Personnel

CREW



1st Lt Ernest T. Gilbert           P CPT 14/4/45 ROYAN, GROUND DEFENSES

1st Lt Walter G. Scott           CP CPT 14/4/45 ROYAN, GROUND DEFENSES

1st Lt Paul F. Julian             NAV CPT 8/4/45 EGER, MY (CZECH)

1st Lt John R. Frascatore     BOM CPT 8/4/45 EGER, MY (CZECH)

    Cpl Donald V. Gloege       ROG RFS 29/1/45 KASSEL (DUE TO MEDICAL REASONS)

    Cpl Kenneth L. Morphew  TTE CPT 8/4/45 EGER, MY (CZECH)

    Cpl George G. Elliott         BTG CPT 8/4/45 EGER, MY (CZECH)

    Cpl William G. Tunnessen   WG CPT 8/4/45 EGER, MY (CZECH)

    Cpl Douglas N. Wright       TG CPT 8/4/45 EGER, MY (CZECH)



351st Sqdn.  Crew, as above, joined the 100th  Group on 24/12/44

Crew flew a/c 42-31530 EP-X "Quittin Time"  Reason for name, last three digits"530" signified qitting time.

After a few missions Cpl Donald V. Gloege was replaced by T/Sgt George W. Runge.  Sgt Runge transferred to the 100th from the 385th BG.  Check note below for info

According to Lt Walter Scott,  Cpl Gloege was so shaken up after the Kassel Mission on Jan 1, 1945 that he refused to fly anymore and was replaced on the Crew by T/Sgt George W. Runge.





List of Missions for 1st Lt John R. Frascatore sn# 12093106



1. 14/1/45  DERBEN

2. 17/1/45  HAMBURG

3. 20/1/45  HEIBRON

4. 21/1/45  MANNHEIM

5. 28/1/45  DUISBURG

6. 29/1/45  KASSEL

7.   3/2/45  BERLIN (T/Sgt George W. Runge replaced Cpl Gloege on crew as ROG )

8.   6/2/45  BOHLEN

9. 15/2/45  COTTBUS

10. 17/2/45  GIESSEN

11. 19/2/45  MUNSTER

12. 21/2/45  NURNBURG

13. 22/2/45  WEHINGER

14. 23/2/45  TREUCHTLINGEN

15. 25/2/45  MUNICH

16. 10/3/45  DORTMUND

17. 11/3/45  HAMBURG

18. 12/3/45  SWINEMUNDE

19. 15/3/45  ORANIENBURG

20. 18/3/45  BERLIN 

21. 21/3/45  PLAUEN

22. 22/3/45  ALHORN

23. 23/3/45  UNNA

24. 24/3/45  STEENWIJK

25. 24/3/45  ZIEGENHAIN

26. 28/3/45  HANOVER

27. 30/3/45  HAMBURG

28. 31/3/45  ZEITZ

29.   3/4/45  KIEL

30.   4/4/45  KIEL

31.   5/4/45  NURNBURG

32.   6/4/45  LEIPZIG

33.   7/4/45  BUCHEN

34.   8/4/45  EGER



Mission Notes from Lt Frascatore: March 12, 1944, Target: SWINEMUNDE  



"We had mechanical difficulties with our plane "Quittin Time", so at the very last minute we were switched to another plane.  Over the target, we were hit by a flak shell (we think an 88MM) which tore into the radio room, thru the ship and out the right gunners position before exploding outside the ship.  It left behind a gunner who had just started to move to the other side when he felt the rush of air on his face as the shell tore through.  It also took with it the entire right gunners position.  All that was left was a batch of exposed hanging control cables etc.  After landing, we counted over 250 holes in the plane before we got tired of counting.  The miracle was that no one was injured."



March 18, 1944, Target: BERLIN

"We were flying auxillary lead below and behind the lead ship in the low squad.  We were suddenly jumped by enemy planes -four or more jets included.  In no time at alll, we lost our leader as well as 3 other planes (Swain, Jensen, King, Gwin). A jet was on our tail trying to finish us off but fortunately our Tail Gunner, Doug Wright shot him down instead.  Naturally, our low formation as well as a good part of the group had scattered badly.  At that point, our pilot Tracey Gilbert assumed leadership and flew straight & level premitting the others to form on our plane.  The planes soon re-grouped and no further losses were experienced.

That evening Col. Harry Cruver recommended Gilbert for a promotion to Captain.  We officers had just been 1st Lt's for 2 weeks so Tracey was a 1st Lt for a very short time.  He later became Engineering officer for the 351st after the War in Europe ended.  Because of clerical error, Doug was not credited with his jet kill at that time.  He was given belated credit (due to the efforts of Col Cruver) at a group reunion, I believe in 1996.  The German pilot who was shot down backed Doug's claim."

        (mpf nov, 2000 from Lt Frascatore questionaire)



Subj:100thBG Error Report Date:11/21/01 1:04:35 PM Pacific Standard TimeFrom:samuel_a_runge@raytheon.comTo:mpfaley@aol.comCC:janr@cei.netSent from the Internet The following form contents were entered on 21st Nov 1Date = 21 Nov 1 21:03:49subject = 100thBG Error Reportmessages = 279email = samuel_a_runge@raytheon.comuname = sam rungecomments = On www.100thbg.com/mainpages/crews/crews4/gilbert.htm: The man stnading 4th from left without a hat was my father George William Runge. You list him as "Gloege". Also there is no mention of my father in your web site. He won the Air Medal, DFC, and Purple Heart. Maybe you can correct this gross mistake.Sam Runge11221 N. Twin Spur Ct.Tucson, AZ 85737



Hi Sam,After receiving your telephone call and also calling both Jan Riddling and David Julian (Dad flew on Lt Gilbert Crew as NAV) I think we have this figured out. Your Dad was originally assigned to the 385th Bomb Group (H) based at Great Ashfield in England. On August 6, 1944, while flying in AC 337528 named "Lady Luck," they were hit by flak. With a damaged aircraft the pilot Lt Donald J. Noe was able to nurse the plane back to England and crash landed the plane at Thelentham UK. Records say the Crew returned to duty and the B-17 was salvaged. Sam, based on your story about your Dad, this is what we feel happened. The August 6th 1944 mission to BERLIN must be the one where your Father bailed out low to the ground after pushing the two injured WG's out (I will check 385th Bomb Group unit history for more info). He broke both legs upon landing and would have been laid up for a very long time. His position on Lt Noe's crew would have been taken by a replacement ROG. Your Dad would have been sent to another hospital in England to recover and upon full recovery, was reassigned to the 100th BG as a replacement ROG. The 100th BG had just lost 12 Crews on December 31, 1944 so hopefully your Dad's paperwork will confirm my theory that he was sent to the 100th as a replacement for these losses. It is around this time that T/Sgt George W. Runge would have been assigned to Lt Gilbert's Crew because Cpl. Donald Gloege was the original ROG on the Gilbert crew but was taken off the Crew after a few missions (reason unknown). That is why we had no records of your Father in our database, he did not come into the 100th with a Crew and was a replacement ROG. We still need from you when your Father was assigned to the 100th BG (and the 385th BG) and if you know how many missions he flew in the 385th before the Aug 6, 1944 mission. You should call David Julian, he can put you in touch with members of your Dad's 100th BG crew. We hope this sheds some light on your Dad's service. We look forward to what you uncover in your Fathers paperwork. Thanks Jan and David for the help piecing this together. Regards,Michael Faley100th Bomb Group Photo Archives 



Subj: 385th BG "Lady Luck"  

Date: 11/27/2001 12:24:37 PM Pacific Standard Time 

From: Samuel_A_Runge@raytheon.com 

To: mpfaley@aol.com 

CC: ornot2b@webtv.com, aurarn@aol.com 

File: pic32391.pcx (305046 bytes) DL Time (31200 bps): < 3 minutes 

Sent from the Internet (Details) 

 

Michael:

I have pasted below an e-mail from the 385th BG historian that show my

father's first seven missions.



Thanks,



Sam Runge



Sam,

That did it! I found him in the 385th records. My records have gaps in

them, but this is what I found:

Mission No. 157 ( 24 Jul 44) Target: St Lo, Ground Support  he flew on the Lt Noe crew as ROG in 42-31864,

Mission No  158 (25 Jul 44)  Target: St Lo, Ground Support in 42-31864.

Mission No  161 (30 Jul 44)  Target: Munich in 42-31864.

Mission No  162 (1 Aug 44)  Target: French Special in 42-31864.

Mission No  164 (4 Aug 44)  Target: Hamburg in 43-37083, However, this is an impossible serial number, although this is what the record says.

Mission No  165 (5 Aug 44)  Target: Magdeburg in 42-102679, "Mississippi Miss".

Mission No  166 (6 Aug 44)  Target: Berlin in 43-37528, "Lady Luck"









Subj: Re: Aircraft puzzle  

Date: 10/17/2002 8:30:57 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

From: MPFaley 

To: david@447bg.com, bomb.group@charter.net, janr@cei.net (Jan Riddling), hnelson@pwhome.com, wcs91@swbell.net (Paul West), barbob.mail@verizon.net 



Dear Michael, 

Tracking the 447th's "Ice Cold Katy," we can establish the original as

42-37824, which ditched in the north sea on 1/11/44.  A subsequent

aircraft was then named "Ice Cold Katy II" of which we have a photo,

without serial number.  A published veteran's account suggests this

could have been 42-31530.

  

Roger Freeman (B-17 Flying Fortress Story) says this aircraft was

assigned to the 100th in January 44, the same time as an otherwise

unidentified "No. 530" begins appearing in 447th missions.  I checked

the serial number list on your web site and found nothing.

  

Have you ever seen any reference to 42-31530 in the 100th?  If not, I'll

assume Freeman is wrong.

  

Best regards, 

David  >>





Hi David,

Throughout February and March 1944 this aircraft was assigned to the 447th Bomb Group flying a total of 12 Missions.  My information has that the aircraft was unnamed during this time but that could be wrong based on your information (let me know?).  On March 6, 1944, flying with the 447th BG to Berlin, she was damaged by flak.  The repairs may have put the aircraft out of commission for a while and then she was transferrd to the 100th BG at the End of March 1944.  She flew her first mission with the 100th BG on April 1st, 1944.  42-31530   was assigned to the 100th BG, 351st Squadron (code EP-X) and was named" Quittin Time"  based on the last 3 digits (530)and flew missions with the group until the end of the war.  She was Slavaged on May 31, 1945.



Hope that helps.



Regards,

Michael Faley

100th Bomb Group PHoto Archives

100th Bomb Group Historian







100th BOMB GROUP TAPS REPORT

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Submitter's Name: Stephen Gilbert

Submitter's Email: gilbertstg@mindspring.com

Submitter's Relationship: Child

=========================

Veteran's Name: Ernest T. Gilbert

Death Date: 31 Aug 2001

Veteran's Unit: 351st

Veteran's Position: Pilot

=========================

Family Contact Information: Steve Gilbert, son

2223 Mesa Verde Drive, Milpitas, Ca  95035

(408) 262-6764

Comments: My dad had few recollections of the war.  He remembered the mission where he gathered the squadron after the leaders were shot down, and brought them together and home, earning his Captains' bars.  He didn't remember any others, and maintained even after seeing photos of badly damaged aircraft, that he had no recollection that the plane was ever hit by enemy fire.