Personnel

CREW



DATE: 29 July 1944          349th Sqdn.           A/C #43-37655



MISSION: Merseburg                                MACR #7812,Micro-fiche #2859





2nd Lt Morris E.Clark                 P        KIA

2nd Lt John J.Cudihy               CP       KIA

2nd Lt Joseph W.Foote          NAV      POW

2nd Lt Arthur E.Frankenburg    BOM    POW

 S/Sgt Frank J.Gerlach             ROG    KIA

 S/Sgt Nelson J.Clifford           TTE      POW

   Sgt Jame6 Buchanan           BTG     POW

   Sgt Walter J.Gursky            WG      KIA

   Sgt Ralph E.Guhl                 TG      KIA



This crew joined the 100th Group on 17/7/44. At that time,a Sgt.Ernest A.Johnson

was on the crew as NG - He CPT on 21/3/45. Lt Frankenburg was not on the crew

when it came to the 100th.



Indications are that this A/C exploded in mid-air near "Punschrau near Kossen"

at about 1015 hours. The dead were interred in a cemetary at Hassenhausen in

graves #1 thru #5.

This was the first mission for this crew.



Sgt.Clifford stated as follows:    Pilot ordered him to bail out. He started

for bomb bay but fire prevented passage. He returned to try the nose hatch

and noticed Lt.Cudihy & Lt Clark preceeding him in that direction. He then lost

consciousness but assumed they had both been able to make their escape from

the plane.



 Later evidence indicates some or all the dead may have been killed by German civilians..

Arrived at Thorpe Abbots just 12 days before.Killed by Civilians