COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
2ND LT WILLIAM F. TERMINELLO, JR. P CPT 26 OCT 44 HANOVER,TANK WKS & MITBURG, OIL REF
2ND LT JOSEPH TRAPNELL CP CPT 25 DEC 44 KAISERLAUTERN, MY TAPS:1987
2ND LT STEWART J. GILLISON NAV EVA 03 FEB 45 BERLIN FLYING AS COMMAND NAV WITH ERNST CREW
2ND LT FRANK A. RUBICK BOM NOC
S/SGT LOUIS QUIJADA ROG CPT 10 SEP 44 NURNBURG
S/SGT RUSSELL L. HEGER TTE CPT 10 SEP 44 NURNBURG TAPS: 14 FEB 1988
SGT ROBERT J. HANSER LWG NOC
SGT JAMES M. JONES RWG NOC
SGT THOMAS A. PALMER BTG CPT 10 SEP 44 NURNBURG TAPS: 7 NOV 1993
SGT GEORGE J. HARTOS TG CPT 10 SEP 44 NURNBURG TAPS: 26 MAR 1971
349TH SQDN.. CREW JOINED THE 100TH ON 26 MAY 1944. CREW FLEW 42-97834 XR-J AND 42-97770 (PFF-RADAR EQUIPPED A/C STATIONED AT 95TH BOMB GROUP). ALL A/C FLOWN BY TERMINELLO CREW WERE CALLED "TERRIBLE TERMITE" BUT NO NOSE ART HAS BEEN FOUND PAINTED ON ANY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE A-2 JACKET OF LT GILLISON WAS PAINTED WITH THIS NAME AND ARTWORK.
TRAPNELL LATER HAD HIS OWN CREW. 10 SEP 44 THIS CREW WITH ROSENTHAL AS COMMAND PILOT CRASHED LANDED IN FRANCE..jb
AFTER 9 MISSIONS THIS CREW ASSIGNED TO LEAD CREW TRAINING. 2ND LT JOSEPH TRAPNELL WAS ASSIGNED HIS OWN CREW AND WE LOST TWO GUNNERS (SGT HANSER AND SGT JONES) TO MAKE ROOM FOR A FORMATION OFFICER AND A RADAR OPERATOR (MICKEY). SGT PALMER AND SGT HARTOS BECAME WAIST GUNNERS ON THE LEAD CREW.
"AS A PATHFINDER (PFF) CREW, WE WERE STATIONED AT HORHAM (HOME OF THE 95TH BG AND 13TH COMBAT WING HQ). HORHAM WAS THE ONLY BASE EQUIPPED TO SERVICE THE RADAR EQUIPMENT IN THE 13TH CBW. ON A MISSION DAY, WE WOULD HAVE TO GET UP EARLY, FLY OVER TO THORPE ABBOTTS, FLY THE MISSION, GO THROUGH DEBRIEFING AND THEN FLY BACK TO HORHAM. THIS MADE FOR A LONG DAY AND WE WERE NOW SEPERATED FROM OUR BUDDIES IN THE 349TH, THIS DID NOT MAKE US HAPPY." (LOUIS QUIJADA FROM HIS BOOK "RED WHITE AND BLUE PARACHUTES")
MISSION LIST OF S/SGT LOUIS QUIJADA (mpf 2001)
DATE MISSION COMMAND PILOT
1. 02/06/44 BOULOGNE
2. 05/06/44 ABBEVILLE
3, 06/06/44 CAEN, D-DAY
4. 06/06/44 FALAISE
5. 08/06/44 TOURS
6. 12/06/44 ROSIERES/DUNKIRK
7. 15/06/44 WILSTER
8. 18/06/44 BRUNSBUTTELKOOG
9. 19/06/44 CORME ECLUSE
10. 07/07/44 GOTTINGEM
11. 08/07/44 LELENTS
12. 11/07/44 MUNICH
13. 12/07/44 MUNICH
14. 14/07/44 NEUVILLE MAQUIS SUPPLY DROP
15. 17/07/44 NO-BALL
16. 04/08/44 HAMBURG
17. 05/08/44 MAGDEBURG MAJ. ZELLER
18. 14/08/44 LUDWIGSHAVEN CAPT. GORSKI
19. 15/08/44 VENLO MAJ. ROSENTHAL
20. 24/08/44 RUHLAND MAJ. EMBERSON
21. 25/08/44 POLITZ COL. PRICE
22. 26/08/44 BREST COL TOM JEFFREY
23. 30/08/44 BREMEN
24. 09/09/44 DUSSELDORF
25. 10/09/44 NURNBURG MAJ. ROBERT ROSENTHAL
LEAD CREW SEPTEMBER 10, 1944, NURNBURG PFF A/C 42-97770
MAJOR ROBERT "ROSIE" ROSENTHAL COM P
1ST LT WILLIAM F. TERMINELLO, JR P
1ST LT MELVIN KODAS FORMATION OFFICER/TAIL GUNNER
2ND LT STEWART J. GILLISON NAV
CAPT. WOODROW W. MCGILL COM NAV
LT GREGORY MADDOX RAD
2ND LT FRANK RUBICK BOM
S/SGT RUSSELL L. HEGER TTE
S/SGT LOUIS QUIJADA ROG
SGT THOMAS A. PALMER WG
SGT GEORGE J. HARTOS WG
100thBG Question Submission messages
= 240email = m_palmer@mindspring.comuname
= Mark Palmer comments = If this is the correct form, please add my father to the list:Thomas A. PalmerTerminello Crew/Terrible TermiteDied: Nov. 7, 1993
When this crew went down on 3/2/45, TARGET: BERLIN
the crew list was as follows: MACR #12046, A/C#44 8379. MICRO - FICHE #4417
Maj Robert Rosenthal Command Pilot Landed in Russian Lines
Capt John Ernst P POW
1st Lt Arthur I..Jacobson CP POW (from Crew of Lt. G. Brown)
1st Lt Stewart J. Gillison Command NAV EVA (from Crew of Lt Terminello)
1st Lt Louis C. Chappel NAV KIA
1st Lt Robert H. Stropp Radar NAV Landed in Russian Lines
1st Lt Eugene E. Lockhart BOM KIA
T/Sgt Charles H. Webber ROG Landed in Russian Lines
T/Sgt Dugger C. West TTE POW
S/Sgt Warren Winters WG POW
S/Sgt G.A. Windisch TG Landed in Russian Lines
Ernst's leg amputated in German Hospital night of 3/2/45 & he was soon exchanged.
See "CONTRAILS" p.131 & S.O.C. p.95. Also p.219/223 of "FLYING FORTRESS" by E.Jablonski.
EYEWITNESS REPORT from MACR # "A/C #44 8379 was hit by flak,reported to be a ground
rocket a few seconds before bombs away. A/C continued on run and dropped bombs. Fire and
dense white smoke was seen in the fuselage and bomb bay, including the cockpit. Bomb bay
doors closed and then reopened. Pilot opened his window and peeled gently off to the
right, directing deputy leader to take over on VHF. A/C headed NE and flew level for a few
moments while six members bailed out (3 appeared to come from waist or tail and 3 from
bomb bay..There was a small explosion in #3 engine nacelle and thd A/C headed down, burning
and beginning to spin when last seen at 15/000 feet. Observers believe entire crew had an
excellent chance to bail out."
349TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H) ARMY AIR FORCES
Office of the Operations Officer
APO 569
4 August 1944
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
On 17 July 1944 at 0925 hours the following Combat Crew, assigned to this organization, parachuted from an abandoned B-17G somewhere over England. Aircraft was abandoned account of fire.
1st Lt. Harold L. Heyneman 0-681539 (Navigator/Bombardier)
2nd Lt. Joseph Trapnell IV 0-818761 (Pilot)
2nd Lt. Melvin L. Kodas 0-503283 (Copilot)
T/Sgt Murry W. Holditch 18178502 (Top Turret Gunner)
T/Sgt. John P. Cooper 32931713 (Radio Operator Gunner)
Sgt Adam C. Stoppel 17088192 (Left Waist Gunner)
S/Sgt. Robert Patrick 14065993 (Right Waist Gunner)
S/Sgt. William A. Geigle 33188079 (Ball Turret Gunner)
S/Sgt. Clare R. Harnden 16084649 (Tail Gunner)
S/Sgt. Byron R. Greene 31289048 (Toggelier)
FRED W. CRAFT JR.
1st Lt.. Air Corps.
Asst Ops Officer.
The aircraft on July 17, 1944 was A/C# 42-102977 was called "TRAPS".
Subj: Re: Crew list July 14, 1944
Date: 5/29/2003 10:37:15 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Heine48
To: MPFaley
My father was bombardier/navigator qualified (two ratings) When Lt. Fred Robertson the regular navigator was assigned to lead crews my father was assigned on the missions as navigator.
Jim Heyneman
The following form contents were entered on 7th Aug 3
Date = 7 Aug 3 00:41:02
subject = TAPS REPORT
messages = 1108
EMAIL = jimmylouie@cox.net
UNAME = Susan Dickey
DIED = Stewart James Gillison
DEATH_DATE = March 10, 2003
UNIT = 349th
POSITION = Navigator
RELATION = Child
COMMENTS = My father was a Captain in the USAF, stationed at Thorpe Abbotts in England during WWII. He participated in the envasions of Normandy and Berlin. During the latter, he was shot down and spent nearly a month missing in action. My father was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters , and was recommended for the Silver Star (I find no record that he was ever awarded but recommended only). During his tour, he flew 17 leads including two of the division and eight wing leads. After his MIA status, he returned to duty and became the 351st Squadron Navigator. He was prompted to Assistant Group Navigator before returning to the USA
Subj: Re: TAPS REPORT
Date: 8/6/2003 9:07:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: jimmylouie@cox.net
To: MPFaley@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)
Michael
I have all and everything you have requested. Give me a few days to make copies and I can mail what I have to you. I have all of his missions logs (originals), citations, and miscellaneous other "paper". I even found the memo authorizing him to receive new clothing on May 1, 1945 because he had been MIA.
You are correct. The listing of POW is incorrect. According to my father, he bailed out after piece of scrapnel pierced his flight jacket zipper and killed the bombadier next to him. He tried to stuff his handkerchief in his head wound to stop the bleeding but the bombadier died in his arms before he bailed out. He said everyone bailed together that was alive at the time. He landed somewhere in enemy territory alone. He walked during the night and hid during the day and at sometime met up with a French Resistance soldier who spoke no English but they somehow were able to communicate. They travelled together I think through Poland (does that make sense) and ended up in Russian hands. I have a Vgram that he sent to my Grandma from Italy telling her that he was alive. I have pictures too but I am not sure where they were taken (could be Thorpe Abbotts or not).
I will have to visit Kinkos to make the copies as the flight plans are on large paper and I don't trust leaving them at Kinkos for them to copy and will take the time to do myself as well as make picture copies. I am more than willing to give you anything I have.
I visited Thorpe Abbotts a few years ago and was amazed at the museum. Someday I will donate to it as I have my dad's flight jacket (the one with the hole in it from the mission where he was MIA), lots of "paper" and even have a K Ration still in tact! My mom has his Eisenhower jacket too. I can't believe they kept all of this as my dad refused to talk about the war to anyone. I knew very little until recently.
Bill Terminillo, Louis Ouijada, and someone else I did not know have recently called my mom.
I will forward to your address ASAP. I live in Oceanside CA!!!! Small world
MEMO 2: