Personnel

 MAJ VENTRISS COMPLETED A TOUR OF DUTY WITH THE 390TH BG AND TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE 100TH BG WITH COL THOMAS JEFFREY IN MAY 1944.  HIS ORIGINAL CREW WAS THAT OF PISTOL PACKIN MAMA PILOTED BY CAPT. JAMES GEARY WHO ALSO SIGNED UP FOR ANOTHER TOUR OF DUTY AND TRANSFERRED TO THE 100TH BG WITH COL JEFFREY.



MISSIONS OF MAJOR DONALD E. VENTRISS WITH THE 390TH BOMB GROUP: 



By Crew Member Name NAME Position Description   CRW   Y_ M_ D    A/C SER#   390 MSN NR    MSN TARGET 

Ventriss, Donald E     Command Navigator                26    43 08 15     230434         002          Vitry-en-Artois FR

Ventriss, Donald E     Bombardier/Togglier                28    43 08 17     230325         003          Regensburg GER

Ventriss, Donald E     Bombardier/Togglier                26    43 09 02     230434         009          Kerlin-Bastard FR

Ventriss, Donald E     Bombardier/TogglieR               26    43 09 06     230434         010          Stuttgart GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Command Navigator                 26    43 09 16     230434         014          Bordeaux-Merignac FR

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 26   43  09 27     230434         017          Emden GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 26   43 10  02     230434         018          Emden GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 26   43 10  09     230434         021          Marienburg GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 26   43 11  03     230434         025          Wilhelmshaven GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 26   43 11  05     230434         026          Gelsenkirchen GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 26   43 11  16     230434         030          Rjukan Norway

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 26   43 11  26     230434         033          Bremen GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 41   43 11  30     230434         034          Solingen GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 41   43 12  05     230434         035          Bordeaux FR

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 41   43 12  11     231275         036          Emden GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 41   43 12  16     231275         038          Bremen GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 41   43 12  31     239927         043          Paris-CAM FR

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 41   44 01  04     231275         044          Kiel GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 58   44 01  21     231275         049          Heuringhem FR

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 57   44 01  24     231275         050          Frankfurt GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 16   44 02  24     231732         061          Rostock GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier               PFF   44 02   29     239766        064          Brunswick GER

Ventriss, Donald E    Bombardier/Togglier                 05  44 03   19     231732         074         Mimoyecques FR



"CREATOR OF THE 570TH JOKER PATCH FOR THE 390TH BOMB GROUP





While at Blythe Army Air Base and just two days after the initial orders from the 34th Bomb Group, Major Tom Jeffrey, the newly appointed Deputy Commander, directed each squadron to develop a distinctive emblem that would set it apart from each of the others.



There are many historic references to such a technique.  This emblem would be made a patch to be worn on the uniform.  Major Jeffrey suggested each 

squadron commander run a contest within his squadron for the design of such an emblem.



The 570th Squadron Navigator Marshall Shore and Bombardier Don Ventriss had their office in an army tent out behind the building where Captain Joe  Gemmill, the Squadron Commander, and First Lieutenant Bill Jones, the Operations Officer, had their office.  There was no floor or lights and Ventriss and Shore sat on folding chairs in the sand.  Ventriss had some background in illustrating and came up with the idea of an old English "Joker" which was superimposed on four playing card aces, spades, diamonds, clubs and hearts.  He drew it out on a table and then put it up on a makeshift easel to color it in with water colors.



The task took him two days to finish.  When he got it perfected to his satisfaction, he submitted it in the 570th Bomb Squadron competition.  It was so original and different that it was voted the winner of the competition.



It was offically approved 10 May 1943.  Unfortunately none of the other three squadrons gained official approval.



"Written by John S. Warner"

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FEB 3, 1945 MISSION TO BERLIN by SGT TOM E. RAMSEY:

SOMEONE YELLED ATTENTION! BRINGING US TO OUR FEET AS COL. JEFFREY ENTERED THE ROOM FOLLOWED BY OTHER OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE BRIEFING INCLUDING MAJOR'S CROSBY AND VENTRISS. WITHOUT ANY HESITANCY HE ANNOUNCED, "GENTLEMEN, THE TARGET IS BERLIN AND THE CURTAIN WAS DRAWN REVEALING THE MISSION. THERE WAS A VOICE IN THE BACK, "OH MY GOD!" OPERATIONS OFFICER LT COL JOHN WALLACE THEN PROCEEDED TO SPELL OUT THE DETAILS. WE WERE TO BOMB THE RAILHEAD IN THE CENTER OF BERLIN NEAR THE TEMPELHOF AIRDROME. "



FROM BOWMAN DIARY:



Feb 23, 1945  Treuchtlingen, Germany. 



Thirty-eight aircraft including three PFF aircraft departed T. A. at 0650-0720 hours. The 100th flew as the 13th Wing lead Group. The 13th Wing led the 3rd Air Division. All but one aircraft attacked and there were no losses. The target was Treuchlingen. 



The General Narrative is mostly unreadable from the Maxwell AFB Micro-film library. The Lead Bombardier for this mission was Capt. Don Ventriss, who at the time was the Group Bombardier. Ventriss scored direct hits on the MPI, a railroad junction, and received a commendation from Wing Hdqts. 



FROM BROWNS CLOWNS DIARY:

Mission 28. February 23 1945 - Treuchtlingen, Germany. 



Marshalling yards again. Vieth still in hospital. Brown crew led A Squadron with Maj. Ventriss  as bombardier. 



"On the 23rd, the heavies set out for the enemy's marshalling yards, although several   groups were obliged to look elsewhere." 



"The Hundredth, led by Colonel Frederick Price, (Command pilot with the Brown crew)   'visited Treuchtlingen, where Don Ventriss, the Group Bombardier, who flew with "A"   squadron, dropped his load squarely on the rail junction. A commendation from higher   headquarters was forthcoming.' " Century Bombers , pp 184-185.