COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
1ST LT GLEN S. VAN NOY
ORGINAL 100TH PILOT, 349th BS flew 42-30002 "DAMIFINO"
349TH CREW #5, A/C #42-30042 (OH NAUSEA) MACR #682
DITCHED 60 MILES OFF SICILY ON THE 17 AUG 43 MISSION TO REGENSBURG/ NORTH AFRICA. VAN NOY MADE A PERFECT WATER LANDING, PROMPTING A CREW MEMBER TO REMARK, "VAN NOY NEVER COULD LAND A PLANE EXCEPT WHEN IT REALLY COUNTED." THIS WAS PROMPTED BY HIS RETURN FROM ST. NAZAIRE WITH AN ENGINE OUT ON 28 JUN 43. "OH NAUSEA" FLOATED FOR 90 MINUTES BEFORE SINKING AND THE ENTIRE CREW WERE PICKED UP BY THE GERMANS.
1ST LT GLEN S. VAN NOY P: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
2ND LT JAMES B. EVANS CP: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
1ST LT KENNETH G. ALLEN NAV: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
1ST LT WILLIAM H. COUCH BOM: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
T/SGT WILLIAM R. STEWART TTE: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
COL WILLIAM L. KENNEDY RWG: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG (SEE NOTE)
S/SGT GEORGE P. GINEIKIS RWG: EVA 5 NOV 1943 GELSENKIRCHEN
T/SGT WILLIAM W. CRABB LWG: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
S/SGT JAMES D. GIBSON ROG: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
S/SGT JOE F. HRUSKOCY BTG: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
S/SGT SAMUEL J. CUSMANO TG: POW 17 AUG. 1943 REGENSBURG
NOTE: COL WM. KENNEDY REPLACED WG GEORGE GINEIKIS ABOUT ONE HOUR BEFORE TAKEOFF. COL KENNEDY WAS A ARMORER AND GUNNERY EXPERT WHO WAS SOON TO RETURN TO THE U.S. AND, BEFORE RETURNING WANTED TO GET SOME FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE AS TO WHAT PROBLEMS GUNNERS FACED IN COMBAT. THE COL BECAME A POW WITH THE REST OF THE CREW.
Col.Kennedy was an armor and gunnery export flying as an observer prior to his return to the U.S. He flew in place of George P Gineikis, the regular Right waist gunner. An eyewitness(either Owen D. Roane or John R Justice) gave following report "B-17 #042 was seen to be in trouble a few minutes before target No 4 engine was flaming, but it continued in formation, dropped its bombs on the target and did not pull away until it reached the Alps near Munich At this place #2 engine was feathered and A/C pulled away and disappeared around the side of a mountain. It was flying at about 10,000 feet when last seen and was being pursued by a JU 88 No chutes were seen."
According to Bill Crabb they lost one engine (fighter attach) just after crossing enemy Coast early in mission and a second at the target Realized they probably could not reach Africa but at no tine did they consider Switzerland Ran out of Ammo although he had 1100 rounds for
one gun and 900 for the other (flew ball turret because he fit better than Hruskocy, the regular BTG man)
Bill Couch had size 13 shoes or bigger. Was in stocking feet when picked up and Germans said they had no shoes in Italy big enough for him
Of Col Kennedy Crabb Says," He was due to return stateside to help train aerial gunners And was along for 1st hand experience " "He kept squeezing off one round at a time and I remember thinking, My God! A short burst is one thing but this is ridiculous."
Had one bomb hang up over target and tried to release it over a small Airfield near Brenner pass but it wouldn't go Later released it manually
over Mediterranean. Dropped to 500 ft and threw out everything not nailed down "even my GI shoes"
Just north of Naples turned for Sicily because at briefing had been told Sicily would fall that day It did. About 90 miles from Sicily lost a third engine Van Noy shut down remaining engine and made the most beautiful landing he ever made. "He never could land an Airplane except when it really counted." Ship floated about an hour and a half. Picked up next morning by Germans in a flying boat
CUSMANO
Got out 2 five man dinghies and a smaller one -lots of rations, radio, ete. Raised radio mast with balloon and sent S O S Only mission on which 42-30042 reached target was this one It had had 7/8 Abortions . Original ship (42-30002) was naned "Damifino" (also The WAAC Hunter…mpf) and was having P.F F~ installed (on Aug 17, 1943, Lt Shotland Crew flew "The WAAC Hunter" and was shot down…mpf). Was in POW Camp 17B Krems, Austria with many other 100th Gp men.
George P Gineikis went down on 5 Nov.1943 - mission to Gelsenkirchen and it is believed he was an evadee. Cusmane later visited him in Vets Hosp. in Battle Creek Later heard he had been discharged with a disability pension.
MISSIONS OF LT GLEN VAN NOY CREW: (from Paul Andrews appendix in Luck of the Draw..mpf)
DATE: TARGET A/C # A/C NAME
1. 25/06/43 BREMEN 230259 DAMIFINO II
2. 26/06/43 LeMANS 230259 DAMIFINO II
3. 28/06/43 ST. NAZAIRE 230259 DAMIFINO II (lost one engine)
04/07/43 La PALLICE 230259 DAMIFINO II (returned early, spare a/c)
10/07/43 Le BOURGET 230259 DAMIFINO II (returned early, hatch came off ball turret)
4. 14/07/43 HAMBURG 25867 ALICE FROM DALLAS
5. 24/07/43 TRONDHEIM, NORWAY 230259 DAMIFINO II
6. 25/07/43 KIEL 230088 SQUAWKIN HAWK
7. 12/08/43 WESSELING 230259 DAMIFINO II
15/08/43 MERVILLE & LILLE 230259 DAMIFINO II (retruned early, spare a/c)
8. 17/08/43 REGENSBURG 230042 OH NAUSEA (shot down, ditched in the Med.)
In an email to Ron Leigh, Glen Van Noy sent the following answer (Oct. 2000 mpf)
From: Glen Van Noy
To: Ron Leigh
Sent: 29 10 2000 05:24
Subject: WAAC HUNTER 230002
Ron:
230002 was the number of the B-17 I flew to England in June of 1943, landing at Thorpe Abbotts. I was one of the first pilots in the 349th Squadron. I didn't have a name on the airplane. I flew seven missions ( the first seven the 100th made) and on my eigth, 002 was out of commission, so I flew another.
We had three engines shot out over Regansburg on August 17, 1943, lost a lot of fuel, and ran out of gas about 70 miles north of Sicily trying to make it to Africa. The Mediteranian is a not recommended for landing B-17s. They sink. So sombody else inherited 002 and gave it the WAAC HUNTER name. I have no idea who. Since all the other origional 349th pilots except one named Sammy Barr and the squadron commander went down before the Regansburg mission, I hardly knew the new replacement crews .I appreciate your interest in things of that era .
Sincerely,
Glen S. Van Noy
Glen Van Noy SUBMITTER INFORMATION
SUBMITTER: Michael Moores LeBlanc
EMAIL: mmleblanc@sympatico.ca
PURPOSE: Submit general feedback
INTEREST: I am researching WW2 history
MESSAGE
Message: I was checking details about the Wm R. Flesh crew 349 BS, FTR 5 Nov '43 and note an error in your information.
S/Sgt Leon E. 'Al' MacDonald, 32287971 was not a POW. He is listed as E&E 256 and was the 208th evader helped by the famous Comete line, crossing into Spain on 27 Nov 43, together with fellow crew man George Gineikis.
Regards,
Michael Moores LeBlanc
Operations Report says: "Plane was hit in #! Engine after bombs away. All crew members
except Pilot and Co-pilot bailed out, on orders, over the target area."
Flesh and Gossage managed to fly the ship back to England.
MISSION WITH CREW OF LT HENRY HENINGTON:
8/10/43 BREMEN 6hrs, 7a/c LOST, 2 ENGINES OUT DUE TO FLAK, HIT BY 109'S AND 190'S. 700 FEET OFF GROUND ON FINAL APPROACH, 3rd ENGINE OUT. LANDED WITH ONE ENGINE. HAD TO LIGHTEN A/C BY THROWING OUT GUNS, AMMO, EVERYTHING.
THE ENGINES DIED ON LANDING ROLL, HAD TO BE TOWED TO HARD STAND
Below list the crew as of October 8, 1943 BREMEN from AAF press release (mpf) flew a/c 25957 "HORNY II"
1st LT. HENRY M. HENINGTON P CPT 31 DEC 1943 PARIS
2nd LT. HOMER A. TRIPP CP CPT 31 DEC 1943 PARIS
1st LT. DANIEL L. SCHMUCKER NAV CPT 29 NOV 1943 BREMEN
1st LT. HOWARD J. KELLY BOMB CPT 20 JAN 1944 BRUNSWICK (FROM ORIGINAL SAMMY BARR CREW)
T/SGT RUSSELL G. GILBERT TTE KIA 06 MAR 1944 BERLIN
T/SGT JOSEPH W. RODRICK ROG NOC
SGT. ANTHONY E. RUDA LWG POW 06 MAR 1944 BERLIN
S/SGT GEORGE P. GINEIKIS RWG EVA 05 NOV 1943GEISENKIRCHEN (FROM ORIGINAL GLEN VAN NOY CREW)
S/SGT NATHAN F. HOLTON BTG CPT 22 DEC 1943 MUNSTER
S/SGT CHARLES R. HANTUSCH TG NOC
Subj: Re: Sgt George Gineikis
Date: 5/24/2003 7:20:34 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: markg@110.net
To: MPFaley@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the info.,in the book "The Pilot Walked Home", my uncle said that he was shot down 5 Nov. 43 and the planes name was "Damifino". I have only pictures of him in his waist gunners attire holding a .50 cal. machine gun. Also many news paper articles about his ordeal. Devine intervention caught up with him on 27 Dec 49 with an OD on medications. When I hook up my scanner I will send you his photo and anything else that you want.
Thanks Again----Mark R.Gunnard
MEMO 2:
Lt Flesh & Lt Gossage baild out crew after sustaing battle damage but recovered control of the plane and brought it back to Thorpe Abbotts.