Personnel

Maj Stiver (later Lt Col) Robert W. Stivers was the CO of the 418th Bomb Squadron and the 100th Bomb Group Air Exec.



CREW:  Were flying as a lead crew in early 1945, following is a lead to Ahlhorn 22 March 1945



Command Pilot               Major R.W. Stivers

Pilot                         Lt. I. Champion

Co-Pilot (Tail Observer)   Lt. J.A. Plough

Navigator                    Lt. R. Andris

Radar Navigator            Lt. N.T. Gault

Bombardier                  Lt. W.J. Wellings

Radio Operator             S/Sgt H.A. Krumwiede

Engineer                     S/Sgt H.E. Lodl

Waist Gunner              S/Sgt F.J. Finn

Waist Gunner              Sgt A.R. Spencer

 



20 APR 45 ORANIEBURG;  MAJ STIVERS WAS COM PILOT ON 100TH LAST MISSION.  LEAD CREW THAT DAY WAS:



 Command Pilot           Maj. R.W.  Stivers

 Pilot                          Lt.  C. Hellerich (spelled Hellrich in some reports…pw)

 Co-Pilot(Tail Observer) Lt. E. Whitney

 Navigator                  Lt.  L.W. Duncan

 Radar Navigator         F/O J.H. Clinton

 Bombardier               Lt.  A.J. Shiurba

 Radio Operator          S/Sgt   J.J. Finn

 Engineer                  S/Sgt  W.W. Miller

 Waist Gunner           Sgt   R.L.Blair

 Waist Gunner           Sgt  W.A. Platzner





The following form contents were entered on 22nd Jul 3

Date = 22 Jul 3 16:58:52

subject = Tell Us How We Are Doing

email = sehooke@aol.com

comments = I am the biological grandaughter of R.W. Stivers. I have recently

found my family roots and have thoroughly enjoyed reading and looking at the

pictures of my grandfather. I am amazed how much my son looks like him. I am

aware that he is now deceased however, I do not have any exact dates for you

to post. Thank you for having this website and the tribute to these men.



Susan Hooke

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Here's what I have from Bob Stivers in an 11 August,1994 letter to me on his 100th Bomb Group time and after… (I've ommitted info of a personal nature from Bob to me on my dad and such)



 ………"Jack, I hasten to correct your understanding of what I said, We were there at Thorpe Abbotts at the time you recite; 3-12/45, but I had left the 349th Bomb Squadron. The 349th was my first assignment in the 100th (BG). I left to be C.O. 418th and at 3-12/45 I was probably Group Opns and Air Exec.



Shortly after the war ended I flew DeGaulle's Air Staff to Washington to join him in presenting decorations to U.S. personnal for contributions in freeing "La Belle France". We went from Orly in Paris to Azores to Burmuda to Washington National and returned the same way. While on 10 day leave our plane the "Silver Dollar"  disappeared from the airfield. The Pentagon Materiel Command located it at an airfield in Kansas City.The crew had to return early and flyout to get it. At the time I was living outside Cincinnati. Having left several days early to rescue the plane I stopped at Lemken Airport in Cincy to say good-bye to my wife and son James about 1 1/2 years--the same one you spoke to. After returning to T/A I was sent to Stuttgart,Germany with an Airborne Engineer battalion to convert the base for 100th BG Occupation A.F. With defeat of Japan that project was scrapped and I almost did not get to return with the 100th (BG) to the Z of I.--USA………….I saved very little from my service and like your father spoke very little about it I got out at the first opportunity and though I was offered a regular commission I did not even go into the active Reservive units,nor in any veterans organizations………..When I flew DeG's Air Staff I picked the crew. My co-pilot was Danny Naar (Denzil) who was a Capt. or 1st Lt. at the time. He was in the 349th……..He got a B-17 caught in propwash into a spin while climbing to altitude with full load of gas and bombs; he brought it out of the spin,climbed back into formation,flew the mission and landed. The plane was so badly twisted and strained that it never flew again. I figured that with that kind of skill and/or luck he deserved to be on my crew………….Regards, Bob Stivers



 



Missions of Major Robert W. Stivers,Command Pilot, by date,lead pilot,aircraft,position in 100th BG formation



 2 MARCH,1945  STIVERS HUTCHINSON 44-8776  LN-U  PFF,HARDSTAND # 30,C-SQDN LEAD



9 MARCH,1945 STIVERS CHAMPION  344  M  PFF,HARDSTAND # 17, C-SQDN LEAD



12 MARCH,1945  STIVERS ELLIS  44-8717 EP-J "MISS SWEETNESS" HARDSTAND # 7, C-SQDN LEAD



22 MARCH,1945  STIVERS



4 APRIL,1945   STIVERS MURRAY  42-97696 XR-W PFF,HARDSTAND # 13A, B-SQDN LEAD



9 APRIL,1945   STIVERS  RAIFORD  44-8719  LN-W  PFF, HARDSTAND # 35, B-SQDN,LEAD



19 APRIL,1945  (combat mission scrubbed,practice mission) STIVERS EVANS   707  Z, HARDSTAND # 11. C-SQDN LEAD



20 APRIL,1945  (last combat mission of the 100th BG)  STIVERS  ?    ?  A-SQDN,100TH BG LEAD



7 MAY,1945  (last Chowhound mission flown by 100th BG)  STIVERS BOROVILOS  MURRAY   44-8824 XR-M  "MIKE"  PFF, HARDSTAND # 17, A-SQDN,100TH GROUP LEAD