LT Albert A. MARCHIONDO |
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| UNIT: 418th BOMB Sqdn | POSITION: BOM | |
| SERIAL #: O-741206 | STATUS: INT | |
| MACR: 02427 | CR: 02427 | |
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Comments1: 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN |
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COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:CREW CREW OF A.J. HARRIS BEFORE HE WAS INTERNED AND RETURNED TO OPERATIONS.. VERY RARE OCCURRENCE 2nd Lt Arthur J.Harris P 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE (Sweden) 2nd Lt John Dutka CP 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE F/O Morrls C.West NAV 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE 2nd Lt Albert A.Marchiondo BOM 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE T/Sgt Rene L.Tujague ROG 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE T/Sgt Alvin Grasshoff TTE 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE S/Sgt Donald A.Petrecca BTG 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE S/Sgt Lester L.Errett RWG 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE S/Sgt John A.Martin LWG 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE S/Sgt Frederick J.Kaczynski TG 20 FEB 44 POSEN & SETTIN INTERNEE 350th Sqdn. Crew,as above,is taken from the MACR #2427 microfiche # 807. Crew was flying 42-39792 LN-X "HALF & HALF" On 20/2/44,this crew apparently flying with 95th BG. This plane was hit by Fighters and then by flak at the target: Settin. Lt Harris 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 and landed at Toftshogsgard where they were briefly interned. A statement made by Sgt. Donald Petrecca on 17 Nov.1944 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/Formation Officer) 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 R.Geary P POW 24/5/44 BERLIN Major Maurice J.Fitzgerald CMD P POW 24/5/44 BERLIN 1st Lt Arthur J.Harris CP POW 24/5/44 BERLIN (Flying as TG) (SEE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON HARRIS) 1st Lt A.Edwin Stern,Jr. BOM POW 24/5/44 BERLIN 2nd Lt Dort B.Payne NAV POW 24/5/44 BERLIN T/Sgt Louis Paltrineri ROG POW 24/5/44 BERLIN (WIA) (From the E.McKay crew) T/Sgt Francis Acker BTG POW 24/5/44 BERLIN (From the E.McKay crew) S/Sgt Carl F.Schuster TTE POW 24/5/44 BERLIN (From the E.McKay crew) S/Sgt John E.Trout RWG POW 24/5/44 BERLIN (WIA) (From the E.McKay crew) S/Sgt Jack W.Domenig LWG POW 24/5/44 BERLIN (WIA (From the 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." Original Crew of Lt Dutka: CREW 2nd Lt.Martin Tashjian P IIC 4/12/43 KIA 15/3/44 BRUNSWICK 2nd Lt. John Dutka CP IIC " 2nd Lt. Floyd E.Hartman NAV IIC " POW 29/7/44 MERSEBURG (TAPS:10 APR 1990) 2nd Lt. Bennie Epstein BOM IIC " T/Sgt. Floyd O.Douglas TTE IIC " KIA 29/7/44 MERSEBURG T/Sgt. Robert D.Longworth ROG IIC " KIA 15/3/44 BRUNSWICK(With Devore) Sgt. Wilbur W. Palmer WG Sgt. John H.White WG POW 6/3/44 BERLIN (with J.Lautenschlager) Sgt. James S.Morrow BTG KIA 24/5/44 BERLIN (with D.S.Pearson) Sgt. Lucien E.Neveu TG 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: CREW 2nd Lt Herbert A.Alf P POW 28/4/44 SOTTEVAST (With Crew ofW.G.Lakin) see Lakin Crew below 1st Lt Kenneth L.Rasmussen CP RFS Medical Reasons (see gordon letter below) 2nd Lt Raymond B.Phaneuf NAV NOC 2nd Lt Albert A.Marchiondo BOM INTERNEE 20/2/44 POSEN & SETTIN (With crew of A.J.Harrls) Sgt Jimison T.Pyles TTE NOC Sgt Carmine V.Roberto ROG KIA 29/7/44 MERSEBURG (With crew of W.T.Fitzroy) Sgt Francis J.Flemm, Jr BTG NOC Sgt Jerome H.Gordon WG RFS Medical reasons Sgt Herschel P.Lowe WG CPT 17/7/44 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY (With crew of D.C.Rice) Sgt Joseph C.Krusienskl TG KIA 6/3/44 BERLIN (With crew of D.Radtke) 418th Sqdn. Crew,as above, joined the 100th Group on 1/12/43 It 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. Subj: 100thBG Question Submission Date: 10/1/2001 8:42:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time From: wgordon949@msn.com (William Gordon) To: mpfaley@aol.comCC: janr@cei.net comments = My dad (Jerome Gordon)was in the 100th. He originally was in a crew headed by Herbert Alf but soon after his arrival was transferred to a crew headed by Lt. Dean Radtke. The co-pilot, Robert Digby, was killed in a mission over Ludwigshafen and Radtke was wouned but got the plane back home.I am trying to find any documentation on this crew, the aircraft and mission.There is a small paragraph in the book Century Bombers about the mission and crew but not much info.Any ideas where I might inquire?Thanks.MEMO 2:
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:
| TARGET: Posen & Settin | DATE: 1944-02-20 | |
| AIRCRAFT: "HALF & HALF" (42-39792) | CAUSE: EAC-FLAK (Interned in Sweden) |
BURIAL INFORMATION
| PLOT: | ROW: | |
| GRAVE: | CEMETERY: |
PHOTOS:
(Back Row) 2ND LT HERBERT A. ALF, 1ST LT KENNETH L. RASMUSSEN, 2ND LT ALBERT A. MARCHIONDO, 2ND LT RAYMOND B. PHANEUF (Front Row) SGT JOSEPH C. KRUSIENSKI, SGT JIMISON T. PYLES, SGT JEROME H. GORDON, SGT CARMINE V. ROBERTO, SGT FRANCIS J. FLEMM, JR, SGT HERSCHEL P. LOWE