Personnel

CREW



1st Lt Andrew J.Gorski            P    NOC   21 JUN 44 BASDORF-BERLIN (LWA by flak in leg) 

2nd Lt Kenneth L.Houghton   CP   POW  25 JUN 44 MAQUIS SUPPLY DROP ( as pilot of S.T.Major Crew)  

2nd Lt Ray E.Miller               NAV CPT    19 SEPT 44  SZOLNOK, HUNGARY  (with AUSTIN  DUNLOP PFF CREW)

2nd Lt Burton S.Fox            BOM CPT    19 SEPT 44  SZOLNOK, HUNGARY  (with AUSTIN  DUNLOP PFF CREW)

S/Sgt George Jones            TTE  NOC

Sgt Albert M.Caldwell           ROG CPT    3 JAN 45  FULDA

Sgt Joseph J.Parrilla             BTG NOC     Flew 14 missions with Lt Evans Crew

S/Sgt Oscar A.Compton        WG NOC 

Sgt John Rybak                    WG NOC

Sgt Daniel M.Cargile              TG  NOC  (flew with Lt Rice Crew, and went down with Lt Kincannon Crew, flew as WG)



418th Sqdn. This crew,as above,Joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44.  Crew flew Andy's Dandy's named after Capt. Andrew Gorski

Capt. Gorski went on to become 418th Assistant Operations Officer.  Lt Fox received two Purple Hearts, one due to enemy fighters.  Both Lt Fox and Lt Miller were transferred to 350th BS and  Lt Austin Dunlop's Crew.   



Letter from Ray Miller (April 1984)  We had not been a part of the group very long until Andy Gorski was 

moved into squadron ops.  Burt Fox had been a bombardier lnstructor and had gone through phase training 

twice.  He was a natural for lead crew and insisted that I be his navigator as we were a "team". Gorski did 

not go to Pathfinders but did get some Command pilot time (he got a flak wound in the leg while doing so). 

Burt & I teamed up with Austin Dunlap and completed our tour as , PFF crew. Kenneth Houghton got a crew of 

his own and was shot down but walked out.  It was in June 1944 and he has a good story about Gen.Patton and 

his staff. I do not know the fate of the enlisted men of our original crew.



Date Mission Nbr Crew Nbr Target Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr



3/26/1944 136 29 SCHKEUDITZ/JU-88 PLANT RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

3/27/1944 137 29 BORDEAUX/ MERIGNAC RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

3/28/1944 138 29 CHATEAUDUN/ EVREUX RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

3/31/1944 139 29 LUDWIGSHAFEN/RECALLED RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

4/7/1944 141 29 QUAKENBRUCK (SCRUBBED) RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

4/8/1944 142 29 QUACKENBRUCH RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

4/9/1944 143 29 KRZESINKI (POSEN) RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

4/10/1944 144 29 RHEIMS/ CHAMPAGNE RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

4/12/1944 146 29 SCHEUDITZ (RECALL) RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

4/13/1944 147 29 AUGSBURG RYBAK J SGT RWG 97071

5/8/1944 112 73 BERLIN & LAGLACERIE RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

5/28/1944 -124 73 MAGDEBURG RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

6/2/1944 -128 73 BOULOGNE RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

6/6/1944 -132 73 FALAISE/OUISTREHAM RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

6/7/1944 -135 73 NANTES (BRIDGES) RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

6/18/1944 -141 73 BRUNSBUTTELKOOG RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

6/20/1944 -143 73 FALLERSLEBEN RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

6/21/1944 -144 73 BASDORF & RUHLAND RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

7/4/1944 152 73 GEIN (RECALLED) RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 106986

7/7/1944 155 73 BOHLEN/MERSEBURG RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 37636

7/8/1944 156 73 CLAMECY-JOLGYN RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 37636

7/12/1944 158 80 MUNICH (IND. AREA) RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 102649

7/13/1944 159 80 MUNICH (JET ENGINES) RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 32090

7/14/1944 160 80 SOUTH OF FRANCE RYBAK J. S/SGT LWG 37808



*****************************************************************************************************************



CREW 



   Lt Charles E.Harris              P       CPT   5/8/44 MAGDEBURG

   Lt Manly W.Hall                 CP      CPT 27/8/44 BERLIN

   Lt Lloyd W.Coartney         NAV    CPT   5/8/44 MAGDEBURG

   Lt John E.Dimel,Jr.           BOM    CPT 5/8/44 MAGDEBURG

T/Sgt Leighton B.Gaard       ROG  XFR   Flew 21 Missions- 4/7/44 then transferred to Air Force communications unit in France)

T/Sgt Norman Howden,Jr    TTE   CPT  5/8/44 MAGDEBURG

S/Sgt Kenneth L.Nowland   BTG   XFR   Completed 14 missions with this crew.

S/Sgt Joseph H.Blume        RWG  CPT   5/8/44 MAGDEBURG  

                                                 WIA 22/3/44 ORANIENBURG/BERLIN (PURPLE HEART)

S/Sgt Peter R.Zyskowski     LWG  WIA 22/3/44 ORANIENBURG/BERLIN  (PURPLE HEART)

                                                 WIA 10/4/44 RHEIMS (PURPLE HEART) recovered & then 'transferred

S/Sgt Joseph L.Oyler            TG  SWA 10/4/44 RHEIMS (PURPLE HEART ( Returned To USA after recovery)



Crew,as above, joined the 100th in March 1944.First mission on 19/3/44 418th Sqdn.



T/SGT H.H. GREENFIELD TOOK OVER AS ROG AFTER JULY 4, 1944

S/SGT R.L. SCHELLIN TOOK OVER AS BTG ON JUNE 2, 1944

S/SGT W.R.HEATHMAN FLIES AS REPLACEMENT FOR BLUME ON MARCH 23 & 31, 1944

S/SGT JIM MACK (FROM ROSENTHAL CREW) FLIES AS REPLACEMENT FOR BLUME FROM APRIL 1-10, 1944 

S/SGT JOHN RYBAK TAKES OVER LWG POSITION ON APRIL 24, 1944 

S/SGT ART TIRRELL TAKES OVER AS TG ON APRIL 24, 1944



See C.E.Harris correspondence in 418th file.                         



FOLLOWING IS MISSION LIST OF HARRIS CREW COMPILIED IN 1991 BY COL HARRIS.

 

                             HARRIS CREW

                      MARCH TO AUGUST 1944       



  #   DATE            TARGET          COMMENT                          FLT TIME     

  1    3/19/44         NOBALL                                                     4:00

  2    3/22/44         BERLIN       HIT OVER BERLIN, 88 MM 

                                            THROUGH WING. ZYSKOWSKI & 

                                            BLUME WOUNDED. OXYGEN AND

                                            RADIO OUT. RTN ON DECK.           8:45

  3.   3/23/44         BRUNSWICK       CENTER OF CITY                    7:30

        3/31/44        LUDWIGSHAVEN  (RECALLED)

  4.   4/1/44           RECALL                                                   4:45

  5.   4/8/44          QUACKENBRUCK                                           6:15

        4/9/44          POSEN             (RECALLED)

  6.   4/10/44         RHEIMS, FR.       FIGHTERS, ZYSKOWSKI  

                                                  WOUNDED FOR 2ND TIME.

                                                   RTN ALONE.                        6:00

  7.   4/24/44         FRIEDRICHSHAFEN   GREAT VIEW OF ALPS       9:30      

  8.   4/26/44         BRUNSWICK                                                7:45

  9.   4/27/44         FRANCE                                                    5:00

 10.   4/27/44         NO-BALL BIRTHDAY PRESENT TWO MISSIONS  6:30

 11.   4/29/44         BERLIN                                                     9:00

 12.   5/1/44  LEAD    CLASSIFIED       MAJOR FULLER (1ST LEAD)    6:30

 13.   5/8/44  LEAD    LA GLACERIE, FR. COM PILOT UNK                 4:50

 14.   5/28/44 LEAD   MADGEBURG    MAJOR FULLER.. DIMEL (BTG)

                                           SHOT DOWN TWO FIGHTERS..          8:15

 15.   6/2/44  LEAD    FR. NO-BALL      COM PILOT UNK                   5:15

 16.   6/6/44  LEAD    D_DAY NORMANDIE  CAPT GORSKI              7:30  

 17.   6/7/44  LEAD    NANTES           COM PILOT UNK                  7:15

 18.   6/18/44 LEAD    BRUNSBUTTELKOOG  CAPT GORSKI             7:30

 19.   6/20/44 LEAD    FALLERSLEBEN     COM PILOT UNK               7:15

 20.   6/21/44 LEAD    BERLIN (BASDORF) COM PILOT GORSKI; 

                                MAIN GROUP TO RUSSIA; 

                                OUR GROUP A DIVERSION, CAPT GORSKI, 

                                COMMAND PILOT WOUNDED

                                BY FLAK. COURTNEY & DIMEL EARN  DFC.     9:45

 21.   7/4/44             GIEN, FRANCE                                             6:15

 22.   7/7/44             GOTTLINGEN, GER                                        7:14  

 23.   7/8/44  LEAD    Le LENTE, FR.    CAPT HOWARD                     4:15

 24.   7/14/44 PPF     SOUTH FRANCE     FIRST PATHFINDER MISSION,

                                                  MAQUIS SUPPLY DROP.               8:00

 25.   7/19/44 PPF     SCHWEINFURT    LT COL BENNETT                    7:00 

 26.   7/20/44 PFF     MERSEBURG        LT COL ROSENTHAL                8:45  

 27.   7/29/44 PFF     MERSEBURG        MAJOR ZELLER                        8:00

 28.   7/31/44 PFF     MUNCIH              LT COL KIDD                          8:30

 29.   8/5/44  PFF      MAGDEBURG       LT COL ROSENTHAL                7:30

                                        THE END !!!!!!!                                     



     NOTE: CAPT KRETOW WAS THE RADAR OPERATOR ON ALL PATHFINDER MISSIONS





LLOYD W. COARTNEY, 90

BORN 20 AUG 1919

DIED 21 JAN 2010

 

NAV,418thBS, 

2nd lt. Charles E Harris crew

CPT 8/5/44 MADGEBURG

*********************************************************************************************************



Letter to Paul West



12105 Amhassador Drive

#533 

Colorado Springs, CO  80921-3642



November 18, 1993 



Dear Paul:

Was good seeing you again in Little Rock.  But you were so busy that we really didn't have a chance to chat.  Next  time! I'm sure you  know, though, how much we appreciate your interest and what you're doing for the hundredth.

Our crew is trying to "resurrect" the Bastille Day (July 14) parachute mission to the Marquis.   It was our first Pathfinder mission with Mike Crete.  My Navigator, Lloyd Coartney (who was with us in Little Rock) said that "Big Pete" Peterson flew with us that day as the second  navigator; that the PFF went o~ the blink shortly after take-off, and that he and Pete dead reckoned the mission nearly the entire way due to weather.  As we descended thru the overcast they had it figured that there should be a lake to our right.  There was! We then headed for the open field where the Marquis were waiting This was just west of the Alps.  We made a dry run on the field to make sure we were right, then a 360 and dropped on the next approach.  We're sure that we were the first ones in as there were no signs of prior chutes.  I do remember glancing down and seeing all those brave guys down there.  As I remember, we dropped from about 600 feet.



What none of us can remember is who was our Command Pilot. Having the PFF, (and Big Pete), we think it must have been a

13th Wing lead.  Which brings up, was John Bennett with us? remember very well that he was with us on the July 19 mission to Schweinfurt, but p. 130-131 of "Century Bombers" tells that the Frenchman- Lt Jean Vallion-- flew with Bennett on the 14th. I'm sure we'd remember him if he'd been with us.  So, if we weren't with Bennett, why did we have PFF and a second Navigator?? Just possibly you have the answer.

I think that I sent you some mission sheets last year, but I have no record, so am enclosing copies of the few I have.



Have ramble on enough.  Dare say you get many requests like this, but you asked for it!!!

If you ever get out this way, be sure and let me know.  We're living in a beautiful retirement center (Liberty Heights), We have guest apts. here which we'd be glad to reserve for you.  As I write I'm looking out on the AF Academy.  We're on the east side of the Valley; the Academy is on the west side- about a 15 minute ride for us, as we can cut straight across.  There's a lot to see and do here.  Lt Gen. "But" Clark, a prior Supt. of the Academy, is here with us.  He was the Senior Officer in Stalag 3; was shot down in '42 while flying a  Spitfire with the RAF.

                                     All the best,

                                     Chuck Harris





Orders deploying Harris crew to ETO dated 10 Feb 1944..



SECRET



GRENIER FIELD

       MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE  

STA.    16, NAW,  ATC

                            



 ..

(OPERATIONS ORDERS )

                                                       

NO.........................................14



                                                           10 February 1944

   EXTRACT



1. The following named crew WP by air in the aircraft as indicated below at the proper time from Grenier Field, 'Manchester, New Hampshire, via North Atlantic Route to the  European Theater of Operations, London, England, reporting upon arrival to the Commander, 8th Air Force Service Command, Air Transport Command Terminals of Arrival    British Isles, for further assignment and duty with the 8th Air ~orce.



X  PROVISIONAL BOMB GROUP

 Shipment No. FX_  BJ 

Project No. 92419-R

                  APO No. 12760-RJ-55



 B_l7G  -  Crcw #55  #42-31895



Pilot    2nd .Lt. Charles E.,Harris  0-749162

Co-Pilot    2nd Lt.Manly W. Hall, Jr.  0-755578

Navigator    2nd Lt. Lloyd W. Coartney  0-698264

Bombardier    2nd Lt. John E. Dimell, Jr. - 0-685073

Engineer  Sgt..Norman (NMI) Howden, Jr. 11114810

Radio Operator.  Cpl. Leighton B. Gaard    19203172

Arm. Gunner  Sgt. Joscph H. Blume, Jr. .   3Z767743

Career Gunner  Sgt. Joscph L. Oyler     15354702

Career Gunner  Sgt. Pctcr R, Zyskowski    32741614

Career Gunner  Sgt. Kenncth L. Nowland    12169351



 This is- a Permanent change of station.



      ln lieu of subsistence a flat per diem of seven dollars ($7.00) is Authorized for travel and for periods of temporary duty enroute to final destination when, necessary for officers and flight officers, in accordance with existing law end regulations. Payment of mileage is not authorized. Such times as the individual is billeted and subsisted, as outlined in WD Memorandum K- 35-2-42, September 30, 1942, his per diem will be suspended.



A flat per diem of seven dollars ($7.00) is authorized for enlisted men for travel and for periods of temporary duty enroute to final destination in accordance with existing law and regulations, if travel is performed by air. For travel by rail and for periods of delay enroute to final destination, monetary allowance, in lieu of rations and quarters is prescribed in accordance with AR 35-4520.





SECRET