Personnel

CREW



DATE: 11 Sept.1944           350th Sqdn.     A/C #43-38076 LN-S "Aces and Eights"



MISSION: RUHLAND                           MACR #8816,Micro-fiche  3236



2nd Lt Harold R.Taylor             P  KIA

2nd Lt Joseph E.Kitto             CP   KIA

2nd Lt Martin W.Nielson       NAV    KIA

2nd Lt Horace W.Teague     BOM   KIA

T/Sgt Frederick B.Nichols      ROG   KIA

S/Sgt Rex V.Runyan             TTE    KIA

S/Sgt Perry L.Olson              BTG   KIA

S/Sgt Harry D.Everhart         WG   POW/WIA

S/Sgt William D.Ebbert         TG   KIA



S/Sgt Willam Duane Ebbert sn# 36887128: Enlisted-September 1943, Inducted: December 1943

Training: Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, Gunnery School-Las Vegas, Air Base-Pyote, TX

Assigned: 8th Air Force, 100th Bomb Group, 350th BS, July 18th, 1944-September 11, 1944



A letter written by Sgt.Harry Everhart on 1 Aug.1946 is quoted below:



   "On September 11,1944,around 5 o'clock in the morning we started out for a

    bombing raid on an oil plant.   About noon we ran into heavy enemy opposition

    and in about ten minutes of fighting our plane was hit.   As I had received

    no word to bail out,I stayed with my guns.  I heard S/Sgt.P.L.Olson exclaim

    that he had shot a plane himself.   When I was aware that our plane was going

    to crash it was too late to parachute out so I stayed where I was as I

    supposed the rest of the crew did.   From there on I do not recall anything

    until I woke up and found that I was surrounded by Germans.I must have been

    thrown out of the plane as I was a good ways from where I could see a plane

    burning which I supposed was ours.   The plane crashed in a wooded area and

    from what I could see was damaged very badly.   As for the rest of the crew

    I didn't see or hear anything from them.   I Was then taken to a hospital in

    Nuenstein.   I stayed at the hospital for almost 12 weeks and when I was able

    to leave for a prison camp I asked the interrogation officer if he knew any-

    thing of my crew,  and he told me they were all dead."



Info from the Aunt of S/Sgt William Duane Ebbert, serial number 36887128



   Billy got his flight training in Pyote Texas.  He belonged to crew 5077.  Their 

   training planes in Pyote were 2399 & 2339.  Billy arrived in England on July 18, 1944

   which was his 19th Birthday.

   On September 11, 1944 the 100th BG was sent too Ruhland.  About 12 Noon, south

   of the target they encountered enemy aircraft.  Their plane was disabled and they

   crashed near Ober-Weisenthal Germany. The only survivor from the crew was

   Sgt Harry Everhart, He was captured and held in a prison camp until the end of 

   the war.  The last Harry saw of Billy, he had just put on his parachute and Billy and

   Harry were assisting two other crew members put on their chutes.  Harry was assisting

   Gene Kitto and the hatch ws open so they could jump which explanins how Harry

   ended up far away from the plane when it crashed and burned.  Harry sustained 

   burns as well as a broken leg.  He was severely mistreated in prison camp and

   Upon his return home after the war, he was in very bad shape both physically and

   mentally.  He suffered terrible mental anguish knowing he was the only survivor.

   Between July 18-Sept 11, 1944, Billy had logged 107 hours 45 min. of flight time.







DATE:         LAST_NAME:  FIRST_NAME:  RANK: POS:       TARGET:          CREW_NBR:  MISSION_NBR:         PLANE_NBR:

8/8/1944           TAYLOR         H.R.         LT         P         ST. SYLVIAN              36         177                     97924

8/27/1944         TAYLOR         H.R.         LT         P         BERLIN (RECALL)         36         186                     38043

8/30/1944         TAYLOR         H.R.         LT         P         BREMEN                     36         187                     38076

9/11/1944         TAYLOR         H.R.         LT         P         RUHLAND (OIL)          36         194                      38076