Personnel

CREW

            LT WILLIAM R. FLESH   Original 100th BG Crew, 418th SQ



CREW #30  A/C #42-30066     "MUG WUMP"      MACR #675



1ST LT  WILLIAM R. FLESH                P;  See notes & crew listed below

F/O     RICHARD L. SNYDER              CP;  KIA  17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

2ND LT  JOHN C. DENNIS             NAV;   POW  17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

1ST LT  PAUL R. ENGLERT            BOM;  POW  6 SEP 43 STUTTGART(with Crew#33, Lt Woodward )

T/SGT   LAWRENCE E. GODBEY     TTE;  KIA  17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

T/SGT   ROBERT R. DEKAY           ROG;  KIA   17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   WALTER HALUNKA          BTG;  POW   17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   WILLIAM M. BLANK           WG;  POW   17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   CLARENCE R. BOWLIN        TG;  POW   17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   CHARLES F. VIELBIG          WG SEE NOTES



MISSIONS OF LT WILLIAM FLESH CREW:



JUNE 26, 1943 LeMANS                           a/c  230066 MUGWUMP  (NO CREDIT FOR MISSION,PLANES RETURNED DUE TO WEATHER)

JUNE 28, 1943 ST. NAZAIRE (FLAK CITY)  a/c 230066 MUGWUMP

JUNE 29, 1943 LeMANS                           a/c 230066 MUGWUMP

JULY   4, 1943 LaPALLICE                        a/c 230066 MUGWUMP

JULY 10, 1943 LeBOURGET                      a/c 230066 MUGWUMP

JULY 17, 1943 HAMBURG                         a/c 230066 MUGWUMP

AUG  17, 1943 REGENSBURG                    a/c   25860 ESCAPE KIT



ON REGENSBURG MISSION, LT WILLIAM  FLESH WAS ON LEAVE AND LT CURTIS BIDDICK, OF CREW #28 REPLACED HIM.  BIDDICK'S REGULAR BOMBARDIER,  LT DAN McKAY REPLACED LT PAUL ENGLERT. LT BIDDICK WAS KIA AND McKAY, BADLY BURNED,  WAS A POW.

T/SGT HOWARD J. BROCK OF CREW #35 (LT BLAKELY CREW), FLEW FOR CHARLES VIELBIG AND WAS TAKEN PRISONER.



ABOUT FORTY MILES NORTHWEST OF REGENSBURG THE AIRCRAFT WAS HIT IN RIGHT SIDE OF THE NOSE AND FUSELAGE BY 20-MM ROUNDS, WOUNDING GODBEY AND STARTING AN INTENSE OXYGEN SYSTEM FIRE IN THE FLIGHT DECK AREA.  THE CO-PILOT RICHARD SNYDER WAS SEEN STANDING ON THE WING, APPARENTLY HAVING EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH A HOLE IN THE FUSELAGE.  IT IS THOUGHT THAT HE HIT THE STABLIZER WHEN HE LEFT THE WING, AT ANY RATE HIS BODY WAS LOCATED SOME THREE MONTHS LATER HANGING IN HIS CHUTE HARNESS FROM A TREE BRANCH. THIS IS THE INCIDENT MENTIONED BY BEIRNE LAY IN HIS ARTICLE ON THE REGENSBURG MISSION. OWEN "COWBOY" ROANE ALSO REPORTED SEEING SNYDER'S GALLANT BID TO ESCAPE THE DOOMED  "ESCAPE KIT."(42-5860)  LT ROANE REPORTED SEEING SNYDER CLIMB OUT ON THE WING AND REACH BACK INSIDE FOR HIS CHUTE PACK, PROABLY THE HOLE IN THE FUSELAGE WAS TOO SMALL TO GET THROUGH WEARING A CHUTE PACK. SNYDER BUCKLED ON HIS CHUTE WHILE STANDING IN THE FIRE RAGING ON THE WING. THE FACT HE DID NOT SURVIVE DOES NOT DIMISH HIS VALIANT EFFORT.  HE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN BY THE 100TH...pw