Personnel

CREW



2ND LT ROBERT A. WEGRZYNEK             P RFS ILLNESS

2ND LT CHARLES J. GUTEKUNST            CP NOC see note below

2ND LT EDMUND "NED" KAUFFMAN      NAV POW  28 JUL 44  MERSEBURG, OIL REFINERY (WITH F.H.MASON CREW)

2ND LT JACK . EPPENDORF                 BOM KIA 11 SEP 44  RUHLAND, OIL REFINERY

S/SGT GEORGE W. WRIGHT               TTE NOC

S/SGT JAY V. EMRICH                       ROG NOC TAPS: 1988

SGT DALE E. STRAUSBAUGH              BTG NOC

SGT EDWIN J. TYRRELL                      WG NOC

SGT LUTHER A. WISE, JR.                   WG NOC

SGT RINALDO J. BUSSINO                    TG CPT 24 JUL 44 ST LO GROUND SUPPORT



350TH SQDN….CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 09 MAR 1944..  Crew flew a/c" Daisy Mae"



"FLEW FIRST MISSION ON APRIL 11, 1944.  AFTER 10 MISSIONS, LT ROBERT WEGRZYNEK WAS GROUNDED BY A SERIOUS ILLNESS THAT REQUIRED A LONG PERIOD OF RECUPERATION IN A STATESIDE MILITARY HOSPITAL.  WHILE SERVING IN COMBAT, HIS B-17 CREW WAS UNITED IN THEIR BELIEF THAT BOB WAS AN OUTSTANDING LEADER AND EXCEPTIONAL PILOT"…..2ND LT CHARLES GUTEKUNST IN LETTER DATED DEC. 2000 mpf



LT DALE R. MCEWEN TOOK OVER THIS CREW AS FIRST PILOT.  LT KAUFFMAN WAS REPLCED ON THE CREW BY FLIGHT OFFICER ALEXANDER MARUCHESS BOTH MCEWEN AND MARUCHESS WERE FROM LT JAMES NOBLE CREW.



Note:

Michael:  Dale McEwen and I, both co-Pilots, lost our Pilots about the same time. I was in the 350th Sq.and Dale was in the 418th. They

transferred me to the 418th and as Dale had started his checkout as Pilot. I flew as Co-Pilot for him. He was about 6 missions ahead of me.

Jack Eppendorf our 350th Sq Bombardier and Ed Kauffman our Navigator, both on the original Wegrzynek crew, did not transfer to the 418th with me. Jack flew with another crew and was killed. Ed Kauffman went to 8th AF HQ, became a Radar Navigator. He returned and was shot down with Noble Crew on his first flight as a Mickey Navigator. He was a POW. 

 

Insofar as I recall, Dale and I were a "Put together on the spot" crew. Spare Navigators and Bombardiers, those that were available at the time were assigned to fly with us, Except for Lt Ivons and  Lt Maruchess who were originally in the 350th, Lt Ivons was hurt from flack on the mission when Col. Kelly went down (April 28, 1944 to Sottevast). Maruchess was hurt in a B-17 collision and I never saw either one again. I don't recall the names of any otherBombardiers or Navigators. I flew my last 6 missions with various, new crews. I just don't recall Lt.  Anderson and I'm positive Bussino, the Tail Gunner who flew all of his 29 missions with me would not recall him. I'm Sorry I can't be more helpful

 

Chuck Gutekunst

gutecj@comcast.net

948 W, Leatherleaf Dr.

Tucson,  AZ  85755



PROABLY MOST OF THIS CREW COMPLETED TOURS.



FLIGHT RECORD 

RINALDO J. BUSSINO 39550304

350TH SQDN.. 100TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H)

THORPE ABBOTTS, ENGLAND (STA # 139)



DATE   TARGET        FLT, TIME



5 APR 1944  LOCAL AREA       2:40

9 APR 1944  AIR SEA  RESCUE      4:30

11 APR 1944  POSEN, AC & ROSTOCK, CITY    11:30

12 APR 1944  SCHKEUDITZ, AC FACTORY (RECALL)   3:30

18 APR 1944  GENSHAGEN (BERLIN) AC ENGINES   8:15

19 APR 1944  LIPPSTADT & WERL AF'S     6:45

20 APR 1944  MARQUENVILLE & FLOTTEMANVILLE-HAGUE 5:00

24 APR 1944  FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, AC FACTORY   9:15

28 APR 1944  SOTTEVAST (NOBALL)     5:30

29 APR 1944  BERLIN, CITY      9:30

1 MAY 1944  SAARGUEMINES, MY & WIZERNES (NOBALL  7:15

3 MAY 1944  LOCAL AREA       4:30

4 MAY 1944  ABORT        2:00

7 MAY 1944  LOCAL AREA       1:00

10 MAY 1944  FALLERSLEBEN, MOTOR TRANSP. (RECALL)  3:30

11 MAY 1944  LIEGE, MY       5:00

17 MAY 1944  LOCAL AREA       1:30

19 MAY 1944  BERLIN, CITY (RECALL)     2:10

20 MAY 1944  LOCAL AREA       2:30

22 MAY 1944  LOCAL AREA       3:20

23 MAY 1944  TROYES, AF       8:00

24 MAY 1944  BERLIN, CITY (SPARE; NO HOLES TO FILL)   3:30

28 MAY 1944  LOCAL AREA       2:30

31 MAY 1944  OSNABRUCK, MY      8:30

2 JUN 1944  BOULOGNE & PARIS, RAILWAY JUNCTION  4:10

3 JUN 1944  LOCAL AREA       3:00

5 JUN 1944  ABBEVILLE & BOULOGNE     5:30

6 JUN 1944  OUISTREHAM, TOWN     6:30

6 JUN 1944  FALAISE, TOWN      7:30

7 JUN 1944  NANTES, BRIDGE      7:50

10 JUN 1944  MORLAIX, AF      5:30

15 JUN 1944  LOCAL AREA       1:30

20 JUN 1944  FALLERSLEBEN, MT FACTORY    7:00

Flack Leave

7 JUL 1944  MERSEBURG & BOHLEN, OIL REFS   3:20

8 JUL 1944  CLAMECY-JOIGNY, RAILWAY BRIDGE   5:30

10 JUL 1944  LOCAL AREA       5:20

11 JUL 1944  MUNICH, AERO ENGINES     10:20

12 JUL 1944  MUNICH, INDUSTRIAL AREA    9:20

13 JUL 1944  MUNICH, JET ENGINES     8:20

17 JUL 1944  AUXERRE, RAIL BRIDGE     7:45

18 JUL 1944  KIEL, HEMMINGSTADT, OIL (100TH "B")   7:10

19 JUL 1944  SCHWEINFURT & DUREN     7:00

20 JUL 1944  MERSEBURG, OIL REFINERY    8:10

21 JUL 1944  REGENSBURG & LUDWIGSHAFEN   7:30

24 JUL 1944  ST. LO, GROUND SUPPORT    6:15

6 AUG 1944  LOCAL AREA       1:00

6 AUG 1944  LOCAL AREA       1:30

7 AUG 1944  LOCAL AREA       2:00





EMAIL = winmac@prodigy.net

UNAME = Tim Winners

CONNECTION = I am a relative of a 100th veteran

COMMENTS = I have loads of information and photos on the 100th from my father, Robert A. Wegrzynek, aka Bob Winners. We lost my dad May 22, 2000. Would you be interested in any information that we have on him and the group? Thanks so much for putting such a great site together! I called all 5 of my siblings and mom when I saw his picture show up with his co-pilot, Chuck Gutekunst. Thanks again!





FROM COL GUTEKUNST:



Ed passed away on 28 April about 2 weeks before reaching his 96th birthday. He lived with his wife in Sarasota FL.



He wanted to be called Ned bacause that is what his family called him. He arrived at Thorpe Abbotts with the 



Wegrzynek crew in March 1944 and flew 10 missions until the crew lost it's pilot. He was sent to 8th AF headquartes



for training as a Radar Navigator. On his return to the 100th and on his 1st mission as a Radar Navigator with



Noble as Pilot he was shot down on 28 July 1944,and became a POW until the spring of 1945 when all the American



and thousands of RAF airmen were forced evacuate the prison camp and  march to the southeast to avoid the 



Russian Army coming their way to exterminate the Germans.He was a member of the 8th Air Force Association and, as far



as I know, was never a member  of the 100th. for whatever reason







Note:  Ned joined the Wegrzynek crew when it was formed in Euphrata WA in September 1943.



          He was significantly older and wiser than the rest of the crew having been a graduate of



          Princeton University. The entire crew benefited from his expertise in all matters and his companionship