Personnel

CREW



1st Lt Stewart A.McClain    P KIA 25/2/44  TARGET WAS REGENSBURG

2nd Lt John D.McBride,Jr.  CP KIA "

2nd Lt Philip Mordkowitz   NAV KIA  "

2nd Lt Homer E.Glasco     BOM  KIA  "

 T/Sgt Samuel H.Kuntz      ROG   KIA "

 T/Sgt Angelo Fernandez   TTE   KIA "

 S/Sgt Lawrence H.Bennett  BT  KIA " MACR#2760,  

                                                                Micro fiche #924

 S/Sgt Hugh E.Ward   WG RFS          A/C #42 30788    

                                                                 "MISMALOVIN"

 S/Sgt John H.Walters        WG CPT 

 S/Sgt William L.Cook         TG POW  25/2/44



350th 5qdn. Crew,as above, joined the 100th Group in early Oct.1943. S/Sgt Walters completed his tour as a TOG/NG



See p.l98 of "CONTRAILS" for photo of crew. Also see Joe Lee correspondence in 350th file (story 

of last mission by Wm Cook).



On 25/2/44 Sgt Claude P.Zukowski was flying RWG and became a POW. S/Sgt George Knudsen was 

flying LWG and was KIA.  McClain,McBride & Bennett are buried at the Omaha Beach cemetary.



Over Regensburg and just after Bombs Away, a flak hit was received in the #2 engine and oil 

pressure was lost immediately. Prop was finally feathered but ship lost altitude and began to 

lag. McClain went down to the deck to avoid intense fighter pressure  at this point Lt. 

Mordkowitz was killed by 20mm.On flight to coast flak and fighters continued to take there 

toll; Sam Kuntz was killed,Fernandez was severely wounded or killed,Ed Glasco was wounded and 

McBride was severely wounded or killed. Cook also suffered several minor wounds. Seeing that 

they were over the channel but not being able to contact McClain by intercom, Cook got out of 

his tail gun position and headed for the cockpit area. He saw  Sgt.Knutsen jump from the waist 

although the ship was only a few hundred feet above the surface of the water.



According to W..L.Cook,Hugh Ward was grounded, over his violent objections, after a few missions because of chronic air sickness,Bennett was about to Jump but was pulled back by Cook. At this point the a/c crashed into the water and Cook was rendered unconscious. When he came to,in the water, he saw Sgt.Zukowski nearby. They were picked up by some German marines and taken to a hospital inCalAis,France. After about 4 days were moved to Frankfurt and thence to a POW camp.



This was the 22nd Mission for the crew.  A list of their missions follows:



1.Wilhemshaven 1/11/43    12.Nuess,Ger. 5/1/44

2.Gelsenkerchen 5/11/43  13.Ludwigshafen 7/1/44

3.Duren,Ger. 7/11/43           14.0snabruck 11/5/44

4.Gelsenkirchen 19/11/43  15.Frankfurt 29/1/44

5.Paris 26/ 11 /43                 16.Brunswick 30/1/44

6.Bremen 29/11/43              17.Frankfurt 4/2/44

7.Bordeaux 5/12/43            18.Evreux,France 6/2/44

8.Kiel 13/1 2/43                    19.Stettin,Ger. 20/2/44

9.Bremen 16/12/43             20.Vorden,Ger 21/2/44

10.Secret,France 24/12/43 21.Rostock,Ger 24/2/44

11.Kiel 4/1/44                        



LT STEWART A. McCLAIN

BURIED: AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY AT OMAHA BEACH

GRAVE D-12-45