Personnel

CREW



Capt Leon " Lee" S. Jacobs             P  FEH

1st Lt Donald D.Daniels                 CP  FEH  Taps: 07 Mar 1969 (Married AAF Nurse, FrancisWool at Diss July 14, 1945)

 2nd Lt Harry Jolliff Jr.                 NAV  FEH  Taps: 02 Nov 2002     

2nd Lt Anthony J.Shiurba            BOM FEH  Went on to become a Lead Bomb. 

   T/Sgt Charles W.Johnson         ROG  FEH 

   T/Sgt Paul R.Chandler              TTE  FEH

   S/Sgtl Anthony V.Trovato        BTG  FEH

   S/Sgtl Andrew A.Pearce,Jr.       WG   FEH

   S/Sgtl Marlon R.Calton               TG  FEH



 418th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 08 JAN 1945

Lyle Piehl, M/SGT -- Crew Chief of Lady Geraldine… Arlington, SD

Lt Shiurba was replaced on the Crew by a T/Sgt Angelo Alfier (TOG) from Lt Hellerich's crew.  

Jacobs Crew Flew "Lady Geraldiine"  (completed 27 combat and 2 food drop missions)



In a letter dated Dec 26, 2007, Angelo (Alexander) A. Alfier explains his training and combat position:



Alexander A. Affier

Major, USAF Retired



December 26,2007



I always enjoy going to the 100thBG web site; however, I would like to comment on  my assignment to the Group. (Incidentally, my given name at that time was Angelo A. Alfier.) My initial gunnery training was in the ball turret position, which occurred sometimes in 1994.  Sometimes in the middle of the year I was selected to train as a TOGGELIER.  This position was established to replace commissioned officer



bombardier position.  This occurred because the pattern bombing technique used did not need a bombardier in each plane. Bombardiers and the use of the bomb site was only needed in the Lead Crew positions.  However, toggeliers did control bomb release but did not use a bombsight.  Bomb release was done with manual switches and signals given by smoke bombs that were released from the group's lead planes.



Initially, I was assigned to Carl Hellerich's crew and did crew training in Rapid City, S.D.  This crew training consisted primarily of duties for the pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer, and radio operator.  The rest of the crew was there for crew unity and esprit de corps. Our crew went over seas sometime in December of 1944 and we flew our fist mission in January 1945.  On all missions I flew as a toggelier. I never flew as a waist gunner.



After approximately five missions, Carl Herrerrich was chosen to move up to Lead Crew and therefore a bombardier and new navigators were assigned to the crew.  This meant that I did not have a crew assignment.  After a short time I was assigned to a group of people who acted as "spares".  All bomb groups had this structure because of sudden crew vacancies that continually occurred for various reasons.  I flew in this status for approximately ten missions.



I was then permanently assigned to Lee Jacobs' crew as their toggelier. Also, incidentally, Lee's bombardier, Anthony Shurba, was assigned to Carl Hellerich's crew when he was selected as one of the group lead crews.  I flew with this crew until the end of the European War.  I flew 21 combat missions and some food drop missions to Holland.



The toggelier was responsible for all of the armor (guns, bomb, etc) on the plane, take the periodic crew oxygen check, remove all fuse safety pins from the fuses prior to arriving at the enemy air space, while monitoring all switch panels to insure that the bombs were released on time.  Also being able to release bombs manually during electrical failure by walking out on a narrow catwalk while holding an oxygen bottle in one hand when all of the bomb bay doors are open.  Also he was responsible for dropping the special anti-personnel time fused bombs that had special release procedures to ensure that they were released in specific areas when missions were cancelled.  The bombs could not be left in the aircraft for seventy two hours.  Note that that toggelier also manned the nose guns and or the chin turret on the late models of the B-17.  Again, note these same duties were performed by the commissioned bombardier.



In reference to the rank of the toggelier, at this time the 100th Bomb Group Table of Organization (T07E) identified the rank of the toggelier as Technical Sergeant along with the position of flight engineer.  All of the other ranks were Staff Sergeant. To sum up, I was trained as a ball turret gunner and a toggelier.  I was never trained as a waist gunner and I never flew combat as a ball turret gunner.  I flew as a trained toggelier with the rank of Technical Sergeant.

**************************************************************************************************************





Missions of the L.S. Jacobs crew

data supplied by Anthony Trovato in 1993



 No# date   targets

 1. 06 feb 45   Chemnitz 

 2. 09 feb 45   Weimar

 3. 23 feb 45   TREUCHTLINGEN

 4. 24 FEB 45   BREMEN

 5. 26 FEB 45   BERLIN

 6. O3 MAR 45  BRUNSWICK

 7. O7 MAR 45  SIEGAN 

 8. 08 MAR 45  GIESSEN

 9. 09 MAR 45  FRAKFURT

 10. 11 MAR 45  HAMBURG

 11. 14 MAR 45  HANOVER

 12. 12 MAR 45  SWINNEMUNDE

 12B, 18 MAR 45  BERLIN

 14. 19 MAR 45  FULDA & JENA

 15. 22 MAR 45  AHLORN

 16. 23 MAR 45  UNNA

 17. 24 MAR 45  STEENWIJK (MISSION FLOWN IN A.M. OF 24 MAR 45)

 18. 24 MAR 45  ZIEGENHAIN (MISISON FLOWN IN P.M. OF 24 MAR 45)

 19. 28 MAR 45  HANOVER

 20. 03 APR 45   KEIL

 21. 04 APR 45   KEIL

 22. 05 APR 45   NURNBURG

 23. 07 APR 45   BUCHEN

 24. 08 APR 45   EGER, CZECH.

 25. 10 APR 45   BURG-

 26. 11 APR 45   LANDSHUT

 27. 17 APR 45   AUSSIG





  FOOD DROP MISSIONS



 1. 02 MAY 45  ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND

 2. 03 MAY 45  AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND

 3. 06 MAY 45  HAGUE

 4. UNKNOWN  POW MISSION (FRENCH POWS FROM LINZ, AUSTRIA TO ORLY, PARIS FR.)





The following form contents were entered on 8th Nov 2

Date = 8 Nov 2 17:21:33

subject = TAPS REPORT

messages = 830

EMAIL = starrngr@aol.com

UNAME = Micheal Feeney

DIED = Harry Jolliff Jr.

DEATH_DATE = 2 Nov 2002

UNIT = 418th

COMMENTS = Died after open heart surgery.  Family can be contacted via submitting e-mail address or mjolliff34@aol.com



****************************************************************************************************************

CREW



2nd Lt Carl E.Hellerlch           P  FEH   (spelled Hellrich in some reports)

2nd Lt Eddie W.Whitney   CP  FEH:

2nd Lt Eldred N.Stein     NAV  FEH  TAPS 10 JAN 69

T/Sgt Angelo A.Alfier     TOG  FEH ( toggler on the Crew until they became Lead Crew, then went to spare gunner/tog pool and eventually to Lee Jacobs Crew) 

T/Sgt James J.Finn         ROG  FEH

T/Sgt W.W. "Pete" Miller   TTE  FEH

S/Sgt Glenn L.Hatfield       BTG  FEH  TAPS 27 MAR 87

S/Sgt Robert L.Blair,Jr.     WG  FEH

S/Sgt Wlliam A.Platzner       TG  FEH  TAPS 05 SEP 87 



418th Sqdn.  Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 21/1/45. See p.166"CONTXAILS" Crew 

flew final mission of 100th Group on 20/4/45.  Leroy W.Duncan from the Appleton crew (Nav) 

flew a number of missions with this crew. Including that of 20/4/45.



On Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 1:59 PM, Cindy Goodman  wrote:



Guys,

 

I'm going to type a letter that was sent to Jan that she gave to me. It is from:

Alexander A. Affier

Major, USAF Retired

132 Woodgate Rd.

Middletown, N. J. 07748



 December 26,2007

Hi, Jan;

 

I always enjoy going to the 100thBG web site; however, I would like to comment on the inaccurateness concerning my assignment to the Group. (Incidentally, my given name at that time was Angelo A. Alfier.)

 

The Web site data base shows me as a waist gunner on Carl Hellerich's crew and does not show me on Lee Jacob's crew.  That information is not accurate!

 

My initial gunnery training was in the ball turret position, which occurred sometimes in 1994.  Sometimes in the middle of the year I was selected to train as a TOGGELIER.  This position was established to replace commissioned officer bombardier position.  This occurred because the pattern bombing technique used did not need a bombardier in each plane.  Bombardiers and the use of the bomb site was only needed in the Lead Crew positions.  However, toggeliers did control bomb release but did not use a bombsight.  Bomb release was done with manual switches and signals given by smoke bombs that were released from the group's lead planes.

 

Initially, I was assigned to Carl Hellerich's crew and did crew training in Rapid City, S.D.  This crew training consisted primarily of duties for the pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer, and radio operator.  The rest of the crew was there for crew unity and esprit de corps.

 

Our crew went over seas sometime in December of 1944 and we flew our fist mission in January 1945.  On all missions I flew as a toggelier. I never flew as a waist gunner.

 

After approximately five missions, Carl Herrerrich was chosen to move up to Lead Crew and therefore a bombardier and new navigator were assigned to the crew.  This meant that I did not have a crew assignment.  After a short time I was assigned to a group of people who acted as "spares".  All bomb groups had this structure because of sudden crew vacancies that continually occurred for various reasons.  I flew in this status for approximately ten missions.

 

I was then permanently assigned to Lee Jacobs' crew as their toggelier. Also, incidentally, Lee's bombardier, Anthony Shurba, was assigned to Carl Hellerich's crew when he was selected as one of the group lead crews.  I flew with this crew until the end of the European War.  I flew 21 combat missions and some food drop missions to Holland.

 

The toggelier was responsible for all of the armor (guns, bomb, etc) on the plane, take the period crew oxygen check, remove all fuse safety pins from the fuses prior to arriving at the enemy air psace, while monitoring all switch panels to insure that the bombs were released on time.  Also being able to release bombs manually during electrical failure by walking ou on a narrow catwalk while holding an oxygen bottle in one hand when all of the bomb bay doors are open.  Also he was responsible for dropping the special anti-personnel time fused bombs that had special release procedures to ensure that the were released in specific areas when missions were cancelled.  The bombs could not be left in the aircraft for seventy two hours.  Note that that toggelier also manned the nose guns and or the chin turret on the late madels of the B-17.  Again, note these same duties were performed by the commissioned bombardier.

 

In reference to the rank of the toggelier, at this time the 100th Bomb Group Table of Organization (T07E) identified the rank of the toggelier as Technical Sergeant along with the position of flight engineer.  All of the other ranks were Staff Sergeant.

 

To sum up, I was trained as a ball turret gunner and a toggelier.  I was never trained as a waist gunner and I never flew combat as a ball turret gunner.  I flew as a trained toggelier with the rank of Technical Sergeant.

 

If you can change the information in the database it would be accurate, informative and hopefully interesting.  AS a final note, the Bomb Group should do more research of their archives and devote more to gathering information that depict the whole pictures of the part the Toggelies played in the bombing effort of the Army Air Forces of WWII.  Thank you, Alexander A. Affier