Abbott crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement Crew
Front Row, L - R: Philip Cadenhead, Tail Gunner; Fred Sherer, Top Turret Gunner; Alton Tice, Nose Gunner, Robert Suberian, Ball Gunner; and Bill Brokaw, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Arthur Bloom, Navigator; David Blood, Co-Pilot; Curtis Abbot, Pilot; James Beck, Bombardier.
Missing from the photo is Richard Tufts, Engineer/Waist Gunner. Abbot’s crew joined the 485th in August, 1944. Their assigned plane was "Star Dust". David Blood later became a 1st Pilot and got his own crew, taking Fred Sherer with him. Blood and Sherer went down over Yugoslavia on the 12/26/44 mission to Blechhammer, but they (and the rest of that crew) were found by the Partisans, and returned safely to Italy. Several were still in Venosa at war’s end and were nearly finished with their missions.
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Bacorn crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Robert Jennings, Radio Operator; Ken Baird, Gunner; Wendell Burton, Flight Engineer; John Cox, Gunner; Robert Mahoney, Gunner and Frank Nose, Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Sherman Swartz, Co-Pilot; Theodore Sherbow, Navigator; Leonard Caplan, Bombardier and Richard Bacorn, Pilot.
This crew was a replacement crew and was still in Italy when the war ended.
Baker crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: George Abele, Asst. Crew Chief; Richard McLawhorn, Bombardier; Robert Baker, Pilot; Hazen Suttkus, Navigator; Jim Scheib, Co-Pilot and James Houlihan, Crew Chief.
Back Row, L - R: B.W. Nauman, Engineer; Bill Argie, Ball Gunner; Bill Miller, Radio Operator; Fred Hosier Top Turret Gunner, John Manfrida, Nose Gunner, and Wayne Whiting, Tail Gunner.
Baker’s crew joined the 485th in October, 1944, after coming overseas on the Liberty Ship Richard J.Gatling. In early 1945 they were assigned "Tail Heavy" as their plane. The crew flew the last mission of the war, to Linz, on 4/25/45. This was also the 100th mission for Tail Heavy. This last mission completed 35 sorties for Hazen Suttkus, and the rest of the crew had 31-34 sorties. The entire crew survived the war.
Blake crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Robert Egan, Top Turret Gunner; Frank Moore, Engineer/Waist Gunner; Robert Sanford, Top Turret Gunner; Othmar Young, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner; Henry Tyminski, Ball Gunner, and Nathan Feiden, Tail Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: William Blake, Pilot; Frank Rubenstein, Co-Pilot; Howard Tannenbaum, Bombardier, and Richard Stanley, Navigator.
This replacement crew arrived in Italy in October 1944.
Brown crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Leland Dalby, Navigator; Don Webb, Co-Pilot; Bob Brown, Pilot, and Walter Savitski, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: Joseph Maull, Tail Gunner; Paul Knoll, Nose Gunner; Tom Straight, Top Turret Gunner; Ken Lawrence, Radio Operator; Ralph Raines, Ball Gunner, and Leo Michelac, Engineer.
This 831st replacement crew arrived in Italy in August of 1944. Don Webb later became the 1st Pilot when Brown was transferred to headquarters. Ralph Raines flew 9 missions as an enlisted Navigator when the squadron was short of Navigators. The entire crew survived the war.
Cotton crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: George Balego, Tail Gunner; Cletus Harner, Radio Operator; Frank Chaffin, Nose Gunner; Calvin Kelly, Top Turret Gunner; Lavern Bock Engineer, and George Boatwright, Ball Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: George Schutt, Bombardier; Marvin Birken, Co-Pilot; Homer Cotton, Pilot, and Lynn Cotterman, Navigator. (Schutt didn’t go overseas with this crew and Cotterman handled the Bombardier duties, as well as navigation.)
This crew arrived in February, 1945 and began flying missions shortly thereafter. The entire crew survived the war. The above photo was taken prior to shipment overseas.
Craighead crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #78
Front Row, L - R: Kenneth Craighead, Pilot; Edward Hammel, Co-Pilot; Stanley W. Plesnarski, Bombardier, and Philip Higgins, Navigator.
Back Row, L - R: Ralph Wadlington, Gunner; Wesley M. Wagner, Radio Operator; Fredrick A. Ricker, Gunner; Robert B. Plocica, Gunner; Walter L. Dougherty, Gunner, and George A. Judd, Engineer.
Craighead’s crew was assigned "Tail Heavy", which was one of 3 bombers in the 485th to later complete 100 missions. The photo was taken before the crew flew overseas. Hammel went overseas by boat and was killed when the Hamilton was sunk by enemy aircraft. Craighead didn’t complete his missions and was replaced by Homer Disharoon. The crew flew with various Co-Pilots. Daugherty went down on the 8/7/44 mission to Blechhammer, while flying with Erhardt’s crew, and survived the war as a POW.
Desjardins crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Anthony Skarl, Gunner, Joseph Boone, Gunner; Lewis Kees, Gunner: Wright (unknown first name) Gunner, Stephen Levcik, Flight Engineer and Stanley Gluckmen, Radio Operator.
Back Row, L - R: Robert Hermans, Bombardier; Mel Olsen, Navigator; Dale Marston, Co-Pilot and Earl Desjardins, Pilot.
At least most of the men on this crew were temporarly transferred to the 885th Bomb Squadron, stationed at Mason Blanche, Algiers. It's unknown if Olsen and Gluck transferred with the rest of the crew. DesJardins and his crew flew clandestine missions with the 885th and were all lost when they hit a mountain in southern France on a night mission on October 12, 1944.
Frels crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: John Krueger, Ball Gunner; Robert Boynton, Nose Gunner; Richard Barnes, Radio Operator; Donald Martin, Tail Gunner; Theoron Ivy, Top Turret Gunner, and Francis Winners, Flight Engineer.
Back Row, L - R: Chester Cram, Bombardier; Donald Vincent, Navigator; Dennis Griggs, Co-Pilot, and Herbert Frels, Pilot.
This crew was an early replacement crew. They were shot down on the June 13, 1944 mission to the Milbertshofen Ordnance Depot in Munich, by German ME-109s. Boynton was murdered on the ground by Nazi officials, as was Griggs. It's believed that Ivy was killed several days later by the same group of Nazis. The Navigator died when his parachute didn’t open. Frels crash-landed the plane, "Gawgia Peach" (42-52709), in a wheat field, believing others were still in the plane. The others survived the war as POWs.
Gillette crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Robert Gillette, Pilot; Harley Beard, Co-Pilot; Willis Bloomquist, Navigator and Harry Twitchell, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: Tom Gigliotti, Engineer; Jim Night, Radio Operator; John Driscoll, Top Turret Gunner; John Hirsh, Nose Gunner; George Uroszek, Ball Gunner and Ed Wright, Tail Gunner.
This crew was a replacement crew. On 12/18/44, returning from a mission to Blechhammer, they were forced to ditch in the Adriatic. Captain John Buker (Pilot) was also flying with them on this mission, as was Jacob Bloomfield, a Navigator from Schaefer’s crew. Bloomfield, Gillette, and Twichell were killed. All the others were wounded. (Gigliotti and Night were not on the mission, Night having been replaced by Paul Doukas, who was also wounded.)
Hanson crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #67
Front Row, L - R: John Woodward, Navigator; J, Kitzmiller, substitute Bombardier; John Hanson, Pilot, and Ed Sibila, Co-Pilot.
Back Row, L - R: Forrest Wallace, Ball Gunner; Raymond Root, Top Turret Gunner; Norman Hoyer, Tail Gunner; Rodney Hufstader, Nose Gunner; Thomas Fry, Radio Operator, and Gilbert Smith, Engineer.
Not pictured: William Harrington, Bombardier. Hanson’s crew was an original crew. Their assigned plane was "Hitler’s Egg Men". The entire crew completed 50 missions. An interesting sidelight to this story is that two of the Gunners on the crew, Smith and Fry, returned from Italy to the U.S. by ship, upon completion of their missions. Both served aboard ship as prison guards for German POW’s, who were being sent to POW camps in America.
Hasulak crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Walter Partacz, Flight Engineer; Cloyd Hoskins, Radio Operator; Ernie Prantis, Nose Gunner; Wade Allen, Tail Gunner; Gino Chiodetti, Top Turret Gunner and Bill Hattaway, Ball Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Ed Siantz, Navigator; Joe Hasulak, Pilot; Hal Morrill, Co-Pilot, and Jim Hourihan, Bombardier.
This crew survived a mid-air collision on November 5, 1944 with another B-24 and the crew finished their missions. This crew arrived in Italy in July 1944.
Hess crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Robert Cruickshank, Tail Gunner; Raymond Paneri, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner; John Mincheff, Top Turret Gunner; Robert McIntyre, Ball Gunner; Russell Howard, Nose Gunner, and Lavern Butler, Engineer/Waist Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: James Schaeffer, Co-Pilot; Irving Reichbardt, Bombardier; Glenn Hess, Pilot, and Oliver Haden, Navigator.
This replacement crew arrived in December 1944. Haden often flew as a Lead Navigator with other Pilots. Hess was also an instructor Pilot. Reicharbardt was removed from the crew immediately after the crew arrived in Italy.
Jackson crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Glen Bell, Tail Gunner; Harlen Tinney, Engineer; Bob Halling, Nose Gunner; Jack Bremer, Radio Operator; John Sharp, Top Turret Gunner, and Stanley Link, Ball Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Oliver Fisher, Navigator; Otto W. Meyers, Bombardier; Bob Hanson, Co-Pilot, and John Jackson, Pilot.
Jackson’s crew was a replacement crew and arrived at Venosa in September 1944. Their assigned aircraft was "Bachelor’s Roost", the name a result of the unmarried status of the crew. Bremer was one of the first men in the 485th trained in “Panther”, a device designed to defeat the tracking of the radar-controlled anti-aircraft guns used by the Germans. Bremer completed his sorties earlier than the rest of the crew, having flown a few missions with other crews. The remainder of the crew completed their 35 sorties on 4/25/45, the last mission flown by the 485th.
Jones crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #63
Front Row, L - R: Robert J. Barrett, Navigator; John Jones, Pilot; Robert F. Sloan, Co-Pilot, and Robert S. Edinger, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: Joseph Farinetti, Crew Chief; Peter O’Brien, Gunner; Albert R. Skunda, Gunner; William T. Eggers, Radio Operator; Sgt. Prince, Gunner, and Steve W. Glenn, Gunner. (Not pictured is Wilbur Moffett, Engineer.)
Sloan obtained his own crew after arriving in Italy. He was killed on the 6/28/44 mission to Bucharest. Eggers was flying with Captain Lawrence and his crew on the 9/13/44 mission to Auschwitz and was killed when the plane went down. It is believed that the rest of the crew survived the war.
Kaufman crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: James Fulford, Tail Gunner; Ralph Stroud, Top Turret Gunner; Richard Conklin, Nose Gunner; Robert Dietrich, Radio Operator; George Hackney, Ball Gunner and Sidney Cooper, Flight Engineer.
Back Row, L - R: Richard Kane, Bombardier; James Maetzold, Co-Pilot, Gene Halvorsen, Navigator and Albert Kaufman, Pilot.
This crew arrived in Italy in October 1944.
Kelly crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
The locations of the crew in this photo are unknown, but those on the crew are listed, as follows: Marsden Kelly, Pilot; George Williams, Co-Pilot; William Phillips, Navigator; Carl Zoukas, Bombardier; George Cagle, Engineer; Dean Clark, Gunner; Lee Craig, Radio Operator; James Grau, Gunner; Ervin Tedford, Gunner, and Wilber Woeslaw, Gunner. Kelly’s crew was a replacement crew, arriving at Venosa in July, 1944.
Kingsbury crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Frank Carmicle, Flight Engineer; Robert Evans Ball Gunner; Randolph Russell, Nose Gunner; William Higbee, Radio Operator; Richard Gardner, Top Turret Gunner, and Burton Van Delton, Tail Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Barrett Ring, Bombardier; Francis Treharne, Navigator; David Hansen, Co-Pilot, and Richard Kingsbury, Pilot.
This replacement crew arrived in Italy in October 1944. The entire crew survived the war.
Lawrence crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #62
Front Row, L - R: Homer Disharoon, Co-Pilot; William Lawrence, Pilot; Arthur Wichmann, Navigator; Patsy Campolieta, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: Arthur Nitsche, Tail Gunner; Joe Lawson, Nose Gunner; Vernon Christensen, Top Turret Gunner; Richard Garner, Radio Operator; Everett MacDonald.
Lawrence’s crew was one of the original crews assigned to the 485th Bomb Group. The above photo was taken during the summer of 1944, at Venosa. The assigned plane for this crew was "Hell’s Angel". The Ball Gunner, Ed Barrett, went overseas by boat, and was killed when the SS Paul Hamilton was sunk by enemy aircraft. Disharoon became a 1st Pilot after arriving in Italy and took over Craighead’s crew, the crew of "Tail Heavy". Wichmann, Garner, Disharoon, Campolieta, and Lawson finished their missions. Lawrence, Nitsche, and MacDonald were killed when their plane went down, due to flak damage, on the 9/13/44 mission to Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Poland. Christensen, who was on the mission, managed to bail out, and spent the remainder of the war as a POW. (It was Christensen’s 50th mission that day.)
Ledbetter crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #76
Front Row, L - R: Jesse Ledbetter, Pilot; Jack Breen, Navigator; Hal Berman, Bombardier, and Lewis Baker, Co-Pilot.
Back Row, L - R: Arthur Lawler, Nose Gunner; Bill Schuetze, Engineer; Arthur Ashmore, Top Turret Gunner; Harold Richards, Tail Gunner; Eddie Paul, Radio Operator, and Mike Lupoli, Ball Gunner.
This crew’s assigned plane "The Traveler" was damaged in a landing accident, so the crew was assigned "The Character" after the assigned crew for the ship (McNulty’s crew) went down in another plane. Ashmore, the Top Turret Gunner, went overseas by ship and was killed when the Hamilton was sunk by enemy aircraft. Lewis Baker was wounded by flak on 6/9/44 over Munich. Baker was later assigned as Lt. Blood’s Co-Pilot, and went down on the 12/26/44 mission to Blechhammer. He was picked up by the Partisans in Yugoslavia and returned safely to Italy. Eddie Paul was grounded by the Flight Surgeon. Burl Jackson became the Radio Operator and George Kristl joined the crew as a Gunner. On the 7/26/44 Hungary mission Ledbetter’s crew was attacked by fighters, causing extensive damage. Kristl and Jackson were both wounded. Richards shot down 2 enemy fighters. The plane and crew made it to Vis, with approx. 500 holes in the plane. The crew received the DFC for this mission. The remaining crew completed 51 missions.
Lewis crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #70
Front Row, L - R: Robert C. Young, Bombardier; Donald D. Kitzmiller, Pilot; Vincent P. Lewis, Co-Pilot (later Pilot), and William D. Bolling, Navigator.
Back Row, L - R: Ralph Wadlington, Radio Operator; John R. Cooper, Engineer; John R. Gorman, Ball Gunner; Thomas Geoghan, Tail Gunner; Eugene A. Rooth, Gunner, and Joseph E. Luetgenau, Nose Gunner.
Wadlington transferred to Craighead’s crew in the U.S. and was replaced by Harold Mahler. Lewis became the Pilot of this crew and Eugene Lamar became the Co-Pilot. Their assigned plane was "My Briny Marlyn". On the 7/20/44 mission to Friedrichshafen, while flying a different aircraft, they were attacked by fighters and shot down. Bolling, Cooper, Young, Lamar and Lewis managed to bail out, evade capture and returned to Italy on 9/18/44, after a trek through northern Italy and Yugoslavia. Mahler and Gorman became POWs. The others were killed, including a replacement Gunner by the name of John Breshears from Montoux’s crew, who replaced Leutgenau that day. Leutgenau went down on 9/13/44, returning from a mission to Auschwitz, flying with another crew. He evaded and returned safely to Italy.
Ludlow crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Ludlow's crew was a replacement crew and arrived in Italy in October 1944. The crew members in the photo haven't been individually identified, but the members of the crew were Henning Ludlow, Pilot; Paul Stark, Co-Pilot; Ted Feifar, Navigator; William Earley, Bombardier; Ed Hartigan, Flight Engineer; Wayne Crouch, Radio Operator; Floyd Montgomery, Gunner; William Rail, Gunner; Kenneth Richardson, Gunner and Ed Walsh, Gunner. It is believed that the entire crew survived the war.
Lynn crew-831st Squadron-Original crew #68
Front Row, L - R: Luke Terry, Co-Pilot; Jesse Minter, Pilot (replaced by Robert Lynn); Charles Buel, Bombardier, and Jack Hammerburg, Navigator.
Back Row, L - R: Francis R. Meech, Nose Gunner; Wilbur S. Mattison, Ball Gunner; Gerald Grady, Top Turret Gunner; James Bright; Tail Gunner; Jack Robbins, Waist Gunner, and George Chaplin, Waist Gunner.
Most of this crew was shot down on the 6/23/44 mission to Romania. Buel was replaced by Mal Reddington on that mission. Meech and Robbins were killed. Hammerburg, Bright, and Mattison became POWs in Romania. Lynn, Terry, Reddington, Chaplin and Grady became POWs in Bulgaria.
McCarthy crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: James Stern, Nose Gunner; Clive Patterson, Engineer/Waist Gunner; Gilbert Schmidt, Top Turret Gunner; Ralein Hansen, Tail Gunner, Kenneth Franklin, Ball Gunner and Thomas Merrell, Radio Operator.
Back Row, L - R: George Benedict, Navigator; James Scott, Co-Pilot; Eugene Cogburn, Bombardier, and Eugene McCarthy, Pilot.
The entire crew survived the war. Both Benedict and Cogburn were flying with Lt. Blood on their first mission, December 26, 1944 and went down in Yugoslavia, returning from Blechhammer. Both evaded capture and returned to Italy safely.
McNulty crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #69
Seated in Front: Lawrence Miller, Nose Gunner.
Front Row, L - R: Eugene Brittin, Top Turret Gunner; Lawrence Griggs, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner; Al Bertelli, Flight Engineer/ Waist Gunner; Robert Irmen, Ball Gunner, and Murray Sheridan, Tail Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: James McNulty, Pilot; Ed Lubanovich, Bombardier; Ormiston Brown, Navigator and Eugene Maylath, Co-Pilot.
Walter Lindsey, replacement Tail Gunner, is not in the photo. The photo of the crew was taken prior to the flight overseas. The crew’s assigned aircraft was "The Character", named by Murray Sheridan. Sheridan was severely injured by flak on the 5/22/44 mission to Volmontone marshalling yard. On the 6/9/44 mission to Munich, McNulty’s replacement plane was attacked by fighters and was shot down over northern Italy. McNulty, Maylath, Brown, Bertelli, Irmen, Griggs, and the replacement Tail Gunner (Walter Lindsey from Lt. Logan’s crew) were all killed. Miller and Lubanovich became POWs. Brittin was captured by the Germans, escaped, and hid out for more than 9 months while making his way back to friendly territory.
Montoux crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Frank Fliss, Bombardier; Ralph Summers, Co-Pilot; William Montoux, Pilot, and Seymour Freedman, Navigator.
Back Row, L - R: Lewis Kaplan, Ball Gunner; John Breshears, Gunner; Emil Manweiler, Gunner; Charles Pace, Engineer; George Kristl, Gunner, and Burl Jackson, Radio Operator.
This early replacement crew arrived at Venosa on 6/11/44 and began flying missions shortly thereafter. Montoux was grounded shortly after his arrival. The crew began flying with other crews. Breshears was killed on 7/20/44 flying with Lt. Vince Lewis. Kristl and Jackson were both wounded on 7/26/44 while flying with Ledbetter’s crew on a mission to Szombathely, Hungary. Kaplan was killed on 9/13/44 while flying on a mission to Oswiecim (Auschwitz) Poland, with Lawrence’s crew. Manweiler was killed on 11/5/44 in a mid-air collision, while on his 50th mission. Jackson recovered from his injuries and completed 50 missions, along with some of the others.
Morris crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Roland Dube, Flight Engineer; Warren Carper, Top Turret Gunner; Arthur Kain, Nose Gunner; Charles Johns, Tail Gunner; John Nagle, Ball Gunner, and Bill Cook, Radio Operator.
Back Row, L - R: Glenn Christensen, Navigator; Gerald Morris, Pilot; John Cook, Bombardier, and George Schwartz, Co-Pilot.
This replacement crew began flying combat missions in September 1944. Captain Morris was a Lead Pilot and later became Operations Officer for the squadron. Most of the crew finished their missions in early April 1945. Captain Morris, being a Lead Pilot, didn’t fly as often, but had nearly completed his missions when the war ended.
Mulligan crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: John Godfrey, Radio Operator; Leonard Little, Tail Gunner; Robert Rector, Flight Engineer; Sam Nenadich, Top Turret Gunner; Leo Gagne, Ball Gunner, and Don Evjen, Nose Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Sam Giaimo, Navigator; James Mulligan, Pilot; Robert Seitz, Co-Pilot and Frank Nardi, Bombardier.
Mulligan’s crew arrived at Venosa in July 1944. Their assigned plane was "Flak Shak III". The crew was shot down by fighters on August 24, 1944, while on a raid to the Pardubice Oil Refinery in Czechoslovakia. Several of the crew were wounded, but the entire crew survived the war in POW camps.
Neitzel crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Dan Blodgett, Navigator; Eddie Neitzel, Pilot; Bill Todd, Co-Pilot, and Fred Moore, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: James Leturno, Engineer; Robert Bishop, Gunner; Martin Sasser, Nose Gunner; Philmore Gross, Radio Operator; Frank Griffin, Tail Gunner, and Pat Melchione, Ball Gunner.
Neitzel’s crew was an early replacement crew in the 831st, arriving in June 1944. Neitzel became a Flight Leader and Bill Todd took over as 1st Pilot. Moore became a Lead Bombardier and was subsequently taken off the crew. Blodgett flew a mission with Captain Lawrence on 9/13/44 and was shot down over Oswiecim, Poland. Blodgett became a POW and survived the war. When Todd completed his 50 missions, the remainder of the crew began flying with Neitzel again. On 11/5/44, shortly after take-off on a mission to Vienna (the 485th’s 100th mission), the crew had a mid-air collision with another aircraft. Leturno, Bishop, Sasser, Gross and Neitzel were killed. Only Blodgett, Todd, Melchione and Moore survived the war.
Proudlove crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #64
Front Row, L - R: Robert Lynn, Co-Pilot; Lloyd Proudlove, Pilot; Edwin Ivy, Navigator, and Julius Tolleson, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: Ken Brown, Tail Gunner; Eric Bernhard, Ball Gunner; Robert Miller, Nose Gunner; Arni Gudjonson, Top Turret Gunner; Walter Gworek, Flight Engineer/Waist Gunner, and Wilbur Snider, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner.
Bernhard came oversease by boat and was killed in the sinking of the Paul Hamilton. Lynn became a 1st Pilot and was shot down on the 6/23/44 mission to Guirgiu, Romania. Lynn survived the war as a POW. Proudlove's crew was the first crew shot down from the 831st Squadron, downed by flak on the 5/29/44 mission to Vienna. Captain Joe Landis was flying as Co-Pilot. All of the men survived as POWs.
Roth crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
The individual crew members in this photo haven't been identified, except for William Lowry, Navigator, 3rd from left in the back row. The other crew members were Harold Roth, Pilot; Albert Shelby, Co-Pilot; Joseph Chrisman, Bombardier; John Kozuch, Flight Engineer; Dean Williams, Radio Operator; Gene Hasbrouck, Nose Gunner; Robert Carteaux, Top Turret Gunner; James Walters, Ball Gunner and Edward Curtis, Tail Gunner. This crew arrived in Italy in December 1944.
Schaefer crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Pete Seversky, Gunner; Jim Kane, Engineer; Ted Lombard, Gunner; Pete Saab, Radio Operator; Don Celenia, Ball Gunner, and Joe Dye, Tail Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Earl Hall, Bombardier; Chris Schaefer, Pilot; Bill Geyer, Co-Pilot, and Jack Bloomfield, Navigator.
This replacement crew arrived in August, 1944. Their assigned plane was "Valiant Lady". Jack Bloomfield was killed while flying with Gillette’s crew on 12/18/44, when the plane went down in the Adriatic. The rest of the crew survived the war.
Sibilia crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #75
Front Row, L - R: Arthur Dusenberry, Navigator; Edwin Sibilia, Pilot; Andres Salazar, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: Hyman Greenwald, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner; Louis Schoeneman, Gunner; James Lambeth, Gunner; Walter Iwanski, Engineer/Gunner; Roy Bulls, Gunner, and Ray Heskes, Ball Gunner.
Missing from the photo is Louis Grau, Co-Pilot. Angus Phelts was the original Pilot assigned to this crew. He was replaced by Ed Sibilia. This crew completed their 50 missions.
Simpson crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Lloyd W. Simpson, Pilot; Max D. Chapman, Co-Pilot; John B. Harrington, Bombardier, and Ralph E. Milner, Navigator.
Back Row, L - R: Victor E. Smith, Top Turret Gunner; Boyce Strong, Ball Gunner; Frank Kontis, Engineer; Merlin D. Nieman, Tail Gunner; Robert C. Gordon, Nose Gunner, and Wallace Bellonger, Radio Operator.
This crew was a replacement crew in the 831st Squadron. They were designated a lead crew and flew most of their missions in this capacity. The Co-Pilot was assigned to another crew in Italy. The entire crew survived the war . Gordon often flew as a Waist Gunner on lead missions and was also assigned to photograph the targets after bombs were dropped.
Daniel Sjodin-831st Sqdn commander
Front Row, L - R: Howard Cherry, Bombardier; John Coffin, Navigator, and Bob Lewis, nose Navigator.
Middle Row, L - R: General George Acheson (55th Wing Commander), Co-Pilot; Major Whitehall, Waist Gunner; Colonel Dan Sjodin, Pilot; Thomas Kelly, Ball Gunner, and Vernon Christensen, Tail Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Forrest Wilson, Waist Gunner; Bob Monahan, Top Turret, and Wilfred Lonsway, Radio Operator.
The make up of the crew that flew this mission was unusual. Cherry was the group Bombardier. Coffin was the group Navigator. The Gunners were from various crews, except for Major Whitehall. Whitehall may have been assigned to 55th Wing. The photo was taken during the summer of 1944.
Smith crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Wayne Gammon, Top Turret Gunner; Peter Wiblanski, Engineer; Charles Ebert, Radio Operator; Ed Darman, Nose Gunner; Stan Gagnon, Ball Gunner, and Morris “Smoky” Harsh, Tail Gunner.
Back Row, L - R: Bob Hendrickson, Bombardier; Phil Stone, Navigator; Jim Moore, Co-Pilot, and John Smith, Pilot.
The photo was taken in November, 1944, before the crew went overseas. The crew arrived at Venosa in December, 1944, and began flying missions shortly thereafter. On 1/20/45 Phil Stone flew his first mission with Bob Baker's crew to gain experience. The mission was to Linz, Austria. There was a malfunction in the oxygen system, causing Stone and other crew members to lose consciousness. Stone had his gloves off when this happened and froze several fingers, which were later amputated. The crew survived the war.
Stauverman crew-831st sqdn-Original crew #77
Front Row, L - R: Miles Alldredge, Co-Pilot; Ed Stauverman, Pilot; George Winter, Navigator, and Malachi Reddington, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: Sam Huffman, Engineer/Gunner; Dominic Sanzotta, Radio Operator/Gunner; Elmer Patton, Gunner; Orville Kreifels, Tail Gunner; John O’Connell, Gunner, and Michael DeMarco, Gunner.
John Jackman was later assigned to this crew, to replace Mike DeMarco, who was killed in the sinking of the Paul Hamilton. Mal Reddington was shot down over Bulgaria on 6/23/44, while flying with Lynn's crew and became a POW of the Bulgarians. John Jackman was originally in the Canadian army, but transferred to the USAAF. George Winter was shot down while flying with Captain Lawrence’s crew on 9/13/44 and became a POW. The assigned plane for this crew was "Valiant Lady".
Warden crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Glen Warden, Pilot; Hal Wilder, Co-Pilot; Howard Williams, Navigator, and Albert Neal, Bombardier.
Back Row, L - R: George Frenoy, Ball Gunner; Shirley Jarrell, Flight Engineer; Clarence Foringer; Nose Gunner; Carl Spiegel, Top Turret Gunner; Lee Holcomb, Tail Gunner, and Chris Boehm, Radio Operator.
Warden’s crew was a replacement crew, arriving in December, 1944. On the 3/9/45 mission to Graz, Lee Holcomb, was injured by flak. The plane was severely damaged and the rudder cables were cut. Jarrell managed to splice the cables together, using the cord from his heated suit. The plane made it back safely, with 275 holes. The injured Holcomb was replaced by Warren LaFrance, who had been on Blood’s crew, and who was shot down on the 12/26/44 mission to Blechhammer. LaFrance was rescued by the Partisans, returned to Italy, and assigned to Warden’s crew after recovery from his injuries. Most of the crew had about 17 missions when the war ended.
Warner Crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Marinus Mieras, Bombardier; Joseph Drutz, Navigator; Robert Oppenheim, Co-Pilot and Jerome Warner, Pilot.
Back Row, L - R: Maurice Bendes, Radio Operator; R. Hannmann, Tail Gunner; Francis Hennessey, Top Turret Gunner; Wilmer Hogan, Nose Gunner; Duane Waters, Flight Engineer;, and Thomas Cook, Ball Gunner.
Apparently Hannmann was replaced by Nathan Veiden. This replacement crew had completed approximately five missions when they were shot down on the November 20, 1944 mission to Blechhammer, Germany. The entire crew survived the war as POWs.
Wiggins crew-831st Sqdn-Original crew #66
Front Row, L - R: Kenneth Leasure, Navigator; Volney Wiggins, Pilot, and Matthew Hall, Co-Pilot.
Back Row, L - R: Ed Hartupee, Ball Gunner; Virgil Anderson, Top Turret Gunner; Francis Brittain Jr., Nose Gunner, and Robert Hickman, Tail Gunner. (Missing from the photo are John P. Dempsey, Bombardier; Martin J. Caine, Radio Operator, and Wilson B. Shimer, Engineer.)
The assigned plane for this crew was "Flak Shak". This crew was attacked by fighters on the 6/28/44 mission to Bucharest, Romania. Nearly everyone on the crew was wounded in the fighter attacks, but the Pilots managed to fly the plane to Bari, Italy, where it was scrapped. The Gunners were credited with shooting down 7 German fighters. The entire crew received the Silver Star for the mission. The above photo was taken after the medal ceremony. The missing crew members were still in the hospital from wounds. Matt Hall was later killed on the 9/13/44 mission to Oswiecim, Poland, flying with Captain Lawrence.
Wydler crew-831st Sqdn-Replacement crew
Front Row, L - R: Mike Goglia, Co-Pilot; Niran Kellog, Bombardier, Don Swenson, Navigator; Ken Wydler, Pilot.
Back Row, L - R: Phil Williams, Gunner, Elmer Gibson, Gunner, Robert Espenshade, Nose Gunner, Harvey Altman, Tail Gunner, Harold Suess, Gunner, George Estok, Gunner.
The photo was taken in Topeka, Kansas, in September, 1944, before the crew left for overseas. The crew was assigned to the 831st Squadron in October 1944. On the Pola mission on 2/7/45, their aircraft received a direct hit in the nose section, instantly killing the Navigator (Swenson) and blowing his body out of the aircraft. Both Pilots were temporarily knocked unconscious from the concussion, but recovered in time to save the aircraft and the crew.