Personnel

CREW



LT SEYMOUR D. EICHEN           P CPT   JULY 1944

LT ANDREW J. BURKHART         CP POW 25 JUL 44 ST LO GND SUPPORT  (with Lt Townsends crew)

LT JOSEPH J. DEVINE             NAV CPT  JULY 1944

F/O LUDVIC J. SVETLIK           BOM CPT JULY 1944

T/SGT RICHARD J. O'NEIL        ROG CPT 13 JUL 44 MUNICH, JET ENGINES

T/SGT ROBERT H. TUCKER       TTE CPT JULY 1944

S/SGT FORREST J. BRANAGAN  BTG CPT 13 JUL 44 MUNICH, JET ENGINES

S/SGT HAROLD W. RUPPERT    WG NOC (replaced by S/Sgt Wiliam "Cut and Shoot" Hoffman)

S/SGT JAMES H. SAUER           WG CPT JULY 1944

S/SGT CHARLES E. RATHBUN     TG CPT JULY 1944



351ST SQDN.. CREW JOINED THE 100TH IN MARCH 1944. IT IS KNOWN THAT EICHEN FLEW 35 SORTIES IN "ALL AMERICAN GIRL."

S/Sgt William "Cut and Shoot" Hoffmann flew Right Waist Gunner on this crew

According to Glenn Rake, 2nd Lt Burkhart (from Lt Eichen Crew) filled in as CP on his crew some missions. 

ACCORDING TO RECORDS IN OPS, 2ND LT WILLIAM L. BOWEN FLEW WITH LT S.D. EICHEN CREW AS COOILOT  STARTING ON 

APRIL 10, 1944.  LT BOWEN IS FROM CAPT JOSEPH "FUZZY" ZELLER CREW.  



MISSIONS OF LT SEYMORE EICHEN CREW:



Mar.18, 1944   Munich          42-37936 "All American Girl"

Mar.19, 1944   Marquise, Mimmoyeques  42-31389   No name ( later called " Lucious Lucy" by Lt Lacy)

Mar.22. 1944   Oranienburg   42-37936 "All American Girl

Mar.23, 1944   Brunswick      42-31767 "Our Gal Sal"

Mar.31, 1944   Ludwigshaven 42-31767 "Our Gal Sal"         Recall

April 1, 1994    Ludwigshaven42-37936 "All American Girl"   (Lt Dille is CP)

April 10, 1944  Rheims          42-39983 "Katie"                 (Lt Bowen becomes CP)

April 11, 1944  Posen           42-31412 "Mason and Dixon"

April 12, 1944  Schkeuditz    42-37936 "The All American Girl"

April 13, 1944  Augsburg      42-37936 "The All Amercian Girl" 

May 7, 1944    Berlin            42-37936 "The All American Girl"

May 12, 1944  Brux             42-31767  "Our Gal Sal"

May 13, 1944  Osnabruck     42-37936  "The All American Girl"

May 19, 1944  Berlin            42-37936  "The All American Girl"

May 20, 1944  Brussels         42-37936  "The All Amercan Girl"

June 4, 1944  Boulogne       42-107095  no name

June 6, 1944  Falaise           42-30152    "Messie Bessie"  D-Day

June 7, 1944  Nantes          42-102977   No Name (eventually called Traps for Capt Joseph Trapnell in July 44)

June 19, 1944 Corme          42-102977   No Name

June 26, 1944 Drohobycz    42-102977   No Name (Start of First Russian Shuttle Mission)

July 3, 1944    Arad            42-102977   No Name (Fly from Russia to Italy and bomb target in Rumania)

July 5, 1944    Beziers         42-102977   No Name (Fly from Italy back to England)





"S/Sgt William Hoffmann started his Career in a B-26 Marauder Group but ended up at 3rd Air Division Headquarters upon arrival in England.  He was assigned as the Driver for General Nathan Forrest.  Bill said this man was a "soldiers General" because he got along real well with both officers and enlisted men. Bill said it was a sad day when the General did not return.  He was leading a mission to Keil, flying with the 95th Bomb Group who were stationed at Framlingham at the time.  Gen Forrest's plane was hit by enemy fighters and one engine was knocked out forcing the plane to lose airspeed but his plane seemed to catch up when enemy fighters attacked again.  General Forrest was the 1st General lost in the Air War.  He was one of Gen Eakers original 7 to come over and start the 8th Air Force. S/Sgt Hoffmann was so mad at the loss of his General that he volenteered for Gunnery school in England (up near the Walsh).  Upon completion of training, Bill was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group as a spare gunner.  His first mission was as tail gunner on a plane piloted by Jack Swartout.  Bill's recollection of that first mission "How did a good ole Texas boy end up in a place like this"!  He could have stayed at 3rd AD HQ but chose to fight like his General.  S/Sgt William Hoffmann said that he believes something happened to the TTE Tucker and one of the WG took his place.  Bill then became the new Waist Gunner on the Crew until they completed their mission.  Bill still had to fly 3 additional missions with other crews to complete his tour of duty".

                                    (as related to mpf in conversation with William Hoffmann, Nov. 2000)



FORREST, NATHAN BEDFORD, III (MIA-KIA) DSC

Synopsis:

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Nathan Bedford Forrest, III (0-17124), Brigadier General, U.S. Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Chief of Staff for the SECOND Air Force and an Observer in a B-17 Heavy Bomber of the EIGHTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 13 June 1943, against enemy ground targets in the European Theater of Operations. On this date, Brigadier General Forrest was lost in action during a bombing attack on the submarine yards of Kiel, Germany. The personal courage and devotion to duty displayed by Brigadier General Forrest on this occasion have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 2d Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.

Headquarters: European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army, General Orders No. 63 (1943)

Born: April 7,1905 at Memphis, Tennessee

Home Town: Fulton County, Georgia



CREW

             TARGET WAS ST LO, GROUND SUPPORT

             A/C#42 102416 "LADY LUCK"  



2nd Lt Lawrence E.Townsend  P      POW    25/7/44  ST LO       TAPS: 1982

2nd Lt Edward H.Fehrenkamp  CP     NOC                                  TAPS: 30 AUG 1988

2nd Lt Arnold I.Holmes            N     EVADEE 25/7/44 ST LO

2r.d Lt George D.Gardner         B     POW     25/7/44 ST LO        TAPS: 1984

   Sgt Walter 'W.Kolar,             E     EVADEE 25/7/44 ST LO

 S/Sgt Robert H.Dunbar            R     POW

   Sgt Chalmers M.Anderson    BT      POW    25/7/44 ST LO        TAPS: 1988

 S/Sgt Gordon M.Lane           WG     POW    25/7/44 ST LO

   Sgt Earl C.Milam                 TG      POW    25/7/44 ST LO         TAPS: 1957



349th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44, with the exception of Lt Andrew J. Burkhart and 

T/Sgt Louis P. Glasser. Lt Burkhart was from the  crew of S.D. Eichen and replaced Lt Edward H. Fehrenkamp 

25 Jul 1944 and T/Sgt Glasser flew for  S/Sgt Robert H. Dunbar. T/Sgt Glasser became an EVADEE and 

2nd Lt Andrew J.Burkhart was a POW.





Date          Crew Nbr  Mission Nbr  Last Name        Initial        Rank     Position  Aircraft Nbr        Target



3/18/1944        22        132        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        37936        MUNICH

3/19/1944        22        133        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        31389        MARQUIS, MIMMOYEQUES

3/19/1944        22        133        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        31389        MARQUIS, MIMMOYEQUES

3/22/1944        22        134        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        37936        ORANIENBURG (BERLIN)

3/23/1944        22        135        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        31767        BRUNSWICK/ WAGGUM

3/31/1944        22        139        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        37936        LUDWIGSHAFEN /RECALLED

3/31/1944        22        139        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        31767        LUDWIGSHAFEN/RECALLED

4/1/1944          22        140        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        37936        LUDWIGSHAFEN

4/10/1944        22        144        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        983            RHEIMS/ CHAMPAGNE

4/11/1944        22        145        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        412            POSEN / ROSTOCK T.O.

4/12/1944        05        146        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        37936        SCHEUDITZ (RECALL)

4/13/1944        22        147        HOFFMANN        W.F.        SGT        RWG        37936        AUGSBURG

5/7/1944          22        111        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        3793           BERLIN

5/13/1944        15        117        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        37936         OSNABRUCK

5/19/1944        15        118        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        37936          BERLIN

5/20/1944        22        119        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        37936           BRUSSELS

6/4/1944          42        130        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        107095        BOULOGNE

6/8/1944          42        -136       HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        102977        TOURS (BRIDGES)

6/19/1944        15        -142       HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        102977        CORME ECLUSE, AF

6/21/1944        15        145        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        102977        RUHLAND

6/26/1944        15        149        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        102977        DROHOBYCZ

7/3/1944          15        151        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT     RWG        102977        ARAD (RUMANIA)

7/20/1944        18        164        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT      RWG        31723        MERSEBURG

7/21/1944        18        165        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT      RWG        97834        REGENSBURG

7/24/1944        05        166        HOFFMANN        W.F.        S/SGT      RWG        102416        ST LO (GND SUPPORT)









William Hoffmann 



"Bill we are going to miss you but we will never forget you.."

- Paul West



William F. Hoffmann 89. of Cut and Shoot passed away April 1, 2013. He served in the US Army Air Corp during WW II (100th Bomb Group). He is preceded in death by his parents, William F. Hoffmann SR and Annie (Goedecke) Hoffmann daugher Tonya Maureen Hoffmann, sisters Sophie Lynch and Maxine Morris. William is survived by his wife Maurice, daughter Maurann, sons Leslie, Kelly and Fred; 11 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren; sister Janie Martin. Visitation will be 6-9pm Thur. Funeral services will be 10am Friday, April 5,2013 at the Klein Funeral Home in Tomball. Interment will be 12:30 at Conroe Memorial Park (Mims) Cemetery.