Personnel

CREW

DATE: 31 December 1944                  350th Sqdn.         A/C #43-38457 "NINE LIVES"



MISSION: Hamburg                             MACR #11359      Microfiche 4180



1st Lt William G.MacNab             P     KIA    31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

2nd Lt Nelson B.Vaughan          CP    KIA    31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

2nd Lt Charles J. Scott           NAV   FEH   moved up to Lead NAV (Flying at end of hostilities.)

F/O     Douglas S. Eden          BOM   FEH  moved up to Lead BOM (Flying at end of hostilities)  SN# O-1997861

2nd Lt Jack Berkowitz             NAV   POW   31 DEC 44 HAMBURG   From C.W. Wilson crew     SN# O-777438

2nd Lt Raymond E.Comer, Jr.  BOM   POW   31 DEC 44 HAMBURG  From C.W. Wilson crew

 T/Sgt Henry S.Ethridge         ROG   KIA    31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

 T/Sgt Joseph A.Chadwick      TTE   POW  31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

 S/Sgt Edward L.Woodall,Jr.    BTG   POW  31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

 S/Sgt Duane F.Rench            WG    KIA    31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

 Cpl Leno R. Delmolino            WG  Taken off Crew to reduce to nine men. 

 S/Sgt Francis J.Seyfried         TG    KIA    31 DEC 44 HAMBURG



350th Sqdn.    Joined 100th on 26 AUG 1944. 

Just found MacNab's crew's orders for movement. They were "Shipment 

FD-900-AJ, as crew FD-900-AJ-69, and to plane 44-8264, on aircraft project 92805-R."  

After they dropped off this aircraft in Wales, it was assigned to the 305th BG, 366 Bomb Squadron at Chelveston, on 8/27/44.  it was shot down by enemy aircraft on Jan 1, 1945 with Lt Osbourne Crew.  3 KIA, 7POW.  Plane crashed near Boedexen, Germany…mpf 2006 



L.R. DeLmolino (original WG) grounded because of change from 10 to 9 men crew and no need at the time for "spare" gunners.  Became a Intelligence Specialists in the 351st. Charles J.Scott and Douglas S. Eden were replaced for the 31 Dec 1944 Hamburg mission by Jack Berkowitz and Raymond E. Comer, both from the Hong Kong Wilson crew and both became POWs. Scott and Eden moved up to Lead Navigator and Lead Bombardier after the crew's 16th mission and were flying at the end of hostilities.



EYEWITNESS: "At 1250 hours,19,000 feet,2 B-17's believed to be A/C 43-38457 and

             A/C 42-31987 pancaked together,circled and crashed,still attached to

             each other.Six chutes were seen before the A/C landed,most of them are

             believed to have fallen on land.There was no fire from the A/C in the

             air or on the ground although there was some smoke."



p.91/92 of CONTRAILS gives U8 a bit more graphic picture.  "Lt.W.MacNab was leading

the "C" Squadron low flight. Lt.G.Rojohn flew behind and high.In the fierce aerial

struggle,both MacNab and his co-pilot,Lt.N.Vaughan,had been wounded.Their ship rose

periously toward Rojohn's,who had moved in after Webster had been downed. A collision

seemed unavoidable.

There was a sickening thud as the planes made contact.They shuddered and locked, headed

out over the North Sea.The engines of MacNab's lower plane were smoking. Rojohn and his

co-pilot,Lt.W.Leek,immediately cut their engine switches,avoiding a probable

explosion.

The situation was something too fantastic for even Hollywood to simulate.The two planes

clung together as Rojohn and Leek battled the controls,and by sheer strength,managed

to slowly turn the eight enginied monstrosity toward land.

T/Sgt Chadwick bailed out while ths planes were still over water,but his chute fortun-

ately did not collapse,and he was washed ashose . . . S/Sgt. E.Woodall,also from MacNab's

ship ,landed in water and managed to reach shore. . . . . Chadwick was taken into

custody that night,together with navigator J.Berkwitz,bombardier R. Comer and Woodall.



Seven men,T/Sgt.O.Elkin,T/Sgt.E.Neuhaus,Sgt.J.Shirley,S/Sgts.J.Russo,R.Little,F.Chase,

and Lt.R.Washington bailed out of Rojohn's ship. . . . The fate of Russo,Little and

Chase was unknown



Rojohn and Leek continued to fight the controls,using the engines of the lower aircraft,

and rode the grafted bird in for a landing. There have been amazing stunts pulled in 

the colorful and courageous history of mans will to fly, from the days of Daedalus and Da Vinci 

to the days of the brother Wright and Billy Mitchell,but none more strangely heroic than the day Rojohn and Lesk safely

crash-landed their two planes pick-a-back on a field in North Germany."





MISSIONS OF CAPT. DOUGLAS S. EDEN (Squadron Bombardier. 350TH BS)



1.     25/09/44   LUDWIGSHAVEN   A/C 338011   The Reluctant Dragon

2.     26/09/44   BREMEN               A/C 2102598 Super Rabbit

3.     27/09/44   MAINZ                 A/C 231991   Miss Chief

4.     28/09/44   MERSEBURG         A/C 2102958  LN-G

5.       2/10/44   KASSEL

6.       3/10/44   NURNBURG

7.       5/10/44   HANDORF

8.       6/10/44   BERLIN

9.       9/10/44   MAINZ

10.    15/10/44  COLOGNE

11.    17/10/44  COLOGNE

12.    18/10/44  KASSEL

13.    22/10/44  MUNSTER

14.    26/10/44  HANOVER

15.      5/11/44  LUDWIGSHAVEN

16.    10/11/44  MAINZ (last mission flown with Macnab Crew, went to lead crew training)

17.    24/12/44  BIBLIS

18.    25/12/44  KAISERLAUTERN (First Lead Crew Mission)

19.    31/12/44  HAMBURG 

20.      6/01/45  ANNWEILER

21.    10/01/45  COLOGNE

22.    14/01/45  DERBEN

23.    28/01/45  DUISBURG

24.    21/02/45  NURNBURG

25.    24/03/45  STEENWIJK

26.      9/04/45  MUNICH

27.    10/04/45  BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG

28.    17/04/45  AUSSIG



CHOWHOUND MISSIONS

[1] May 2, ’45 – Amsterdam (food) Led Group (hit)

[2] May 3, ’45 – Alknaar, Holland (food) Led Wing (hit)

[3] May 5, ’45 – Alknaar, Holland (food) element lead (hit)

[4] May 7, ’45 – Amsterdam, Holland (food) element lead (hit)





---> SUBMITTER INFORMATION

SUBMITTER: Elizabeth A Eden-Maguire

EMAIL: edenmagu@hotmail.com

PURPOSE: Report a website error

INTEREST: I am the veteran's child: 

TELEPHONE NUMBER: 503-492-2213



---> MESSAGE

Message:  My father is Douglas S. Eden, Maj (retired), USAF. He served as a bombadier under 1st Lt Wm G MacNab. You report my dad as moving to "Lead Nav" which is incorrect; he was moved to "Lead Bombadier." Also, you report his 18th mission on Kaiserslautern as being on 12/28/1944, which is incorrect. According to several sources, including your Missions database, that mission was sent out on 12/25/44.



When I was in my mid-teens, the USAF sent my family to Germany (Sembach AFB near Kaiserslautern, as a matter of fact). We lived off-base in Enkenbach for a time, and I remember a conversation between my Dad and our German landlady. She was remembering the bombs dropping over she and her family on Christmas Day, 1944. As a teen, I barely recognized my dad's back stiffen or his color change. It was only later when he told me that only one "raid" had been sent out that Christmas Day way back in 1944--and he'd been the lead bombadier. Although I was a teenager, I recognized the implications immediately--if he hadn't actually dropped those bombs on her, he'd ordered them dropped.



I've never forgotten that conversation--two former "enemies" meeting face to face…and finding out we're all just people. I learned some things myself that day.



War is sometimes necessary. But war is never pretty, and there is sometimes no way to avoid innocents getting in the way.



Appreciating what the 100th Bomb Group did for our freedom,

Beth Eden-Maguire





Douglas Scott Eden

Lieutenant United States Army Air Force

Assigned to "Crew #5694", MacNab's crew, dated 18 May, 1944. 

They met and flew together from Ardmore, Oklahoma until Lt Eden

headed for lead bombardier school in November 44.

For the record, Lt Eden's birthday is 22 Apr 1923. He was "19 4/12" years old at 

the time he enlisted.



Sept. 8, ’42 - Enlisted in Portland, Oregon.

Mar. 26, ’43 - Reported in at San Francisco, California.

Mar. 29, ’43 - Sheppard Field, Wichita Falls, Texas. 301 Training Group Barracks 307 (Capt. Smith)

Apr. 18, ’43 - Left Texas

Apr. 21, ’43 - University of Minneapolis, Mpls, Minn. 88th C.T.D. Room 25 (Maj. Sheldon)

July 24, ’43 - Left Minneapolis, Minn.

July 28, ’43 - Santa Ana, California. 20 Classification Squad. Barracks C (Capt. Smith).

Aug. 14, ’43 - Classified bombardier.

Aug. 15, ’43 - Appointed Aviation Cadet.

Aug. 18, ’43 - Began Pre-flight Squad. 92 Barracks A (Capt. Davies)

Oct. 27, ’43 - Left Santa Ana, California

Oct. 28, ’43 - Las Vegas, Nevada, Squad. 6 Tent 10 (Lt. Ball)

Nov. 1, ’43 -  Began Gunnery training

Dec. 13, ’43 - Graduated

[delay en-route, 8 days]

Dec. 24, ’43 - Kirtland Field, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 324 B.T.Sq’d. Class 44-6 Bar. T. 406 (Lt. Tetterington)

Dec. 27, ’43 - Began advanced

Apr. 29, ’44 - Graduated

[delay en-route, 8 days]

May 12, ’44 - Lincoln, Nebraska, 2nd AAF C&RP Sq’d A (Capt. Wright)

May 17, ’44 - Left Lincoln, Nebraska

May 18, 44-Assigned Crew #5694, 2nd Lt MacNab's Crew

May 19, ’44 - Ardmore, Oklahoma, 222 CCTD GP II Sq’d 8 (Maj Angiers)

July 25, ’44 - Left Ardmore, Oklahoma

[delay en-route, 8 days]

Aug. 5, ’44 - Kearney, Nebraska

Aug. 15, ’44 - Left Kearney, Nebraska. Arrived: Grenier Field, Manchester, N.H.

Aug. 16, ’44 - Left the United States.

Aug. 16, ’44 - Goose Bay, Labrador.

Aug. 18, ’44 - Meeks Field, Iceland.

Aug. 19, ’44 - Arrived Valley (Holyhead) Wales.

Aug. 20, ’44 - Left Valley, Wales. Arrived 8th A.F. Replacement Depot (near Stone & Hanley)

Aug. 24, ’44 - Left 8th A. F. R.&R. Depot Arrived Diss.Thorpe Abbotts 100th Bomb Group 350th Squadron. 13 Combat Wing, 3rd Division.



MISSIONS:

(1) Sept. 25, ’44 - Ludwigshafen, Germany (mar. y’d.)

(2) Sept. 26, ’44 - Bremen, Germany (F. W. Aircraft plant)

(3) Sept. 27, ’44 - Mainz, Germany (mar. y’d.)

(4) Sept. 28, ’44 - Merseburg, Germany (oil)

(5) Oct. 2, ’44 - Kassel, Germany (tank factory)

(6) Oct. 3, ’44 - Ludwigsburg, Germany (airfield)

(7) Oct. 5, ’44 - Munster, Germany (airfield) (Handorf)*

(8) Oct. 5, ’44 - Berlin, Germany (engine factory)

(9) Oct. 9, ’44 - Weisbaden, Germany (ordanance) (Mainz)*

(10) Oct. 15, ’44 - Cologne, Germany (mar yd.)

(11) Oct. 17, ’44 - Cologne, Germany (mar yd.)

(12) Oct. 18, ’44 - Kassel, Germany (tank factory)

       Oct  20, ’44 - Awarded Air Medal. (dated 9 Oct)

(13) Oct. 22, ’44 - Munster, Germany (mar y’d)

(14) Oct. 26, ’44 - Hannover, Germany (mar. y’d.).

       Nov  1  '44 - LEAD BOMBARDIER

(15) Nov. 5, ’44 - Ludwigshafen, Germany (chemical)  -SEE LETTER "SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND" FOR STORY OF THIS MISSION

(16) Nov. 10, ’44 - Weisbaden, Germany (airfield) (Mainz)*

       Nov. 27, ’44 - Commissioned 2nd Lt.

(17) Dec. 24, ’44 - Biblis, Germany (airfield)

(18) Dec. 25, ’44 - Kaiserslautern, Ger. (mar yd) Led C (hit)

(19) Dec. 31, ’44 - Hamburg, Germany (mar yd) Led B (missed)

       Jan.   3, ’45 - Appointed Squadron Bombardier.

(20) Jan.   6, ’45 - Anwieler, Ger. (T.O.) Led GP (began as B) (hit)

(21) Jan. 10, ’45 -  (Koln)* Duisburg, Ger. (T.O.) Led Group (C& M to Koln) (hit)

(22) Jan. 14, ’45 - Derben, Ger. (underground oil) Led Group (hit)

(23) Jan. 28, ’45 - Duisburg, Ger. (RR bridge) Led Wing (hit)

       Feb.   5, ’45 - Appointed 1st Lt.

       Feb.   9, ’45 - Flak leave. Bournemouth, England [Rest leave, 8 days]

       Feb. 10, ’45 - Received 1st Lt.

(24) Feb. 21, ’45 - Nurnberg, Germany (mar y’d) Led Wing (P.F.F.) (hit)

       Mar. 22. ’45 - Orders for Captaincy.

       Mar. 24, ’45 - Received Captaincy.

(25) Mar. 24, ’45 - Steenwijk, Holland (airfield) Led C (hit)

(26) Apr.   9, ’45 - Munich, Austria (airfield) Led C (hit)

(27) Apr. 10, ’45 -BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG Germany (airfield) Led B (hit)

(28) Apr. 17  ’45 - Aussig, Czechslovakia (mar. y’d.) Led B (hit)



CHOWHOUND MISSIONS:

[1] May 2, ’45 – Amsterdam (food) Led Group (hit)

[2] May 3, ’45 – Alkmaar, Holland (food) Led Wing (hit)

[3] May 5, ’45 – Alkmaar, Holland (food) element lead (hit)

[4] May 7, ’45 – Amsterdam, Holland (food) element lead (hit)

May 8, ’45 – V.E. day



POST HOSTILITIES:

June 14, ’45 – Casablanca (3 day trip)

July 4, ’45 – Transferred to 95th Bomb Group 335th Sqd.

July 10, ’45 – Stone 70th Replacement Depot, 130th Reinforcement BN 156th Reinforcement Co

July 29, ’45 – Greenoch, Scotland. Sailed "John Harvard."

Aug. 10, ’45 – Boston, Camp Myles Standish. Taunton

Aug. 11, ’45 – Left Myles Standish

Aug. 14, ’45 – "VJ" Day (Aberdeen, South Dakota

Aug. 16, ’45 – Arrived Fort Lewis, Tocoma, Wash.

Aug. 16, ’45 – Left Fort Lewis.

Aug. 17, ’45 – Home

Sept. 18, ’45 – Reported at Santa Ana, Calif

Oct. 19, ’45 – Discharged at Santa Ana

Dec. 3, ’45 – End of terminal leave.





"In the mid-60s, my dad was stationed at Sembach AFB in Germany, and I 

attended Kaiserslautern American High School for two years. We lived on the 

economy for about a year and a half and then moved on base.



During our time on the economy, our German landlady and Dad were talking. 

Our conversations with Frau Behr were always interesting because of language 

difficulties but she clearly described Christmas Day of 1944 and the bombs 

dropping outside as she huddled with her sister. Dad acknowledged her 

memories but did not say much more. After Frau Behr, Dad told me he had been 

lead bombardier on the only mission sent out over Kaiserslautern on 25 

December 1944. This might be a 30 year old memory but it made a big impact 

on me to have witnessed this particular conversation between my dad and our 

landlady.



Dad's written records confirm this statement made to me many years ago. His 

first lead mission was 25 December 1944, not 31 December 1944.



Dad was in the air on 31 December. I know it was a bad day--in fact, 31 

December is the only day my dad reports a "miss." All his other lead 

missions were "hits." So far he has related looking to the left and seeing 

the closest B-17 go down, he looked to the right and saw that B-17 go down. 

I can see we are approaching the painful and he is avoiding but your 

objective approach, "Describe what you saw…", will get us there if I am 

patient"….Beth Eden-Maguire -june 2006



MEDALS AND RIBBONS:



Army Air Force

Honorable Discharge

Aviation Cadet Douglas S. Eden, 19136007

Hq & Hq Sq., 324th Bmbr Tng Sq.

28 April 1944

Covers period of active duty 3-29-43 to 4-28-1944

"Decorations, service medals, citations" Good Conduct Medal

--------------------------------------------------------

Army of United States

Certificate of Service

Douglas Scott Eden, Flight Officer, T3758

350th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group (H) AAF

"honorably served in active Federal Service in the Army of the United States 

from 29 April 1944 to 26 November 44"

"Military Record



Awarded the Air Medal, GO 793, 3d Bomb Div, 9 October 1944. Awarded 1st Oak 

Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal, GO 878, 3d Bomb Div 24 Oct 44.

Authorized to wear the European Theatre of Operations Ribbon."

-------------------------------------

Army of the United States

Certificate of Service

Capt Douglas S Eden 0-1997861 Air Corps

350th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group (H) AAF

3 December 1945

"honorably served in active Federal Service in the Army of the United States 

from 27 November 1944 to 3 December 1945."



"Decorations and Citations: I found the original orders for medals and OLCs.

October 9, 1944        Air Medal           (Awarded the Air Medal, GO 793, 3d Bomb Div, 9 October 1944.

October 24, 1944      Oak Leaf Cluster (Awarded 1st Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal, GO 878, 3d Bomb Div 24 Oct 44.)

December 31, 1944   Oak Leaf Cluster

February 27, 1945     Oak Leaf Cluster

May 28, 1945           Oak Leaf Cluster   (4th OLC to Air Medal GO 304 Hq 3AD 2-27-45)

May 8, 1945             Distinguished Flying Cross    ( DFC GO 967 Hq 3AD 5-8-45)

The DFC was awarded for Kaiserslautern on 25 December 1944 (there it is again!); Munich on 9 April 1945; and Berg on 10 April 1945 "despite adverse weather conditions and anti-aircraft fire on each mission."



EAME Ribbon w/4 Bronze Battle Stars WD Cir 195/44"

-Northern France (25 July 1944 - 14 September 1944) 

-Rhineland (15 September 1944 - 21 March 1945) 

-Ardennes - Alsace (16 December 1944 - 25 January 1945) 

-Central Europe (22 March 1945 - 11 May 1945 



Beth

______________________________________________________________________



NOT FOR PUBLICATION:



>            Somewhere in England

>

>                                                                     Nov. 8, 1944

>Dear Mother:

>

>      It happened on the bomb run.  After flying hundreds of miles over a

>thick undercast, the target area appeared, below and ahead, completely

>unobscured by clouds.  It looked as though someone had taken a pair of

>scissors and snipped a round hole out of the fleecy blanket and by chance,

>---over the target.  Ahead lay clearly the town, the chemical plant, the

>river and marshalling yards.  Although experts at camouflage, the Germans

>could not disguise nature’s tell-tale land land marks which pointed to the

>objective.

>

>      The heavy bombers fanned out and started the bombing run.  After 

>flying several minutes over the seemingly peaceful country side and city below, 

>the flak barrage was unleashed.  Usually the first squadron over a target

>encounters little flak because the gun crews below are busily computing the

>altitude and count of the bombers.  This was an exception, - the kind you

>run up against so often in this war.  The first bursts of flak came up and

>were exceedingly accurate.  This meant that the range and course were

>already correctly computed, and without moving his guns, Jerry could 

>plaster the rest of the division as easily, but not quite as effectively as they

>could hammer him.

>

>      Ship 437 was leading the high flight of the lead squadron.  The pilot

>held the ship level and all aboard were anxiously awaiting the cry of 

>"bombs away."  A direct hit in the bomb bays would blow any plane to bits, and 

>with the doors open, flak bursting about and no chance for evasive actions, nine

>men breathed a sigh of relief when over the interphone the bombardier said

>sharply "bombs away."  In that brief moment the unexpected happened: flak

>fragments began riddling the skin of the ship; a piece tore through the

>cockpit severing the pilots oxygen line and hitting him in the leg, and

>finally stopped against his inner heated suit.  The bomb bay doors refused

>to close, an amplifier went out in number one engine and number three

>received several good hits in the cowling.  While the pilot and co-pilot

>feathered the propellor of the now dead number one engine, the bombardier

>crawled back to the bomb bays to crank the doors up by hand since the

>electrical system was out of operation.  As the engineer crawled out of his

>upper turret to assist the bombardier and fix the pilots oxygen system, a

>flak fragment came through the front of the turret where his face would

>ordinarily have been.  The piece of flying steel was so hot that it lit in

>his ammunition cans amidst a shower of glass, and melted the ends of five

>rounds of 50 caliber machine gun bullets to shapeless gobs of molten lead

>and steel.

>

>      Unable to keep up with the formation, the pilot dropped altitude and

>air speed and tried to catch another group.  A straggler falls easy prey to

>enemy fighters.  While the bombardier was still standing on the catwalk,

>25000 feet over Germany, with the temperature nearly 40 degrees F below

>zero, and an oxygen bottle, one end on his mask and the other flopping

>around in the slip stream, and only hanging on to a small rope used as a

>railing, with no parachute, the pilot dropped the nose of the plane to 

>avoid hitting another bomber coming in from 9 o’clock.  At such a dizzy altitude

>it appeared for a brief moment he would go hurtling out of the wallowing

>ship.

>

>      Meanwhile, up in the cockpit the instruments were denoting radical

>changes.  Flak had put Number one out and Number three engine was leaking

>gas and oil badly, and smoke was billowing out from under the cowl flaps.

>Too, one of the aileron controls had been knocked out.  On the pilot rested

>the problem – is the engine seriously on fire?—is it behind the firewall? –

>if so, it would explode at any moment.  Should he tell the crew to bail 

>out, or take a chance and fly her back?  Could he make the base in England, or

>must he set her down in France or Belgium.  Taking a chance, he chose to 

>fly home.

>

>      The flak bursts had increased in their number during the bomb run, 

>and for a period shortly after "bombs away" the flak had been so close the red

>bursts were as noticeable as the black puffs.  Several times the plane was

>lifted by near misses exploding under her vulnerable fuselage.  A barrage 

>of 6 – 10 bursts would appear suddenly ahead and just short of the nose; the

>next moment the plane was flying through the remnants of the smoke.  About

>were exploding rockets and vapor trails left by friendly patrolling 

>fighters waiting outside the flak area to escort the bombers home.

>

>      Several hours later 437 sighted the English Coast and prepared to 

>head towards its field, when an order came through to land at an alternate base.

>The home field was closed due to a terrific cross wind and rain showers.

>Wearily, the old lady lowered her nose and the pilot began the

>difficult struggle to set her sown on a strange field with a treacherous

>tail wind, one engine out and another likely to quit at any moment, and 

>part of the controls shot away.

>

>      He set her down, and as she came to a rest, engine number three burst

>in flames, but they were quickly extinguished.  Despite great battle 

>damage, 44 flak holes, so seriously injured as to warrant not flying for several

>days, and battered sister ships, - 437 came through and her crew escaped

>serous injury in their 15th mission over the Reich.

>

>      I received my information first hand – I was the bombardier.

>

>

>   Love

>

>

>          Doug. (EDEN, BOMB ON MACNAB CREW)



Sent by his Daughter Beth.  The mission was to Ludwigshaven, Nov 5, 1944, target, Chemical Factory



Obit: Douglas S. Eden, 89, died Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012, in Texas State Veterans Clinic in McAllen. Heavenly Grace Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of funeral arrangements.



************************************************************************************



In January 1945 Lt David Raiford received all the enlisted men from Lt Charlie "Hong Kong" Wilson’s Crew. This crew would eventually become a Lead crew consisting at different times of the crew listing below; Sgt Hoffpauir transferred to the 15th Air Force when they changed over to a lead crew and Sgt Jay Kendell moved from BTG to Waist Gunner. 



Lt RaifordsLead Crew after Jan 1945: 



Lt David G. Raiford             Lead Pilot

Lt Robert Wendling           Co-Pilot/Formation Officer

Capt Ross Chenney            Lead Navigator (from original crew of Lt Armstrong)

2nd Lt Charles J. Scott       moved up to Lead NAV (FEH) (from original crew of Lt McNab)

1st Lt Douglas S. Eden       moved up to Lead BOM (FEH) (from original crew of Lt McNab)          sn# 0-1997861

1st Lt Paul R.Ruth,Jr.          Lead Bombardier (from original crew of Lt Fellows)

2nd Lt Harry Tennenbaum   Mickey Operator (from Lt Shaddix original Crew)

1st Lt Earl Frye                   Radar/Nav          (flew with Lt Seamans lead crew and Assigned Group Radar Officer on 8 Apr 1945)                   

2nd Lt James  M. Pivonka     Mickey Operator (from Lt Dawson Crew)

ENLISTED MEN ARE FROM LT CHARLES "HONG KONG" WILSON'S CREW.ASSIGNED TO LT RAIFORD BEGINNING OF JAN 1945. 

T/Sgt  EMERY N. CASTLE      ROG FEH                                                                                sn# 37523614

T/Sgt  NORMAN G. NANCE     TTE FEH                                                                                sn# 19171578

Sgt   JAY D. KENDELL           BTG FEH moved to WG when became Lead Crew                        sn# 39908662

Sgt   GEORGE L. PESLER        WG CPT 24 MAR 45 STEENEIJK/ ZIEGENHAINE                         sn# 35051164

Sgt   ARCHIE E. HOFFPAUIR    WG FEH Transferred to 15th Air Force when became lead Crew    sn# 38266722

S/Sgt   JACK R. DeBORDE        TG FEH flew 10 missions as formation officer.                             sn# 39615579



Missions of S/Sgt Jack Deborde with Lt Raiford Crew/Lead Crew



06 JAN 45      ANNWEILER

10 JAN 45      COLOGNE

14 JAN 45      DERBEN

28 JAN 45      DUISBURG 

03 FEB 45      BERLIN      

06 FEB 45      CHEMNITZ 

21 FEB 45      NURNBURG

24 FEB 45      BREMEN

26 FEB 45      BERLIN

03 MAR 45     BRUNSWICK

10 MAR 45     DORTMUND

11 MAR 45     HAMBURG

14 MAR 45     HANOVER

17 MAR 45     PLAUEN

19 MAR 45     JENA

22 MAR 45     ALHORN

28 MAR 45     HANOVER

31 MAR 45     BAD BERKA

09 APR 45     MUNICH

15 APR 45     ROYAN

17 APR 45     AUSSIG

****************************************************************************************************

Capt Eden and Capt Charles "Scotty" Scott flew the entire distance together, from crew assignment to Lt William G. Macnab, pilot, through missions with Lt Charlie "Hong Kong" Wilson, Lt. David Raiford, and Lt Leslie Dawson. On February 24, 1945, Dad writes, "I didn't know the fellows named the ship. We all had several suggestions and since we had 9 men to man her I suggested we paint a big black cat on the ship's side and call it "9 lives." If that is the name the fellows adopted then I'll use it too." On March 15th, he writes, "Yesterday my leather jacket arrived, now I can have it painted up with the usual stuff the fellows put on it: bombs for each mission, a B-17, etc." Dad received his Captain's bars on March 24, 1945 and Scotty his on April 20th. The picture is, unfortunately, undated however all the evidence shows this was made after April 20th, 1945, and, to me, demonstrates their absolute dedication to their crew brothers under Lt Macnab.