Personnel

CREW

                          1ST LT RONALD W. HOLLENBECK



CREW #14  A/C  #42-3232 "FLAK HAPPY"     MACR #676



1ST LT  RONALD W. HOLLENBECK       P: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

F/FO    JOHN L. WILLIAMS                 CP: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG 

2ND LT  HAROLD L. WEINTRAUB          NAV: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG  

2ND LT  ZEAK M. BUCKNER, JR.           BOM: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

T/SGT   RUSH S. MINTZ                  TTE: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   WILLIAM A. ROUSE                WG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

T/SGT   EMILE A. REIMHERR              ROG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   JOHN Q. PACIOTTI               BTG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   GLEN H, KEIRSEY                 WG: EVA 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG

S/SGT   THOMAS E. FLOUNDERS         TG: POW 17 AUG 43 REGENSBURG



        CRASHED NEAR GHEDI, ITALY, THE ENTIRE CREW BAILED OUT SUCCESSFULLY AND WERE TAKEN PRISONER BY GERMAN AND ITALIAN TROOPS.     



On the Regensburg mission, this crew was flying as left wingman to Norm Scott and "Bucky" Cleven who led the low squadron.  Bennie Demarco was flying as right wingman and gives this account: "B 17 #232 was hit in Bomb Bay and jettisoned its bombs fifteen minutes before the target.  The bombs fell in a wooded area.  It stayed with formation until we circled at Verona to pick up stragglers where it continued on Route alone.  No. 4 engine feathered as aircraft pulled away.  It appeared that one of the crew was injured and was being worked on in nose of aircraft.  It is thought that this aircraft may ha e landed in Sardinia."



Glen Keirsey was taken prisoner but eventually escaped and made is way back to England.  On 22 June 1944 in a statement to Military Intelligence Service ETO Glen gave the following 

statement:



"On August 17, 1943, at about 1300 hours near Ghedi, Italy and at approximately 3000 feet I bailed out.  The ship had #3 and #4 engines shot out   the former was windmilling.  The entire crew bailed out safely and the plane crashed into a mountain. The enlisted men all escaped from Camp 54, but Reimherr, Mintz, 

Paciotte and Flounders were soon recaptured.  Rouse was not recaptured until 27 February 1944."



A 1979 letter fram Bill Rouse reads as follows:..jb



"August 17, 1943 (Regensburg),we were low squadron trail group. We made it over target, one engine out, badly shot up.  We tried to go on to North Africa.  We could not keep up with formation. All alone we tried for Switzerland.  We were forced to bail out as we were unable to make Switzerland.  We bailed out as soon as 

we cleared down to 3,500 feet over Milano, Italy.  All of the crew were able to get out.  We were picked up by German and Italian troops.  I ended up in Camp 54 (PoW) then escaped.  I was picked up six months later and sent to Germany.  I finally escaped in April 1945 and went back to England.  I stayed in the Air Force for over 30 years and retired at Eglin A.F.B. Florida."











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