Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Glenn H.Rojohn               P     POW  31/12/44 HAMBURG

2nd Lt William G.Leek               CP     POW  31/12/44 HAMBURG

2nd Lt  Robert Washington      NAV   POW  31/12/44 HAMBURG (from the Spear crew)

   Cpl Edward G.Neuhaus        ROG     POW  31/12/44 HAMBURG                                           A/C #42 31987 "The Little Skipper" 

   Cpl Orville E.Elkin                 TTE     POW  31/12/44 HAMBURG                                          MACR #11550,Microfiche #4246

   Cpl Joseph L.Russo              BTG     KIA    31/12/44 HAMBURG    

   Cpl Roy H.Little                  WG     KIA    31/12/44 HAMBURG

   Cpl Robert W.Baker            WG     NOC    

   Cpl Herman G.Horenkamp       TG   CPT   





350th Sqdn. This crew,as above (no Nav or Bom) joined the 100th Group on 15/9/44.

Crew formed in Salt Lake City UT on 5 May 44.   Left USA 16 Aug 44, arrived in Valley Wales, 19 Aug 44

Assigned to 95th Bomb Group 6 Sept 44, Left 95th Bomb Group on 14 Sept 44 and joined 100th Bomb Group (because of 

loss of 12 aircraft on September 11, 1944 mission to Ruhland) 



See S.O.C. p.88/89 and "CONTRAILS" p.91/92 for story of the mid air "Piggy Back" crash of this A/C and that of W.G.MacNab.



On 31/12/44, Lt Robert Washington,from the crew of A.S.Spear,was flying as navigator and 

became a POW. A Sgt James R.Shirley was flying as NG and was a POW. S/Sgt Francis R.Chase from Lt Hansen Crew, 

was aboard as TG and was KIA.



Both Roy Little and Francis Chase are commemorated on the Wall Of The Missing at the 

Netherlands cemetary.



Missions of Capt. Glenn H. Rojohn from Sgt Herman G.Horenkamp (2003)



1.   06/10/44    BERLIN-FW 190 ENGINE PLANT

2.   07/10/44    BOHLEN/LEIPZIG-OIL REFINERY

3.   09/10/44    MAINZ-TANK FACTORY

4.   12/10/44    BREMEN-FW190 PLANT

5.   17/10/44    COLOGNE-MARSHALLING YARDS

6.   18/10/44    KASSEL-FW190 ENGINE PLANT

7.   22/10/44    MUNSTER-MARSHALLING YARDS

8.   30/10/44    MERSEBURG-SYNTHETIC OIL REFINERY

9.   02/11/44    MERSEBURG-SYNTHETIC OIL REFINERY

10. 05/11/44    LUDWIGSHAVEN-LUBRICATION PLANT (our records say marshalling yards..mpf)

11. 10/11/44    WIESBADEN-AIRFIELD

12. 16/11/44    AACHEN-GERMAN FRONT LINES

13. 21/11/44    MERSEBURG-SYNTHETIC OIL REFINERY

14. 26/11/44    HAMM-MARSHALLING YARDS

15. 02/12/44    KOBLENZ-MARSHALLING YARDS

16. 04/12/44    FRIEDBURG-MARSHALLING YARDS

17. 05/12/44    BERLIN, ORDINANCE PLANT

18. 18/12/44    MAINZ-MARSHALLING YARDS

19. 27/12/44    FULDA-MARSHALLING YARDS

20. 29/12/44    FRANKFURT-MARSHALLING YARDS

21. 30/12/44    KASSEL-MARSHALLING YARDS

22. 31/12/44    HAMBURG-SYNTHETIC OIL REFINERY, CREW DOES NOT RETURN. 





Spear Crew (Robert Washington's original crew)

2ND LT ALBERT S. SPEAR  P KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG

2ND LT DEWEY H. NELSON  CP CPT 25 DEC 44 KAISERLAUTERN, MY

2ND LT JOHN P. SPILLANE  NAV KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG

2ND LT ROBERT WASHINGTON BOM POW 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

CPL ARTHUR A. MARSHALL ROG KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG

CPL RAYMOND A. PIECZYNSKI TTE KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG

CPL REMI G. EBERNENZ  BTG CPT 03 JAN 45 FULDA

CPL ARTHUR V. GENS  WG KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG

CPL ROBBIE L. GILL   WG CPT 24 OCT 44 UNKNOWN

CPL ROBERT D. BASS  TG KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG



350TH SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 17 JUL 1944

 MACR # 8174, Microfiche # 3002  A/C #42-32009



This ship collided with that of Lt W.G. Stansbury over the North Sea.  .



Lt Robert Washington was flying with the Glenn Rojohn crew on 31 Dec 44 (Hamburg) and became a POW. 

On the Rojohn MACR he is listed as the Navigator. Sgt Eberenz finished his tour with the Charlie O. Daniels crew.



(Hensen Crew; original crew of Francis  R. Chase

2ND LT EDWARD H. HENSEN  P CPT 4 MAR 45 ULM, MY (S.T.)

2ND LT LEW E. WALLACE  CP POW 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND, OIL REFINERY

2ND LT LEE M. RADEN   NAV CPT 14 MAR 45 SEELZE & HANOVER

2ND LT MARVIN D. LASKEY  BOM CPT 25 FEB 45 MUNICH

SGT LEROY J. EDWARDS  TTE CPT 4 MAR 45 ULM, MY (S.T.)

CPL FRANCIS R. CHASE  TG KIA 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG

CPL CALVIN E. MILLER  BTG NOC

CPL JAMES R. MUGRIDGE  ROG CPT 4 MAR 45 ULM, MY (S.T.)

CPL ANDREW C. PAULO  WG CPT 4 MAR 45 ULM, MY (S.T.) (TAPS 1988?)

CPL CLAYTON J. SMITH  WG CPT 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG (WIA)



350TH SQDN..CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH 29 JUL 1944



LEW WALLACE WAS WITH J.H. HAINES AT RUHLAND ON 11 SEP 44.

FRANCIS CHASE WAS WITH G.H. ROJOHN AT HAMBURG ON 31 DEC 44.

CLAYTON SMITH WAS WITH R.H. WHITCOMB AT HAMBURG IN 31 DEC 44.

 









MEMO                     LT GLENN ROJOHN



LT GLENN ROJOHN; PIGGY BACK LANDING AFTER THE 31 DEC 1944 HAMBURG MISSION.  COLLISION WITH LT MacNAB WHILE BOTH WERE ATTEMPTING TO FILL THE SLOT IN THE FORMATION CAUSED BY THE LOSS OF LT WEBSTER. ACCOUNT GIVEN IN "CENTURY BOMBER" FOLLOWS:

AT 1244 HOURS AND AFTER LEAVING THE ENEMY COAST, NAVIGATOR DANNY SHAFFER, WHO FLEW  WITH THOMAS HUGHES, NOTED IN HIS LOG: "TWO 17'S HOOKED TOGETHER, 43-31987, PILOTED BY GLENN ROJOHN, HAVING CLOSED UP INTO THE SPACE LEFT BY THE LOSS OF LT WEBSTER. UNFORTUNATELY  B-17 43-38457, PILOTED BY WILLIAM MacNAB, HAD RISEN SLOWLY FROM BELOW TO FILL THE SAME POSITION.."

        ANOTHER PILOT, ETHAN PORTER, WHO IS LISTED AS HAVING NO KNOWN ADDRESS BY THE VA(1992), IMMEDIATELY SHOUTED A WARNING VIA RADIO, THE TWO FORTRESSES COLLIDED AND LOCKED TOGETHER, CONTINUED FLYING PIGGY-BACK OVER THE SEA.'

        FINDING THE ELEVATORS AND AILERONS STILL WORKING, ROJOHN AND HIS CO-PILOT WILLIAM LEEK, 'CUT THEIR ENGINES, AND BY USING THE ENGINES OF THE LOWER AIRCRAFT, THREE OF WHICH WERE STILL RUNNING, SLOWLY TURNED THE TWO AIRCRAFT TOWARD LAND.  FOUR OF THE CREW BAILED OUT ON ORDERS AND ROJOHN DECENDED TO RECROSS THE ENEMY COAST AT 10,000 FEET. ON LANDING NEAR WILHELMSHAVEN THE TOP SHIP (43-31987) SLID OFF MacNAB'S 43-38457 WHICH EXPLODED. BARELY HURT ROJOHN AND LEEK WALKED AWAY FROM THE WRECKAGE OF 43-31987 AND INTO CAPTIVITY.

        AS FOR THE MEN WHO BAILED OUT, THE ROG EDWARD NEUHAUS CAME DOWN ON AN ISLAND; TTE ORVILLE ELKIN CAME DOWN IN THE WATER TEN MILES OFF SHORE AND WAS DRAGGED TO THE SHORE BY HIS CHUTE.  REPLACEMENTS NAVIGATOR ROBERT WASHINGTON AND GUNNER JAMES SHRILEY LANDED ON THE COAST.  ALL SURVIVORS WERE TAKEN PRISONER.  NOTHING WAS FOUND OF BTG JOSEPH RUSSO AND WG FRANCIS CHASE.

        AS FOR LT MacNAB--HE WAS KILLED ALONG WITH THE CO-PILOT NELSON VAUGHN (BOTH HAD SUSTAINED WOUNDS PRIOR TO THE COLLISION), ROG HENRY ETHRIDGE, WG DUANE RENCH AND TG FRANCIS SEYFRIED. SGT'S RENCH AND SEYFRIED ARE BOTH BELIEVED TO HAVE BAILED OUT SUCCESSFULLY ONLY TO PERISH IN THE SEA.

        THE REST ESCAPED THE AIRCRAFT AND BECAME POWS: NAVIGATOR JACK BERKOWITZ AND BOMBARDIER RAYMOND COMER, FROM THE HONG KONG WILSON CREW, TTE JOSEPH CHADWICK AND BTG EDWARD WOODALL.  SGTS WOODALL AND CHADWICK ALSO LANDED IN THE SEA BUT REACHED SHORE.

        JIM BROWN NOTES THAT PREVIOUS TO THIS WHEN THE CREW COMPONENT WAS REDUCED TO NINE, WG LENO DELMOLINO WAS ASSIGNED TO INTELLEGENCE IN THE 351ST.

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YES I HAVE A PICTURE OF MY DAD IN HIS FLIGHT GEAR. HE DIED IN 1987 AT AGE 57. HE WAS A GOOD AMERICAN. YES I DO HAVE SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM SOME OF THE OTHER MATERIAL. I HAVE A COPYOF THE NAVIGATOR'S DIARY, THE LAST 22 MISSIONS THEY FLEW, VERY INFORMATIVE. ROJOHN TOLD ME THAT MY DAD'S SURVIVAL WAS A MIRCLE. HE LANDED 10 MILES OFFSHORE BUT HIS CHUTE STAYED OPEN AND HE WAS DRAGGED TO THE BEACH WHERE THE GERMAN'S PICKED HIM UP. AFTER 6 MONTHS IN STALAG 13 A HOMETOWN FRIEND WAS IN THE ARMY WHEN THE CAMP WAS LIBERATED. HE DIED ONE MONTH AFTER MY DAD. I WAS BORN ON 12-06-44, THEY WENT DOWN ON 12-31-44. HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT I HAD BEEN BORN. HE WAS THE ONLY MARRIED CREW MEMBER. I SPOKE TO ROJOHN SEVERAL TIMES. WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE EVER MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THIS STORY? I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE MOVIE 12 O'CLOCK HIGH. THANKS FOR CONTACTING ME

                                                                                                              DAVID ELKIN  david.elkin@yahoo.com



SIR, I TOOK THE INFORMATION THAT I HAD AND THE OTHER MATERIAL AND I WROTE A STORY CALLED OUR LAST MISSION. I BELIEVE THAT MR. ROJOHN WROTE A STORY FOR A PAPER IN PENNSYLVANIA CALLED BREEDING DRAGON FLIES. LT. LEAK TOLD ROJOHN THAT THE TWO PLANES STUCK TOGETHER REMINDED HIM OF THE DRAGON FLIES IN WASHINGTON STATE DURING THE SPRING WHEN THEY BREED. IT TOOK ROJOHN NEARLY 40 YEARS TO FIND HIS CO-PILOT. HE FOUND HIM IN CALIFORNIA DOING CONSTRUCTION WORK. I SPOKE TO BOB WASHINGTON, THE NAVIGATOR, ONE TIME. HE DID LIVE IN FLORDIA. HE DIED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.HE SENT ME THE DIARY, HIS DOG TAGS AND A PIPE. I SENT EVERY THING BACK TO HIM . I MADE A COPY OF THE DIARY. ON ONE MISSION ACCORDING TO THE DIARY, THEY WERE BRIEFED TO ENCOUNTER AS MANY AS 1,200 FIGHTERS. MY DAD NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT 12-31-44.



SIR, NO ONE IN MY FAMILY KNEW ABOUT THE FLIGHT THAT DAY. MY DAD NEVER EVEN TOLD MY MOTHER. I FOUND SOME OF THE LETTERS HE HAD WRITTEN TO BOB WASHINGTON AND TWO OTHERS MEN AFTER HE DIED. BOKENCAMP DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO ME. HE JUST SAID THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FLIGHT AND THAT MY DAD WAS A GOOD FRIEND. MY DAD WAS THE ONLY CREW MEMBER FROM THE DEEP SOUTH. 

                                                       DAVID ELKIN SON OF ORVILLE ELKIN



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Piggyback Incident, see article "Breeding Dragonflies" for more info.