Personnel

CREW



DATE: 18 March 1944  350th Sqdn. A/C#42-39830

MISSION: Augsburg  MACR#3234,Micro-flche#1105



  "BERLIN PLAYBOY"

2nd Lt Paul A.Martin P   KIA

1st Lt Thomas Cryan CP  KIA

2nd Lt Albert F.Racz B   KIA

2nd Lt Tom F.Hughes N   KIA

T/Sgt Russell E.LongdonR   KIA

 T/Sgt Levi O.Tonn E   KIA

S/Sgt Richard J.Faulkner BT  EVA  

 S/Sgt Veryl A.Lund    RW  KIA

 S/Sgt Lonnie J.Albin  LW  KIA

 S/Sgt John E.Howley   TG  KIA



The crew joined the 100th on March 10,1944. The crew flew 5 training missions and its exact composition is as above except the original CP was 2nd Lt Paul Mitchell. It is known that Thomas Cryan was From the crew of Mark Cope. This was the crews first misson.  (mpf nov 2000)



Summary of Eyewitness reports:  "A/C #830 and A/C #913 (Flown by D.J.Stuke) collided over France at 1210 hour near (?) . #830 broke up while #913 pulled away,badly damaged but apparently under control. One chute was seen to come from #830. The ship going down under control had two port engines torn out,and only #4 was operating. The nose of this A/C also was sheared off. The collision resulted when the Group leader aborted and the formation scattered and reformed."



Witnesses: Capt.Lauro,Lt.Gummersall,Lt.Malooly.



  July 1945,Sgt.Faulkner,then at 3718 AAF Base,Denver,Colo.,was interrogated as to the death of Lt.Cryan. He gave the following  information

;

1.Over the coast of France,Lt.Cryan's bomber(Lt. Paul A. Martin/ Pilot) encountered heavy flak.Formation was broken with lead ship falling out.A new formation was formed with Lt.Cryan's ship as wing man.



2.There was a sudden explosion near Lt.Cryan's A/C.Sgt.Faulkner ,ball turret operator,upon bailing out noticed the ship broken in two sections.Sgt. Faulkner having been in the rear section,and Lt.Cryan's station was in the front section as co-pilot.



3.Sgt.Faulkner became unconscious upon the opening of his chute and did not regain consciousness until after landing when he noticed the front section of the A/C crashed in the woods,surrounded by German soldiers.



4.Sgt.Faulkner was rescued by the French patriots.Having an understanding of the French language,Sgt Faulkner was informed by the French patriots that all remaining crew members were killed in the crash of the A/C.Description by the French patriots of one of the bodies found in the front section of the A/C fitted that of Lt.Cryan."



German records in MACR state that "bodies were thrown from plane . . .badly mutilated . . . Identified by I.D. tags." Burial took Place in the French cemetary in Poix de la Somme

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

5/1/1944 03 110 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 31936 SAARGUEMINES/WIZERNES

5/8/1944 44 112 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 5957 BERLIN & LAGLACERIE

5/9/1944 44 114 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 5957 LAON/COUVRON; ANTHIES

5/11/1944 44 115 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 107211 LIEGE

5/12/1944 05 116 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 107230 BRUX, OIL REFINERY

5/13/1944 03 117 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 31936 OSNABRUCK

5/13/1944 03 117 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 31936 OSNABRUCK

5/13/1944 44 117 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 107211 OSNABRUCK

5/28/1944 44 124 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 31986 MAGDEBURG

5/31/1944  127 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG  OSNABRUCK

6/5/1944 41 131 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 102416 BOULOGNE(CHG)

6/6/1944 05 -132 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 102416 FALAISE/OUISTREHAM

6/7/1944 05 -135 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 102416 NANTES (BRIDGES)

6/21/1944                  MITCHELL   P.L.   LT   CP    31986  RUHLAND

6/26/1944 01 149 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 31986 DROHOBYCZ

7/3/1944 07 151 MITCHELL P.L. LT CP 107211 ARAD (RUMANIA)

7/13/1944 01 159 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 37823 MUNICH (JET ENGINES)

7/17/1944 01 161 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 37823 AUXERRE & MONTGOURNOY

7/24/1944 01 166 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 37823 ST LO (GND SUPPORT)

7/25/1944 01 167 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 37823 ST LO (GND SUPPORT)

8/3/1944 01 172 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 37823 TROYES (RAIL YARD)

8/8/1944 01 177 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 38015 ST. SYLVIAN

8/15/1944 01 181 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 38015 VENLO

8/26/1944 01 185 MITCHELL P.L LT CP 38015 BREST

9/27/1944 01 201 MITCHELL P.L. LT TG 98015 MAINZ