COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
2ND LT HAROLD TIAHRT P CPT 14 AUG 44 LUDWIGSHAVEN, OIL PLANT sn# 0-749355
2ND LT GEORGE W. CLARK CP CPT NOC
2ND LT JOSEPH J. GRASSILLI NAV POW 24 MAY 44 BERLIN (WITH D.S. PEARSON CREW)
2ND LT ROBERT E. BRAITHWAITE BOM NOC
T/SGT WILBUR H. WEWELER ROG CPT 26 NOV 44 HAMM
T/SGT DARL L. BORCHERDT TTE NOC TAPS: 26 NOV 1977
S/SGT ROBERT G. MILLER BTG NOC
S/SGT ORVILLE V. HARDY WG NOC
S/SGT EARL L. INGLESTON WG NOC
S/SGT JAMES M. DALEY TG NOC TAPS:
350TH SQDN…CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 17 MAY 44,
Went to 15th Air Force in December 1943, 99th Bomb Group, 12-13 missions there and then Transferred from the 15th Air Force, 8th Air Force, 100th Bomb Group Flew innocent bystander
According to Lt "Butch" Goodwin's log, 2nd Lt Harold Tiahrt flew the missions listed below with this crew. Also, 2nd Lt Robert Braithwaite (Bomb) is also listed as flying missions with this crew (per Lt M. Barasch 7/7/00) exact dates are listed below with missions he and Lt Tiahrt flew.
Lt Austin Dunlap was transferred to Lead Crew (pathfinders) at 95th BG (Horham) after the June 24, 1944 mission. He was replaced on the crew by Lt Tiahrt. Lt Cummings was transferred home after ditching in channel with another crew.
Lt Cummings was replaced with Lt Braithwaite (July 7, 1944) who came from the Lt Tiahrt Crew. Lt Braithwaite and Lt. Tiahrt flew with this crew from July 7, 1944 until August 14, 1944. After that, Lt Goodwin became Pilot. No information on who became new Bomb. (as related to mpf by Butch Goodwin and Max Barasch)
S/SGT K.W. ROHRER FLEW AS BTG ON 11 MISSIONS WITH THIS CREW. HE WAS FROM SPARE GUNNER POOL
1ST LT AUSTIN F. DUNLAP P CPT
2ND LT ELMER B. GOODWIN CP CPT------100TH ASSOC OFFICER(TREASURER):
2ND LT MAXIM BARASCH NAV CPT
2ND LT WALTER B. CUMMINGS BOM NOC
S/SGT RAYMOND J. JUNION TTE CPT
S/SGT JOHN E. SMITH ROG CPT
SGT SALVATORE J. BRACCO BTG CPT
SGT NORMAN R. BUCHANAN RWG CPT
SGT MELVIN H. PATTON LWG CPT
SGT JACK BOURNE TG CPT
350th Sqdn..Crew, as above, joined the 100th on 26 May 44
Operational Missions
Date Formation Pos. and Pilot A/C # Target
07 Jul 44 2 Elem - Low Sqdn. Tiahrt 903 Leipzig, Ger. (2 eng.)
12 Jul 44 Low Sqdn. - Lead Group Tiahrt 621 Munich, Ger.
13 Jul 44 Low Sqdn. - Lead Group Tiahrt 621 Munich, Ger.
14 Jul 44 High Sqdn. - High Group Tiahrt 621 Brieve, Fr. (Secret)
20 Jul 44 Low Sqdn. Tiahrt Near Leipzig, Ger.
24 Jul 44 Low Sqdn. - High Group Tiahrt 621 Military Target, Fr.
25 Jul 44 Low Sqdn. - High Group Tiahrt 621 Military Target, Fr.
31 Jul 44 2nd Elem - High Sqdn. Tiahrt 657 Munich, Ger.
2 Aug 44 High Sqdn.- Lead Group Tiahrt 089 France-Bel. Bridge
3 Aug 44 Low Sqdn. Tiahrt 657 France, Oil Refinery
4 Aug 44 2nd Elem Lead Tiahrt 657 Hamburg (3 eng.)
8 Aug 44 High Sqdn. - High Group Tiahrt 089 German Troops/ 10,000 ft.
13 Aug 44 2nd Elem - Lead Group Tiahrt 043 Paris (Retreating Germans)
14 Aug 44 Low Sqdn. - High Group Tiahrt 089 Ludwigshaven, Ger.
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Date: 29 June 1944
Pilot: Lt Harold Tiahrt,
350th BS,
100th Bomb Group
B-17G #42-97090
Name: "Who Done It"
Target: Bohlen
CREW:
2ND LT HAROLD TIAHRT P
2ND LT GEORGE W. CLARK CP
2ND LT MAXIM BARACH NAV
2ND LT ROBERT E. BRAITHWAITE BOM
T/SGT WILBUR H. WEWELER ROG
T/SGT DARL L. BORCHERDT RWG
S/SGT ROBERT G. MILLER BTG
S/SGT ORVILLE V. HARDY TTG
S/SGT EARL L. INGLESTON WG
S/SGT PAUL VRABEC TG
Event took place at Station 153 Framlingham while our Runways at Thorpe Abbotts were being re paved and most of the Group was on the First Russian Shuttle Mission.
Cause: Failure of Hydraulic system, failure of brake system
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Aircraft Accident Board
" At 1302 on 29 July 1944 while taxing to his dispersal after an operational mission A/C 42-97090 lost its hydraulic pressure and collided with a shack just off the perimeter on the airdrome at station 153. The fault lies with the command pilot, Lt Tiahrt, in that he did not stop the A/C when the pressure lowered, or have his co-pilot use the hand hydraulic pump which would have maintained the hydraulic pressure. The electrical system was at fault also in as much as the batteries were low and would not build up sufficient hydraulic pressure. This was probably caused by the batteries being low at take-off, there changing too fast in the air, boiling out the electrolyte. The generators were on in the air and a C-1 generator was used for starting.
John B. Kidd
Lt Col, Air Corps
President
Sumner Reeder
Major, Air Corps
Member
Maurice Youngs
Captain, Air Corps
Member
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1 July 1944
Pilots Statement of Aircraft Accident of 29 July 1944
I had just landed after an operational mission and had taxied about 500 yeards on the perimeter when the hydraulic system failed. The tail wheel at the time was unlocked because we had just made a turn on the taxi strip. It was then that I noticed that the brake system had failed. Prior to this time, the brakes had operated satisfactorily. To avoid gaining too much speed by keeping the aircraft straight with the throttles, I tried to ground loop the aircraft, in doing so the aircraft struck a brick shack near the control tower.
Harold Tiahrt
1st Lt Air Corps
Pilot
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Flying Control,
AAF Station 153
29 June 1944
1. Accident Location was on Taxi track directly behind control Tower
2. Aircraft Involved: B-17 297090 D 100th Bombardment Group (HY)
3. Condition of Crew: None of Crew were injured
4. Condition of Aircraft: Aircraft Damaged to extent of Salvage
5. No Damage to Civilian Property or Civilian Casualties are involved
6. The aircraft had just landed from an Operational mission and was taxing to dispersal. Pilot Lt Tiahrt had just completed a turn off the taxi track when this brakes failed and the aircraft swerved off the taxi track and hit Radio Shack in back of control tower. Radio shack was demolished
Ruben Goldstein
2nd Lt. Sig Corps
Flying Control Officer
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Harold Tiahrt
Posted On August 19th, 2011 - Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Share HAROLD TIAHRT
Harold Tiahrt was a true American Hero – A hero to his country and his family. He passed away on August 15, 2011.
Harold was born June 1, 1920 in Aberdeen, Idaho and raised in Paso Robles, California in the Mennonite faith.
He was drafted into the US Army on November 13, 1941. He piloted 43 B-17 combat missions with both the 99th Bomb Group (H) and the “Bloody” 100thBomb Group (H). He retired as a command pilot with over 9,000 hours.
He was a test pilot with the Air Force in Van Nuys, CA, where he met the love of his life, Patricia Peterson.
He retired on September 1, 1964, as a Lt Colonel with 23 years of military service and continued to serve his country with the Department of Defense. His service to the country totaled 43 years.
He is survived by his co-pilot of 63 years, Patty, and seven of their eight children, Harold II, Tanya, Tamara, Nikko, Patrick, Eric, and Natasha. One son, Leif, preceded him in death. He leaves nineteen grand and great grandchildren who adored him.
He was a wonderful, much loved father and role model for his children even though he had been left fatherless at age two. He was a hard worker throughout his life and had a gentle sense of humor.
Services celebrating his life take place on Sunday, August 21st at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1716 Komo Mai Drive, Pearl City at 3:00 PM. Internment at Punchbowl National Cemetery will take place on Monday, August 22nd at 8:30 AM.
Posted in Family Placed Obituaries
MEMO 2: