LT Louis C. CHAPPELL |
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UNIT: 351st BOMB Sqdn | POSITION: NAV | |
SERIAL #: O-2064216 | STATUS: KIA | |
MACR: 12046 | CR: 12046 | |
Comments1: 3 FEB 45 BERLIN (GND ROCKET) |
COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:CREW When this crew went down on 3/2/44, the crew list was as follows: Feb 3, 1945 BERLIN MACR #12046, A/C#44 8379 Maj Robert Rosenthal Command Pilot Landed in Russian Lines Capt John Ernst P POW 1st Lt Arthur I.Jacobson CP POW (from Crew of Lt. G. Brown) 1st Lt Stewart J. Gillison Command NAV EVA (from Crew of Lt W. Terminello) 1st Lt Louis C. Chappel NAV KIA (from Crew of Lt W.J. Wilson) 1st Lt Robert H. Stropp Radar NAV Landed in Russian Lines 1st Lt Eugene E. Lockhart BOM KIA (from the Crew of Lt Oren Hopkins) T/Sgt Charles H. Webber ROG Landed in Russian Lines T/Sgt Dugger C. West TTE POW S/Sgt Warren Winters WG POW S/Sgt G.A. Windisch TG Landed in Russian Lines Ernst's leg amputated in German Hospital night of 3/2/45 & he was soon exchanged. See "CONTRAILS" p.131 & S.O.C. p.95. Also p.219/223 of "FLYING FORTRESS" by E.Jablonski. EYEWITNESS REPORT from MACR # "A/C #44 8379 was hit by flak,reported to be a ground rocket a few seconds before bombs away. A/C continued on run and dropped bombs. Fire and dense white smoke was seen in the fuselage and bomb bay, including the cockpit. Bomb bay doors closed and then reopened. Pilot opened his window and peeled gently off to the right, directing deputy leader to take over on VHF. A/C headed NE and flew level for a few moments while six members bailed out (3 appeared to come from waist or tail and 3 from bomb bay..There was a small explosion in #3 engine nacelle and thd A/C headed down, burning and beginning to spin when last seen at 15/000 feet. Observers believe entire crew had an excellent chance to bail out." Lt Louis C. Chappell flew 6 Missions with Lt William Wilson Jr. Crew before becoming a Lead Navigator. CREW 2ND LT WILLIAM J. WILSON, JR. P CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN TAPS: 1962 F/O GOERGE KOBZAR CP CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN 2ND LT LOUIS C. CHAPPELL NAV KIA 03 FEB 45 BERLIN (WITH J.P. ERNST CREW) F/O ROBERT E. FITZGERALD BOM CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN CPL ALPHONSO J. CEKUTIS ROG CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN TAPS: 27 NOV 1963 CPL ROBERT A. KING TTE CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN CPL ROBERT N. BECK, JR. BTG CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN CPL MERLE P. HEMBREE WG CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN CPL SAMUEL W. ALLEN, JR WG CPT 17 MAR 45 PLAUEN CPL JOHN R. SAARI TG NOC TAPS: 11 MAY 1986 418TH SQDN... CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 20 OCT 1944.. After a few days on base, this crew was assigned to the 350th BS.(per Robert King email) Look in Airman for compete narrative of missions from Lt Robert Fitzgerald. After 6 Missions with this crew, Lt Chappell became a Lead Navigator and transferred from Crew. Lt Robert Fitzgerald flew as Navigator for 5 Missions until the new Navigator Sgt George Holser is assigned. Sgt Holser was washed out of Navigation school and came overseas to the 100th as a gunner. His first Mission with the Crew was Frankfurt Dec 12, 1944. Crew flew the following B-17G's: (mpf 2001) #337517 "Heaven Can Wait"-one time #46805 "Flamin Mame"-6 times #338840 "The Little Rebel" 6 times #337994 "My Blue Heaven" 2 times #48834 "PooBah" 1 time #338414 "Heaven Sent" 1 time ACCORDING TO R.E. FITZGERALD, WILLIAM WILSON WAS KILLED IN A AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN FRANCE ON 03 JUN 1962..jb Missions of Lt Robert E. Fitzgerald (mpf 2001) 1. 9/11/44 Saarbrucken 2. 10/11/44 Weisbaden 3. 16/11/44 Aachen/Duren 4. 26/11/44 Hamm 5. 30/11/44 Merseburg 6. 5/12/44 BERLIN 7. 11/12/44 Koblenz-1st Mission as Nav. (Lou Chappell became Lead Nav) until new Navigator is assigned 8. 18/12/44 Mainz 9. 24/12/44 Bilblis 10. 25/12/44 Kaiserslauten 11. 27/12/44 Fulda 12. 29/12/44 Frankfurt-New Navigator is assigned-Sgt George Holser. 13. 30/12/44 Kassel #337517 "Heaven Can Wait 14. 5/01/45 Frankfurt #46805 "Flamin Mame" 15. 6/01/45 Annweiler #46805 "Flamin Mame" 16. 13/01/45 Mainz #46805 "Flamin Mame" 17. 14/01/45 Derben #46805 "Flamin Mame" 18. 20/01/45 Heilbron #46805 "Flamin Mame" 19. 21/01/45 Mannheim #46805 "Flamin Mame" 20. 28/01/45 Duisburg #338840 "The Little Rebel" 21. 3/02/45 BERLIN #338840 "The Little Rebel" 22. 6/02/45 Chemnitz #338414 "Heaven Sent 23. 14/02/45 Chemnitz 24. 15/02/45 Cottbus #337994 "My Blue Heaven" 25. 28/02/45 Kassel 26. 3/03/45 Brunswick #338840 "The Little Rebel" 27. 7/03/45 Siegen 28. 10/03/45 Dortmund #48834 "PooBah" 29. 11/03/45 Hamburg #338840 "The Little Rebel" 30. 14/03/45 Hannover 31. 15/03/45 Oranienburg #338840 "The Little Rebel" 32. 17/03/45 Plauen #338840 "The Little Rebel" UNAME = Robert A. King CONNECTION = I am a 100th veteran COMMENTS = You have me listed as being in the 418th squadron. I was with them my first two days and then assigned to the 350th with Capt. W.J. Wilson Jr.'s crew. All of missions were flown with the 350th. Please correct your database.Thank YouMEMO 2:
KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:
TARGET: Berlin | DATE: 1945-02-03 | |
AIRCRAFT: (44-8679) | CAUSE: GROUND ROCKETS |
BURIAL INFORMATION
PLOT: | ROW: | |
GRAVE: Wall/Misng | CEMETERY: Netherlands Cemetery/Margraten |
PHOTOS:

Louis C. Chappell 350th NAV Michigan KIA 3 Feb 45 Berlin William J. Wilson Crew, Jr. Crew (100th Photo Archives)
SERVED IN:
Crew 1
- WILSON, William J. - P
- KOBZAR, George - CP
- CHAPPELL, Louis C. - NAV
- FITZGERALD, Robert E. - BOM
- KING, Robert A. - TTE
- CEKUTIS, Alphonso J. - ROG
- BECK, Robert N. - BTG
- ALLEN, Samuel W. - WG
- HEMBREE, Merle P. - WG
- SAARI, John R. - TG