Personnel

CREW

                                                MACR #68l  #Mlcrofiche #225



2nd Lt Thomas D. Hummel         P   POW   17/8/43  Regensburg 

2nd Lt Michael C.Doroski            CP  POW   17/8/43  Regensburg 

2nd Lt Archie S.Depew        NAV POW   17/8/43  Regensburg 

2nd Lt Norman Brewster     BOM  POW   17/8/43  Regensburg 

S/Sgt John E.Devich           TTE  Injured in accident on base

S/Sgt Richard E. Bowler         TTE KIA     17/8/43  Regensburg

S/Sgt Nelson O.Gunnar       WG  POW   17/8/43   Regensburg 

S/Sgt Lorenzo D.Bishoff      BTG  Grd Illiness

S/Sgt Francis T. Stafford      BTG POW   17/8/43  Regensburg

S/Sgt Donald J. Meeker      ROG  POW    17/8/43  Regensburg 

S/Sgt Kenneth T.O'Connor    WG  KIA        17/8/43  Regensburg 

S/Sgt Gordon A.Williams         TG  POW      17/8/43  Regensburg 



 350th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group 14/7/43.  The first replacement Crew in the 350th BS.  A/C 42-30311 LN-T "Maybe"



On the Regensburg mission. This crew was flying as left wing to Roy Claytor who was leading the second element of the low squadrin. Truly "tail end Charlie" to not only the 100th Group but the entire Regensburg force. Attacked by e/a about 10 minutes before reaching Nurnburg,Hummel's plane was seen to"blow up" but some chutes were seen. On this final flight of 17/8/43 Devich & Bishoff were replaced by S/Sgt Richard E.Bowler & S/Sgt Francis T.J.Stafford.  Bowler was KIA  and Stafford became a POW. J.E.Devich had sustained a broken wrist and other injuries when one dark night he ran his bicycle into a ditch near the base. "THEY NEVER HAD IT SO G0OD" p.75 notes that ". . . . A last man,Bishoff, was later removed from the crew for hospitalization and his place taken by a spare gunner." See also TNHISG p.81 re Dick Bowler.





Mission List of 2nd Lt Thomas D. Hummel Crew (from 2nd Lt Michael Doroski 2002)



NBR DATE      TARGET                                A/C# & NAME                       COMMENT 

01 24/7/43 TRONDHEIM, NORWAY 

NC 25/7/43 WARNEMUNDE, GERMANY   230047 SWEATER GIRL        ABORT-BOLT STUD MISSING 

NC 26/7/43 HANOVER, GERMANY            25878 BADGER BEAUTY      ABORT-ENGINEER GOT SICK 

NC 28/7/43 OSCHERSLEBEN, GERMANY 25878 BADGER BEAUTY      ABORT-BLOWN SUPERCHARGER 

02 29/7/43 WARNEMUNDE, GERMANY     23233 OUR BABY  

03 30/7/43 KASSEL, GERMANY                 23233 OUR BABY 

04 12/8/43 WESSELING, GERMANY          25878 BADGER BEAUTY 

05 15/8/43 MERVILLE & LILLE, FR           230311 MAYBE 

06 17/8/43 REGENSBURG, GERMANY    230311 MAYBE 





Eyewitness report:  "Saw Hummel blow up about 10 minutes before reaching Nurenburg at Bad  Mergerheim."

                                                                                 Lt.J.K.Justice



"Hummel's A/C blew up 20 minutes before target. Three chutes seen".

                                                                                  Lt.B.A.DeMarco



Sgt. Bowler was badly wounded by ME 109 and probably died during descent in chute or upon landing. Sgt.O'Connor,it is  believed by crew members did not jump although able to do so. Lt. Doroski said that O'connor had remarked to him that he was "afraid to ever jump from the plane". This was the fifth mission for O'Connor and the second for Bowler,



Mission List of 2nd Lt Thomas D. Hummel Crew (from 2nd Lt Michael Doroski 2002)



     DATE              TARGET                        A/C NUMBER & NAME   COMMENT



1. 24/7/43 TRONDHEIM,  NORWAY

    25/7/43 WARNEMUNDE, GERMANY       230047  SWEATER GIRL  ABORT-BOLT STUD MISSING

    26/7/43 HANOVER, GERMANY              25878   BADGER BEAUTY  ABORT-ENGINEER GOT SICK,VOMITED IN OXYGEN MASK

    28/7/43 OSCHERSLEBEN,GERMANY       25878   BADGER BEAUTY  ABORT-BLOWN SUPERCHARGER

2. 29/7/43 WARNEMUNDE, GERMANY       23233   OUR BABY

3. 30/7/43 KASSEL, GERMANY                 23233   OUR BABY

4. 12/8/43 WESSELING,  GERMANY          25878  BADGER BEAUTY

5 15/8/43 MERVILLE & LILLE, FR              230311

6. 17/8/43 REGENSBURG, GERMANY         230311







Thomas Dale Hummel, 1st Lt. (first replacement crew in his squadron to arrive at T/A)

Born 10/18/19

Died 11/11/01 in Nashville,TN  (how fitting on Veterans Day)

Air Medal

DFC

POW 21 months Stalag Luft IIIA

7 combat missions before being shot down



From Dorski Book: The photo is dated June 23rd, and according to Doroski's book ;

 Our orders for our movement arrived and the first leg was to Bangor.

 They picked up the new ship. On June 25th,the base maintenance signed off on their request and painted MAYBE on the ship and released it back to them. They flew it to Bovington and the ship was taken from them. They were disappointed since they painted the name on it…That date was June 29,1943… . They then got a 3-day pass to London They stayed at Bovington for two weeks, arrived at T/A on July 14,1943





Mike,

 

Gordon Williams, the TG put things behind him after the war. Never went to any reunions of POW's or any other types. It was too stressful to think about and he felt it affected his heartrate,now thinks it was very much like PTS.

I was going to ask him to write down his experiences but I wouldn't want him to get sick over it. He's 88 and taking care of his ill spouse.

 

He DID say that book is wrong on a lot of issues. He told me that when he went to T/A in the 90's he wanted to clear the record on O'Connor. He doesn't believe O'Connor was afraid to jump or would ever say that to anyone,esp. the CP. Remember O'Connor hung around with Williams and the other NCO's and talked a lot with them about many things over drinks. Gordon also said that Tom Hummel put a chute on the TTE and got him out of the plane. He also claims the bombardier told him that when he was on the ground.



Gordon Williams told Carole Nichols,Hummel's daughter that Doroski was a "me" person high on himself.

 

Jack. 



ABORTS:

Doroski's book has some answers on their aborts which you will find very, very interesting,especially his confrontion temper tantrum with Jack Kidd when according to Michael,  Kidd said:  what's your excuse this time?. After an abort and Doroski threw his life vest on the ground and bitched about the poor condition B-17 they got.



Buck Cleven didn't take his word for it either and took their ship up himself to check it out...According to Doroski he agreed it was not airworthy and condemed the ship  for spare parts use only.  Doroski never uses or refers to the first pilot of the ship Tom Hummel though all this.In fact you would think Doroski was giving all the orders in the ship with some of his comments.