Personnel

CREW



1st Lt Stanley A. Clark                  P         KIC   7/11/44   PRACTICE MISSION (With crew of John T. Dyatt)

2nd Lt Merle A. Ehorn                CP        CPT    26/8/44 BREST (took over Floyd Mason Crew, see below)

2nd Lt George C. Pendleton        NAV     CPT

2nd Lt Rheubin L. South               BOM     CPT

  S/Sgt George T. Page                 TTE     CPT

   Sgt John B. Cortelletty             BTG      POW  27/4/44 FLOTTEMANVILLE (With crew of W.C. Shaddix)

   Sgt Maurice Gill                         WG     CPT    24/7/44 ST LO 

   Sgt Fred C. Theobald, Jr.          WG      CPT

   Sgt Richard J. Mathieson           TG       CPT

   Sgt William S. Wolfstein            ROG     CPT



349th Sqdn.  Crew, as above, joined the 100th Group on 28/11/43.



George C. Pendleton temp promotion from 2nd Lt to 1st Lt on Feb 11, 1944  0-463897



On 7/11/44,Capt  Stan Clark was flying as Command pilot on crew of J.T. Dyatt on a practice

mission.  A/C #42-97561 crashed and report reads as follows:

    "On 7 November 1944, B-17G, serial number 42-97561, took off from AAE Station #139.

    During a bombing run at approximately 1439, a fire developed in the cockpit.  The

    aircraft left formatlon in a descending turn. Six of the nine-man crew successfully

    bailed out.  The pilot received fatal injuries when he unsuccessfully attempted to

    bailout.  The command pilot and engineer remained in the aircraft and received fatal

    in]uries on ground impact.  The aircraft was destroyed."



See FRAMLINGHAM TIMES p. 14/16 Sept. 1982 issue for story & photo of this crash.  A/C

crashed into some cottages at Felixstone and 3 members of a British Anti-Aircraft unit

were killed and another badly burned.  See also card of J.T. Dyatt.  Also see S.O.C. p. 63

& 93.



Subj: maurice gill pictures and answers to questions  

Date: 8/10/2003 2:04:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time 

From: ronaldgill@sbcglobal.net 

To: MPFaley@aol.com 

Sent from the Internet (Details) 

 

MAURICE GILL mgill2402@sbcglobal.net 



1. Who replaced your Co Pilot Ehorn on the Crew when he took over the Floyd Mason Crew?

Are missions were cmplt.with Ehorn and we went back to states. Ehorn was only co-pilot we had durning are missions

2. Do you have a Mission List for Capt Clark Crew (did you fly 25 or 30 missions)

yes, I am sendind list of missions

3. Clark became a Command Pilot and Stayed at Thorpe Abbotts after you guys finished your tour. The only way this happens is if he signed up for a second tour or was promoted to squadron operations?  Can you tell me which of these is correct?

I am assuming he signed up for second tour which I am not sure since again we were heading back to the states. He was not promoted to squadron operations.

4.  When did you finish your Missions? Was Clark the pilot on all your missions

july 24,1944..............yes

5.  What was the name of the Aircraft you flew?

We flew in many air crafts but most were in the Path Finder and Torchy 1

6.  Was your Crew on leave when the Berlin raids took place in March 1944?  That is the only way I can see that you missed those missions. 

I am not sure but we did 1 mission in March to Brunswick but on April 29th we flew to Berlin.

7.   Do you have any photos of yourself and the Crew?

Yes which I am sending along with these questions and a list of the missions.

8.    If Clark was not your Pilot on all your missions, who else was Pilot?

Clark and Ehorn were on all missions .

 

If you have any more questions of the 349th please let me know and will try to help

 

                                                        Maurice Gill



More answers to Question posed to Maurice Gill Aug 2003 by MPF:

        

"All i can account for is 31 missions;  After june 6th 44  im sure I flew 2 more missions; after june 6 they sent us on r; and r; to ireland for 30 days; came back to thorpe abbot  and soon after that we were sent back to the states;  Capt; clark stayed behind for a 2nd; tour and flew as command pilot; Lt; Ehorn also signed up for a 2nd tour and took on a new crew;"

 

"It seems like all our missions were pretty hairy every  mission  we were always met by me 109s; stukas and folke wolfe 190s; the flak was always very heavy; we flew different planes as lead crew; most  of our missions  were deep  penetrations; at least 7 to 8hrs  our plane named "Pathfinde"r and "Ole Dan Boone"; we also flew "Torchy 2" on one or two of our missions while our pllane was  getting pactched up;

the only one in our crew who was credited with downed planes   was our top turret gunner two confirmed and one probable;

we started flying lead crew after two or three missions; never heard of  a lead crew patch"



From: mgill2402@sbcglobal.net 

To: MPFaley@aol.com 

Sent from the Internet (Details)

 

Hi Faley,

This is Maurice Gill and I'm returning you my address and phone number

2402 Juliet, Pasadena, 

Texas 77502

713-946-4509





MISSIONS OF SGT MAURICE GILL( FLEW 33 MISSIONS BUT CAN ONLY ACCOUNT FOR 31)



1.      20/12/43     BREMEN

2.      24/12/43     ST JOSEPH au BOIS (NO BALL)

3.      31/12/43     PARIS

4.      04/01/44     KIEL

5.      05/01/44     NUESS

6.      11/01/44     OSNABRUCK

7.      21/01/44     NO BALL

8.      29/01/44     FRANKFURT

9.      30/01/44     BRUNSWICK

10.    04/02/44     FRANKFURT

11.    05/02/44     ROMILLY sur SEINE

12.    24/02/44     ROSTOCK

13.    23/03/44     BRUNSWICK

14.    01/04/44     LUDWIGSHAVEN

15.    13/04/44     AUGSBURG

16.    24/04/44     FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

17.    29/04/44     BERLIN

18.    07/05/44     BERLIN

19.    12/05/44     BRUX

20.    25/05/44     LIEGE/BRUSSELS

21.    29/05/44     LEIPZIG

22.    02/06/44     BOULOGNE

23.    04/06/44     BOULOGNE (CAP GRIS NEZ)

24.    05/06/44     BOULOGNE (CAP GRIS NEZ)

25.    06/06/44     D-DAY-OUISTREHAM 

26.    06/06/44     D-DAY-FALAISE

27.        ?            (UNKNOWN

28.        ?            (UNKNOWN

R&R IN IRELAND FOR 30 DAYS

29.   17/07/44      AUXERRE

30.   18/07/44      KIEL

31.   19/07/44      SCHWEINFURT & DUREN

32.   21/07/44      LUDWIGBURG

33.   24/07/44      ST LO        





CREW



2ND LT JOHN T. DYATT                          P KIC 7 NOV 1944 PRACTICE MISSION

2ND LT JOHN G. EDMUNDS                     CP CPT 25 FEB 45 MUNICH

2ND LT RALPH C. BOHLSSEN                NAV IIC 7 NOV 1944 INJURED 

2ND LT PRESTON J. WALLACE              BOM IIC 7 NOV 1944 INJURED

CPL NELSON B. McCLAIN                      ROG CPT 2 DEC 44 KOBLENZ

CPL DONALD A. GUSTAVSON                  TTE KIC 7 NOV 1944 PRACTICE MISSION

CPL EUGENE M. MOWERY                     BTG CPT DATE & MISSION UNK (OMAHA, NE)

CPL AUGUST F. KIENITZ                        WG CPT 6 NOV 1944 NEUMUSTER, AC REPAIRS

CPL CORNELIUS T. ROMANO                     TG IIC 7 NOV 1944 PRACTICE MISSION

CPL THOMAS J. AMOURY                       WG X-FERRED TO A B-26 GROUP AT THE CREW REDUCTION TO NINE MEMBERS.



350TH SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 02 AUG 1944



ON A PRACTICE MISSION OF 07 NOV 44 CAPT. STANLEY A. CLARK WAS FLYING AS COMMAND PILOT AND WAS KIC. 1ST LT. HARRY TENNEBAUM FROM THE W.C. SHADDIX CREW, ABOARD AS NAVIGATOR BAILED OUT SAFTELY.  FIRE STARTED IN THE COCKPIT AREA, FORCING THE CREW TO ABANDON THE AIRCRAFT.  IT IS THOUGHT THAT DYATT MAY HAVE LEFT THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT HIS CHUTE.  GUSTAVSON AND CLARK, FOR REASONS THAT ARE NOT CLEAR, REMAINED IN THE SHIP AND WERE KILLED AT IMPACT. INJURIES TO PRESTON WALLACE WERE SERIOUS, WHILE BOHLSSEN AND ROMANO EASCAPED WITH LESSER INJURIES. CAPT CLARK IS BURIED AT THE AMERICAN MILTARY CEMENTARY AT CAMBRIDGE.



Aboard on 7 Nov 1944



Capt  S. A. Clark          Command Pilot  KIA

Lt. J.T. Dyatt                          Pilot   KIA (Bailed out with no chute)

Lt. Ralph Bohlssen                Navigator  Severly injured

Lt. Harry Tennebaum      Micky Operator  Uninjured

T/Sgt Donald Gustafson   Flight Engineer  KIA

T/Sgt Nelson B. McLain    Radio Operator  uninjured

Lt. Preston Wallace              Bombardier  Severly  injured

S/Sgt August F. Kienitz      Waist Gunner  uninjured

S/Sgt C. T. Romano           Tail Gunner  uninjured



 Charles "Hong Kong" Wilson  was a eyewitness to this accident, he was flying off the wing ot Dyatt's aircraft at the time.



The following is a letter in reference to the November 7th, 1944 loss of A/C #42-97561 (Batchelor's Heaven") which was flown by Command Pilot Stanley A. Clark with pilot John T. Dyatt. The letter written by Sgt. Corneluis "Joe" Romano, flying as Tail Gunner, is dated July 1988. This a literal copy of said letter....pw



 Nov. 7, 1944.  Today WE HAD IT!!

Took off about 11:00 AM it was a practice mission. Flew in a early model B-17, the number was 42-97561 call letter -W-. We were leading the low group, the whole 8th Air Force was out on this special (practice) mission - that's the way it seemed. The reason being to try out our new secret equipment. That day our crew was Bohlseen - Nav, Wallace - Bombardier, Capt. Clark - Command Pilot, Gustafson - Engineer, McClain - Radio Operator, Dyatt - Pilot, H. Tennebaum - PFF operator (Mickey), Klentitz - Waist Gunner, Romano - Tail Gunner.



Gus shot off a flare to indicate we were the lead ship & to form up on our plane, but as far as I know the gun went off in the flight deck. There was a hell of a jolt, the plane went into a dive - I landed behind the ammunition boxes. At first I thought it was prop-wash. I started to plug my intercom cord back in and looked out my window when there was another jolt & I saw that we were pulling out of formation & diving down. After a third jolt I started to look for my chute, it was way back by the tail wheel. I made one dive for the chute and crawled back to my oxygen line, took some deep breaths of oxygen and tried to hook up my chute to the harness. My mask was in the way so I ripped off mask and helmet & hooked up. Then I kneeled by the tail door (It helps when you pray) and looked back toward the waist section. Saw Mac kick the waist door off so I did the same to the tail door. Then, for the first times I saw flames shooting out of the radio room and "Mickey" operator crawling out. Kept hearing little explosions & was waiting for the ship to blow up. Looking out the tail door I saw pieces of the plane going by. I motioned to Mac, :Mickey" and Augie (Kienitz) to jump - they did from the waist & I left from the tail. The last I saw of our ship was when the tail passed me. I then decided to pull the rip cord & there was a terrific jolt & I twisted around in the air, scared but happy as hell to see the chute had worked.



I heard someone shout "Hello There" & before I could answer "Mickey" had collided with me in mid-air. Knowing that if our chutes were to tangle they would collapse and both of us fall to the ground a lot faster than we should, I began to push and curse him. Next thing I knew we were separated -  said all the prayers I could remember as loud as I could but still heard "Mickey" yell to me how he had left his Parker 51 pen in the plane. (Strange what goes through you mind at such times.)



Saw Mac & Augie K. in the air & felt good. Some one landed near a little stream (it must have been Wallace), looked down & figured I was about 200 feet from the ground & started to whistle "I Walk Alone" don't ask me why. Guess I wanted to be cool & and was happy to be that close to mother earth. Landed hard and hurt my knee & back and the wind was knocked out of me si I just let the chute drag me for a while until I caught my breath. Finally dug my heels and elbows into the ground & slipped off my harness. P-47 & P-51 buzzed our position. Saw Augie K. about 100 yards away & both ran & limped toward one another hugged. Three girls came by to see if they could help. "Mickey" came by in a small truck with an Englishman driving then Mac came by in a larger truck. We all went to a P-51 base control tower and there we learned that Dyatt had landed in a nearby woods without chute or harness.





CREW



1ST LT FLOYD H. MASON  P POW 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG, OIL REFINERY

2ND LT RICHARD LAMBIOTTE  CP POW 06 MAR 44 BERLIN, ELECTRICAL EQUIP.  TAPS: 17 JUL 1984

2ND LT WILLIAM J. DISHION, JR. NAV CPT 08 AUG 44 ST. SYLVIAN, GROUND DEFENSES TAPS: 18 MAY 1955

2ND LT GEORGE R. MORGAN  BOM CPT 14 JUL 44 Le CULOT, AF

T/SGT DWIGHT D. GUTSH  ROG CPT 25 JUL 44 SOUTH FRANCE, MAQUIS SUPPLIES TAPS: 21 APR 1978

S/SGT RALPH G. ELLSWORTH TTE RFS        TAPS: 11 JUN 1975

S/SGT GEORGE WESTLAKE  BTG CPT 29 JUN 44 BOHLEN, OIL REFINERY

S/SGT JAMES E. EUBANKS, JR WG CPT 12 OCT 44 BREMEN, AC FACTORY

S/SGT CHARLES S. LEVEE  WG CPT 14 JUL 44 Le CULOT, AF    TAPS: 25 OCT 1981

S/SGT FRANK E. TARR   TG CPT 14 JUL 44 Le CULOT, AF



349TH SQDN.. CREW JOINED THE 100TH ON  28 NOV 1943



FLOYD MASON WAS COMMAND PILOT WITH J.B. NOBLE ON 28 JUL 44 WHEN LOST.  RICHARD LAMBIOTTE WAS FLYING CO-PILOT WITH W.B. MURRAY WHEN LOST. 



AIRCRAFT WAS NAMED "ONCE IN WHILE" NOT "MASON AND DIXON " AS IS WIDELY SUPPOSED..jb



AFTER 6 OR 8 MISSIONS, MASON WAS MADE OPERATIONS OFFICER OF THE 349TH AND MERLE "MIKE" EHORN REPLACED HIM.  EHORN CAME FROM THE S.A. CLARK CREW.



Bill Dishion was killed in an automobile accident.a mere ten years after the war..



Capt. Dishion Was in Lead Plane on Aug 8, 1944 with Col Tom Jeffrey & Lt N. P. Scott leading the 13 CBW which lead both the 3rd Air Division and 8th Air Force.