Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Jack Hunter                    P   KIA     11/5/44  LIEGE, BELGIUM

2nd Lt George W.Shoesmith     CP   KIA     11/5/44  LIEGE, BELGIUM 

2nd Lt Richard J.Heh             NAV    POW   11/5/44  LIEGE, BELGIUM

 2nd Lt Murray J.Lirette         BOM    POW   11/5/44  LIEGE, BELGIUM 

S/Sgt Spiro Lecouras             R0G    KIA     11/5/44 LIEGE, BELGIUM

S/Sgt Arthur L.Wellingham     TTE    KIA     11/5/44  LIEGE, BELGIUM

Sgt Ernest D.Medhurst           BTG    CPT       6/10/44  BERLIN                  

Sgt Robert H.Kuehl               LWG    KIA        11/5/44  LIEGE, BELGIUM

 Sgt Samuel J.Martiello        RWG    WIA        8/5/44  LaGLACERIE

 Sgt Herbert S.South            TG    POW   11/5/44  LIEGE, BELGIUM 



FLEW A/C 42-39983 "KATIE"



351st Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 5/4/44. On 11/5/44,S/Sgts Charley L.Anglin,BTG and John Rupnick,RWG,were flying in place of Martiello & Medhurst and both were KIA. Both Anglin & Rupnick were listed  on the crew of R.V.E. Monrad on 8/3/44.Rupnick was originally on the M.E.Beatty crew when it  joined the 100th on 6/9/43. Immediately after bombs were released,A/C received a direct flak hit in wing at #1 engine. Part of wing blown off & A/C went down in flaming spin. Heh,Lirette and South were blown out of A/C. South suffered a compound fracture of a leg when blown from a/c.



Martiello wounded in the "seat" on 8/5/44 (according to diary entry of Wellingham. See letter from E.D.Medhurst dated Dec.1986. Welllngham kept journal of missions from 12/4/44 to 8/5/44. He was killed on next mission on 11/5/44.  



EYEWITNESS "Our A/C #983 received a direct hit from flak in the wing at the No#1 engine. A few seconds after bombs away. Part of the wing was shot off and the A/C went down in a flaming spin, hitting near marshalling yards and exploded. Two (2) chutes were seen"  The author of this eyewitness report is not listed in the MACR…jb



Statement by Lt Richard J. Heh:     "The plane received a direct hit by flak whick knocked off part of the right wing and set fire to the plane. The plane started spinning and the centrifugal force was so great I could not move to bail out. After a few seconds the gas tanks exploded and blew the  bombardier and myself out of the plane. (We had already dropped our bombs) I later met the tail gunner, Herbert South, on the ground who altough injuried bailed out himself. As for the other men I have no knowledge regarding their distiny. I had no contact with the missing men after the plane was hit. I never regained conciousness until I fell through the air about 10,000 feet."  In a later statement Heh mentions Herbert South had sustained a compond fracture of a leg before he bailed out.





German Reports:  Notes Lt Murray Lirette committed to the hospital on 13 May 1944 and states the dead buried at the Luffwaffe Cementary at Trond air base.



Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target

5/7/1944 25 111 HUNTER J. LT P 39983 BERLIN

5/8/1944 25 112 HUNTER J. LT P 39983 BERLIN & LAGLACERIE

5/8/1944 25 112 HUNTER J. LT P 39983 BERLIN & LAGLACERIE

5/11/1944 25 115 HUNTER J. LT P 39983 LIEGE

Blown from aircraft.  Apparently injured when blown from aircraft or when he hit the ground as he was committed to the hospital.