Personnel

CREW



CREW OF A.J. HARRIS BEFORE HE WAS INTERNED AND RETURNED TO OPERATIONS.. VERY RARE OCCURRENCE



2nd Lt Arthur J.Harris                P       20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE   (Sweden) 

2nd Lt John Dutka                   CP      20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN           INTERNEE

F/O Morrls C.West                  NAV     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

2nd Lt Albert A.Marchiondo     BOM     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

T/Sgt Rene L.Tujague            ROG     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

T/Sgt Alvin Grasshoff              TTE     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt Donald A.Petrecca         BTG     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt Lester L.Errett              RWG    20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt John A.Martin               LWG    20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt Frederick J.Kaczynski      TG      20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE



350th Sqdn. Crew,as above,is taken from the MACR #2427  microfiche # 807.

Crew was flying 42-39792 LN-X "HALF & HALF"  



On 20/2/44,this crew apparently flying with 95th BG. This plane was hit by Fighters and then by flak at the target: Settin.  Lt Harris pulled out of formation in high sqdn. at 5430N   1150E and later was seen to go down into undercast with #2 engine on fire.



This Crew did make it to Sweden and crash landed at Toftshogsgard where they were briefly interned. A statement made by Sgt. Donald Petrecca on 17 Nov.1944 is as follows:  ". . . Entire crew except pilot are returned to duty are now in the U.S. I have seen them in U.K. and off to the States. Pilot was returned to U.K. one month after being interned. . . . . Have seen official reports telling of Pilot (Harris) having flown missions after being taken out of Sweden was shot down and is now a Prisoner of War in Germany."



The statement relative to Lt.Harris was absolutely correct. On 24/5/44,flying as CP (actually as tail gunner/Formation Officer) with a crew piloted by Capt.J.R.Geary, Harris was shot down and made a POW. See Geary info below.



This crew joined the 100th Group on 1/12/43. At that time the CP was 2nd Lt James M.Stanley, the NAV was 2nd Lt Richard R.Powell and the BOM was 2nd Lt Charles R.Fond. Powell was KIC on 29/1/44 with crew of L.C.Marks. No further record of Stanley & Fond.



Subj: Crew Photo of Half and Half  

Date: 6/28/2005 4:42:48 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

From: catznjamz@CHARTER.NET 

To: MPFaley@aol.com 

Sent from the Internet (Details) 

 

Hey Mike,

Never say never! I have located a crew photo of the ORIGINAL Arthur Harris crew, as formed in Moses Lake, WA. It is not that great, but it is all I have found so far. The names are on the second jpg. I'll keep looking for another one. Again, this is not the crew as it went down in Sweden. The co-pilot in this picture decided it was hazardous to his health after the first mission and resigned his commision. The bombadier, who was Jewish, decided going down in Occupied Territory was a really bad idea, so he resigned his commision (or asked to be reassigned) after his 2nd mission. The navigator was in a hurry to get back home, so he volunteered to fly an extra mission with another crew and the plane crashed during takeoff, killing all onboard. This info and picture come from the pilot, Arthur J. Harris, who is alive and kicking in Billings, Montana.



More as I get it, Jon Martin



CREW



Capt James R.Geary                P          POW   24/5/44    BERLIN

Major  Maurice J.Fitzgerald     CMD P     POW   24/5/44    BERLIN

1st Lt Arthur J.Harris              CP         POW   24/5/44    BERLIN (Flying as Formation Officer in Tail) (SEE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON HARRIS)

1st Lt A.Edwin Stern,Jr.        BOM       POW   24/5/44    BERLIN

2nd Lt Dort B.Payne             NAV       POW   24/5/44    BERLIN

 T/Sgt Louis Paltrineri            ROG      POW    24/5/44    BERLIN (WIA)  (From the E.McKay crew)

 T/Sgt Francis Acker              BTG      POW    24/5/44    BERLIN           (From the E.McKay crew)

 S/Sgt Carl F.Schuster            TTE      POW    24/5/44    BERLIN           (From the E.McKay crew)

 S/Sgt John E.Trout              RWG     POW    24/5/44    BERLIN (WIA) (From the E.McKay crew) 

 S/Sgt Jack W.Domenig         LWG     POW    24/5/44    BERLIN  (WIA  (From the E.McKay crew)



350th Sqdn.  On 24/5/44 this was the lead ship of the Group formation. Major Fitzgerald was C.O. of the 

350th and Capt Geary was a pilot who had completed a tour of operations with the 390th Bomb Group and 

then been assigned to the 100th. Lt.A.J.Harris,as pilot of his own crew had been interned in Sweden on 

20/2/44 with his crew but apparently had gotten back to Thorpe Abbotts by some means. It seems most 

unusual that he would have been allowed to fly over Europe again because,for security reasons,Evadees & 

Internees were invariably sent back to the U.S.A.



This crew bailed out over Ludwigslust,Germany and all were captured.



The 100th lost nine aircraft this day. MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY (p.249) says "Opposed by some 200 

E/A,100BG became separated from bomber stream by weather and contrails and were subjected to heavy 

attack."



Original Crew of Lt Dutka:



CREW



2nd Lt.Martin Tashjian           P       IIC   4/12/43     KIA    15/3/44  BRUNSWICK

2nd Lt. John Dutka              CP      IIC       "         INT      20/2/44  POSEN & SETTIN  (INTERNEE W/ A.J. HARRIS)

2nd Lt. Floyd E.Hartman     NAV      IIC       "         POW    29/7/44  MERSEBURG  (TAPS:10 APR 1990) 

2nd Lt. Bennie Epstein       BOM      IIC       "

 T/Sgt. Floyd O.Douglas      TTE      IIC      "          KIA       29/7/44  MERSEBURG

 T/Sgt. Robert D.Longworth  ROG   IIC       "          KIA      15/3/44  BRUNSWICK(With Devore)

   Sgt. Wilbur W.  Palmer     WG

   Sgt. John H.White           WG                           POW      6/3/44  BERLIN  (with J.Lautenschlager)

   Sgt. James S.Morrow       BTG                           KIA       24/5/44 BERLIN  (with D.S.Pearson)

   Sgt. Lucien E.Neveu         TG



 Crew,as above,joined the 100th BG (351st Sqdn.) on 1/12/43.  On 4/12/43 Crew was IIC = Injured in a crash of a 100th aircraft.



Original Crew of Lt Marchiondo:



2nd Lt Herbert A.Alf                     P   POW  29/4/44 SOTTEVAST (With Crew of W.G.Lakin & COL KELLY)

1st Lt Kenneth L.Rasmussen        CP   NOC

2nd Lt Raymond B.Phaneuf         N     NOC

2nd Lt Albert A.Marchiondo      BOM   INTERNEE   20/2/44 POSEN & SETTIN (With crew of A.J.Harrls)

   Sgt Jimison T.Pyles               TTE   NOC

   Sgt Carmine V.Roberto          ROG  KIA   29/7/44 MERSEBURG  (With crew of W.T.Fitzroy)

   Sgt Francis J.Flemm, Jr           BTG  NOC

   Sgt Jerome H.Gordon             WG  CPT

   Sgt Herschel P.Lowe              WG  CPT        (With crew of D..C.Rice)

   Sgt Joseph C.Krusienskl           TG  KIA   6/3/44 BERLIN (With crew of D.Radtke)



418th Sqdn. Crew,as above, joined the 100th Group on 1/12/43



It would appear that this crew was "broken up" soon after it came to the 

100th.  Letter from Gordon 26/1/91 says Rasmussen .RFS soon after arrival in Eng. 

because of ulcers & returned to ZI. Crew then broken up and members flew 

as replacements with other crews. Gordon flew 5 missions in three months 

then was grounded because of (anoxia?) despite his official protest.

FLYING A PILOT OF HIS OWN CREW ON  20 FEB 44 POSEN (POLAND)   LT HARRIS IS INTERNED AND RETURNS TO THORPE  ABBOTTS ONE MONTH LATER  

SEE MACR AND CASUALTY REPORT NUMBER   02427  FOR MORE INFO



CREW OF A.J. HARRIS BEFORE HE WAS INTERNED AND RETURNED TO OPERATIONS.. VERY RARE OCCURRENCE



2nd Lt Arthur J.Harris                P       20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE   (Sweden) 

2nd Lt John Dutka                   CP      20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

F/O Morrls C.West                  NAV     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

2nd Lt Albert A.Marchiondo     BOM     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

T/Sgt Rene L.Tujague            ROG     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

T/Sgt Alvin Grasshoff              TTE     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt Donald A.Petrecca         BTG     20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt Lester L.Errett              RWG    20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt John A.Martin               LWG    20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE

S/Sgt Frederick J.Kaczynski      TG      20 FEB 44      POSEN & SETTIN          INTERNEE



350th Sqdn. Crew,as above,is taken from the MACR #2427  microfiche # 807.

Crew was flying 42-39792 LN-X "HALF & HALF"