Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Ralph H.Whitcomb         P    KIA              31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

2nd 1t Howard W.Nicol            CP   KIA              31 DEC 44  HAMBURG     

2nd Lt Richard K.Rolle             NAV  POW/WIA    31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

   Sgt George A.Pults        TOG/NG  KIA             31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

   Cpl  Henry D. McLafferty     TTE    RFS             Suffered frostbite of hands on early mission

   Sgt Arthur D.Stemen         ROG    KIA             31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

   Sgt Clarence W.Stonesifer    WG   KIA             31 DEC 44  HAMBURG  (later became TTE when McLafferty got frostbite)

   Sgt Albert G.Delgado          BTG   WIA/POW    31 DEC 44  HAMBURG

   Sgt Roch E.Courreges         TG     WIA/POW   31 DEC 44  HAMBURG



350th Bomb Squadron, joined the 100th BG on 28/10/44. 



This was the 7th mission for this crew. S/Sgt Clayton Smith from Lt Hansen Crew, was a replacement for Henry D.McLafferty on the crew.  He flew as WG and Sgt Stonesifer moved from WG to TTE.  





DATE: 31 December 1944          350th Sqdn.           A/C #43-38535  LN-O



MISSION: Hamburg                                      MACR #11357,Micro-fiche 4178





2nd Lt Ralph H.Whitcomb         P    KIA

2nd 1t Howard W.Nicol            CP   KIA

2nd Lt Richard K.Rolle             NAV  POW/WIA

   Sgt George A.Pults             NG     KIA

   Sgt Arthur D.Stemen         ROG    KIA

   Sgt Clarence W.Stonesifer   TTE   KIA

   Sgt Albert G.Delgado          BTG   WIA/POW

 S/Sgt Clayton J.Smith            WG   WIA/POW  (from Lt Ed Hansen Crew)

   Sgt Roch E.Courreges         TG     WIA/POW



EYEWITNESS:  AJC 43-3853S was attacked by E/A at 5330N - 0855E at 1200 hours. The

             entire right wing began to burn and the A/C circled for two minutes

             under control before spinning down enveloped in flames.No chutes were

             seen."



Report by Roch Courreges:  "When I left the plane I was forced to by flames sweep-

                            ing from Radio room and around ball turret. I

                            checked the Radioman(Arthur Stemen but he was too serious

                            and I was to weak to throw him out. I believe he may have

                            been shot in the heart and he may have been dead.I had

                            snapped my oxygen hose loose and had a wound over my eye

                            and I was so weak I had to crawl to waist door and fall

                            out head forward. It is my opinion that the remaining men

                          (Whitcomb,Nicol,Pults,Stemen and Stonesifer) never left

                           the plane. On my way down I saw the right wing leave

                           the plane and the plane was a mass of flames."



.Report by Richard Rolle: "Our scheduled route was over Baltic, passing north of

           Hamburg and then approaching target from the northeast. Actual route in

           was south of the briefed route along northern coast of Germany necessitating

           a swing into the north before bomb run. Target time was about 45 minutes

           after briefing time.

           Ship was hit by fighters (FW l90s) at about 1148 at 5330N - 0925E. Caught

           fire (Right wing and inside of nose) and started to go down in spin about

           2 minutes later. Interphone was shot out. I believe ship blew up since I

           was either blown out or thrown out by the spin. After opening my chute,

           I saw only a burning wing and smaller parts of plane falling and no other

           chutes. I landed near the town of Rotenburg 5307N & 0929E.



           In hospital in Rotenburg I learned that Sgt.Roch Courreges (Tail gunner)

           Sgt.Albert Delgado (Ball Turret) and Sgt.Clayton Smith (Waist gunner

           were also in hospital. Delgado informed me later that Steren had been killed

           in the plane.

           I believe Lt.Whitcomb,Lt.Nicol,Sgt.Stonesifer and Sgt.Pults were unable

           to get out of the ship because of the spin and the flames.One man whom I

           could not identify was lying unconscious near the escape hatch."





Lt Whitcomb, Lt Nicol, Sgt Pults, Sgt Stonesifer and Sgt Stemen were all buried in a community cemetary in Hetzwege

POW/KIA info: Wounded during attack or injured on bailout.