Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt  James W. McGuire                P     KlA       28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)  

2nd Lt  Randell L. Bradley                CP     POW    28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)

2nd Lt  John M. Jones                   BOM   POW    28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL) (flew as Navigator on this mission)

2nd Lt  Eluid J. Knapp                   NAV    CPT     24 AUG 44  RUHLAND     S-2 AFTER COMPLETION OF TOUR

 T/Sgt  Frank V. DeGeorge             TTE   POW    28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)  sn 12148386

 T/Sgt  Rodney McCaughin             ROG   KIA      28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)

 S/Sgt  Joseph A. Eck                   TOG    KIA     28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)

 S/Sgt  John R. Ribuffo                  BTG    KIA     28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)

 S/Sgt  Alan R. Dill                         WG     KIA     28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)

 S/Sgt  Donald E. Kuntz                 WG     KIA     28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)

 S/Sgt  John . Sabotka                   TG     KIA     28 APR 44  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)



349th Sqdn. Crew joined group in March 1944.   See SPLASHER  SI  (p. 4  Spring  1975)  Also see   John  Miller  letter  17/3/81.

McGuire and Eck both buried  at Omaha Beach. 12th mission for crew except Eck who was on his 2nd misslon with this crew.  MACR #4238, Microfiche #1503, A/C #42-107056 "The Denver Doll".

MEMO: LT JAMES W. McGUIRE BURIED: AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY AT OMAHA BEACH GRAVE C-14-23



Jones was the bombardier of this crew but on 28/4/44 he Was flying as navigator. Navigator of this crew when it joined the 100th was Eluid J. Knapp who CPT in Aug. 1944. After completing his tour, Knapp was transferred to S2 (Intelligence). Phone call from Knapp OII 21/5/85...jb



Eyewitness:  "A/C #056 recieved a direct flak hit on the # 1 engine. Knocked engine back on wing catching the wing on fire. A/c peeled off into the second element disrupting it and gliding down into the clouds. Two (2) chutes seen. A/C hit at 1020 hours / 4932N and 0130W.

Lt. C.H. Cowan

Lt. R.W. Wright



From statements by John M. Jones and Randell L. Bradley after release from POW camp, it is apparent the A/C exploded before all crew members had sufficient time to bail out. Jones, the Bombardier, flew this mission as the Navigator and broke a leg upon landing.  On 02 May 1944, the seven KIAs in this  aircraft were buried in the "English Cementary in Cherbourg."  This aircraft and that of Col. Kelly and Capt William Lakin were shot down near Tamerville (three (3) miles north of Valognes)



List of Missions of T/Sgt Frank V. DeGeorge (mpf 2001)



1.     1/4/44  LUDWIGSHAVEN

2.     8/4/44  QUACKENBRUCH

3.   10/4/44  MALDEGEM

4.   11/4/44  ROSTOCK

5.   12/4/44  SCHKEUDITZ

6.   13/4/44  AUGSBURG

7.   19/4/44  LIPPSTADT

8.   20/4/44  MARQUENVILLE

9.   25/4/44  DIJON

10. 27/4/44  FLATTENANVILLE

11. 27/4/44  LeCULOT

12. 28/4/44  SOTTEVAST





March 4, 2012

Dear Sir ,

My name is Georges Dennebouy ,and I live near Cherbourg in Normandy (France) .

With friends ,we do researchs about Allied planes shoot down by the german during WWIInd .

One of these plane is the  B17, 42-107056 ,100BG ,MACR 4238 , shoot down on April 28th 1944 by the german flak near Valognes and downed in the village of TAMERVILLE .Three others Allied planes downed too in this small village :one C47 ,one A20,one P51 .There was too ,a bivouac of a US Company during 3 weeks in this village to built a communication center near Valognes in the castle of Chiffrevast .

Old people of Tamerville remenber this plane and show us the exact place where the B17 downed .We can still find parts of the plane in the fields .

The mayor of Tamerville expects to built a Memorial in the futur .We w'ld be very pleased to be in touch with relatives of the crew members of the B17 ,but we don't know how we can find them in the States .Can you help us ?

I send you the crew list of the B17 .



Best regards ,

Georges Dennebouy.

gedennebouy@orange.fr

Buried Omaha Beach Cemetery