Personnel

CREW



2ND LT BURDETTE L. WILLIAMS          P POW 29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG

2ND LT ELLIE R. NESMITH                   CP KIA 29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG

2ND LT WALTER M. PICKETT             NAV POW 29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG

2ND LT VERNON O. BREAZEALE        BOM KIA 29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG

S/SGT MELVIN H. EVANS                 ROG POW 29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG

   SGT GORDON L. TRICKER              TTE POW  29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG  WOUNDED

S/SGT LEROY MOORE                      BTG NOC

S/SGT WILLARD V. GOOS                 WG KIA 29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG

   SGT ELROY A. YAROCH                 WG POW 29 MAY 44 LEIPZIG

   SGT RAYMOND COHEN                  TG KIA 09 MAY 44 LAON/COUVRON AF,& LAON/ATHIES 



418th Sqdn..Crew, as above, joined the 100th on 18 Apr 44. 

Sgt Cohen was killled when a bomb from a B-17 flying above his ship landed in the tail assembly. Ship returned to Thorpe Abbotts where at great risk Cohen was extricated but he did not survive. See p. 61 of Story of the Century and Splasher Six (summer 1974).  That Cohen did not survive does not diminish the valiant effort of Doc Kinder and the others who risked their lives in the attempt to save Sgt Cohen.



Crew on May 29, 1944 

Target: Leipzig

Missing Air Crew Report: #5237

A/C 42-107011  LD-T "Shinning Hour"



Lt Burdette L. Williams     Pilot- POW  

Lt Ellie R. Nesmith           Copilot- KIA, Buried Torgau City Cemetary, Sec C, Row 2,  Grave 7, 

Lt Walter M. Pickett        Navigator-POW

Lt Vernon O. Breazeale    Bombardier-KIA, Ok when he bailed out.  Buried Torgau City Cemetary,  Sec C, Row 2,  Grave 6, 

S/Sgt Melvin H. Evans      Radio Operator Gunner-POW

Sgt Gordon L. Ticker       Top Turret Engineer-POW

Sgt Larry C. Boyer           Ball Turret Gunner-POW

S/Sgt Willard V. Goos       Waist Gunner-KIA Drowned in Elbe River, Buried in Mun Cemetary, Torgau Sec C, Row 2, Grave 8

Sgt Elroy A. Yaroch         Waist Gunner-POW

S/Sgt Lyle E. Nord           Tail Gunner-KIA, Buried Torgau City Cemetary,Sec C, Row 2, Grave 6



On 29 May 44  The target was Leipzig with Col Jack Kidd leading.  The target was the Junkers plant .  Fighters hit the formation over the target and Lt Williams aircraft was lost to enemy aircraft at 1233 hours.  The #2 engine and nose was hit by 20 mm fire. The aircraft peeled out of formation, lost altitude and went into a vertical dive and exploded.  3 chutes were seen.  Sgt Larry C. Boyer was flying in place of Leroy Moore and became a POW. S/Sgt Lyle E. Nord, from the  original crew of E.E.Blakely, was flying in place of Cohen and was KIA.

S/Sgt Nord was killed by a 20mm entering his back, Goos is believed to have survived his jump but landed in water and drowned.  Nesmith was alright when he bailed out and the cause of his death remains unknown. Breazeale was also killed by 20mm fire.





Mission List of Lt Williams Crew



1.     27/04/44    LeCULOT

2.     29/04/44    BERLIN

3.       1/05/44    SAARGUEMINES & WIZERNES (NO BALL)

4.       7/05/44    BERLIN

5.       8/05/44    BERLIN & LaGLACERIE (NO BALL)

6.       9/05/44    LAON/COUVRON (S/Sgt Raymond Cohen Killed)

7.     11/05/44    LIEGE

8.     12/05/44    BRUX

9.     13/05/44    OSNABRUCK

10.   20/05/44    BRUSSELS

11.   24/05/44    BERLIN

12.   27/05/44    STRASSBOURG

13.   28/05/44    MAGDEBURG

14.   29/05/44    LEIPZIG-SHOT DOWN





Re: air fight Saxony

Posted by Ulf Podbielski on 3/10/2003, 10:24:11, in reply to "Re: air fight Saxony" 

Ulf.Podbielski@ipp-csc.de



Michael,

thanks for the information. I know any 

eyewitness of the crash in Torgau. For the cause of death of Willard V. Goos I heared 2 versions.

1) He jump but landed in water and drowned

2) He found 1 day after the crash under the wreck



Any parts of the wrack was found in Torgau. 

On the cemetery Torgau was also 2 grave cross for the KIA of this crew. But on the grave cross you can read 'an unknown U.S. airman' / 'two unknown U.S. airman' (I have pictures of the grave cross).



I hope in the next weeks I get more information in Torgau.



With best regards

Ulf Podbielski