Personnel

CREW



AIRCRAFT 42-31735, LUCKY LEE, SHOT DOWN DURING FIGHTER ATTACK NEAR HASELUENNE AT APPROX 1200 HOURS.  A/C CRASHED NEAR BAKUM. TWO KIA, EIGHT BAILED OUT AND WERE TAKEN PRISONER.



             CREW OF 42-31735 "LUCKY LEE



         BERLIN: 6 MAR 1944





2ND LT GEORGE W. BRANNAN       P POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN

2ND LT BURTRAM B. ALLEY, JR.       CP RFS     (MEDICAL, nervous breakdown after 5th mission…Brannon)

2ND LT CLYDE F. DALE            NAV KIA 6 MAR 44 BERLIN (Buried in Oldenburg, Grave 276)

2ND LT LOUIS J. DENISCO        BOM POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN

 T/SGT WILLIAM F. TEAFF        ROG POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN (Died as a POW,  6 JUL 44 from rneumatic fever)

 T/SGT WALTER AUSTIN          TTE POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN

    SGT CHARLES F. ELLIOTT     BTG POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN (flying as WG on Mar 6, 1944)

    SGT ARTHUR J. PALLAS         WG CPT

    SGT ORVILLE A. KNAPP         WG NOC SWA on Dec 30, 1943 Ludwigshaven

    SGT ROBERT L. GREENLEAF      TG POW 6 MAR 44 BERLIN



351st Sqdn.  Crew, as above, joined the 100th Gp on 1 Dec 1943. 

On 6 Mar 44 Lt Thomas Leslie from the crew of L.G. Lacy replaced Lt Alley and was KIA (Buried in Oldenburg, Grave 277).  Sgt Robyn Fulton (on his 17th mission) of the C.W.Floyd crew flew as BTG. Sgt Elliott, the crews regular BTG,  flew as a WG.  Sgt Howard T. Larimore (on his 15th mission) flew as WG in place of Orville A. Knapp and became a POW.  According to Lt Brannan, the crew flew 13 missions. "Lt Alley had a nervous breakdown on the 5th mission and I never saw him again"  Brannan says he lost three planes during his time with the 100th BG.



See MACR #3020, Microfiche #1021



Some of missions Lt Brannon Crew flew:



Dec 30. 1943   Ludwigshaven- flying a/c 42-30796 SUNNY II, EP-J, The aircraft was badly damaged by fighters, Lt Brannan crash landed the plane 4 miles from Thorpe Abbotts at Starston near Harlseston, UK.  Sgt Knapp was seriously wounded in the crash and two others slightly hurt.  

Feb 5, 1944, target was VILLACOUBLAY, FRANCE,  Crew flew an as yet identified aircraft named "My Gal".

Feb 6, 1944, target was EVREUX, FRANCE, Crew flew "My Gal"

Mar 3, 1944, target was BERLIN, Recall due to bad weather, Crew was flying 42-31735, EP-B LUCKY LEE, which sustained some flak damage

Mar 4, 1944, target was BERLIN, Recal due to bad weather, Crew was fliying 42-31735, EP-B LUCKY LEE 

Mar 6, 1944, target was BERLIN, SHOT DOWN, Crew was flying 42-31735, EP-B, LUCKY LEE.  



LUCKY LEE- THIS PLANE IS DEPICTED IN KEITH FERRIS'S PAINTING "FORTRESS ENGAGED" SEEN ON THE COVER OF THE 

BOOK "TARGET BERLIN" BY JEFFREY L. ETHELL AND ALFRED PRICE.



THE BRANNAN CREW: MARCH 6, 1944

THE GERMAN FIGHERS KNOCKED OUT ENGINES 3 & 4 OF A/C 42-31735 "LUCKY LEE".  LT BRANNAN WAS LEADING THE SECOND ELEMENT OF THE LEAD SQUADRON IN THE 100TH "B" GROUP.  THERE WAS A HUGE STREAM OF GASOLINE COMING OFF THE RIGHT WING AND LT BRANNAN ISSUED THE BAIL OUT SIGNAL FEARING AN EXPLOSION.  A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE SHIP EXPLODED KILLING LT THOMAS LESLIE (CP) AND LT DALE (NAV).  "LUCKY LEE" CRASHED AT HAUSSTETTE NEAR BAKUM,  GERMANY.





Subj: 100thBG Feedback Form 

Date: 3/15/2003 6:52:19 PM Pacific Standard Time

From: JTerman@msn.com

To: mpfaley@aol.com

Sent from the Internet 



The following form contents were entered on 16th Mar 3

Date = 16 Mar 3 02:52:07

subject = 100thBG Feedback Form

messages = 961

TYPE = Ask a question

RESPONSIBLE = 100TH BG HISTORIAN

EMAIL = JTerman@msn.com

UNAME = James W. Terman

CONNECTION = I am a relative of a 100th veteran

COMMENTS = My uncle, Charles F. Elliott recently died of throat cancer after care at the VA Hospital, Indianapolis.  He was a sergeant  waist gunner on B-17s and was with the 100th BG at Thorpe Abbott, but we do not know with which squadron and in which aircraft on his last mission.  He flew 13 missions, the majority in "Lucky Lee". On about his 10th mission that aircraft was disabled, and he was moved to a Wing Commander's (an unknown colonel) plane on or about 30 Dec. '43. On return from this mission there was major damage, the plane crash landing in a field 5 miles from base. On 6 March '44 his last aircraft was on Mission 250 to Berlin.  Near Stetin, E. Prussia, the plane was hit midships by ground fire.  Three crew were killed immediately, the co-pilot died in the fall, the pilot and bombardier made it out of the plane, but a German fighter killed the latter in his chute. Uncle Charley snagged in the hatch, was pushed out by another grewman, bumped the horizontal stabilizer, but successfully opened his chute and made it 6000 ft. to the ground.  He was immediately found by Polish peasants but German soldiers commandeered him.   He spend the rest of the 16 months war, mostly in Stalag Luft III, until his camp was liberated by Russian troups.



Date = 19 Mar 3 04:22:19

subject = TAPS REPORT

messages = 965

EMAIL = JTerman@msn.com

UNAME = James W. Terman

DIED = Charles F. Elliott

DEATH_DATE = Sept. 24, 2002

UNIT = 351st

POSITION = Waist Gunner

RELATION = Niece or Nephew

COMMENTS = Sgt. Charles F. Elliott (middle initial listed as R. in error on record); was listed as BTG of "Lucky Lee" except for last flight as WG (right), mission 250, 6 March '44. Shot down, served 16 mo POW, Stalags Luft 3&4. Died age 81, Bloomington, Indiana