Personnel

CREW



Lt Raymond F.Lischer                  P   CPT   25/7/44 ST LO  

Lt Charles O.Cook                     CP   CPT   20/7/44  MERSEBURG

Lt Milton A.Stockton               NAV   CPT   24/7/44  ST LO

Lt Horace B.Williams                BOM   SWA  29/5/44  LEIPZIG (LOST LEG FROM FLAK WOUND)

T/Sgt Joseph Martinkovich        ROG   CPT   20/7/44  MERSEBURG

T/Sgt Gunnar Williamson           TTE   CPT   20/7/44  MERSEBURG

S/Sgt Robert N.Mathiasen         BTG   CPT   20/7/44   MERSEBURG

S/Sgt William J. "smitty" Smith  RWG   CPT   20/7/44   MERSEBURG

S/Sgt Paul H.Sweitzer              LWG   CPT   21/7/44   LUDWIGSHAFEN

S/Sgt Alanson M.Trigg                TG   CPT   20/7/44  MERSEBURG



418th Sqdn.  Crew,as above assigned 100th BG in early April 1944.  A/C "Royal Flush" 42-6087

Crew Chief was Gerald Bruns

Lt Williams was replaced by Lt George L. Reid from the Crew of Lt Harry Bethea.



Mission Log of Charles O. Cook, first 33 missions were flown as Co-Pilot and the last two (2) as Pilot;



 Date  Target    Hours 

 4/11/44  Rostock, Germany  10:50

 4/12/44  Leipzig, Germany  05:00

 4/13/44  Augsburg, Germany  09:00

 4/18/44  Berlin, Germany   08:30

 4/19/44  Werl, Germany   06:00

 4/20/44  Mareuennville, France  04:50-Buzz Bomb Ramps

 4/22/44  Hamm, Germany  07:00

 4/27/44  Cherbourg, France  11:30

 4/27/44  Le Culet, France  Two missions for a total ttime of 11:30

 4/29/44  Berlin, Germany   08:30

   5/7/44  Berlin, Germany   09:00

   5/8/44  Berlin, Germany   08:00

   5/9/44  Couvron, France   05:30

 5/19/44  Berlin, Germany   09:30

 5/23/44  Troyes, France   08:00

 5/24/44  Berlin, Germany   09:00

 5/25/44  Brussels, Belgium  04:40

 5/27/44  Strasbourg, France  08:00

 5/28/44  Magdeburg, Germany  08:30

 5/29/44  Leipzig, Germany  08:00-Bombadier severely wounded, lost leg.

 5/31/44  Osnabruk, Germany  06:00

   6/2/44  Cherbourg, France  05:00

   6/4/44  Boulogne, France  05:00

   6/6/44  Coast of France   07:30

   6/6/44  Coast of France   06:15 D-Day (Two missions)

   6/7/44  Nantes, France   07;30

 6/18/44  Brunsbuttelkoog   07:30

 6/21/44  Ruhland, Germany  12:00-Russian Shuttle Mission

 6/26/44  Drchobyez, Poland  10:45

   7/3/44  Arod, Romania   07:00

   7/5/44  Beziers, France   09:45-last mission of Russian Shuttle

 7/12/44  Munich, Germany  09:30

 7/17/44  Auxerne, France  07:00

 7/19/44  Schweinfurt, Germany  07:15 (Pilot)

 7/20/44  Merseburg, Germany  08:30 (Pilot)





Robert Neal Mathiasen

October 4, 1924 – February 24, 2012

Lorraine Ruth Mathiasen

August 11, 1928 – February 27, 2012

Bob and Lorraine died at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs as the result of a car vs. pedestrian accident. They were in Palm Springs to attend a reunion of Bob's WWII 100th Bomb Group, a favorite annual event.

Bob was born October 4, 1924 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital to Hazel I. and Clifford N. Mathiasen. Bob was educated in Santa Barbara schools and served in the Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1945 during WWII. From 1943 to 1944 he was a ball turret gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress with the 418th Bomb Squadron and completed 30 missions. After his return from the service, he was employed by Glaser Brothers Wholesale in Santa Barbara until he opened the Buellton Market at 101 and Hwy 246 in Buellton. After selling the market, he became VP and General Manager at Belvedere Products in Goleta and then in Irvine, CA until his retirement. 

Lorraine was born August 11, 1928 in Plentywood, Montana to Oliver F. and Ruth P. Ziebarth. She was educated in Missoula, MT, El Centro, CA and at the University of Montana in Missoula where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and was pinned as a Sweetheart of Sigma Chi Fraternity. After college she returned to her family's new home in Santa Barbara. In addition to being a loving wife and mom, she was employed in casualty insurance agencies in Santa Barbara, Solvang and Mission Viejo until her retirement. She was active in the Santa Barbara County Children's Home Society while living in the Santa Ynez Valley and was a current member of Nu Phi Delta Chi Sorority in Santa Barbara. 

Bob and Lorraine were married in Santa Barbara on May 20, 1951. Their three daughters were born in Santa Barbara and raised here and in the Santa Ynez Valley and in Mission Viejo. They have three grandsons and two granddaughters. 

After returning from the service, Bob was active in the Santa Barbara Trail Riders with his dad. While living in the Santa Ynez Valley, he enjoyed singing lead with a barbershop quartet. After retirement, Bob and Lorraine sold their home in Mission Viejo, bought a 5th wheel and traveled all across the United States several times visiting their children and grandchildren in Colorado, Florida and New York as well as many places of interest in between. In 1994 they returned to live in Santa Barbara and Goleta. Bob was an active in Santa Barbara Elk's Lodge 613 and both Lorraine and Bob traveled regularly with the Santa Barbara Elks Caravaneers. Both of them were also active supporters of the Foresters Baseball team before, during and after the time their grandson played for the team.

They are dearly loved and will be greatly missed by their daughters, Robin Yost of the Santa Ynez Valley, Karen Hood of New York City and Kristy Cohan (Bob) of Bakersfield, CA; their grandchildren Cody Cohan of Portland, OR and West Cohan of Bakersfield, Chloe Yost, Chase Yost and Hayle Yost of the Santa Ynez Valley. They will also be missed by Lorraine's sister Janice Baker (Tony) and Bob's sister Dorothy Vendrame (Jimmy) both of Santa Barbara and many cousins, nephews, nieces and friends. Bob was predeceased by his sisters Jayne Wilson and Rose Condit and his brother Roger Mathiasen. 

Services were held on Saturday, March 10th at the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge. Friends who wish may remember the 100th Bomb Group Foundation, c/o Cindy Goodman,13 Ettington Lane, Bella Vista, AR 72714; the National Glaucoma Research Foundation, 251 Post Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94108; the Santa Barbara Foresters/Hugs for Cubs, 4299 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA, 93013; or their favorite charity.

Memorial messages may be left on the Welch-Ryce-Haider Mortuary web site at www.wrhsb.com.