Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt James S.Seamans       P CT  26/11/44  TARGET WAS HAMM

2nd Lt Clyde W.Lollis           CP CT  26/11/44

2nd Lt George L.Rhoades      N CT  26/11/44 This is on of the 100th's better known crews and this was a 

2nd Lt William R.Brice            B CT  26/11/44 very trying last mission for them. See Passen and Rhoades Memo Files..

 S/Sgt Herbert A.Grand         R CT  26/11/44

 S/Sgt Paul A.Ross                E CT  26/11/44

   Sgt Homer Goodman        BT CT  26/11/44

   Sgt Snthony T.Schimmel   WG  NOC   '

   Sgt Edward J.Tatro         TG  CT   26/11/44

   Sgt John J.Sheehan        WG  NC 



418th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 4/7/44. It appears as Crew #85 on Roster 

OF  3/8/44 and as a PFF crew On Nov 26, 1944 mission to Hamm, the crew is listed as follows



Lt.Col Channing Emberson    Air Commander

Capt James Seamans           P

1st Lt Clyde W.Lollis             CP

Capt George L.Rhoades  Lead NAV

Capt William R.Brice         Lead BOM

 1st Lt Seymour Passen  Command Nav

 1st Lt Earl Frye              Radar Nav (Assigned Group Radar Officer on 8 Apr 1945)

 T/Sgt Paul A.Ross         TTE

 T/Sgt Herbert A.Grand  ROG

 S/Sgt Homer Goodman  RWG

 S/Sgt Edward J.Tatro     LWG



MISSIONS CAPT FRYE FLEW WITH CAPT SEAMANS LEAD CREW



BREST    03 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: LT. COL. PRICE

STUTTGART   05 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

MAINZ    08 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

SINDELFINGEN   13 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: CAPT. GORSKI

WARSAW   18 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. EMBERSON

SZOLNOK   19 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. EMBERSON

LUDWIGSHAVEN  25 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. WALLACE

BREMEN   26 SEP 44  LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR 

MAINZ    27 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. THOMPSON

BIELEFELD   30 SEP 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. ZELLER

KASSEL   02 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: LT. COL. PRICE

BERLIN    06 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. THOMPSON

BOHLEN   07 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. WALLACE

BREMEN   12 OCT 44 LEAD  COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

COLOGNE   17 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. THOMPSON 

KASSEL   18 OCT 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

NEUMUNSTER     6 NOV 44 LEAD

LANGERWEHE/AACHEN 16 NOV 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. SAMMY BARR

OSNABRUCK   21 NOV 44 LEAD

HAMM    26 NOV 44 LEAD COMMAND PILOT: MAJ. EMBERSON

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

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# O-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

(Assigned Group Radar Officer on 8 Apr 1945)



DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS CITATION:



RESTRICTED



                                        HEADQUARTERS 3D AIR DIVISION

                                         Office of the Commanding General

                                                          APO 559

General Orders                                                                                                                           24 February 1945

NUMBER 267                                                                                                                                    SECTION:

AWARDS OF THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS...................................................................................I

AWARDS OF THE OAK LEAF CLUSTER TO THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS..................................II

AWARDS OF THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL...................................................................................................III

I. Under the provisions of Army Regulation 600-45, 22 in September 1943, and pursuant to authority contained in letter 200.6, HQ Eighth Air Force, dated 23 September 1944, subject: "awards and decorations," the Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded to the following named officers for extraordinary achievement as set forth in the citation,





Earl L. Frye, 0666647, Captain, Army Forces, United States Army. For extraordinary achievement while serving as lead navigator of wing, group and squadron formations on heavy bombardment missions against the enemy. Captain Frye demonstrated exceptional proficiency in guiding his formations to the assigned targets in devastating attacks against Ludwigshafen, Germany, 25 September 1944; Kassel, Germany, 18 October 1944; and Langerwehe, Germany, 16 November 1944 despite the hazards of adverse weather conditions and anti-aircraft fire on each mission. The outstanding devotion to duty and expert navigational technique displayed by Captain Frye on these occasions reflect the highest credit up on himself and the Armed Forces of United States.



(Courtesy of 486th Bomb Group website and Jack O'Leary)