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MACR PILOT: 1Lt  William L.  Greiner  - O-748399
MACR: 07815 FICHE : 02862

ORGANIZATION
LOCATION: AAF Station #139 COMMAND: VIII AF GROUP: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF
SQUADRON: 351st BS DETACHMENT:  
     

DETAIL
DEPARTURE:AAF Station #139 INITIAL COURSE: E  
INTENDED DESTINATION: Merseburg    
MISSION TYPE:Operational    

WEATHER & VISIBILITY AT TIME OF LAST REPORT
CONDITION: 6 - 8/10 Clouds    

GIVE
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:

AIRCRAFT: 42-107007
TYPE: B-17 SERIES: G  
     
     

ENGINES:
MODEL: R-1820-97    
A: SW-009056
B: SW-008749
C: SW-009691
D: 43-64595
    

INSTALLED WEAPONS:
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:
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."
   
   
Second Witness: No Data  
Report: 

      

    





  
DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH EFFORT

  

    

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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."