Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Wesley G.Stansbury    P    KIA   28/7/44 MERSEBURG, OIL REFINERY

2nd Lt John E.Baxter  CP  KIA    28/7/44 " " " "

2nd Lt William M.Fischer NAV KIA    28/7/44 " " " " A/C#42 9762t

2nd Lt John D.Goethel   BOM       MACR #8173,.Microfiche #3002

 S/Sgt Wesson A.Stetson ROG  KIA    28/7/44 " " " "

 S/ggt G.W.Moxley  TTE  KIA    28/7/44 " " " "

 S/Sgt Henry W.Inskeep  BTG  KIA    28/7/44 " " " "

  Sgt Melvin M.Rogoff  WG KIA   28/7/44 " " " "

  Sgt John A.Myers  TG  KIA    28/7/44 " " " "

   Sgt Victor J.Vallerga  WG NC LWA 5/11/44 LUDWIGSHAVEN, MY (S.T.)

 

350th Sqdn.  Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 17/7,~44.



This crew and that of A.S.Spear were involved in a mid air collision over 

the North sea on returning from the mission   Lt John Goethel was flying with 

the crew of J.E.David on 3/9/44 when that ship crashed into the sea . He was replaced on this mission

by T/Sgt Richard D. Hawkins who was KIA.  (Goethel and two other crewmen were saved from the

David collision - the members of his old crew were not so fortunate.



 EYEWITNESS: At 1231 hours near 5238N and 1057E while the formation was flying just above undercast at 9000 feet. A/C #009 was flying #7 in the low squadron. It pulled up climbing and struck A/C #621 with it's vertical stablizer. A/C #009 broke in half at the waist and fell through the undercast. Two bodies were seen to come from #009 but no open chutes were seen. A/C #621 had it's left aileron torn off and the aircraft went into a steep dive, disappearing into the undercast with pieces of wreckage falling off.  No churtes were seen to come from this A/C. Aircraft #903 was sent back to patrol the area and assist Air-Sea Rescue. However, observers on that aircraft failed to find any trace of the crew members."



The dead of Stansbury's crew are all commemorated on the Wall Of The Missing at Cambridge.



It says: Sgt Victor J. Vallerga WG NOC 

I thought you might like to add this information or some of it: 

Victor J. Vallerga was sent home about the end of December 1944 after being wounded in action. He won the Purple Heart among other medals. After his return to civilian life he worked at the U.S. Mint in San Francisco, California. He married Harriet Ann Archer and they had three children together. He had one child by another marriage. His daughter, Pam Smith, nursed him during his last illness and he died peacefully at his home in Oakland, California on February 1, 2002. 

That's it for now. 

Pat Mullaney