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LT  Dort B. PAYNE

UNIT: 418th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: NAV
SERIAL #: O-694893 STATUS: POW
MACR: 05151 CR: 05151

Comments1: 24 MAY 44 BERLIN (DIED 4 MAR 92) EAC

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

2nd Lt Donald C.Rice           P    CPT 17/7/44  AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY (NOBALL)
2nd Lt Joseph S.Farcht      CP    CPT 25/7/44  ST. LO, GROUND SUPPORT (took over Lt Rumley's Crew, see below)
2nd Lt George E.Owens    NAV  KlA  18/3/44  GABLINGEN,LECHFELD,AUGSBURG,MUNICH (with Lt Stuke Crew)
2nd Lt William Cherry BOM/NAV  CPT 17/7/44  AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY (NOBALL)
   Sgt Philip H.Rowe         TTE    CPT 17/7/44  AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY (NOBALL)
   Sgt Leslie M.Thompson  ROG   CPT 17/7/44  AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY (NOBALL)
   Sgt Robert E.Pryor        BTG   CPT  31/7/44  MUNICH, AERO ENGINES  (with Lt Bethea Crew)
   Sgt Harry C.Vaughn       WG   CPT  18/7/44 KIEL, HEMMINGSTADT, OIL (100TH "B")
   Sgt William E.Stein         WG   CPT  31/7/44  MUNICH, AERO ENGINES  (with Lt Bethea Crew)
   Sgt Robert W.Pion          TG   CPT    DATE UNKN

418th Sqdn.  Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44.  Crew flew 42-97154 "OUR BABE"

418th Sqdn.  Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44.

Lt. George Owens was with the crew of D.J.Stuke on 18/3/44 when killed (see Stuke Crew below).   After Lt Owens was lost,  Lt Dort Payne flew as navigator on this crew from March 22, 1944 until May 13, 1944. Lt Farcht flew last mission as CP on June 2, 1944, He then took over Lt Martin Rumley's Crew in June 1944.  Lt William Cherry took over Navigator duties on May 31, 1944 mission to Osnabruck and T/Sgt H.P. Lowe (from ther original crew of Lt Herb Alf) took over as Toggelier.  See SPLASHER SIX (Winter 1984) for story of this crew's A/C "Our Babe" as told by Herschel Lowe who flew as toggalier.

Also see correspondence with Harry Vaughn in 418th file.

MISSIONS OF LT D.B. PAYNE  WITH  LT RICE CREW:

Date         Target                                  Aircraft Nbr                           Co Pilot
3/22/1944 ORANIENBURG (BERLIN)         97154  OUR BABE
3/23/1944 BRUNSWICK/ WAGGUM          97154
3/26/1944 SCHKEUDITZ/JU-88 PLANT     97154
3/27/1944 BORDEAUX/ MERIGNAC          97154
3/28/1944 CHATEAUDUN/ EVREUX         97154
4/1/1944  LUDWIGSHAFEN                    97154
4/7/1944  QUAKENBRUCK (SCRUBBED)    97154
4/8/1944  QUACKENBRUCK                    97154
4/9/1944  KRZESINKI (POSEN)               97154
4/10/1944 RHEIMS                               97154
4/11/1944 POSEN/ROSTOCK, POLAND    97154
4/12/1944 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)            97154
5/7/1944   BERLIN                                97154
5/11/1944 LIEGE                                  97154
5/13/1944 OSNABRUCK                         97154

MISSIONS FLOWN WITH CAPT. JAMES GEARY LEAD CREW

Date       Last Name Initial Rank Position  Aircraft Nbr Target
5/20/1944 HARRIS A.J. LT XCM                      31412 BRUSSELS 
5/20/1944 GRAHAM R.T. S/SGT TG                31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 DOMENIG J.W. S/SGT LWG            31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 TROUT J.E. S/SGT RWG                31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 SCHUSTER C.F. S/SGT BTG            31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 ACKER F. T.SGT TTE                     31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 PALTRINERI L.P. T.SGT                    ROG 31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 STERN A.E. LT BOM                       31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 PAYNE (DORT) D.B. LT NAV           31412 BRUSSELS
5/20/1944 FITZGERALD M.J. MAJOR COM         31412 BRUSSELS     CO 350TH BOMB SQUADRON
5/20/1944 GEARY J.R. CAPT P                        31412 BRUSSELS



CREW

Capt James R.Geary                   P    POW 24/5/44 BERLIN
Major  Maurice J.Fitzgerald    CMP    POW 24/5/44 BERLIN        CO 350TH BOMB SQUADRON
1st Lt Arthur J.Harris           CP     POW 24/5/44 BERLIN       (Flying as TG/FORMATION OFFICER)
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(WIA) 24/5/44 BERLIN    (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(WIA) 24/5/44 BERLIN    (From the E.McKay crew)
 S/Sgt Jack W.Domenig   LWG     POW(WIA) 24/5/44 BERLIN     (From the E.McKay crew) r

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."

MEMO 2:

KIA/POW info: TAPS:  4 Mar 1992.

KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:

TARGET: Berlin DATE: 1944-05-24  
AIRCRAFT: (42-97845) CAUSE: EAC  

BURIAL INFORMATION

PLOT: ROW:  
GRAVE: CEMETERY:  
ID: 4041