Personnel

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 "DOC KINDER" IS REMEMBERED FOR HIS GALLANT ATTEMPT TO SAVE THE LIFE OF RICHARD COHEN, WHO WAS PINNED IN THE TAIL OF HIS PLANE BY A LIVE BOMB. KNOWING THE RISK OF EXPLOSION ,DR. KINDER AND  CAPT MAJOR (ORD OFFICER) ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT AND FREED COHEN. HIS INJURIES WERE SO GREAT THAT DR KINDER WAS UNABLE TO SAVE HIS LIFE. THIS MAGNIFICENT SHOW OF COURAGE DID NOT GO UNNOTICED IN THE 100TH IN 1944.. CAPT EMORY C. KINDER, FLIGHT SURGEON, IS NOT FORGOTTEN BY THE 100TH.





MRS HILDA KINDER

I have little doubt that you have all seen the American Red Cross girls uniform 

that is in one of the display cabinets in The Tower. This uniform was worn by Mrs 

Hilda Kinder, wife of the late Doc Kinder, 100th Bomb Group Fliqht Surqeon.

In those days she was Hilda Purse and was a Red Cross girl at Thorpe Abbotts.

Hilda was good enough to present her uniform to the museum.

On Saturday 24th October, Hilda, her sister and nephew visited the museum where 

they were all welcomed and shown around by Mike Harvey. She was obviously thrilled 

to see her uniform still there.



Those of you who have read Century Bombers, The Story of The Bloody Hundredth 

may recall that during May, 1944, a 100th B.G. B.17. 42-107011, piloted by 

Burdette Williams was hit by a lOOlb bomb dropped by a plane in a higher echelon 

as it took evasive action to avoid flak.. The bomb did not explode but embedded 

itself nose down in the tail compartment badly wounding the occupant Raymond 

Cohen.



The plane made it back to Thorpe Abbotts . Captain Robert Major, The Base 

Ordnance Officer moved in to find the tail gunner still breathing but with the 

bomb wedged in along his left side.



The bomb was armed which meant that if the bomb or the gunner were moved there was a 

grave danger of it exploding. Sergeant Earl McCallister got in close to snap pictures, 

Charles James an Ordnance Man, and Private William Copeland, used a length of wire 

threaded through the bomb lug to remove pressure from the nose fuse. Sergeant James 

then loosened the armed tail fuse and handed it to Captain Major.



By this time the medical team had arrived, Captain Kinder, Captain Stover and 

Sergeant John Erp. John Erp immediately requested permission to enter the 

aircraft but was unable to pull the tail gunner free, something was caught.

It was left to Captain Kinder, a slim man, to crawl in and cut the thong from one 

of the gunners boots which had caught on the fuselage. The gunner was removed but 

died soon after being taken to the base hospital.



The bomb in the aircraft was later defused. The book continues, Don Kinder was right 

in there risking life and several other enlisted men and officers took part in the 

affair which was distinctly outside their line of duty.



All were put in for The Soldiers Medal.