Video: John “Lucky” Luckadoo reads from Kevin Maurer’s Damn Lucky (link below)!

Personnel

Lt

Michael MASHYNA

Hometown During Time of Service: Erie, PA
Army Serial Number: O-829263
Enlistment Date: December 14, 1942
Assigned to the 100th Bombardment Group
Location:
Unit: 418th Bombardment Squadron
Rank:
Position: Pilot
Beginning Date of 100th Service: Unknown
Time of Service at Thorpe Abbotts: Unknown - Unknown

Additional 100th Service Notes

Aviation Cadet Service no - 13110776
Officer Service no - O-829263

Michael left the US on December 18,1944, arriving overseas on December 19, 1944. He left overseas on May 22,1945 and arrived back to USA on May 23,1945. He was separated from active service on December 19 1944 at Keesler Field, MS.
Status: CPT
Comments: 18 APR 45 STRAUBING

Biography

Born December 8, 1921
Birthplace: Erie, PA
Died postwar on May 7, 1988
Captain Michael Mashyna is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Erie, PA, Section 32, Lot 49, Grave #2

Additional Military Documents

Comments and Notes

Memo 1:
CREW


2nd Lt Michael Mashyna P CPT 18/4/45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
2nd Lt Norman W.Seegren CP CPT 18/4/45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
2nd Lt James A.Walker NAV FEH
2nd Lt Mark J.Jennigs BOM FEH
Cpl Clyde L.Keeler ROG CPT 18/4/45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
Cpl Charles L.Knowlton TTE CPT 18/4/45 " " " "
Cpl Roberly D.Howe BTG SWA 19/2/45 MUNSTER
Cpl Norbert J. Dougherty BTG CPT 18/4/45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
Cpl Henry A. Sutherland NG CPT 18/4/45 STRAUBING-Replaced Jennigs when he went to Mickey School
Cpl Francis H.Rowley WG CPT 18/4/45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
Cpl Russell D.Michael,Jr. TG CPT 18/4/45 " " " "

418th Sqdn. Crew joined 100th on 27/12/44 and flew A/C "GINGER"
TECH/SGT CLYDE KEELER SN#32942072

Crew flew first mission 17/1/45 and their 35th mission on 18/4/45 (3 months and 1 day)

See letter of 3/5/87 from Mike Mashyna. "On our 14th mission,Roberly Howe,our ball turret
gunner got hit over Brunswick.After leaving the target,I went back into the waist to see
how he was doing. He had been hit in the thigh and was bleeding all over the radio room but
that didn't seem to bother him. He was laughing hysterically and yelling 'I'm going home'.
After a rather long stay in the hospital he did go home with a limp but he did have his
leg." Mike says that Walker & Jennings did not complete their tours with his crew. Walker
later flew a few missions with the Mashyna crew.

Jennings flew with the crew for about half a tour and then was went to "Mickey" school.

MEMO
NORBERT J. DOUGHERTY (LIFE MEMBER OF 100TH BOMB GP ASSOCIATION)

WAS ORGINALLY ON THE PAUL DeWEERDT CREW THAT WAS SHOT DOWN ON THE 18 MAR 45 BERLIN MISSION. DOUGHERTY WAS THE BTG AND AS DeWEERDT'S CREW WAS LEADING ON THE BERLIN MISSION WAS REPLACED BY THE RADAR NAVIGATOR (MICKEY OPERATOR). MR DOUGHERTY FLEW IN ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, "GINGER", ON THE 18 MAR 45 BERLIN MISSION AND WITNESSED THE LOSS OF HIS ORGINAL CREW'S SHIP (44-8717) AND WAS ABLE TO COUNT CHUTES. HE LATER INFORMED LT BILL THOMPSON'S WIFE THAT HE HAD COUNTED THE CHUTES AND BELIEVED HER HUSBAND HAD MADE IT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS MOST LIKELY A POW. HE WAS CORRECT.

MR DOUGHERTY COMPLETED HIS TOUR ON 18 APR 45 WITH THE STRAUBING MISSION. HE FINISHED HIS MISSIONS ON LT MICHAEL P. MASHYNA'S CREW AND NOW (1993) RESIDES IN GREAT FALLS, MONTANA.

Missions Log of T/Sgt Clyde Keeler ROG-Lt Mashyna Crew:

1 17/01/45 HAMBURG
2. 20/01/45 BRESHACH/ HEIBRON
3. 29/01/45 KASSEL
4. 9/02/45 WEIMER
5. 14/02/45 PLAUEN
6. 17/02/45 FRANKFURT
7. 19/02/45 MUNSTER-BTG SWA, REPLACED BY CPL NORBERT DOUGHERTY
8. 20/02/45 NURNBURG
9. 22/02/45 HUEINGEN
10. 23/02/45 TREUCHTLINGEN
11. 24/02/45 BREMEN
12. 26/02/45 BERLIN
13. 2/03/45 DRESDEN
14. 3/03/45 BRUNSWICK
15. 7/03/45 SEIGEN
16. 8/03/45 DORTMUND (100TH LISTS TARGET AS GIESSEN, SECONDARY TARGET)
17. 9/03/45 FRANKFURT
18. 11/03/45 HAMBURG-T/SGT HARRY SUTHERLAND JOINS CREW AS NG/TOGGOLIER
19. 12/03/45 SWINEMUNDE
20. 17/03/45 PLAUEN
21. 18/03/45 BERLIN-Cp Norbert Dougherty flies first mission with Lt Mashyna crew
22. 22/03/45 AHLHORN
23. 23/03/45 UNNA
24. 24/03/45 STEENWIJK
25. 24/03/45 ZIEGENHAIN
FLAK LEAVE
26. 7/04/45 BUCHEN
27. 8/04/45 EGER
28. 9/04/45 MUNICH
29. 10/04/45 MAGDEBURG
30. 11/04/45 LANDSHUT
31. 14/04/45 ROYAN
32. 15/04/45 ROYAN
33. 16/04/45 ROYAN
34. 17/04/45 AUSSIG
35. 18/04/45 STRAUBING

Photos

Lt Michael Mashyna Crew

Michael Mashyna crew. Detailed Information (Courtesy of Karl Treanor Collection)

Crew List

1st Crew List

Use your thumb to scroll through the results box below.

Rank Name Pos Status
Lt MASHYNA, Michael P CPT
LT SEEGREN, Norman W. CP CPT
LT WALKER, James A. NAV FEH
LT JENNINGS, Mark J. BOM NOC
T/Sgt KNOWLTON, Charles L. TTE CPT
T/SGT KEELER, Clyde L. ROG CPT
S/Sgt HOWE, Roberly BTG SWA
S/Sgt ROWLEY, Francis WG CPT
S/SGT MICHAEL, Russell D. TG CPT
2nd Crew List

Use your thumb to scroll through the results box below.

Rank Name Pos Status
Lt MASHYNA, Michael P CPT
S/Sgt SUTHERLAND, Harry A. TOG/NG CPT
S/Sgt DOUGHERTY, Norbert J. BTG CPT