Personnel

CREW



  Capt.  David A.Armstrong  P  CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 0-764583 

  1st Lt Allen "Andy" Andrews III CP  CPT  29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 0-768402

  Capt Ross Chenney  NAV SWA  5/8/44  MAGDEBURG sn# 0-721580

  2nd Lt Lon L.Livsey  BOM  KIA 5/8/44  MAGDEBURG sn# 0-769152 

 T/Sgt Gerald C.Murphy      ROG  CPT  29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 17114787

 T/Sgt Warren R.West  TTE  CPT  29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 37344021 3 1/2 confirmed kills

 S/Sgf Dale R.Ehlenfelt  BTG CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 37558528

 S/Sgt Charles J.Vogel  WG  CPT 29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 37548205 4 1/2 confirmed kills 

 S/Sgt Louis C.Oliver Jr.  WG  CPT  29/12/44 FRANKFURT sn# 38564342 3 confirmed kills

 S/Sgt Lawrence M. Bohen TG NOC taken off Crew when reduced to 9 sn# 31340624

 

418th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined 100th Group on 25/7/44.  Crew flew "Miss Behaven"  #43-38381 LD-Z 

Sqdn. Diary for 5 Aug. 1944 reads that: "Flak evidently set off some of the 

ammunition for the flexible nose guns. The Bombardier was killed and the Navigator wounded. 

Flying A/C #37935.  Jerry Burns was Crew Chief.  After Bohen is taken off Crew, S/Sgt Vogel becomes Tail Gunner.



2nd Lt Oscar F. Mills from Lt Edward Neu Crew flew as interm Bombardier until  1st Lt Lawrence V. "Vince" Ogletree from the crew of Lt George Fory took over full time.

According to Capt Armstongs records, Lt Ogletree had 12 perfect hit missions and Capt. Ross Chenney was wounded on the 3rd mission.  He came back to fly the last 

nine missions with Crew as Division Navigator.



Missions of Capt. David A. Armstrong (from son J.D. Armstrong)



# DATE  TARGET # OF A/C POSITION    COMMENTS



 30/07/44 Practice Mission      Lasted 3:45hrs and their in it!

1. 02/08/44 La Fere  935-V  #3 High Sqdrn. Low Gp  Bridge Demolished

2. 03/08/44 Troyes  935-V      Oil Dump-Marshalling Yards  

3. 05/08/44 Magdeburg 935-V  #6 Low Sqdrn.  Low Gp  Livsey Killed, Chenney and Andrews wounded, 

           Purple Heart corner/hit at bombs away

4. 13/08/44 Nantes  935-V  #5 Low Sqdrn.  Low Gp  Bombed roads, 3 ship element

5. 14/08/44 Ludwigshaven 935-V      Factories-Bombs struck, toggled out-Mills

6. 15/08/44 Venlo  935-V      RAF and 8th out in force.  Airfield demolished. Oscar Mills "B"

7. 26/08/44 Brest  935-V  #2 Element Sq L, Low Gp No bombs, weather

8. 27/08/44 Berlin  935-V  #2 Element, Lead Gp, 13thCBW  Inst. Take off, no bombs, weather, turn back (recall)

9. 08/09/44 Mainz  412-R  #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Wrecked 935-V-no bombs, weather, 8th AF turned back

10. 09/09/44 Dusseldorf 154-A  #2 Element, Lead Gp  Inst. TO, no bombs

11. 10/09/44 Nurnburg 154-A  #1 Low Sqdrn, Low Gp  Caught by mobile guns on Rhine River

12. 11/09/44 Ruhland  381-Z  #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Bad weather, fighters, 3 con, 3 prob-Wiped out Low Gp

13. 12/09/44 Magdeburg 991-D  #1 Low Sqdrn, Low  Gp  Missed Formation, Went to Berlin with 1st Division

14. 13/09/44 Stuttgart 636-W  #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Heavy contrails

15. 25/09/44 Ludwigshaven 381-Z  #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp  3 bad engines, crash landed 60 miles south of Paris

16. 26/09/44 Bremen  381-Z  #1 Low Sqdrn Lead, Low Gp Good fighter support, 1st over target  -3 fighters

17. 28/09/44 Mersburg 381-Z  #1 Low Sqdrn Lead, High Gp Good fighter support, Jet Prop (shot at)

18. 02/10/44 Kassel  381-Z  #1 Low Sqdrn Lead, Lead Gp Good fighter support, in flak for 25 minutes, Hi dropped early

           Lt Joseph Dye was our Bombardier

19. 07/10/44 Bohlen  381-Z  2 Element, Lead Gp  In flak for 25 minutes, Hit target good, 12 flak holes, 1 88hole took tail off an a/c

20. 09/10/44 Frankfurt 381-Z  #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Instrument takeoff, weather bad, Going on flak leave

21. 05/11/44 Ludwigshaven 525-A  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Low Gp  Instrument takeoff, Heavy flak, good results, did not land at home base.

22. 06/11/44 Neumunster 095-X  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Air fields, Contrails

23. 09/11/44 Saarbrucken 381-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Instrument takeoff, We were to hit lines visual-overcast. Hit secondary.

           Low overcast, with 8th AF trying to land, never so scared in my life

           16 gallons in 4 tanks.

24. 26/11/44 Hamm  381-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Hi Gp  Good fighter coverage, P-51's. Saw 2 jets, poor formation, good weather, mod flak.

25. 02/12/44 Koblenz  381-Z  #1 Low Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Instrument takeoff, returned, bad weather

26. 04/12/44 Giessen 381-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Low Gp  Instrument takeoff, Hard mission-Engine Trouble-Belly landed in England.

27. 11/12/44 Koblenz  381-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Hi Gp  68 mile bomb run, longest in History, 35 minutes with doors open. Low on gas

           6:30 on oxygen, Poor Lead, pulled 40-24 for about 4 hours.

28. 12/12/44 Darmstadt 381-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Clear over Germany

29. 18/12/44 Mainz  381-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Hi Gp  Instrument takeoff, heavy contrails, flew through front, couldn' see wingman.

           kept bombs, in it for 5 hours.

30. 24/12/44 Babenhausen 381-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Low Gp  Instrument takeoff, blow cylinder on #3 engine 110 miles behind german lines,

           smashed airport, iced perimeter & runway.

31. 27/12/44 Fulda  811-Z  #1 Hi Sqdrn Lead, Hi Gp  Pretty good mission, gas lines between tanks froze, sweated gas, wiped out target

           Perimeter & runway very icy. Instrument takeoff, 50 yard visibility, fog.

32. 28/12/44 Koblenz  071-P  #1 Hi Sqdrn, Lead Gp  Hit secondary, fair weather, good mission, one of few, good fighter support, light                                                                                                                                      flak

33. 29/12/44 Frankfurt 525-A  #1 Hi Sqdrn Lead, Low Gp Lead Division, "Last of 33"



31/12/44 100th Bomb Group lost 13 ships to fighters and flak at Hamburg. 381-Z went down with Lt Mayo.

           

 



"I am the youngest son of D.A.Armstrong and have been busy trying to compile my Fathers war years.He arrived at Thorpe-Abbott on July 30,1944.According to letter of recommendation signed by major Edward D. Wooten dated April 3,1945. "After completion of 6th mission checked out as Element Lead and flew 2 missions as such. The remainder of his missions were flown as; 10 Squadron Leads and 15 High Flight Leads." Dad completed 33 bombing missions some as a Command Pilot.After tour was finished he became 418th Assistant Squadron Operations Officer for a period of 3 months.Freddrick J. Sutterlin wrote "Captain Armstrong has a excellent record as a pilot of B-17 aircraft and served as Assistant Operations Officer and was equally effective", dated March 27,1945. I was named for Lt. Colonel Thomas S. Jeffries and have just recently spoke to him,my childhood hero, he became atleast a 2-Star General. Dad flew P51's and A-26's in addition to these other activities. Anyone with any info. on him would be deeply appreciated!! Will be joining your group as soon as my 2 daughters college tutions can be met.God Bless You and God Bless America, you are all the type of men I hope my son,David Andrew Armstrong will grow up to be." Thank you Jeffrey David Armstrong  shelly.armstrong@westgroup.com

Survivor - No MACR.