Personnel

CREW (see graphic)

                          1ST LT RONALD W. HOLLENBECK



CREW #14  A/C  #42-3232 "FLAK HAPPY"     MACR #676



1ST LT  RONALD W. HOLLENBECK            P: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

F/FO    JOHN L. WILLIAMS               CP: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG 

2ND LT  HAROLD L. WEINTRAUB           NAV: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG  

2ND LT  ZEAK M. BUCKNER, JR.          BOM: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

T/SGT   RUSH S. MINTZ                 TTE: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   WILLIAM A. ROUSE               WG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

T/SGT   EMILE A. REIMHERR             ROG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   JOHN Q. PACIOTTI              BTG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   GLEN H, KEIRSEY                WG: EVA 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   THOMAS E. FLOUNDERS            TG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG



        CRASHED NEAR GHEDI, ITALY, THE ENTIRE CREW BAILED OUT SUCCESSFULLY AND WERE TAKEN PRISONER BY GERMAN AND ITALIAN TROOPS.     



On the Regensburg mission, this crew was flying as left wingman to Norm Scott and "Bucky" Cleven who led the low squadron.  Bennie Demarco was flying as right wingman and gives this account: "B 17 #232 was hit in Bomb Bay and jettisoned its bombs fifteen minutes before the target.  The bombs fell in a wooded area.  It stayed with formation until we circled at Verona to pick up stragglers where it continued on Route alone.  No. 4 engine feathered as aircraft pulled away.  It appeared that one of the crew was injured and was being worked on in nose of aircraft.  It is thought that this aircraft may ha e landed in Sardinia."



Glen Keirsey was taken prisoner but eventually escaped and made is way back to England.  On 22 June 1944 in a statement to Military Intelligence Service ETO Glen gave the following statement:



"On August 17, 1943, at about 1300 hours near Ghedi, Italy and at approximately 3000 feet I bailed out.  The ship had #3 and #4 engines shot out   the former was windmilling.  The entire crew bailed out safely and the plane crashed into a mountain. The enlisted men all escaped from Camp 54, but Reimherr, Mintz, 

Paciotte and Flounders were soon recaptured.  Rouse was not recaptured until 27 February 1944."



A 1979 letter fram Bill Rouse reads as follows:..jb



"August 17, 1943 (Regensburg),we were low squadron trail group. We made it over target, one engine out, badly shot up.  We tried to go on to North Africa.  We could not keep up with formation. All alone we tried for Switzerland.  We were forced to bail out as we were unable to make Switzerland.  We bailed out as soon as we cleared down to 3,500 feet over Milano, Italy.  All of the crew were able to get out.  We were picked up by German and Italian troops.  I ended up in Camp 54 (PoW) then escaped.  I was picked up six months later and sent to Germany.  I finally escaped in April 1945 and went back to England.  I stayed in the Air Force for over 30 years and retired at Eglin A.F.B. Florida."





TAPS

December 17, 2009



John Q. Paciotti, of Wilkes-Barre, 89, died Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009. He was the beloved husband of the late Andrina (Patrizi) Paciotti for 55 years, and a devoted family man. Born in Jessup, he was a son of the late Nazzareno and Maria Paciotti. Preceding him in death were his wife, Andrina; sisters Eleanor Pepe and Ann Carducci; and brothers Albert, Amerigo, Fred and James. John graduated from James M. Coughlin High School. He served honorably in the U.S. Army Airborne, 100th Bombardment Group during World War II as a radio operator and machine-gunner on a B-17. He was shot down on his 16th mission and was captured in Northern Italy. He eventually escaped and spent six months on the run in Italy before being recaptured and imprisoned in Germany. He spent a total of 22 months detained in the two P.O.W. camps and survived the Nazi death march in Germany at the end of the war. John retired from both the Wilkes-Barre Police Department (20 years) and the U.S. Post Office as a mail carrier. He was also a founding member and former commander of the Parsons VFW Post 6227. John was active in many community organizations, including the Parsons Lions Club, Italian American Veterans of Luzerne County Post No. 1, the American Legion Post 132, and served as a board member of the former Parsons YMCA. He was an active member of St. Dominic's Catholic Church and served as a lector prior to becoming ill. Surviving are his children, Noreen Paciotti of Wilkes-Barre, Roseann Paciotti and companion, Darryl Steigerwalt, of Allentown, and John J. Paciotti and wife, Karen, of Wilkes-Barre; as well as his grandchildren, the light of his life, Breah, Kelsey, and Brandon. The funeral will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday from the E. Blake Collins Funeral Home, 159 George Ave., Wilkes-Barre, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. Dominic's Church. Interment will be in the Italian Independent Cemetery, West Wyoming. Friends may call Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Monday from 9 to 9:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations, if desired, may be made to the Italian American Veterans of Luzerne County Post No. 1, PO Box 2356, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703. Condolences can be sent to the family at www.eblakecollins.com .

KIA/POW notes: Original 100th, Crew #14.  Escaped from Camp 54, but was recaptured shorltly afterward.