Personnel

CREW



DATE: 18 March 1944  350th Sqdn. A/C#42-39830

MISSION: Augsburg/Munich  MACR#3234,Micro-flche#1105



  "BERLIN PLAYBOY"

2nd Lt Paul A.Martin    P   KIA

1st Lt Thomas Cryan    CP  KIA

2nd Lt Albert F.Racz    B   KIA

2nd Lt Tom F.Hughes    N   KIA

 T/Sgt Russell E.Longdon R   KIA

 T/Sgt Levi O.Tonn    E   KIA

 S/Sgt Richard J.Faulkner   BT   POW  (May have been an Evadee)

 S/Sgt Veryl A.Lund      RW  KIA

 S/Sgt Lonnie J.Albin    LW  KIA

 S/Sg~ John E.Howley     TG  KIA



The date this crew joined the 100th and its exact composition at that time has not as yet been determined. It is known that Thomas Cryan was From the crew of Mark Cope.



Summary of Eyewitness reports:  "A/C #830 and A/C #913 (Flown by D.J.Stuke) collided over France at 1210 hourS near (?) . #830 broke up while #913 pulled away,badly damaged but apparently under control. One chute was Seen to come from #830. The ship going down under control had two port engines torn out,and only #4 was operating. The nose of this A/C also was sheared off. The collision resulted when the Group leader aborted and the formation scattered and reformed."

Capt.Lauro,Lt.Gummersall,Lt.Malooly.



on 13/7/45,Sgt.Faulkner,then at 3718 AAF Base,Denver,Colo.,was interrogated as to the death of Lt.Cryan. He gave the following information;

1.Over the coast of France,Lt.Cryan's bomber formation encountered heavy flak.Formation was broken with lead ship falling out.A new formation was formed with Lt.Cryan's ship as wing man.

2.There was a sudden explosion near Lt.Cryan's A/C.Sgt.Faulkner ,ball turret operator,upon bailing out noticed the ship broken in two sections.Sgt. Faulkner having been in the rear section,and Lt.Cryan's station was in the front section as co-pilot.

3.Sgt.Faulkner became unconscious upon the opening of his chute and did not regain consciousness until after landing when he noticed the front section of the A/C crashed in the woods,surrounded by German soldiers.

4.Sgt.Faulkner was rescued by the French patriots.Having an understanding of the French language,Sgt Faulkner was informed by the French patriots that all remaining crew members were killed in the crash of the A/C.Description by the French patriots of one of the bodies found in the front section of the A/C fitted that of Lt.Cryan."



German records in MACR state that "bodies were thrown off plane . . . badly mutilated . . . identified by I.D. tags."



Burial took Place in the French cemetarY in Poix de la Somme