Personnel

CREW





    Lt Carl J.Hedin                        P    NOC

    Lt John S.Norton                   CP   CPT   2/10/44  KASSEL

    Lt Merrill W.Toburen             NAV  CPT   21/1/45  MANNHIEM (BRIDGES)

    Lt Everett E.Linn                 BOM   CPT   17/3/45  RUHLAND & PLAUEN (with pick up crew, Lt knowles-Pilot)

 S/Sgt George J.Robinson         ROG    KIA     31/12/44 HAMBURG

 S/Sgt James W.Shepard          TTE    KIA    31/12/44 HAMBURG

   Sgt Leo O.Murphy                BTG   POW  31/12/44  HAMBURG

   Sgt Fred Horcasitas                WG   KIA    31/12/44  HAMBURG

   Sgt Frank S.Sauls                    TG   POW  31/12/44  HAMBURG



351st Sqdn.  Crew,as above, appears as Crew #50 on Combat Crew Roster of 18/9/44. On 5/8/44 Norton was CP on the 

crew of N.P.Scott and Toburen was NAV on the crew of J.P.Ernst.



The five above enlisted men were with the crew of Floyd E.Henderson on 31/12/44. Henderson, himself,was CP on the 

crew of R.L.Stevenson when that crew joined the 100th Group on 14/7/44. When this crew arrived at the 100th in late 

July 1944, the CP was 2nd Lt.Milton H. LaFranchi who CPT on 4/3/45. Also on the crew was Cpl. John R.Nickolls,a gunner.





CREW

On the  31 DEC 44 ( HAMBURG) mission,  FLOYD E. HENDERSON was the first pilot of this crew..Appears mainly that of Carl J. HEDIN…jb



A/C #42-31066 "Fools Rush In"  MACR #11366, MICRO-FICHE #4183



2ND LT FLOYD E. HENDERSON            P     KIA 31 DEC 44    HAMBURG

2nd  Lt   Richard W. King                   CP    KIA 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

2nd   Lt   George J. Smigo, Jr          NAV    POW 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

S/Sgt  Elmer L. Kovach                    TOG    KIA 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

S/Sgt George J.Robinson                  ROG    KIA 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

 S/Sgt James W.Shepard                  TTE     KIA 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

   Sgt Leo O.Murphy                        BTG    POW  31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

   Sgt Fred Horcasitas                       WG      KIA 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

   Sgt Frank S.Sauls                           TG    POW 31 DEC 44  HAMBURG





EYEWITNESS:  "A/C 42-31066 received a direct hit by flak just before "Bombs Away" , and the bombs were salvoed. 

                       The A/C fell off on the right wing and dropped onto A/C #43-38124 piloted by Lt Clifton M. Williams.

                        Both aircraft went down in flames  and one exploded"