Personnel

CREW



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

2nd Lt. John Dutka               CP   IIC       "

2nd Lt. Floyd E.Hartman         N    IIC       "         POW 29/7/44  MERSEBURG  (TAPS:10 APR 1990) With the Fitzroy crew

2nd Lt. Bennie Epstein           B    IIC       "

 T/Sgt. Floyd O.Douglas         E    IIC      "            KIA  29/7/44    MERSEBURG (with Lt Fitzroy Crew) 

 T/Sgt. Robert D.Longworth   R    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         BT                         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



Note:  This is Lt William Fitzroy's original crew, which was shot down at Merseburg 29 Jul 44.



Lt. William T. "Buzz" Fitzroy           P   POW was on 35th mission

Lt. Robert Dykeman                   CP   KIA    Killed by German civilians, hanged (from Lt Gibbons Crew)

Lt. Floyd  F. Hartman               NAV   POW  (from 2nd Lt.Martin Tashjian Crew) 

 T/Sgt Floyd O. Douglas         TOGG   KIA    Killed by German civilians, hanged  (from 2nd Lt.Martin Tashjian Crew)

 T/Sgt Carmine V. Roberto       ROG   KIA    Killed by 20mm shell (from Lt Gibbons Crew)

 T/Sgt Ira L. Arnold                 TTE   KIA    Killed by German civilians, hanged (from Lt Gibbons Crew)

 S/Sgt Bernard L. Spragg          BTG   POW  (from Lt Gibbons Crew)

   Sgt Frank  W. Buschmeier      WG   POW  (from Lt Gibbons Crew

   Sgt Joseph P. O' Donnell        TG    POW  (from Lt Shelly Crew)



This appears to be  a "Pick - Up" crew.  A/C 42-31537 LN-S "Randie Lou"  Plane was named by Lt Randell Chadwick after his Daughter (she was named after Randell and his Wife Louise "Randie Lou")



W.T. FITZROY STATED HE SAW 12 AMERICANS HANGED AND SHOT BY THE GERMANS ON 29 JUL 44; AMONG THEM WERE DYKEMAN, ARNOLD, AND  FLOYD DOUGLAS.

 

Lt Dykeman, T/Sgt Arnold, Buschmeier, T/Sgt Carmine Roberto, Sgt Frank Buschmeier and S/Sgt Bernard Spragg were from Lt John P.Gibbons crew.  Lt Hartman and T/Sgt Douglas from Lt Martin Tashjian Crew, Sgt  O'Donnell from Lt J.M.Shelly crew and of course Fitzroy was the original co-pilot of the Randel T. Chadwick crew when it joined the 100th on 24 Feb 1944.  



On July 29, 1944, for the second day in a row, B-17's set out for the oil plant at Merseburg.  The formation was led by 1st Lt Herbert Howard and Austin Dunlap on a faulty course which went over Leipzig.  The 100th "A" Group followed the 390th BG.  The formation flew on a southernly course towards Merseburg and was hit in a barrage of extremely heavy flak.  In the next few minutes, the low squadron of the 100th Lead was hard hit, losing 5 of 6 B-17's. Crew members believe FW 190's and ME 109's wee radioing the formations altitude while flying in their own flak.  The "A" Group dropped wide, "B" Group hit the target.  The entire low squadron of the 100th "A" Group failed to return.  There was a 6 8/10th's cloud cover at the target.  The lead A/C was hit by flak before the target causing a formation breakup and many stragglers.  All were presumable lost to enemy fighters after passing over targets of opportunity. Witnesses: Lt Kasselbaum and Lt George Allen reported Lt Fitzroy's A/C blowing up after being hit.  German records indicate that 5 bodies were recovered.



EYEWITNESS:  "No specific information concerning the loss of this A/C is available. The formation leader for this squadron suffered flak damage prior to the target and was forced to jettison his bombs. This may have led to the beaking up of the formation for all became more of less stragglers. All were lost, presumaby to E/A after passing over the target of opportunity."

    Floyd F. Hartman



Hartman's statement  also indicates S/Sgt Carmine V. Roberto was killed before the crew bailed out over Leipzig at approx. 1045 hours.  Lt Fitzroy stated that he had seen 12 Americans Hanged and shot by Germans on the 29th of July, 1944.  Lt Dykeman, T/Sgt Douglas and T/Sgt Ira Arnold  were among them

Appears to be a 'pick-up' crew.  Hartman was normally member of Martin Tashjian Crew.