Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Merril T.Rish                      P KIA     6/3/44  BERLIN

2nd Lt Frank A.Smith                  CP KIA     6/3/44  BERLIN

2nd Lt Royal W..Lingenfelter     NAV POW   6/3/44  BERLIN                                    TAPS: 1975

2nd Lt Donald K.Kehm             BOM POW   6/3/44  BERLIN                                     TAPS: 1977                                   A/C #42 38044

S/Sgt George F.Danehower      ROG POW   6/3/44  BERLIN                                                                                  MACR #3026,Micro fiche #1023

 S/Sgt Howard T.Skaggs,Jr.      TTE POW    6/3/44  BERLIN                                    TAPS: 1980

 S/Sgt Estil V. McGuffee          LWG POW    6/3/44  BERLIN

  Sgt Angus Alsup                     TG KIA       6/3/44  BERLIN

  Sgt Armand C.Burt               RWG POW     6/3/44  BERLIN

  Sgt Chester L.Powell              BTG KIA     28/5/44 GERA, CITY & MAGDEBURG, OIL REF (With crew of L.G.Lacy)



351st Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 28/11/43.



On 6/3/44, Sgt.Powell was replaced by Sgt.DEWY ESSARY who was KIA. This was about the 17th mission for this 

crew but only the 4th for ESSARY.See: p44 S.O.C. 



 A statement given by Don Kehm (then a Master Sgt) a short time after the war is as follows:  ".....Greman fighters attacked in a group out of the sun at 12 O'clock high. We recieved numerous hits, fire was visible around #3 engine. The plane immediately went into a tight spin. Centrifugal force prevented me from releasing the escape hatch. Ships inter phone was not operating. At about 3, 000 feet the tail broke off of the aircraft and the ship then began to climb & I could see all the objects coming toward me. The plane must have exploded as next I awoke on the ground with two German soldiers approaching me. I was taken to Quackenbush (Quackenbruck) jail."



According to statements by Estil V. McGuffee, he, Howard T. Skaggs, and Royal W. Lingenfelter were blown out but George F. Danehower, Armand C. Burt and Donald K. Kehm may have baled out.



Sgt Esssry's dog tags were found in the wreckage and it is thought his remains were have been consumed by the fire.



THIS CREW IS PICTURED IN KEITH FERRIS'S FAMOUS PAINTING OF THE THREE 100TH AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY OF HASELEUNNE ON THE BERLIN MISISON OF 06 MAR 44.  THE PAINTING CAN BE SEEN ON THE COVER OF THE BOOK "TARGET BERLIN; MISSION 250" BY JEFFREY L ETHELL AND ALFRED PRICE.  RISH'S  AIRCRAFT IS TOP PLANE IN THE THREE PLANE PAINTING, IT IS FURTHER IDENTIFIED BY THE SQUADRON MARKINGS OF EP  -  R.