MACR PILOT: 1Lt Ronald W Hollenbeck O-729857
MACR #: 00676
Fiche #: 00223
Organization
Location: AAF Station #139
Group: 100th Bomb Gp (H) AAF
Squadron: 350th BS
Command: VIII AF
Detachment:
Detail
Departure/Base: AAF Station #139
Initial Course: Regensburg
Intended Destination: North Africa
Mission Type: Operational
Weather
Weather: CAVU
Give
Date: August 17, 1943
Time: 10:30
Location: Verena
Specify: Last Sighted
Confirmed or believed reason for loss
Loss due to: Enemy aircraft
Other reason for loss:
Engines
Model: R-1820-97
A: 42-79784
B: 43-57384
C: 41-66432
D: 41-58002
Weapons
A: 503383
B: 504179
C: 503224
D: 503296
E: 313655
F: 313725
G: 313769
H: 313613
I: 503171
J: 504082
L: 313773
Persons are listed as
Casualty Type: Battle casualty
Number of persons on board
Crew: 10
Pass: 0
Total: 10
Personnel
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| Position | Name | Rank | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | |||
| P2 | Ronald W Hollenbeck | 1Lt | O-729857 |
| CP | John L Williams | F/O | T-60810 |
| NAV (N) | Harold L Weintrabb | 2Lt | O-667465 |
| BOM (B) | Zeak M Buckner | 2Lt | O-731359 |
| RAD | Emile A Reimherr | TSgt | 34290593 |
| ENG | Rush S Mintz | TSgt | 14062348 |
| BAL | Glen H Keirsey | SSgt | 38089004 |
| WG (W) | William A Rouse | SSgt | 20123753 |
| WG (W) | John Q Paciotti | SSgt | 33057029 |
| TG (T) | Thomas E Flounders | Sgt | 16034059 |
Persons who are believed to have last knowledge of aircraft
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| Name | Knowledge | Rank | Serial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernard A DeMarco | Last sighted | 1Lt | O-791290 |
Personnel who are believed to have survived
Reason: Any other reason
Other: Plane believed to have landed
Eyewitness description of crash
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| Last Name | First name | Report |
|---|---|---|
| B-17 #232 was hit in Bomb Bay and jettisoned its bombs fifteen minutes before the target. The bombs fell in a wooded area. It stayed with formation until we circled at Verona to pick up stragglers where it continued on Route alone. No. 4 engine feathered as A/C pulled away. It appeared that one of the crew was injured and was being worked on in the nose of A/C. It is thought that this A/C may have landed at Sardinia. | ||
| No Data | On the Regensburg mission, this crew was flying as left wingman to Norm Scott and "Bucky" Cleven who led the low squadron. Bennie Demarco was flying as right wingman and gives this account: "B 17 #232 was hit in Bomb Bay and jettisoned its bombs fifteen minutes before the target. The bombs fell in a wooded area. It stayed with formation until we circled at Verona to pick up stragglers where it continued on Route alone. No. 4 engine feathered as aircraft pulled away. It appeared that one of the crew was injured and was being worked on in nose of aircraft. It is thought that this aircraft may have landed in Sardinia." Glen Keirsey was taken prisoner but eventually escaped and made is way back to England. On 22 June 1944 in a statement to Military Intelligence Service ETO Glen gave the following statement: "On August 17, 1943, at about 1300 hours near Ghedi, Italy and at approximately 3000 feet I bailed out. The ship had #3 and #4 engines shot out the former was wind milling. The entire crew bailed out safely and the plane crashed into a mountain. The enlisted men all escaped from Camp 54, but Reimherr, Mintz, Paciotte and Flounders were soon recaptured. Rouse was not recaptured until 27 February 1944." A 1979 letter from Bill Rouse reads as follows:..jb "August 17, 1943 (Regensburg),we were low squadron trail group. We made it over target, one engine out, badly shot up. We tried to go on to North Africa. We could not keep up with formation. All alone we tried for Switzerland. We were forced to bail out as we were unable to make Switzerland. We bailed out as soon as we cleared down to 3,500 feet over Milano, Italy. All of the crew were able to get out. We were picked up by German and Italian troops. I ended up in Camp 54 (POW) then escaped. I was picked up six months later and sent to Germany. I finally escaped in April 1945 and went back to England. I stayed in the Air Force for over 30 years and retired at Eglin A.F.B. Florida." |
Description of search effort
Detail: No search made.
Preparing Officer
Prepared by: Claude L. Hosford 1st Lt., AC Personnel Officer
Date prepared: September 5, 1943
