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"
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.
Sgt Robert W. Pion flew 27 missions that we can account for, He flew as tail gunner with the crew of Lt Rice from March 22, 1944-Oranienburg until May 28, 1944 Magdeburg. He then flew as tail gunner with the crews of Lt Jones, Capt. C.E. Harris and Lt M.W. Hall until July when he bacame the LWG on the crew of Lt M.J. Anderson.
MISSION LIST OF LT RICE CREW.
Date Target Aircraft Nbr Co Pilot
3/22/1944 ORANIENBURG (BERLIN) 97154 OUR BABE (HUTCHIE)
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
5/23/1944 TROYES 97154
5/24/1944 BERLIN 97154
5/28/1944 MAGDEBURG 97154
5/29/1944 LEIPZIG 97154
5/30/1944 TROYES 97154
5/31/1944 OSNABRUCK 97154
6/2/1944 BOULOGNE 97154 Last Mission for Lt Farcht with Rice Crew, becomes a 1st Pilot
6/4/1944 BOULOGNE 97154 Lt H.L. Houghton -CP
6/5/1944 BOULOGNE 97154 Lt H.L. Houghton -CP
6/6/1944 OUISTREHAM 32090 Silver Dollar Lt H.L. Houghton -CP
6/6/1944 FALAISE 32090 Silver Dollar Lt H.L. Houghton -CP
6/7/1944 NANTES (BRIDGES) 97154 Lt H.L. Houghton -CP
6/11/1944 BERCK sur MER (S.DEF) 97154 Lt P.G. Jones-CP
6/14/1944 LE CULOT (AIR FIELD) 97154 Lt E.L. Neu-CP
6/18/1944 BRUNSBUTTELKOOG 97154 Lt E.L. Neu-CP
6/20/1944 FALLERSLEBEN 97154 Lt E.L. Neu-CP
6/21/1944 RUHLAND (1st RUSSIAN SHUTTLE) 97154 Lt E.L. Neu-CP
6/26/1944 DROHOBYCZ (POLAND) 97154 Lt E.L. Neu-CP
7/3/1944 ARAD (RUMANIA) 97154 Lt E.L. Neu-CP
7/5/1944 BEZIER (FROM ITLAY) 97154 Lt E.L. Neu-CP
7/13/1944 MUNICH (JET ENGINES) 97154
7/14/1944 MAQUIS SUPPLY DROP 97154
7/17/1944 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY 37808 Milk Run Mable Lt J.S Seamane-CP
7/31/1944 Crew
Date Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target
7/31/1944 STEIN W.E. S/SGT TG 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES) (from Lt Rice Crew)
7/31/1944 WALSH R.E. S/SGT RWG 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/31/1944 PRYOR R.E. S/SGT BTG 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES) from Lt Rice Crew)
7/31/1944 HELLEN W.R. T/SGT TTE 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/31/1944 VANCE R.A. T/SGT ROG 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/31/1944 MCKENZIE T.A. LT BOM 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/31/1944 KOBASKY W.C. LT NAV 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/31/1944 CROWLEY T.J. LT CP 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
7/31/1944 BETHEA H.E. LT P 37935 MUNICH (AERO ENGINES)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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) see Rice Crew below
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. Sgt Roberto sent to Lt John Gibbons Crew.
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.
See SPLASHER SIX (Winter 1984) for story of this crew's A/C "Our Babe" as told by Herschel Lowe (originally from Lt Herb Alf's Crew) who flew as toggalier.
Also see correspondence with Harry Vaughn in 418th file.
CREW
1ST LT DONALD J. STUKE P KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
2ND LT THOMAS L. LEMOND CP EVA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
2ND LT GEORGE E. OWENS NAV KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH (from Lt Rice Crew)
2ND LT CLARENCE W. PULLEN BOM KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
SGT ARTHUR R. TUOTT ROG KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
SGT DANIEL J. SEGRETE TTE POW 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
SGT IRVING W. COOKE BTG KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
SGT JOSEPH M. DRAGOWICH WG KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
SGT JOSEPH C. OGG WG KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
SGT PHILLIP J. DONNELLY TG KIA 18 MAR 44 MUNICH
418th Sqdn.. Crew, as above, is taken from the MACR # 3233. The exact date and composition of this crew when it joined the 100th is unknown. (Iit may be possible to find their assigment order on Micro-film..pw)
The aircraft was lost in a mid-air collision with the A/C (#42-39830) flown by Lt Paul A. Martin of the 350th Sqdn. The entire nose section of the Stuke A/C plus both left engines were torn off in the collision.
CREW:
Lt Joseph Fracht, copilot on Lt Donald Rice crew took over Lt Martin Rumley’s Crew in June 1944. Lt Coleman, from Lt Bethea crew, took over as copilot on this crew. The first time this crew appears on the combat loading list is the First Russian Shuttle mission. Lt Farcht completed his tour on July 25th, 1944 mission to St Lo and the rest of the Crew (except Koczent) finished on the August 25, 1944 mission to Politz ON 25 AUG 44 Lt. L.F. COLEMAN WAS THE PILOT AND C.J. GUTEKUNST WAS THE CO-PILOT
FARCHT J.S. LT PILOT
COLEMAN L.F. LT COPILOT
RADULOVICH M..E. LT NAV
LOWANS W.F. LT BOM
HARRIS R.E. T/SGT ROG
SMITH F.G. T/SGT TTE
KASSA R.P. S/SGT BTG
HELMIN P.V. S/SGT RWG
KOCZENT N.T. S/SGT LWG
KAMINSKI L.J. S/SGT TG
6/21/1944 RUHLAND (1st RUSSIAN SHUTTLE) 32090 Silver Dollar
6/26/1944 DROHOBYCZ (POLAND) 32090 Silver Dollar
7/3/1944 ARAD (RUMANIA) 32090 Silver Dollar
7/5/1944 BEZIER (FROM ITLAY) 32090 Silver Dollar
7/12/1944 MUNICH (IND. AREA) 97230 Lay or Bust
7/17/1944 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY 97230 Lay or Bust
7/18/1944 KIEL & HEMMINGSTADT 97230 Lay or Bust
7/19/1944 SCHWEINFURT & DUREN 97230 Lay or Bust
7/20/1944 MERSEBURG 97230 Lay or Bust
7/21/1944 REGENSBURG 97230 Lay or Bust
7/24/1944 ST LO (GND SUPPORT) 97230 Lay or Bust
7/25/1944 ST LO (GND SUPPORT) 97230 Lay or Bust
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I would like to submit information concerning the death of my father:
Harry C. Vaughn
418 Squadron, 100th Bomber Group
WG,
Air Ship Name- "Our Babe"
Pilot: Donald Rice
Date of Death: November 22, 2004
My father died very suddenly of a stroke, leaning over tying his shoes and truly died with his boots on.
His grave is in Guntersville, Alabama where he enlisted in the Army Air Core in 1943. He flew 35 missions out of Thorps Abbott and truly enjoyed going back to see the museum a few times. Dad always enjoyed the reunions so very much and talked of his war experience only after attending his first reunion of the 100th in the early 1980's. Prior to that, my father never mentioned the war, even though we had a secretary full of photographs from his missions. Psychologically, he was much happier after being able to share his experience with his old "war buddies." (Though he flew as a WG, he had actually trained as the Flight Engineer; but when the crew was formed, they had two FE's so he became a WG.)
Correction in some of your information concerning "Our Babe" since I believe it is often referred to on this
site as "Our Baby" which is incorrect. Photographs of his plane and his Flight Jacket all say "Our Babe."
Just thought you would like to know unless I am wrong and there was another bomber by the other name.
Submitted by: Barbara Vaughn Davis
160 East 48 Street
New York, NY 10017
bvaughnd212@AOL.COM
MEMO 2:
PHOTOS:
 |
Harry Vaughn and future Wife (photo courtesy of Gordon Elliott). |
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Brian Vaughn , grandson of Harry Vaughn |
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Harry and Jean Vaughn in 1982. Harry is wearing his A-2 "Our Babe". Harry was the waist gunner on the Donald C. Rice crew. Photo courtesy of Gordon Elliott |
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A-2 rear view of Our Babe belonging to Harry Vaughn. Photo courtesy of Gordon Elliott |
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US Air Force pilot Brian Vaughn, grandson of Harry Vaughn, wearing his grandfather's A-2. |
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Jim Gintner with Brian Vaughn, showing front view of Harry Vaughn's A-2 "Our Babe" Photo courtesy of Adrian Caldwell |
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Bill Stien, left, and Harry Vaughn photographed in the 1980s. |
SERVED IN:
- RICE, Donald C. - P
- FARCHT, Joseph S. - CP/P
- OWENS, George E. - NAV
- PAYNE, Dort B. - NAV
- CHERRY, William - BOM/NAV
- ROWE, Philip H. - TTE
- THOMPSON, Leslie M. - ROG
- PRYOR, Robert E. - BTG
- STEIN, William E. - WG
- VAUGHN, Harry C. - WG
- PION, Robert W. - TG
- RUDY, J.J. - TG
