PERSONNEL:

PERSONS WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE LAST KNOWLEDGE OF AIRCRAFT

PERSONNEL WHO ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE SURVIVED

EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTIONS OF CRASH

"Saw A/C with "D" on the rail pull out of 95-A high squadron formation at 5430N - 1150E. Later this A/C was seen to go down into the undercuts with #2 engine on fire. This at 1400 in the vicinity of secondary target - Stettin.

DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH EFFORT

PREPARING OFFICER

PREPARED BY: WALTER G. BURKE 1st Lt. Air Corps Assistant Adjutant

DATE PREPARED: 1944-02-22

TRANSCRIBER NOTES

On 20/2/44, this crew was flying with 95th BG "A" High Squadron. Pulled out of formation in high sqdn. at 5430N 1150E and later was seen to go down into undercast with #2 engine on fire. This Crew did make it to Sweden where they were briefly interned.

A statement made by Sgt. Donald Petrecca on l7 Nov. l944 is as follows: …Entire crew except pilot are returned to duty are now in the U. S. I have seen them in U. K. and off to the States. Pilot was returned to U. K. one month after being interned…..Have seen official reports telling of Pilot (Harris) having flown missions after being taken out of Sweden was shot down and is now a Prisoner of War in Germany. "The statement relative to Lt. Harris was absolutely correct. On 24/5/44, flying as CP (actually as tail gunner) with a crew piloted by Capt. J. R. Geary, Harris was shot down and made a POW. See Geary info below. This crew joined the 100th Group on 1/12/43. At that time the CP was 2nd Lt James M. Stanley, the NAV was 2nd Lt Richard R. Powell and the BOM was 2nd Lt Charles R. Fond. Powell was KIC on 29/1/44 with crew of L. C. Marks. No further record of Stanley & Fond. 

CREW – CAPT. JAMES GEARY

CAPT JAMES R. GEARY  P POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN 
MAJOR MAURICE J. FITZGERALD  CMD P POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN 
1ST LT ARTHUR J. HARRIS  CP POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN (Flying TG – See Below) 
1ST LT A. EDWIN STERN BOM POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN 
2ND LT DORT B. PAYNE  NAV POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN 
T/SGT LOUIS PALTRINERI  ROG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN – WIA (From E. McKay crew) 
T/SGT FRANCIS ACKER  BTG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN (From E. McKay crew) 
S/SGT CARL F. SCHUSTER  TTE POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN (From E. McKay crew) 
S/SGT JOHN E. TROUT  RWG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN (From E. McKay crew) 
S/SGT JACK W. DOMENIG  LWG POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN (From E. McKay crew) 


350th Sqdn. On 24/5/44 this was the lead ship of the Group formation. Major Fitzgerald was C. O. of the 350th and Capt Geary was a pilot who had completed a tour of operations with the 390th Bomb Group and then been assigned to the 100th. Lt. A. J. Harris, as pilot of his own crew had been interned in Sweden on 20/2/44 with his crew but apparently had gotten back to Thorpe Abbotts by some means. It seems most unusual that he would have been allowed to fly over Europe again because, for security reasons, Evadees & Internees were invariably sent back to the U. S. A. This crew bailed out over Ludwigslust, Germany and all were captured. The 100th lost nine aircraft this day. MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY (p. 249) says "Opposed by some 200 E/A, 100BG became separated from bomber stream by weather and contrails and were subjected to heavy attack. " 

My father was John A. Martin (LWG). He was hit in the side when strafed by fire from a German fighter. Donald A. Petrecca (BTG) was hit by plexiglass when flak or gunfire exploded the ball turret. Frederick J. Kaczynski (TG) was wounded severely enough that the crew chose not to bail out because he couldn't jump. Kaczynski died in 1996 or 1997, just FYI, as I recall his widow telling me. No listing for him in the TAPS database.

From: MPFaley@aol.com
Date: 2005/05/12 Thu PM 04:53:13 EDT
To: catznjamz@charter.net
Subject: Re: Feedback: from 100thbg.com

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100th BOMB GROUP GENERAL FEEDBACK
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Purpose: Submit information
Email: catznjamz@charter.net
Name: Jon Martin
Interest: Relative of veteran
Comments: Hi, Just looking over the MACR, etc for my dad's last flight. He and two others were wounded, but its not listed in any of the reports. Wonder 
why?

Original Crew of Lt Dutka:

2nd Lt. Martin Tashjian  P IIC 4 DEC 43 KIA 15 MAR 43 BRUNSWICK 
2nd Lt. John Dutka  CP IIC 4 DEC 43 -- 
2nd Lt. Floyd E. Hartman  NAV IIC 4 DEC 43 POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG (TAPS 10 APR 90) 
2nd Lt. Bennie Epstein  BOM IIC 4 DEC 43 -- 
T/Sgt. Floyd O. Douglas  TTE IIC 4 DEC 43 KIA 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG 
T/Sgt. Robert D. Longworth  ROG IIC 4 DEC 43 KIA 15 MAR 44 WITH DEVORE CREW 
Sgt. Wilbur W. Palmer  WG NOC -- -- 
Sgt. John H. White  WG POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN WITH LAUTENSCHLAGER CREW 
Sgt. James S. Morrow  BTG KIA 24 MAY 44 BERLIN WITH D. S. PEARSON CREW 
Sgt. Lucien E. Neveu  TG NOC -- -- 


Crew, as above, joined the 100th BG (351st Sqdn. ) on 1/12/43. On 4/12/43 Crew was IIC = Injured in a crash of a 100th aircraft. 

Original Crew of Lt Marchiondo:

2nd Lt Herbert A. Alf  P POW 29 APR 44 SOTTEVAST WITH CREW OF L. G. LAKIN AND COL. KELLY 
1st Lt Kenneth L. Rasmussen  CP NOC -- -- 
2nd Lt Raymond B. Phaneuf  NAV NOC -- -- 
2nd Lt Albert A. Marchiondo  BOM INTERNEE 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN WITH A. J. HARRIS CREW 
Sgt Jimison T. Pyles  TTE NOC -- -- 
Sgt Carmine V. Roberto  ROG KIA 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG WITH W. T. FITZROY CREW 
Sgt Francis J. Flemm  BTG NOC -- -- 
Sgt Jerome H. Gordon  WG CPT -- -- 
Sgt Herschel P. Lowe  WG CPT -- WITH D. C. RICE CREW 
Sgt Joseph C. Krusienskl  TG KIA 6 MAR 44 BERLIN WITH D. RADTKE CREW 


418th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 1/12/43It would appear that this crew was "broken up" soon after it came to the 100th. Letter from Gordon 26/1/91 says Rasmussen . RFS soon after arrival in Eng. because of ulcers & returned to ZI. Crew then broken up and members flew as replacements with other crews. Gordon flew 5 missions in three months then was grounded because of (anoxia?) despite his official protest.