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Personnel

S/Sgt

Dale R. EHLENFELT

Army Serial Number: 37558528
Assigned to the 100th Bombardment Group
Location:
Unit: 418th Bombardment Squadron
Rank:
Position: Ball Turret Gunner
Beginning Date of 100th Service: Unknown
Time of Service at Thorpe Abbotts: Unknown - Unknown

Additional 100th Service Notes

Status: CPT
Comments: 29 DEC 44 FRANKFURT

Media Articles

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Media ItemTypePageVolume/IssueBroadcast SourceTimeDescriptionFile
Dale Ehlenfelt earns air medalPrintThe Winona Daily News October 16 194412:00 am

Comments and Notes

Memo 1:
CREW

Capt. David A.Armstrong P CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# O-764583
1st Lt Allen "Andy" Andrews III CP CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# O-768402
Capt Ross Chenney NAV SWA 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG sn# O-721580
2nd Lt Lon L.Livsey BOM KIA 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG sn# O-769152
T/Sgt Gerald C.Murphy ROG CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 17114787
T/Sgt Warren R.West TTE CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 37344021 3 1/2 confirmed kills
S/Sgf Dale R.Ehlenfelt BTG CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 37558528
S/Sgt Charles J.Vogel WG CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 37548205 4 1/2 confirmed kills (moved to TG at crew reduction)
S/Sgt Louis C.Oliver Jr. WG CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 38564342 3 confirmed kills
S/Sgt Lawrence M. Bohen TG NOC taken off Crew when reduced to 9 sn# 31340624

418th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined 100th Group on 25/7/44. Crew flew "Ain't Miss Behaven" #43-38381 LD-Z
Sqdn. Diary for 5 Aug. 1944 reads that: "Flak evidently set off some of the
ammunition for the flexible nose guns. The Bombardier was killed and the Navigator wounded. Flying A/C #43-37935.
Jerry Burns was Crew Chief. After Bohen is taken off Crew, S/Sgt Vogel becomes Tail Gunner.

2nd Lt Oscar F. Mills from Lt Edward Neu Crew flew as interm Bombardier until 1st Lt Lawrence V. "Vince" Ogletree from the crew of Lt George Fory took over full time. According to Capt Armstongs records, Lt Ogletree had 12 perfect hit missions and Capt. Ross Chenney was wounded on the 3rd mission. He came back to fly the last nine missions with Crew as Division Navigator.
S/Sgt Vogel was moved to TG when crew was reduced to nine men.

Missions of Capt. David A. Armstrong (from son J.D. Armstrong)

# DATE TARGET # OF A/C POSITION COMMENTS

30/07/44 Practice Mission Lasted 3:45hrs and their in it!
1. 02/08/44 La Fere 935-V #3 High Sqdrn. Low Gp Bridge Demolished
2. 03/08/44 Troyes 935-V Oil Dump-Marshalling Yards
3. 05/08/44 Magdeburg 935-V #6 Low Sqdrn. Low Gp Livsey Killed, Chenney and Andrews wounded, Purple Heart corner/hit at bombs away
4. 13/08/44 Nantes 935-V #5 Low Sqdrn. Low Gp Bombed roads, 3 ship element
5. 14/08/44 Ludwigshaven 935-V Factories-Bombs struck, toggled out-Mills
6. 15/08/44 Venlo 935-V RAF and 8th out in force. Airfield demolished. Oscar Mills "B"
7. 26/08/44 Brest 935-V #2 Element Sq L, Low Gp No bombs, weather
8. 27/08/44 Berlin 935-V #2 Element, Lead Gp, 13thCBW Inst. Take off, no bombs, weather, turn back (recall)
9. 08/09/44 Mainz 412-R #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp Wrecked 935-V-no bombs, weather, 8th AF turned back
10. 09/09/44 Dusseldorf 154-A #2 Element, Lead Gp Inst. TO, no bombs
11. 10/09/44 Nurnburg 154-A #1 Low Sqdrn, Low Gp Caught by mobile guns on Rhine River
12. 11/09/44 Ruhland 381-Z #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp Bad weather, fighters, 3 con, 3 prob-Wiped out Low Gp
13. 12/09/44 Magdeburg 991-D #1 Low Sqdrn, Low Gp Missed Formation, Went to Berlin with 1st Division
14. 13/09/44 Stuttgart 636-W #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp Heavy contrails
15. 25/09/44 Ludwigshaven 381-Z #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp 3 bad engines, crash landed 60 miles south of Paris
16. 26/09/44 Bremen 381-Z #1 Low Sqdrn Lead, Low Gp Good fighter support, 1st over target -3 fighters
17. 28/09/44 Mersburg 381-Z #1 Low Sqdrn Lead, High Gp Good fighter support, Jet Prop (shot at)
18. 02/10/44 Kassel 381-Z #1 Low Sqdrn Lead, Lead Gp Good fighter support, in flak for 25 minutes, Hi dropped early
Lt Joseph Dye was our Bombardier
19. 07/10/44 Bohlen 381-Z 2 Element, Lead Gp In flak for 25 minutes, Hit target good, 12 flak holes, 1 88hole took tail off an a/c
20. 09/10/44 Frankfurt 381-Z #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp Instrument takeoff, weather bad, Going on flak leave
21. 05/11/44 Ludwigshaven 525-A #1 Hi Sqdrn, Low Gp Instrument takeoff, Heavy flak, good results, did not land at home base.
22. 06/11/44 Neumunster 095-X #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp Air fields, Contrails
23. 09/11/44 Saarbrucken 381-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp Instrument takeoff, We were to hit lines visual-overcast. Hit secondary.
Low overcast, with 8th AF trying to land, never so scared in my life, 16 gallons in 4 tanks.
24. 26/11/44 Hamm 381-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn, Hi Gp Good fighter coverage, P-51's. Saw 2 jets, poor formation, good weather, mod flak.
25. 02/12/44 Koblenz 381-Z #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp Instrument takeoff, returned, bad weather
26. 04/12/44 Giessen 381-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn, Low Gp Instrument takeoff, Hard mission-Engine Trouble-Belly landed in England.
27. 11/12/44 Koblenz 381-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn, Hi Gp 68 mile bomb run, longest in History, 35 minutes with doors open. Low on gas
6:30 on oxygen, Poor Lead, pulled 40-24 for about 4 hours.
28. 12/12/44 Darmstadt 381-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp Clear over Germany
29. 18/12/44 Mainz 381-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn, Hi Gp Instrument takeoff, heavy contrails, flew through front, couldn' see wingman.
Kept bombs, in it for 5 hours.
30. 24/12/44 Babenhausen 381-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn, Low Gp Instrument takeoff, blow cylinder on #3 engine 110 miles behind german lines, smashed airport, iced perimeter & runway.
31. 27/12/44 Fulda 811-Z #1 Hi Sqdrn Lead, Hi Gp Pretty good mission, gas lines between tanks froze, sweated gas, wiped out target
Perimeter & runway very icy. Instrument takeoff, 50 yard visibility, fog.
32. 28/12/44 Koblenz 071-P #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp Hit secondary, fair weather, good mission, one of few, good fighter support, light flak
33. 29/12/44 Frankfurt 525-A #1 Hi Sqdrn Lead, Low Gp Lead Division, "Last of 33"
31/12/44 100th Bomb Group lost 13 ships to fighters and flak at Hamburg. 381-Z went down with Lt Mayo.


"I am the youngest son of D.A.Armstrong and have been busy trying to compile my Fathers war years.He arrived at Thorpe-Abbott on July 30,1944.According to letter of recommendation signed by major Edward D. Wooten dated April 3,1945. "After completion of 6th mission checked out as Element Lead and flew 2 missions as such. The remainder of his missions were flown as; 10 Squadron Leads and 15 High Flight Leads." Dad completed 33 bombing missions some as a Command Pilot.After tour was finished he became 418th Assistant Squadron Operations Officer for a period of 3 months.Freddrick J. Sutterlin wrote "Captain Armstrong has a excellent record as a pilot of B-17 aircraft and served as Assistant Operations Officer and was equally effective", dated March 27,1945. I was named for Lt. Colonel Thomas S. Jeffries and have just recently spoke to him,my childhood hero, he became atleast a 2-Star General. Dad flew P51's and A-26's in addition to these other activities. Anyone with any info. On him would be deeply appreciated!! Will be joining your group as soon as my 2 daughters college tutions can be met.God Bless You and God Bless America, you are all the type of men I hope my son,David Andrew Armstrong will grow up to be." Thank you Jeffrey David Armstrong shelly.armstrong@westgroup.com



Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
Jeffrey David Armstrong (shelly.armstrong@thomson.com) on Saturday, December 17, 2005 at 14:55:16
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subject: 100th Bomb Group TAPS Report Form

email: shelly.armstrong@thomson.com

realname: Jeffrey David Armstrong

relationship: Other - not in list

vet_name: Dale Richard Ehlenfelt

vet_died: December 8, 2005

family_contact: Viola "Vi" Ehlenfelt
17913 Tiler Dr.N.W.
Elk River, MN 55330
Ph# 763-441-2559

comments: Dale was my father's ball turret gunner and my friend.The last surviving member of the crew that flew "Ain't Miss Behaven" (Charlie Vogel-Tail gunner) and I were honorary casket bearers.

KIA / MIA / EVA / INT Information:

Target:
Magdeburg
Aircraft:
(43-37935)
Date:
1944-08-05
Cause:
FLAK - Ammunition Exploded in Chin Turret

Crew List

1st Crew List

Use your thumb to scroll through the results box below.

Rank Name Pos Status
Capt ARMSTRONG, David A. P CPT
Lt ANDREWS, Allen CP CPT
M/SGT BEAMER, B. NAV NOC
Capt CHENEY, Ross NAV SWA
Lt LIVSEY, Lon L. BOM KIA
S/SGT WEST, Warren R. TTE CPT
T/SGT MURPHY, Gerald C. ROG CPT
S/Sgt EHLENFELT, Dale R. BTG CPT
S/Sgt OLIVER, Louis C. WG CPT
S/SGT VOGEL, Clarence J. WG CPT