Personnel

CREW



LT SEYMOUR D. EICHEN           P CPT   JULY 1944

LT ANDREW J. BURKHART         CP POW 25 JUL 44 ST LO GND SUPPORT  (with Lt Townsends crew)

LT JOSEPH J. DEVINE             NAV CPT  JULY 1944

F/O LUDVIC J. SVETLIK           BOM CPT JULY 1944

T/SGT RICHARD J. O'NEIL        ROG CPT 13 JUL 44 MUNICH, JET ENGINES

T/SGT ROBERT H. TUCKER       TTE CPT JULY 1944

S/SGT FORREST J. BRANAGAN  BTG CPT 13 JUL 44 MUNICH, JET ENGINES

S/SGT HAROLD W. RUPPERT    WG NOC (replaced by S/Sgt Wiliam "Cut and Shoot" Hoffman)

S/SGT JAMES H. SAUER           WG CPT JULY 1944

S/SGT CHARLES E. RATHBUN     TG CPT JULY 1944



351ST SQDN.. CREW JOINED THE 100TH IN MARCH 1944. IT IS KNOWN THAT EICHEN FLEW 35 SORTIES IN "ALL AMERICAN GIRL."

S/Sgt William "Cut and Shoot" Hoffman flew Right Waist Gunner on this crew

According to Glenn Rake, 2nd Lt Burkhart (from Lt Eichen Crew) filled in as CP on his crew some missions. 

ACCORDING TO RECORDS IN OPS, 2ND LT WILLIAM L. BOWEN FLEW WITH LT S.D. EICHEN CREW AS COOILOT  STARTING ON 

APRIL 10, 1944.  LT BOWEN IS FROM CAPT JOSEPH "FUZZY" ZELLER CREW.  



MISSIONS OF LT SEYMORE EICHEN CREW:



Mar.18, 1944   Munich          42-37936 "All American Girl"

Mar.19, 1944   Marquise, Mimmoyeques  42-31389   No name ( later called " Lucious Lucy" by Lt Lacy)

Mar.22. 1944   Oranienburg   42-37936 "All American Girl

Mar.23, 1944   Brunswick      42-31767 "Our Gal Sal"

Mar.31, 1944   Ludwigshaven 42-31767 "Our Gal Sal"         Recall

April 1, 1994    Ludwigshaven42-37936 "All American Girl"   (Lt Dille is CP)

April 10, 1944  Rheims          42-39983 "Katie"                 (Lt Bowen becomes CP)

April 11, 1944  Posen           42-31412 "Mason and Dixon"

April 12, 1944  Schkeuditz    42-37936 "The All American Girl"

April 13, 1944  Augsburg      42-37936 "The All Amercian Girl" 

May 7, 1944    Berlin            42-37936 "The All American Girl"

May 12, 1944  Brux             42-31767  "Our Gal Sal"

May 13, 1944  Osnabruck     42-37936  "The All American Girl"

May 19, 1944  Berlin            42-37936  "The All American Girl"

May 20, 1944  Brussels         42-37936  "The All Amercan Girl"

June 4, 1944  Boulogne       42-107095  no name

June 6, 1944  Falaise           42-30152    "Messie Bessie"  D-Day

June 7, 1944  Nantes          42-102977   No Name (eventually called Traps for Capt Joseph Trapnell in July 44)

June 19, 1944 Corme          42-102977   No Name

June 26, 1944 Drohobycz    42-102977   No Name (Start of First Russian Shuttle Mission)

July 3, 1944    Arad            42-102977   No Name (Fly from Russia to Italy and bomb target in Rumania)

July 5, 1944    Beziers         42-102977   No Name (Fly from Italy back to England)





"S/Sgt William Hoffman started his Career in a B-26 Marauder Group but ended up at 3rd Air Division Headquarters upon arrival in England.  He was assigned as the Driver for General Nathan Forrest.  Bill said this man was a "soldiers General" because he got along real well with both officers and enlisted men. Bill said it was a sad day when the General did not return.  He was leading a mission to Keil, flying with the 95th Bomb Group who were stationed at Framlingham at the time.  Gen Forrest's plane was hit by enemy fighters and one engine was knocked out forcing the plane to lose airspeed but his plane seemed to catch up when enemy fighters attacked again.  General Forrest was the 1st General lost in the Air War.  He was one of Gen Eakers original 7 to come over and start the 8th Air Force. S/Sgt Hoffman was so mad at the loss of his General that he volenteered for Gunnery school in England (up near the Walsh).  Upon completion of training, Bill was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group as a spare gunner.  His first mission was as tail gunner on a plane piloted by Jack Swartout.  Bill's recollection of that first mission "How did a good ole Texas boy end up in a place like this"!  He could have stayed at 3rd AD HQ but chose to fight like his General.  S/Sgt William Hoffman said that he believes something happened to the TTE Tucker and one of the WG took his place.  Bill then became the new Waist Gunner on the Crew until they completed their mission.  Bill still had to fly 3 additional missions with other crews to complete his tour of duty".

                                    (as related to mpf in conversation with William Hoffman, Nov. 2000)



CREW

             TARGET WAS ST LO, GROUND SUPPORT

             A/C#42 102416 "LADY LUCK"  



2nd Lt Lawrence E.Townsend  P      POW    25/7/44  ST LO       TAPS: 1982

2nd Lt Edward H.Fehrenkamp  CP     NOC                                  TAPS: 30 AUG 1988

2nd Lt Arnold I.Holmes            N     EVADEE 25/7/44 ST LO

2r.d Lt George D.Gardner         B     POW     25/7/44 ST LO        TAPS: 1984

   Sgt Walter 'W.Kolar,             E     EVADEE 25/7/44 ST LO

 S/Sgt Robert H.Dunbar            R     POW

   Sgt Chalmers M.Anderson    BT      POW    25/7/44 ST LO        TAPS: 1988

 S/Sgt Gordon M.Lane           WG     POW    25/7/44 ST LO

   Sgt Earl C.Milam                 TG      POW    25/7/44 ST LO         TAPS: 1957



349th Sqdn. Crew,as above,joined the 100th Group on 9/3/44, with the exception of Lt Andrew J. Burkhart and 

T/Sgt Louis P. Glasser. Lt Burkhart was from the  crew of S.D. Eichen and replaced Lt Edward H. Fehrenkamp 

25 Jul 1944 and T/Sgt Glasser flew for  S/Sgt Robert H. Dunbar. T/Sgt Glasser became an EVADEE and 

2nd Lt Andrew J.Burkhart was a POW.