Personnel

CREW



2ND LT JOSEPH H. RAINE                  P KIA   11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

2ND LT ALBERT H. WYNKOOP          CP RFS   (ruptured eardrum on second mission, sent stateside)

2ND LT HOWARD J. KALBACH, JR     NAV KIA    11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

2ND LT  PHILIP D. PITTS                 BOM KIA   11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

T/SGT VINCENT S. LINGUANTI         ROG KIA   11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

T/SGT WALTER F. JORGENSEN         TTE POW 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

S/SGT ELMER L. FARNSWORTH         BTG KIA   11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

S/SGT EDWARD WEINSTEIN           WG POW 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND Died of wounds as a POW

S/SGT JOHN C. MEACHAM                TG POW 11 SEP 44 RUHLAND

SGT PHIL J. SCUDDER                    BTG CPT  REMOVED  FROM CREW AT CREW REDUCTION TO NINE;

                                                                          ASSIGNED MEDIUM  BOMBERS AND FLEW 32 MISSIONS.



350TH SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 02 AUG 1944.. 

LT LEW E. WALLACE (FROM LT HANSEN CREW) WAS FLYING CP ON 11 SEP 44 AND BECAME A POW.

A/C flown LN-O 43-38047, INNOCENT BYSTANDER. 



Missions flown by Lt Joseph H. Raine and Crew:



#        DATE               TARGET                        A/C # & NAME



1.     24/8/44             RUHLAND                      2102657, LN-Y Boss Lady

2.     25/8/44             POLITZ                         338043,   LN-T

3.     26/8/44             BREST                          46297,     LN-X Spirit of Pittwood

4.     30/8/44             BREMEN                        2102695, LN-F

5.      3/9/44              BREST                          338047,  LN-O Innocent Bystander

6.      8/9/44              MAINZ                          338047,  LN-O Innocent Bystander

7.      9/9/44              DUSSELDORF                 338047,  LN-O Innocent Bystander

8.    10/9/44              NURNBURG                    338047,  LN-O Innocent Bystander

9.    11/9/44              RUHLAND                      338047,  LN-O Innocent Bystander (SHOT DOWN)



Lt Philip D. Pitts joined the army in 1942 and passed his Officers Candidate School exam in 1943 becoming a 2nd Lt. From there he went to the USAAF Bombardier School in Deming, New Mexico and received his Bombardier Wings on March 19, 1944.  He joined the Crew of Lt Raine and were sent overseas and Stationed  with the 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe Abbotts, England on August 2, 1944.  His Crew was shot down on their 9th mission on September 11, 1944 to Ruhland, Germany.  The Crew was flying 338047,  Innocent Bystander.  Lieutenant Pitts was to  receive the Air Medal  on Sept 15, 1944 at 7pm if he had lived, instead the Air Medal and the Purple Heart (1998) were awarded posthumously.

         From Marion D. Pitts (brother of Lt Pitts)  



"Lt Raine was flying off left wing of Capt Giles and his ship simply exploded, killing Lt Raine and 4 of his crew. All 9 aircraft of the 100th BG "C" Group (Low) were 350th BS aircraft.  All 9 were lost on this mission and the Group lost 12 aircraft total this day.  The Group was hit that day by an enemy force estimated at over 500 fighters  They hit the 100th BG in 3 waves coming out of the sun.  They overwhelmed the low Group tearing the 350th apart, knocking 6 planes out of the lead squadron."  MACR 8815



JORGENSEN WALTER F 350TH SQDN, (TTE), (POW) 47 TAMARACK TRAIL SARATOGA NY 12866