COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
CREW
2ND LT ROBERT C. ELLIS P FEH (flew 21 Missions, listed below)
2ND LT FRANCIS G. BEEDLE CP KIA 03 APR 45 KIEL, SUB YARDS (with Lt Baldwin Crew, (SEE MEMO BELOW)
2ND LT WALLACE H. POLANSKY NAV FEH (went to Lt Garrison Crew, see below)
CPL CECIL W. GIBERSON TTE FEH
CPL KEEVIN T. MORIARTY ROG FEH (flew 23 missions, Nurnburg on 21 Feb 45 with Capt. Brown Crew and one unkn)
CPL JOHN A. COCKERHAM NG/TOG FEH
CPL RUSSELL G. KENDIG BTG FEH (became TG/Formation Officer when became lead Crew)
CPL FREDERICK J. RANDLEMAN WG FEH
CPL HOWARD O. WEBER TG POW 03 APR 45 KIEL, SUB YARDS (with Lt Baldwin Crew, He was the Rad/spot jammer on the
Baldwin Crew)
351ST SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 15 NOV 44.
BEEDLE AND WEBER WERE FLYING WITH W.E.BALDWIN ON 03 APR 45 (see memo below).
Lt Beedle was replaced on the crew by LT WILBUR W. KREAMER from Lt Munoz Crew after V-E Day. SGT WEBER WAS SENT TO SPARE GUNNERS POOL WHERE HE WAS TRAINED AS A RADAR CONTROLLER/SPOT JAMMER. HE SERVED IN THIS CAPACITY ON LT BALDWIN'S CREW ON 3 APR 45 MISSION TO KIEL.
LETTER TO JIM BROWN FROM ROBERT ELLIS OF 17 APR 1986.."After two missions as wingman we were moved to Lead Crew training in Nov. 44. (believe this to be Dec 44…mpf) We flew two missions in Jan 45 as element leads and then flew out first Sqdn lead in Feb 45. We flew a total of 22 missions, (21 is the exact number from Lt Ellis based on his mission diary…mpf 2006) a number of Group leads and we made the Honor Roll for Best Bombing of the Month every month from March until the end of hostilities. Our plane/ crew was called the "BRASS HAT" as we had the highest ranking crew on the base; 3 Capts., 1 1st Lt and all the enlisted made T/Sgt. Our crew chief was Hermann, who passed away this winter (1986). I am pleased that we had 9 of our crew(plus 5 wives) at the Dayton Reunion and we all got together with Hermann and his wife there. Lt W.F. Kreamer, from the crew of A. Munoz, became the CP after Beedle left the crew." (this happened after V-E Day…mpf 2006)
List of Missions for Lt Robert Ellis list compiled from Capt. William Carleton's mission report notebook, Jack O'Leary, Joe Urice and Keevin Moriarty's transcribing of Lt Ellis mission diary…mpf 2006)
DATE TARGET AIRCRAFT# AND NAME POSITION & COMMAND PILOTS HARDSTAND
12/11/1944 GIESSEN 43-38523 GLORY BOUND
12/12/1944 DARMSTADT 43-38523 GLORY BOUND
01/14/1945 DERBEN 43-38770 PFF (PATHFINDER)
01/17/1945 HAMBURG 43-38610 PFF (PATHFINDER) S/Sgt Hooper from Batterman/Knowles Crew flew as TG
02/22/1945 WEHINGER
02/23/1945 TREUCHTLINGEN
02/25/1945 MUNICH
02/26/1945 "BIG B" BERLIN 44-8209 THE BRASS HAT,PFF 209 A PFF 8
03/09/1945 FRANKFURT, 44-8209 THE BRASS HAT,PFF B-SQDN LEAD, STAPLES, ELLIS 209 A PFF 8
03/1019/45 DORTMUND 44-8209 THE BRASS HAT,PFF B-SQDN LEAD, GIBBONS, ELLIS 209 A PFF 8
03/12/1945 SWINEMUNDE 44-8717 MISS SWEETNESS, PFF, C-SQDN LEAD, STIVERS, ELLIS 717 J PFF 7
03/15/1945 ORANIENBURG 44-8717 MISS SWEETNESS, PFF C-SQDN LEAD, ALBRECHT, ELLIS 717 J PFF 7
03/18/1945 BERLIN 44-8226 JIMBO, PFF B-SQDN LEAD, WOOTEN, ELLIS 226 B PFF 35
03/23/1945 UNNA 44-8334 PFF(PATHFINDER) C-SQDN LEAD, ELLIS 344 M PFF 17
03/24/1945 ZIEGENHAIN
03/28/1945 HANOVER 44-8009 THIS WILL KILL YOU PFF B-SQDN LEAD, ROBBS, ELLIS 009 E PFF 14
03/30/1945 HAMBURG
04/07/1945 BUCHEN 42-97696 PFF WITH 95TH BG B-SQDN LEAD, C.W. WILSON ,ELLIS 696 W PFF 13A
04/08/1945 EGER, 44-8824 MIKE PFF A-SQDN LEAD, STAPLES-KING-ELLIS 824 M PFF 17
04/14/1945 ROYAN, 44-8824 MIKE PFF B-SQDN LEAD, LILJENQUIST-ELLIS 824 M PFF 17
04/18/1945 STRAUBING 44-8794 A SQDN LEAD, STAPLES-CROTTY-ELLIS 794 B
CHOWHOUNDS AND OTHER SORTIES POST WAR:
05/04/45 (CHOWHOUND 44-8916 (MISSION SCRUBBED) C-SQDN LEAD, LILJENQUIST ELLIS 916 R PFF 32
05/05/45 CHOWHOUND 44-8916 C-SQDN LEAD, LILJENQUIST ELLIS 916 R PFF 32
05/07/45 CHOWHOUND 44-8183 B-SQDN LEAD, GUNN ELLIS 183 Q PFF 43
05/19/45 DP FERRY MISSION TO HORSCHING FIELD,JUST OUTSIDE LINZ,AUSTRIA TO PARIS, FRANCE… B-SQDN LEAD ROBBS- ELLIS 209 A Hardstand 8 MAFKING PFF Aircraft # 44-8209 EP-A "THE BRASS HAT", 351st Sqdn a/c assigned Hardstand # 8 (next to Tower)
06/04/45 CASABLANCA FERRY MISSION,FLYING COMMAND AIRCRAFT STIVERS- ELLIS 44-8917 K 3
06/12/45 GREEN SUPPORT MISSION to North Afica (Casablanca) 44-8917 K 3
Hi Joe; RE: the ELLIS crew after VE_DAY.....I have a small tidbit for you to add to your data on the crew.... 12 JUNE,1945 GREEN SUPPORT MISSION to North Afica (Casablanca) ( from Thorpe Abbotts to "Kimbolton" to North Africa,Casablanca to Port Lyantey return Thorpe Abbotts,June 13,1945) SPARES: ELLIS 917 K ......also most of the ferry missions to North Afica in June,1945 were military personnel,not POWS....I'm interested in anymore details you might have on that Russia? POW flight.....Most of those DP/POW flights were flown into former Luftwaffe airfields...reference my ArmyAirForces 390th BG Forum posting reply to GUEST (formerly Bob Smith,who unregistered) for an example. . Jack
LEAD CREW OF LT ROBERT C. ELLIS
Pilot Lt. R.C. Ellis
Co-Pilot Lt. F.C. Beedle
Navigator Lt C.F. Romanowski (from Lt S. Johnson Crew)
Radar Navigator Lt Farris A. "AL" Turner, Jr. (from Lt Tom C. Hughes Crew)
Bombardier Lt. Melvin D. Snyder (351st BS Lead Bombardier)
Radio Operator T/Sgt Keevin T. Moriarty
Engineer T/Sgt C.W. Giberson
Waist Gunner S/Sgt F. J. Randleman
Waist Gunner S/Sgt R.G. Kendig (then to TG/Formation Officer)
LT MELVIN D. SNYDER (from Lt Dodrill Crew) FLEW WITH THE BOB ELLIS CREW AS THE 351ST'S LEAD BOMBARDIER.
The following Lead Crew make up flew at least one mission together:
LEAD CREW OF LT ROBERT C. ELLIS
Pilot Lt.R.C. Ellis
Co-Pilot Lt. F.C. Beedle
Navigator Lt C. F. Romanowski
Radar Navigator LT Farris A. "AL" Turner, Jr. (from Lt Tom C. Hughes Crew)
Bombardier Lt. A.H. Belimow (from Lt Blanding Crew)
Radio Operator T/Sgt P. Glanz (from Lt Blanding Crew)
Engineer T/Sgt R.J. Whybrow (from Lt Blanding Crew)
Waist Gunner S/Sgt R.D. Thomas (from Lt Blanding Crew)
Waist Gunner S/Sgt R.G. Kendig (then to TG/Formation Officer)
{MEMO: At one time I had high hopes that the mission list of this crew would pass my way. As time goes by, this has not happened. A friend of Ellis, Rex Harrison of Santa Fe, NM, has the Ellis WW2 diary, reportedly with that data listed. I had thought that Keevin Moriarty [ROG] would eventually be able to obtain that mission information for me as he is a close friend with Mr. Harrison. However, I finally have decided to send my other available compiled Ellis crew history on to you without that mission list. }
{This following summary is information primarily gathered from crew members Keevin Moriarty and Russ Kendig and my own records. Additionally, I will sent you, separately by USPS, a packet of Ellis Crew photos , basically from Russ Kendig's records, and which includes a 1944 stateside crew picture which evidently was the only one ever taken. I have earlier furnished Kendig and Moriarty both with copies of this summary and they found no areas of disagreement except in one minor detail during a training flight [which is related below]. This difference was during the training flight nighttime buzz job over Canton, Oh. Moriarty could not remember having to land at a naval base in Memphis to refuel and which Kendig had recalled in detail. The only other living crew member is Wilbur W. Kreamer [CP] who was evidently a post VE Day addition to this crew and I have nothing to add from him.}
{Among the several photo copies I am sending are those of [1] Ellis in head shot pose [2] Ellis in close-up B-17 cockpit pose, [3] the 1944 crew, [4] a Canton news clipping of the buzz job, which was furnished Kendig by Ellis's mother, [5] the A/C "Brass Hat", [6] several individual Ellis crew members' pictures along with others, [7] their "Flak Shack" in England, [8] several A/C photos, [9] several strike photos, [10] an enlarged copy of War Department Pamphlet # 21-7 [what you should do if captured]], [11] two B-17 close-up Tail and Upper Gun Turrets, [12] a enlarged commercial shot [in 1938 ??] of several early model B-17s over NYC and [13] crash photos, probably post VE Day, of a 100A/C identified by Jack O'Leary as "PARD"}. [ju]. JOE URICE
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The Robert C. Ellis Crew was trained for overseas flight duty at Dyersburg, TN. A crew picture [#7358] was taken in front of B-17 A/C # 7127. Those six gunners and four officers are as follows [from left to right] :
Back Row:
[1] Howard O. Weber {Shown in spots as WEBBER in 100th data]}[TG] from Dayton, OH{sn# 15-313-749}
[2] John Francis Lukasavich [Armorer] from Portage, PA
[3] Keevin T. Moriarty [ROG] from Portland, ME [via Detroit, MI ]
[4] Russell G. Kendig [BTG] from Canton, OH [sn # 35-235-042]
[5] Frederick J. Randleman [WG] from Carlisle, IA
[6] Cecil W. Giberson [TTE] from Cement, OK
Front Row:
[1] Wallace H. Polansky [NAV] from Boston, MA [ later from Toms River, NJ ]
[2] Francis {Frank} G Beedle from Mason City, IA [sn#0206248]
[3] Robert C. Ellis [P] from Canton, OH {later at Santa Fe, NM}
[4] William Maynard {BOM]
Prior to leaving Dyersburg, TN the crew was assigned a night navigation flight from base to Indianapolis to Memphis to base when it was decided to buzz Canton, OH [pilot's home town] at 2 AM. This buzz job is described in the attached newspaper article. Before returning on to base, it became necessary to land [unscheduled] at the Memphis Navy Air Base to refuel as a result of the extra miles involved. As a result of this flight the pilot was reportedly reduced one grade in rank. Russ Kendig of this crew was earlier in Air Cadets [he was in pilot training and had already soloed] when he and thousands of other cadets were reduced again to privates and assigned as gunners for the convenience of the government when it was determined that there were far more men in officer training than required. Before leaving the US, Lukasavich was reassigned from the crew and replaced by John Cockerham [from Hamilton, MS] at the armorer--togglier position. After completing training, the crew went [back] to Lincoln, NB and then to Gilmer, NJ. They next left the US on the Queen Mary [as a troop ship] from NYC and landed five days later at Grenoch, which is the port for Glasgow, Scotland. During that voyage, the pilot would bring food from the officers mess for his enlisted men who were not fed at the same quality level [a lot of lamb I'm told] as the officers were. Ellis is reported to have had a high concern level for his personnel. The crew then made a day long train trip to Stone, England for Bomb Group assignment.
At that base, Bill Maynard [BOM] was removed from the crew and sent to another [unknown] ETO Bomb Group. On 15 Nov 44, the remaining Ellis crew was assigned to the 100th BG and after flying two combat missions, Ellis was selected to be a lead crew pilot. Further personnel changes were then implemented as Wallace Polanski was replaced as Navigator by Chester Romanowski [who transferred from the Sidney C. Johnson Crew, who then gained M/Sgt Gordon Sinclair as its replacement navigator]. Romanowski was from Chicago, IL. Mel Snyder [from Buchard, NB] became crew Bombardier replacing Sgt John Cockerham in the nose area who then became a spare gunner. LT Farris A [AL] Turner Jr. became the crew's new Radarman. (flew 8 missions as Lt Tom Hughes bombardier, then went to radar school ) Russ Kendig [BTG] then became a waist gunner [in addition to Frederick Randleman] at this lead crew reassignment time, but after two further combat missions he replaced Frank Beedle [CP] in the tail where Kendig then flew all further missions as tail formation officer and gunner. As a consequence, Lt. Frank Beedle became a spare copilot and was later KIA on 3 APRIL 45 on the Kiel mission while flying as CP on the Lt Wm F Baldwin Jr crew in A/C 43-38992 [no name] [macr #13717] . The A/C crashed near the Frisian Islands, The Netherlands.
Also during these reassignments, Howard Weber [TG] was sent to spare gunner category and was later trained as radar spot jammer [as was Norman Bowman formerly of the Jesse Wofford crew]. Weber later became a POW while also flying on the above mentioned Lt. Baldwin Crew on the 3 APRIL 45 mission to Kiel. Lt. W. H. Polansky then briefly attended the 8thAF Radar school, but returned shortly to the 100th BG where he later flew missions as a Navigator with the Jerome S. Garrison Crew [that crew also included E.F. "Tim" Hooper {TG} ]. Now that they were a lead crew, a Command Pilot would fly in the right hand front deck seat with Robert Ellis [P]. As lead crew they frequently flew the A/C "The Brass Hat" which then had John J. Hermann as crew chief. Hermann is also shown in the 100th data as crew chief on the "Piccadilly Lilly I & II" [2]. Ellis also flew A/C # 473 which had Kelly as a crew chief.
The Ellis crew flew 21 missions except that Moriarty [ROG] flew 23. Those two extra were as spare ROG [pilots unknown] and one was with Capt Brown crew to Nurnburg on 21 Feb 45. One eventful crew mission is described in the First Edition, Splasher Six [p.19] in which Ellis relates their experiences while on the 18 March 45 mission to Berlin. Moriarty remembers the 7 April 45 mission to Buchen as the most vivid.
This crew later claimed to be the highest rated crew on the base as all the enlisted men became T/Sgts [other than S/Sgt Randleman] {WG} while three of the officers became Captains and the other officer was a 1st Lt. The crew also received a week's flak leave and the enlisted men spent it at the Phyllis Chapel at Henley on the Thames.
The crew flew two chowhound missions to Amsterdam and to HILVERSUM. Moriarty thinks the crew actually flew three chowhound missions. Following VE Day, Lt Wilbur W. Kreamer [from the Lt Armand Munoz Crew ] became the Ellis Crew Copilot as they flew a flight to Dachau to load French POWs for transfer to Paris. A second POW flight took them to North Africa for POW delivery. A third POW flight resulted in transferring Russian POWs back into Russia. A recreation [?] flight to visit a fighter pilot friend at Duxford resulted in heavy damage to their B-17 as they overshot [overran] the short metal fighter strip runway. Ellis later flew a B-17 back to the US via the South Atlantic route which took them through Marseilles, France, on to Casablanca, Africa, on to Brazil, then to Georgetown, then to Puerto Rico and finally to Palm Springs, FL. Among the personnel on that flight was his regular radioman, Keevin Moriarty. Some others on this flight were Paul Chandler [TTE] and Norman Graham [NAV] from other than Ellis's regular crew.
As best known, only Kendig, Moriarty and Kreamer are the only crew members that are still living as of this 3 May 2006 date. [joe urice)
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MEMO: BEEDLE & WEBER
CREW
Mission: Kiel 351st Sqdn.
Date: 3 April 1945 A/C #43-38992
Source:MISSING AIR CREW REPORT #13717
Letter from Kermit E.Jones 17/6/82.
2nd Lt William E.Baldwin,Jr. P KIA
2nd Lt Francis G.Beedle CP KIA (FROM LT ELLIS CREW)
F/O John H.Buckley NAV KIA
Sgt Leslie O.Davis TOG KIA
Sgt Kermit E.Jones ROG POW
Sgt Kenneth E.Wright TTE KIA
Sgt Randolph A.Goodwin BTG KIA
Sgt Alfred Mantopoli WG KIA
Sgt Ogden W.Barron TG KIA
S/Sgt Howard O.Weber Rad/Spot Jammer POW (FROM LT ELLIS CREW)
This crew, with Robert C.Fletcher as pilot, joined the 100th GP on 4/3/45. He was LWA on 18/3/45 and apparently Lt Baldwin took over as Pilot. Francis Beedle had been the CP on the crew of R.C.Ellis. Howard Weber was the original TG on Lt Ellis Crew.
Eyewitness report had following to say: "A/C #992 was unable to release bombs over target and retained them until formation reached 5417-0600E on return route. Bombs were then released. The A/C appeared to be undamaged and continued on with the formation to 5405-0620E at 1850 hours when wheels were lowered and pilot called over VHF saying he was low on gas and would try to get back alone. The A/C peeled off and down toward the undercast. When the formation reached 5250-0300E at 1952 hours, a VHF message from A/C 992 was received saying that 80 gallons of gas per engine was left and the A/C was an estimated 15 minutes from land. Nothing further was heard. Other pilots suggest that cloud conditions were favorable for icing and that A/C may have been lost due to ice picked up in passing through clouds."
Actually, icing was not the problem as Kermit Jones explains. "We were returning from Kiel when it was discovered we were running out of gas so we headed for Belgium. While in route, and over the first Frisian Island off the Peninsula of Holland, at an altitude of 5000 feet, we were hit by flak which destroyed two engines and set the ship on fire."
According to Jones,he, Goodwin and Wright bailed out but the others did not and the A/C exploded upon hitting the ground. Jones adds that, "Sgt. Goodwin landed on the island (Texel) and shed his chute and flying boots. These were later shown to us by the Germans with a comment that Sgt.Goodwin was dead. The Germans at the same time showed us the seven pairs of twisted and burned dog tags of remaining members of the crew with a statement that they were all dead."
Of considerable interest in connection with the loss of this crew is a letter
from "The Mayor of Texel" dated 11 Feb.1946 and apparently directed to someone
who had inquired about the burial of Sgt Barron.
"In answer to your letter of 5 February,we can assure you that the grave of Sgt.Ogden N. Barron indeed is known.
The plane was shot down on April 3.1945 at 20 hours (8 p.m.) and fell near Horntge in the southern part of Textel Island. The plane had posslbly a crew of seven men. Two persons,their names not known, (they were Jones & Weber) were taken prisoner by the Germans. The bodies of two persons, namely,Sgt Ogden W.Barron number 420C0553 and Sgt.Randolph Goodwin, number 39855835 were identified.These
two people died instantly when the plane struck the ground. Also,two others occupants who tried to leave the plane by parachute were killed instantly on account of the Plane being too close to the ground.Their names were not known. The possibly seventh occupant has never been found,either he fell into the sea or was obliterated under the plane when it fell dowm.
The bodies of the four crew members were buried on April 10/1945 in the Allied cemetery of the town Den Burg at Textel Island. The funeral services were somewhat delayed on account of a general uprising amongst the people with many things abnormal for a few days. The graves were marked with a wooden cross. On Dec.7,1945 the American Graves Registration Command recovered the bodies of the American boys and reburied them in the American cemetary "Margraten" in the province of Limburg."
In two quite touching letters written by one A. van Dienst,an official of Den Burg,
to the mother of John Buckley 30/5/46 and 25/11/46) he attempts to solace
Mrs Buckley and, at the same time,explain the difficulties met with in identifying
the airmen who perished in the crash.
"parts of different bodies were found, namely two bodies and four pair of
hands, partly burnt, found in or near the plane. These were buried in one coffin at
10 April in the war cemetary of Den Burg about 20 metres from my house."
van Dienst then proposes the possibility that some human remains, if not consumed
by fire, might still be in "parts of the plane that are pushed deep into the
ground". He further promises to attempt to interest the American Graves Registration
in digging up the buried aircraft to search for any remains.
In the letter of 25/11/46, van Dienst writes Mrs Buckley that Graves Registration
had further examined the wreckage and had been able to identify remains of William
E.Baldwin, Francis G.Beedle, Sgt Alfred Mantopoli and Kenneth Wright.
Thus we know that F/O John Buckley and Sgt Leslie O,Davis were the two unidentified
crewmen "buried in one coffin" on 10 April 1945. van Dienst concludes his letter
to Mrs.Buckley by saying that the cross marking this grave reads "Unknown American
Flyers" but the rear side of the cross now says, "Probably, F/O John H.Buckley and
Sgt Leslie O.Davis".
Original Crew as joined the 100th…
2nd Lt Robert C.Fletcher P FEH (WIA 18/3/45)
2nd Lt William E.Baldwin,Jr. CP KIA 3/4/45 KIEL
F/O John H.Buckley NAV KIA 3/4/45 KIEL
Sgt Randolf A.Goodwin BOM KIA 3/4/45 KIEL
Cpl Kermit E.Jones ROG POW 3/4/45 KIEL
Cpl Kenneth E.Wright TTE KIA 3/4/45 KIEL
Cpl Leslie O.Davis NG/TOG KIA 3/4/45 KIEL
Cpl Alfred Mantopoli WG KIA 3/4/45 KIEL MACR #13717,Micro-fiche unk
Cpl Ogden W.Barron TG KIA 3/4/45 KIEL A/C #43 38992
351st Sqdn. Joined the 100th Group,as above, on 4/3/45.
On 3/4/45,Robt.Fletcher was not flying,his place was taken by William Baldwin and 2nd Lt. Francis G.Beedle (from the crew of R.C.Ellis) was flying as CP. In addition S/Sgt.Howard 0. Weber was aboard as radar Controller He became a POW.
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CREW
1st Lt Jerome S. Garrison P FEH
F/O Warren A. Storz CP FEH
2nd Lt Francis J. Dolan NAV RFS After 6 Missions, Replaced by Lt Wallace Polanskyfrom Lt Ellis Crew
2nd Lt George N. Yee BOM FEH
S/Sgt Harold F. Costaldo TTE CPT 8 APR 45 EGER, MY (CZECH), replaced by T/Sgt Robert May from Lt Batterman/Lt Knowles Crew
Cpl Steve J/ Kowalski ROG FEH
Cpl William H. Andrews BTG FEH
S/Sgt George F. Miller WG FEH sn# 3386826
Cpl Robert J. Mackeigan TG RFS After 2 Missions Replaced by S/Sgt. Elmer Hooper from Lt Batterman/Lt Knowles Crew
351st Sqdn.. Crew, as above, joined the 100th on 21 Jan 1945
After six missions, Lt Wallace Polansky from Lt Robert Ellis Crew replaced Lt Dolan. After 2 missions, S/Sgt Elmer Hooper from Lt Batterman/Lt Knowles Crew replaced Cpl Mackeigan. S/Sgt Costaldo was replaced by T/Sgt Robert May from Lt Batterman/Lt Knowles Crew. Crew flew SKIPPER II 42-31708 EP-R. On March 28, 1945 this crew flew SKIPPER II on its 100th MISSION to Hanover.
MEMO 2:
