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LT  Charles W. COMPTON

UNIT: 349th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: BOM 

The earliest photo I have of Dad (Lt Charles Compton)  and me, taken in 1944 in Quannah, Tx after he returned to the U. S. from spending 4 months E&E in Europe. He was stationed at Childress, Tx AFB. Courtesy of Daughter Carolyn Compton Delmar

SERIAL #: O-673779 STATUS: EVA
MACR: 02020 CR: 02020

Comments1: 30 DEC 43 LUDWIGSHAFEN; DIED 6 MAY 90

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

2ND LT MARVIN L. LEININGER              P KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
2ND LT ALBERT W. WITMYER            CP KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
2ND LT LEONARD D. McCHESNEY     NAV EVA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
2ND LT CHARLES W. COMPTON, JR. BOM EVA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
    SGT MARSHALL BANTA               ROG KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
    SGT MEYER M. WEINTRAUB         TTE KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
    SGT NICHOLAS J. MATULIK          BTG KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
    SGT EUGENE F. LATIMER              WG KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
    SGT JAMES W. PARHAM               WG KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN
    SGT CHARLES J. McGROGAN           TG KIA 30 DEC 1943 LUDWIGSHAFEN

349th Sqdn.. Crew flew A/C 42-5861 XR-J Laden Maiden (Named by Squadron CO William Veal and later
flown by Cowboy Owen Roane)  When the crew joined the 100th Gp on 1 Dec 1943, Sgt Philp Wagner was a WG instead of James W. Parham. 
According to a family member of Sgt Weintraub, this was the crews first Mission. 

EYEWITNESS: (S/Sgt John J. Strang): One B-17 from the high squadron fell behind and three (3) FW-190S followed the B-17 
which went down in flames. 

LUDWIGSHAVEN MISSION, DECEMBER 30, 1943
 Lt Leininger in A/C #861 was hit by flak at 12:35 hours and dropped out of formation.  At various times on the route from the target both #3 and #4 engines were feathered and started again.  At one time the aircraft was able to regain its position in the formation, but in some reshuffling of the formation, it dropped behind jast as some enemy fighters attacked at 13:42 hours.  It was hit by three enemy aircraft from 9 O'Clock low.  It appeared that at least one of the three fighters fired a rocket into the ship at close range.  The entire left wing caught fire and part of the tail section broke off.  Diving towards the undercast it was followed by several enemy fighters.  It appeared under control when last seen.  From 1-4 chutes were reported before the plane disappeared into the undercast near 4905 N -0438 E.  (from Bill Thompson's MACR Reports) mpf 2001

Report in MACR indicates McChesney and Compton were successful evadees and arrived back in the United Kingdom 17 Apr 1944.

The eight dead, except for Sgts Parham and Matulik, now rest in the Epinal American Cemetary; this from Charles Compton in 1988. (pw) 

Subj: Re: 100thBG Feedback Form  
Date: 7/23/2002 10:04:50 PM Pacific Daylight Time 
From: mizccd407@yahoo.com  (Carolyn Compton Delmar)
To: MPFaley@aol.com 
Sent from the Internet (Details) 

 The info about the Ludwigshafen mission being their first is incorrect where Dad is concerned...it was his third mission. 
Unfortunately, both Dad (Charles Compton) and McChesney are gone...Dad in 1990 and McChesney a couple of years later...so I don't know the answer to any of those questions except that one of Dad's missions was to Bremen.

MEMO 2:


			

             
            

         

         
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION: 
  
         

  

    TARGET:
			Ludwigshafen
    DATE: 
			1943-12-30
     
  

  

    AIRCRAFT:
	"Laden Maiden" (42-5861)
    CAUSE:
			FLAK-EAC
     
  



			


			

            
BURIAL INFORMATION

            

  

    PLOT:
			
    ROW:
			
     
  

  

    GRAVE:
			
    CEMETERY:
			
     
  



			
			
            

				
        
		
        ID:
			958