUMBER OF PERSONS ON BOARD: | ||
CREW: 10 | PASS: 0 | TOTAL: 10 |
PERSONNEL:
POSITION | NAME | RANK | SERIAL |
P1 | |||
P2 | William L. Greiner | 1Lt | O-748399 |
CP | James D. Coccia | 2Lt | O-817161 |
NAV (N) | Robert D. Fulkerson | 2Lt | O-713164 |
BOM (B) | Robert E. Marsho | 2Lt | O-757002 |
RAD | Harry E. Whitford | SSgt | 11093258 |
ENG | John R. Vuchetich | SSgt | 36815360 |
BAL | Frank Madrid | SSgt | 18122048 |
WG (W) | Bernard V. Baumgarten | sf | 32930626 |
WG (W) | |||
TG (T) | Harry G. Feldkamp | Sgt | 35799789 |
PERSONS WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE LAST KNOWLEDGE OF AIRCRAFT
PERSONNEL WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE SURVIVED
REASON: Parachutes were used | OTHER: |
EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTIONS OF CRASH
Report: "A/C #007 was observed to have one engine smoking as it went over the target. It dropped back and took over the lead of the second element of the low squadron and gradually lagged further behind. This A/C was later seen over Wesermunde by a flight of P-38's from Station 337, 479th Fighter Group. A jet propelled E/A was attacking but was driven off by the P-38's. The B-17 was escorted until it reached the Frisian Islands where the P-38's were forced to return to England due to low fuel state. When last seen all engines were operating and the aircraft was headed home at 10,000 feet." |
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Second Witness: No Data | |
Report: |
DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH EFFORT
DETAIL:No search made. |
PREPARING OFFICER
PREPARED BY: WALTER G. BURKE 1st Lt. Air Corps Assistant Adjutant
DATE PREPARED:
1944-08-01
TRANSCRIBER NOTES
REPORT:
The A/C ditched in the North sea a few miles off the island of Ameland and all save Baumgarten made it to shore in the rafts. They were immediately taken prisoner. Sgt. Baumgarten had been badly injured by flak (Left leg nearly torn off & wounds in abdomen) and was unconscious in radio room when plane ditched. Attempts by Sgt, Vuchetich & another to get him to a raft were not successful. Ship stayed afloat only about 30/45 seconds. This was the 2nd mission for the Coccia crew. In a letter to Mike Faley in 2001 Robert Fulkerson writes: "I was the navigator on the James Coccia's crew in the 351st Squadron, 100th Bomb Group and arrived at Thorpe Abbotts on July 17, 1944. July 24 & 25 I flew as a replacement Navigator with the EJ Simmons Crew on the two St Lo Missions. July 28 & 29th, Coccia's crew flew on the Merseburg Missions. William Greiner, whose crew finished all their missions, flew with Coccia's crew on the July 29th Mission to "help break them in" and to fly his "last mission". On the July 29th mission, my fourth mission, as a result of losing one engine over the target, subsequent loss of a second engine by more flak and a brief encounter wiht a ME 262 German Jet fighter, our crew ditched our B-17 "SheHasta" in the North Sea. After four days at sea, having been spurned by a Danish ship on our second day at sea, we landed on Ameland, one of the Frisian Islands North of Holland. We were captured by the Germans as we landed on the beach."