Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Albert Kirsling                   P   FEH

F/O George P. Lavoie                 CP   FEH

2nd Lt John F. Accinelli             NAV   FEH  sn# 0-2074618

2nd Lt Norbert L. Robaskiewicz  BOM   FEH  sn# 0-2068123  (CHANGED LAST NAME TO ROBIE AFTER THE WAR)

 Cpl Ralph S. Dew                    ROG   FEH

 Cpl John L. Riggle                   TTE    FEH

 Cpl Leland K. Denning              WG    FEH

 Cpl Robert W. Steinmetz           TG    FEH  (became Tog on Lt Kirsch Crew) SEE NOTE BELOW)

 Cpl Leonard J. Czarnowski        BTG    FEH



349th Sqdn. Joined the 100th Group on 3/4/45.



Missions of Lt Albert Kirsling (from  Lt Accinelli)



1. 14 Apr 45   Royan

2. 15 Apr 45   Royan 

3. 16 Apr 45   Royan

4. 17 Apr 45   Aussig (Lt Accinelli flew with another crew)





HI Mike...Here is all I have on the 2nd LT. ALBERT KIRSLING CREW...349th Sqdn,joined 100th April 3rd,1945.…



PRACTICE  MISSIONS--  

                             13 APRIL 1945                KIRSLING   514  R, HARDSTAND # 24, D-SQDN, 44-8514     XR-R  Lassie Come Home

COMBAT MISSIONS--14 APRIL 1945, ROYAN...  KIRSLING  681  V ,HARDSTAND # 24, A-SQDN  43-338681  XR-V, Grumblin' Gremlin III 

                             15 APRIL 1945, ROYAN…  KIRSLING  681   V,HARDSTAND # 24, C-SQDN, 43-338681  XR-V  Grumblin' Gremlin III

                             16 APRIL 1945, ROYAN     



AFTER HOSTILITIES, CREW CHANGES....2 ND LT JOHN F. ACCINELLI  (N)  on the KIRSLING crew  transferred to the W. Griswold Smith crew  and  2nd Lt. Wilson P. Turnipseed (N) on the SMITH crew transferred to the KIRSLING crew, until 100th BG aircraft left Group October,1945..Misc notes..Ralph S. Dew  ROG on the KIRSLING crew ,along with Joseph J. Hilber TG (from Lt Leech Crew) both quartered in Hut # 33 with the W.Gris Smith crew ...2nd Lt. John Accinelli quartered in Hut #13 ,same hut as Gris Smith... LAST AIRCRAFT THE KIRSLING CREW,349th sqdn crew # 2  were assigned to at Thorpe Abbotts was  752  0     44-8752    XR-O    OCT, 1945........That's all I have on Kirsling crew,  Jack O'Leary





On May 5th,1945 CHOWHOUND MISSION, John Accinelli (N) and Norbert Robaskiewicz (B) flew with the Gris Smith crew....Robaskiewicz wasn't at Thorpe Abbotts very long....here's excepts from two copies of special orders on him; Special Orders Number 170   28 June,1945   2. A lv of absence for a period of seven (7) days is granted the following Officers, 349th Bomb Sq.off c/a dates indicated below (Auth AR-905-115), O are auth Railway Travel Warrent to destinations indicated & return.  2nd LT NORBERT L. ROBASKIEWICZ   02068123 , AC,eff c/a 22 June '45 to Glasgow ,2nd LT JOHN F. ACCINELLI,  02074618, AC, eff c/a 29 June '45  to Glasgow, 1st LT WILLIAM G SMITH, 0416184, AC, eff c/a 29 June '45 to Belfast, Ireland......................page 2 Par 15,SO #173, Hq AAF  Sta 139,APO 559 U.S.Army,2 July 1945, Cont'd: Reld fr:349th Bomb Sd,........2nd LT NORBERT L. ROBASKIEWICZ,  02068123     32Q  (ASR P (points)  transferred  to  95th BOMB GP, AAF  STA  119  



Jack O'Leary





 MILLER, EDMUND P with some others in Hut 33 taken in hot weather, late summer 1945 along with others of my dads (W.G.SMITH) crew...If you check the GELLER CREW page he's listed as Edward P. at the top from Springfield,MA (same guy definately in both photos)  and down the bottom of the page referenced as Sgt Edmund R Miller  WG  NOC...After hostilities at some point,he was assigned to the 1st Lt. Kirsling CREW (probably to replace John Ringle ,TTE)...I found him listed on the  1Sept,1945 349th Sqdn Combat Crew Assignment sheet as; Kirsling Crew # 2, SHIP # 752-0  E-S/Sgt Miller, Edmund P  Hut No 33.......Which makes sense,because he was listed as an asst. Engineer on the Geller crew.......... That's all I have, Jack O'Leary





Subj: Fwd: 349th BS combat crews #'s, 2 ,7 ,8 Oct,1945 info pertaining to 2nd Lt.Al Kirsling crew  

Date: 7/25/2005 8:04:37 AM Pacific Daylight Time 

From: xr_crew@yahoo.com 

To: mike@100thbg.com 

CC: MPFaley@aol.com, janr@cei.net, wcs31@swbell.net, harry@100thbg.com, charlie@100thbg.com 

File: Oct1945349thBScombatcrews2,7,8.jpg (239368 bytes) DL Time (31200 bps): me after the war to ROBIE which is what he was called by crew members according to you John. He had a brother also that changed his last name to the same,Jacob James Robie,S/SGT in a stateside training unit during WWII

Norbert is buried in the hometown cemetery TRINITY in Erie,PA. I have attached his veterans record of burial for 100th BGF database.

 

I have one lead for you on a crew member that I believe may still be walking this Good Earth

LEONARD J. CZARNOWSKI, 86 

1020 sunny ridge drive

LAKE HAVASU,AZ 86406

928-453-7162

John why don't you try calling him? He's living relatively close to where Kingman Gunnery School was. Did he go to Kingman for gunnery school like you did?  Please let me know how you make out. We can add him to the roster and send him a Splasher Six  

 

Mike, John told me about an incident his crew had going over to the ETO by ship which should be added to their crew page. They almost didn't make it. On 13 MARCH,1945 while aboard the Army Transport J.W. McAndrew, AP-47 during a storm in the early morning hours before daybreak their ship was struck by the French Navy carrier BEARN that lost steering control in the storm and killed 71 Americans aboard the McAndrew. I attached a page on the ship. There's also a good book on the accident. titled THE SHIP THAT NEVER WAS by B.J.BRYAN. John's crew was delayed for several weeks which is why they got to Thorpe Abbotts on 3 April,1945.

 

Norbert's last name is currently spelled wrong in the website database and the Crew page. The second letter of his name change from A to O.   Should be ROBASKIEWICZ.



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

CREW



2nd Lt Philip B.Kirsch              P  FEH

2nd Lt Charles J.Brown          CP FEH

F/O William M.Read              NAV  FEH

2nd Lt Thomas E.Yancey     BOM  FEH (replaced by Tog)

Sgt Robert Steinmetz       TOG/NG FEH (replaced Lt Yancey. Was from Lt Kirsling Crew) SEE BELOW

Sgt. Russell J.Bair                 BTG  FEH

Sgt Robert F.Rose             ROG  FEH  SN# 13133784

Sgt Richard C.Odgers            TTE  FEH

Sgt Frank R.Jackson              WG  FEH

Sgt Thomas E.Phillips             TG   FEH



349th Sqdn. Joined the 100th Group on 11/4/45.



Crew arrived too late to fly combat missions  but performed humanitarian food drop missions over Holland, commonly know as "Chowhound Food Missions" in May



Mike…..Here's what I have for the 2nd Lt. Phillip B. KIRSCH crew…..



PRACTICE MISSION, 19 APRIL,1945   KIRSCH    681  V  24, C-SQDN    (AIRCRAFT # 43-3861  XR-V  "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN III")  

                             Hardstand # 24,   additional note:  5/14/45 Crash landed  SALVAGED………..

CHOWHOUND MISSION 2 MAY, 1945  KIRSCH    841  H  16, B-SQDN,   (AIRCRAFT # 44-6841 XR-H  "WOODY WOODPECKER") 

CHOWHOUND MISSION, 6 MAY,1945   KIRSCH   841  H  16, D-SQDN   (AIRCRAFT # 44-6841 XR-H  "WOODY WOODPECKER") 

                             Hardstand # 16,  RFC,12/20/45 Kingman,AZ……….

CHOWHOUND MISSION, 7  MAY,1945  KIRSCH   841  H  16, B-SQDN  (AIRCRAFT # 44-6841  XR-H  " WOODY WOODPECKER")  

                             Hardstand # 16, RFC,12/20/45 Kingman,AZ……..



DP FERRY MISSION,AUSTRIA TO PARIS,3 JUNE,1945   KIRSCH   716  R  23, D-SQDN   (EDITORS NOTE;AIRCRAFT DETAILS CAN'T BE CONFIRMED AT PRESENT TIME,HOWEVER…POSSIBLY 482nd BG H2X 42-97716    ???  …SAL 7/6/45…REASON BEING ,THE 482nd BG TRANSFERRED A NUMBER OF PATHFINDER AIRCRAFT IN THIS SERIES OF SERIAL NUMBERS (42-97700 SERIES) TO THE 100TH BOMB GROUP IN MAY,1945…NO RECORD OF THIS AIRCRAFT CURRENTLY IN 100TH BG DATABASES WHICH WOULD MAKE IT…  349TH BS MARKINGS, XR-R  42-97716   ???  )……..



FERRY MISSION TO CASABLANCA, 4 JUNE,1945   KIRSCH  716  R   23, C-SQDN ( aircraft details ditto as previous note) Hardstand # 23…Jack O'Leary