Personnel

CREW



1st Lt Everett E.Blakely             P  CPT

 2nd Lt Charles A.Via,Jr.        CP  SWA   8/10/43 

1st Lt Joseph H.Payne          NAV  KIA     28/4/44 (With crew of W,G.Lakin)

 2nd Lt James R.Douglas       BTG   CPT 

T/Sgt Howard J.Brock        TTE   POW  17/8/43 (With crew of W.R.Flesh)    

T/Sgt Monroe B.Thornton     WG  CPT 

T/Sgt Edmund G.Forkner     ROG   CPT 

S/Sgt John L.Olson             BTG  Transferred 

S/Sgt Lyle E.Nord                WG  KIA   29/5/44 (with crew of B.L.Williams) 

S/Sgt Lester W.Saunders      TG  KIA  8/10/43



418th Sqdn.  An ''Original" crew.



Much has been written about this crew. See p.49 of THE BLOODY HUNDREDTH by H.Varian and p.184/195 of FLYING PORTRESS by E.Jablomski for details of the mission of 8/10/43.



On 8/10/43, S/Sgt Edward S.Yevich LWG & S/Sgt W illiam F.McClelland,Bt were aboard in the place of H.J.Brock & J.L.Olson. Both of these men were wounded.



See photo of this crew on p.228 of "CONTRAILS"



Lyle Nord was flying as TG on the crew of B.L.Williams on 29/5/44 and was hit in the back by a 20mm. He had flown a total of 27 missions,the last 8 of them with the Williams crew.



Crew on May 29, 1944 

Target: Leipzig

Missing Air Crew Report: #5237

A/C 42-107011  LD-T "Shinning Hour"



Lt Burdette L. Williams     Pilot- POW  

Lt Ellie R. Nesmith           Copilot- KIA, Buried Torgau City Cemetary, Sec C, Row 2,  Grave 7, 

Lt Walter M. Pickett        Navigator-POW

Lt Vernon O. Breazeale    Bombardier-KIA, Ok when he bailed out.  Buried Torgau City Cemetary,  Sec C, Row 2,  Grave 6, 

S/Sgt Melvin H. Evans      Radio Operator Gunner-POW

Sgt Gordon L. Ticker       Top Turret Engineer-POW

Sgt Larry C. Boyer           Ball Turret Gunner-POW

S/Sgt willard V. Goos       Waist Gunner-KIA Drowned in Elbe River, Buried in Mun Cemetary, Torgau Sec C, Row 2, Grave 8

Sgt Elroy A. Yaroch         Waist Gunner-POW

S/Sgt Lyle E. Nord           Tail Gunner-KIA, Buried Torgau City Cemetary,Sec C, Row 2, Grave 6?



On 29 May 44  The target was Leipzig with Col Jack Kidd leading.  The target was the Junkers plant .  Fighters hit the formation over the target and Lt Williams aircraft was lost to enemy aircraft at 1233 hours.  The #2 engine and nose was hit by 20 mm fire. The aircraft peeled out of formation, lost altitude and went into a vertical dive and exploded.  3 chutes were seen.  Sgt Larry C. Boyer was flying in place of Leroy Moore and became a POW. S/Sgt Lyle E. Nord, from the  original crew of E.E.Blakely, was flying in place of Cohen and was KIA.

S/Sgt Nord was killed by a 20mm entering his back, Goos is believed to have survived his jump but landed in water and drowned.  Nesmith was alright when he bailed out and the cause of his death remains unknown. Breazeale was also killed by 20mm fire.