Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt Frank H.Meadows          P    KIA  8/10/43  BREMEN  SN# 0-672378

2nd Lt Lloyd W.Evans             CP    KIA  8/10/43  BREMEN SN# 0-677693

2nd Lt FranK B.Bush            NAV    KIA   8/10/43  BREMEN  SN# 0-735264

2nd Lt William C.Hubbard     BOM    P0W 8/10/43  BREMEN  SN# 0-669408 

T/Sgt Harold R.Jackson        TTE    KIA   8/10/43  BREMEN  SN# 38131435

T/Sgt Leo R.Cannon           ROG     POW 28/4/44 SOTTEVAST(With W.G.Lakin) see NOTE below  SN# 34354823

S/Sgt Richard H.Agor          BTG     KIA   8/10/43 BREMEN  SN# 13052841

S/Sgt James F.Ward           RWG    POW 8/10/43 BREMEN  SN# 32518361

S/Sgt Vlncent D.Sapone       TG     KIA   8/10/43 BREMEN  SN# 12096707         



350th Sqdn.  Joined,as above,the 100th Group on 25/8/43. 

This was the crew's eighth mission. Leo Cannon was replaced for this mission by Sgt.Robert H.Wussow who was KIA. Wussow was from the crew of Lt R.F.Claytor. Also on this 8/10/43 mission was Sgt Dexter B.Pate,LWG, who was KIA.



Apparently 2 bombs hung up in bomb bay over target(Bremen). A/C then hit by direct flak burst which blew 

one waist gunner out of ship. Hubbard later stated that he believed both Meadows & Evans were killed by 

the flak burst and that Bush said; "I'm getting the hell out of this plane" and bailed out of the nose 

hatch. Hubbard further states that he thought Bush''s chute caught fire and burned in midair



Statement of James Ward:  "The reason I cannot answer most of the questions is  because our plane had two 

bombs which failed to release,they were hit by flak,causing the plane to explode. I 

was lucky enough to get out alive with quite a few injuries, which caused me to go unconsious after I 

pulled my rip cord.Therefore I didn't see any more of the crew".



MISSIONS OF LT FRANK MEADOWS:



1.    03/09/43   PARIS        A/C#  230840  LN-O

2.    15/09/43   PARIS        A/C#  230358  LN-X  PHARTZAC

3.    16/09/43   LaPALLICE  A/C#  230047  LN-Q SWEATER GIRL

4.    23/09/43   VANNES     A/C#  230047  LN-Q SWEATER GIRL

5.    27/09/43   EMDEN       A/C#  230047  LN-Q SWEATER GIRL

6.     2/10/43    EMDEN       A/C# 230725  LN-Z  AW-R-GO

7.     4/10/43    HANAU      A/C#  230840 LN-O

8.     8/10/43    BREMEN     A/C#  230358 LN-X PHARTZAC 



CREW



M.A.C.R #947  Micro fiche #313       350th Sqdn.

Mission: Bremen         A/C #42-30358  "PHARTZAC"



Date: 8 Oct.1943



1st Lt Frank H.Meadows     P    KIA

2nd Lt Lloyd W.Evans        CP   KIA

2nd Lt Frank B.Bush        NAV   KIA

2nd Lt William C.Hubbard BOM   POW

S/Sgt Robert H.Wussow  ROG   KIA  From "Original" Crew #11 Lt Roy Claytor

T/Sgt Harold R.Jackson    TTE   KIA

S/Sgt Richard H.Agor       BTG   KIA

S/Sgt James F.Ward        WG   POW

Sgt Dexter B.Pate           WG   KIA

S/Sgt Vincent D.Sapone    TG   KIA



This was the eighth mission for all members of this crew with the exception of Bob Wussow & Dexter Pate. Wussow, the radio operator on the original crew #11-Lt Roy Claytor,was probably about at the end of his tour.Sgt  Pate was likely a replacement on the crew and the number of his missions is not known.



Lt.Hubbard,after the war,stated; "The reason I cannot answer most of these questions is because our plane had two bombs that failed to release and received a flak hit which caused them to explode. I being lucky enough to get out alive with quite a few injuries that caused me to become unconsious after I pulled the rip cord. One waist gunner (Jim Ward)was blown thru the side of the plane as it exploded. His chute opened and he reached ground.



S.O.C. P.20/23 has touching story of Agor ordering (in Sept.) roses to be sent to his mother in Shamokin,Pa for Christmas. They arrived many weeks after his death.



S.O.C. p.22  "James Ward,a gunner blown out of .Meadows'ship,pulled the rip cord before his mind blotted out,and Bill Hubbard,descending in his chute,saw Meadow's Fort drop by a super-highway near Bremen.Hubbard was clapped in "solitary",and threatened with death unless he would "talk",but he refused,and the Germans forced him to walk 100 miles to prison. Ward was unconscious 10 days in a hospital."



The dead of this crew were buried in a cemetary at Waller Friedhof,near Bremen.



NOTE:



CREW (28 Apr 44)



COL  ROBERT H. KELLY                COM KIA 28 APR 44 SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)

CAPT  WILLIAM G. LAKIN                  P KIA 28 APR 44 " " "

LT HERBERT A. ALF                         CP POW 28 APR 44 " " "

CAPT  JOSEPH "BUBBLES" PAYNE   NAV KIA 28 APR 44 " " "

LT MAURICE H. CAIN                     BOM POW 28 APR 44 " " " 

T/SGT LEO  R. CANNON                 ROG POW 28 APT 44 " " "

T/SGT JAMES C. BROWN                TTE KIA 28 APR 44 " " "

S/SGT ALBERT M. FREITAS             BTG POW 28 APR 44 " " "

S/SGT JOHN  N. SPIKER                   WG KIA 28 APR 44 " " "

S/SGT JOSEPH A.RICHARD               WG POW 28 APR 44 " " "

S/.SGT DELBERT E. BARNHART          TG KIA 28 APR 44 " " "



COL KELLY COMMANDED THE 100TH FOR ONE WEEK AND TWO DAYS.  HE WAS LOST ON HIS FIRST MISSION TO SOTTEVAST. AT TAKE-OFF TIME THE NEW COMMANDER ELECTED TO BUMP THE 100TH'S BEST FLIGHT LEADER (CAPT JACK SWARTOUT) AND LEAD HIMSELF. THE RESULTS WERE A DISASTER, TWO SHIPS WERE LOST WHEN THE COL ELECTED TO MAKE A SECOND RUN OVER THE TARGET AT THE SAME ALTITUDE AND ON THE SAME HEADING. AMOUNG THE KIA'S WAS THE 100TH BELOVED LEAD NAVIGATOR JOSEPH "BUBBLES" PAYNE; SAID BY JIM BROWN AND HARRY CROSBY TO HAVE BEEN THE BEST.



This was what can best be called a "pick-up" crew of veteran airmen, with the exception of Col. Kelly fresh from the States

and had became the 100th's Commanding Officer only nine days prior to the mission. Joe "Bubbles" Payne was 

a member of the original air echelon of the Group as were T/Sgt James C. Brown and S/Sgt Albert M. Freitas.

With the exception of Magee Fuller, they were the last of the "Original 100th" to become casualties. 

T/Sgt Leo R. Cannon joined the Group in August 1943, his orginal crew (F.H. Meadows) was shot down at Bremen

08 Oct 1943. Capt William G. Lakin had been with the Group prior to October 1943.



The following from MACRs:  "....On 02 May 1944, at 0730 hours an American Airman was captured

by two German soldiers on the street of Rochville, Sottevast, France. The Germans record the following

data: Name: Cain, Maurice # 0-681859. According to his statement he rescued himself from the burning

aircraft on 28 April 1944. Sent to Airbase Command, Paris, France..Date 3 May 1944 @ 1320 hours."

                     The Originating German Officer is not identified..pw

POW/KIA notes: Blown through side of aircraft by explosion, pulled ripcord before losing consciousnees.   He was unconscious for 10 days in the hospital.