Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt James C. Adair             P        CPT   25/2/45  MUNICH, MY             sn# O-765896

2nd Lt Elmer G. Wesala          CP       CPT   25/2/45  MUNICH, MY             sn# O-771179

2nd Lt Benjamin J. Goddard   NAV      CPT   25/2/45  MUNICH, MY             sn# O-2060501  

2nd Lt Milton J. Brucker        BOM      CPT   25/2/45  MUNICH, MY              sn# O-777429

Cpl Conley E. Culpepper       TTE        CPT     25/2/45  MUNICH, MY            sn# 38508301

Cpl Dewitt P.Meley               ROG       CPT     25/2/45  MUNICH, MY            sn# 13106958

Cpl James E. Hendrix            BTG       CPT     25/2/45  MUNICH, MY            sn# 39297502

Cpl James H. Horny              WG        CPT   25/2/45  MUNICH, MY               sn# 38461218

Cpl Glenn J. Babcock            WG        NOC    Taken off to reduce crew to 9  sn# 17118150

Cpl David M. Dalgarn             TG         CPT     25/2/45  MUNICH, MY            sn# 17006218



349th Sqdn. This crew joined the 100th Gp on 23/9/44.  Flew overseas B-17G 43-38480   This Aircraft was assigned to the 493rd Bomb Group at Debach and was lost on Sept 30, 1944.  Lt Adair flew 20 of their missions in "532" which was nicknamed "Little Sweetheart" and  was later called "Kleen Sweep" by Hal Switzer's Crew. 



Missions of 1st  Lt James Adair



#     DATE      TARGET                      A/C                                      COMMENTs



1.   12/10/44  Bremen                      681   Grumblin Gremlin III         FW 190 parts Factory          

2.   15/10/44  Cologne                     011   The Reluctant Dragon      Marshalling Yards

3.   19/10/44  Ludwigshaven             987   The Little Skipper            RR Yds, Bomb Bay doors stuck open, #3 eng. Burned out

4.   22/10/44  Munster                     215    The Grumblin Gremlin      RR Yds

      25/10/44  Heligoland                  211    no name                       Recalled after assembly

5.   26/10/44  Hanover                     535    no name                       Tank and Gun factory                 

6.   02/11/44  Merseburg                  987    The Little Skipper           Oil 

7.   05/11/44  Ludwigshaven             986    Once In A While             Chem. Plant, Chaff Ship, Landed at ? Because of strong winds

8.   06/11/44  Neumunster               295     White Cargo                  Marshalling Yards 

9.   16/11/44  Langerwehe (Aachen) 313     Lil Butch                        Landed with 120 Gal of gas

10. 21/11/44  Osnabruck                  535     no name                       RR Yds

11. 26/11/44  Hamm                        073    That's All Brother            RR Yds

12. 02/12/44  Koblenz                      681    Grumblin Gremlin III         Recalled after passing sortie line

13. 04/12/44  Friedburg                    987    The Little Skipper           RR Yds

14. 05/12/44  Berlin                         987    The Little Skipper           Tank & Gun factory, Hendrix and Horny passed out from anoxia.       

15. 12/12/44  Darmstadt                  532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds, 2nd Element Lead

16. 18/12/44  Mainz                         532     Little Sweetheart           Brought Bombs Back

17. 24/12/44  Biblis                          532     Little Sweetheart           Airfield Plastered

18. 25/12/44  Kaiserlautern               532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds

19. 28/12/44  Koblenz                      532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds

20. 29/12/44  Frankfurt                    532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds No 3 in Low Element

21. 30/12/44  Kassel                        230     no name                       Aborted-No1 Eng burned out                   

22. 03/01/45  Fulda                         532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds

23. 05/01/45  Frankfurt                    532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds, Low Element Lead

24. 07/01/45  Cologne                     532     Little Sweetheart           Drove over primary, hit Limburg                                  

25. 20/01/45  Heilbronn                   532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds, Deputy Lead

26. 21/01/45  Mannheim                  532     Little Sweetheart           RR Yds, Low Lead

27. 29/01/45  Kassel                        532     Little Sweetheart          2nd Element Lead

28. 09/02/45  Weimar                      532     Little Sweetheart          Arm Plant, 2nd Element Lead

29. 14/02/45  Chemnitz                    532    Little Sweetheart           RR Yds, Low Element Lead

30. 15/02/45  Cottbus                      532    Little Sweetheart           RR Yds

31. 20/02/45  Nurnburg                    532    Little Sweetheart           no comment

32. 21/02/45  Nurnburg                    532    Little Sweetheart           no comment

33. 23/02/45  Trenchtlingen              532    Little Sweetheart           RR Yds

34. 24/02/45  Bremen                       532   Little Sweetheart           RR Bridge

35. 25/02/45  Munich                        532   Little Sweetheart           RR Yds. FINIS



Lt Adair's Medals: Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Cluster

ETO Ribbon with one Battle Star



NOTES from Lt Jim Adair's Pilot Log Book:



Assignment and Training of the Crew were in Sioux City Iowa from 6/44 to 9/44.  Crew members were previously trained for their positions at various bases. Milton Brucker came from a Bombardier training base in Texas.  In September 1944, the crew was sent to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick up a new B-17G.  From Lincoln the Crew flew to Syracuse, N.Y. to fuel, then onward to Grenier field, New Hampshire.  From there, departed for Presque Newfoundland.  Had to return to Grenier Field after detecting a faulty fuel Pump.  Waited 8 Days for a replacement to come in.  Finally left September 12th for Goose Bay, Newfoundland (5 hour, 40 minute flight).  Stayed overnight, left September 14th, flying to Meeks Field in Iceland (8 hr Flight).  Stayed at Meeks Field overnight (nothing but C rations for Food).  Left Iceland September 16th, heading for Wales (5 hours 40 minutes).



The takeoff from Iceland was extremely hazardous due to the strong cross winds and boulders along side of the runway, Very Scary!!!  Had to take off at 70mph substantially less that usual take off speed because of strong cross winds and boulders alongside the runway.  Pilot told the control tower of the dangers in that particular runway hoping there might be a better choice for future takeoffs.  Arrived in Wales 5 1/2 hours later, left the new plane in Wales and boarded a train for Thorpe Abbotts Air Base.  Beginning October 5, 1944, Practice missions 30 minutes to 3 1/2hrs in length were scheduled.



First Bombing Mission was 10/12/44 to Bremen, Germany, Flying time 6 hrs 20 minutes.  Bombing raids usually had 27-36 Planes from the 100th flying in formation plus other Groups from England making 1200 planes total on a mission.  Target in Bremen was FW 190 parts factory.  Battle of Bulge had 3000 plus planes from the Eighth Air Force flying that Mission.  The only encounter our crew had with a German fighter plane (ME 262) WAS WHEN A German fighter pilot flew through our formation undetected due to heavy contrails.  He flew close enough to our plane for us to see his face.  Our gunners shot at him but he was probably flying 120 miles an hour faster and vanished in an instant.



The Pilots log went through censors and some of the data was deleted.  Censoring was done before V-E Day and at a time when our 35 Missions were already completed.



My Worst Three Missions were:



No1.   Bremen: WE discovered there was real flak out there and realized we could get killed!!!!

No 6   Merseburg: A refinery was heavily protected by flak guns brought in by rail. I witnessed one of our planes go down in flames

No 35 Munich: This was our last mission. Heavy Flak trailed us just 200 feet to one side during a long bomb run.  A plane just above us caught fire on #2 engine.  The bombardier jumped out immediately--afraid of an explosion.  The pilot of his plane made it back to base.  The Bombardier ended up a POW (it was actually to have been his last scheduled mission).  

My Crew felt very fortunate to complete 35 Missions without a casualty.  However, in the future age and illness took their toll.

James E. Hendrix, ball-turret gunner – SN# 39297502

Born: 27 Aug 1924 – Scott County, Ark.

Died: 19 May 1996 – Covina, Calif.

 

Crewmate comment:

“Hendrix was fairly shy and didn’t say a whole lot when you first met him. You had to have the right frame of mind down in that tight space [of the ball turret] and I was never really all that comfortable in there ... Guess it suited him. He could sit all curled up in there with his knees in his chin for hours. He and Jim Horny [waist gunner] were pretty close [buddies].” – Conley E. Culpepper

 

Crewmate comment:

“After my Dad passed away, I received a lovely letter from Jim Adair [the crew's pilot]. He told me that my Dad got airsick every time they flew … but that he never complained and when it was time to man the turret, you could always count on him. …” – Jim’s daughter, Sharon Hendrix Enos, via email of 11 March 2014