50 Missions

[Bigasshammm]

So as my mother has been typing up my grandfather's journal, or more appropriately mission log, she has been sending me the bits she gets done. I am combining them all into a final work reflecting the log but am happy to share the missions here with everyone. In time I hope to do as much research as possible and maybe turn this story into a book. I've always wanted to write a book but not sure if that will ever come to pass. There's really not much here besides dates and number of the mission, approximately where they went, resistance, time of flight, and any casualties and such. Periodically there are brief snippets written by my grandfather that really show the emotion of the time.

It's not complete yet so I will post the rest when I get it. I will also add little comments of known information relative to the mission if I have it. It's also being copied exactly as he wrote it so there are spelling and grammatical errors that I am not going to change.

The 50 Missions of the 817th Squadron (I hope)

Major Lanford Pilot

Capt Adams Bombardier

Lt Self Navigator

Capt Gorman Co-Pilot ---- These are the officers I believe he was originally assigned after coming to Italy. The enlisted men flew with several different pilots though I have 3 names thus far.

S/Sgt Vaughn Engineer

S/Sgt Schofield Radio

S/Sgt Black Ball Torret

S/Sgt Lipscomb Tail Gunner

Sgt Watt Ast Engineer

S/Sgt Baine Right Waist ----- My grandfather.

Before we started on any missions Lt. Wickham got killed in collison over groupe 7 chutes came out of one ship --- no idea who Wickham was in relation to him

016 First Ship – ------I believe these are the final 3 numbers of ships he was in. The first B-17 42-32016 flown by Jack C. Kent took them to Italy. Once there it was assigned to the 99th BG. - thanks to Flak88 for this info.

406 2nd ship - shot down -------- Literally realized he was in this one the day before it was shot down while writing this up.

706 3rd ship –

491 4th ship

This is the info Flak88 gave to me

016 could be 42-32016

It was originally assigned to the 817th BS/ 483rd BG but was transfered to the 99th BG as soon as it arrived to Italy in March 1944.

It was then named ''Swamp Gal''. I have a few photos of it during its 99th BG career.

406 is 42-102406

817th BS/ 483rd BG

It was indeed shot down, over Belgrade Yugoslavia on 7 May 1944. 6 KIA and 3 POW. Your grandfather isn't on the crew list for that flight.

706 is 42-102706

817th BS/ 483rd BG

Lost on 16 February 1945, Austria

491 is 42-102491

Don't know its BS, but it was from the 483rd BG too.

Named ''Janie''

Clark alive Co-Pilot and crew (check mark) ----- (check mark) means there was literally a check mark after the name. Not sure what this information means.

Lanford (check mark)

Gorman

Clark & crew (check mark)

Hogen

Boggs & crew (check mark)

Kent

Haley & crew (check mark)

Mott

Rowe

Rickey & crew (check mark)

Loughlin

Macklin ? (check mark)

Marklin

Wickim with other crew (check mark)

Lanford & Clark’s crew (check mark)

Lee

McSperran

Smith with Marklins crew (check mark)

Clark with Boggs (check mark)

Niveres & crew (check mark)

1st Bombs 500 lbs ------ This is basically how they are written. Number of mission, Bombload, Date and destination, target, resistance, time of flight, and result + casualties. Not always in this order.

April 12 Yugoslavia

Cement Factory

Light Flak 3.45

Demolished Target

2nd

April 13 Brod Yugoslavia

Railroad Yard

Moderate Flak Over Coast

Demolished Target 4.10

Moderate Flak Over Target

500 lbs Bombs

3rd 500 lbs

April 15 Nis Yugoslavia

Railroad Yard Heavy Flak

Missed Target 5hrs.

1 B-17 Exploded No Chutes

1 B-17 Co-Pilot Hit With Flak In Embarrassing Spot

Col. Got Arm Broke By Flak

4th

April 16 Same Target

9 Ships Intense Flak

Missed Target

5 Chutes From 1 Ship &

Hit Mountains 5.30

36 Holes In Our Ship

5th

April 17 Belgrade Yugoslavia

Railroad Yard Medium Flak

P. 38 Escort Hit Target

5.45

6th

April 20 North Italy

Railroad Yard Light Flak

No Bombs Dropped P.38 ----- Sometimes he lists what kind of escort they had.

Cloudy 5.30

Credit For Mission

7th

April 21 Dry Run

Belgrade Yugoslavia

Railroad Yard 3.30

Called Back From Target

7th & 8th

April 23 Austria

Aircraft Factory (Hit Target)

Hit Target Heavy Flak

Fighter Came In

Capt Adams Got Hit In Eye By Glass 7.00

Double Mission Radar Ship ---------- Pretty sure this means they had a B-17 with the ball turret replaced as a radar (BTO) leading the formation.

9th

April 24 Belgrade

Aircraft Factory

Medium Flak 5.55

Destroyed Target

Dry Run

April 25th N – Italy

Railroad Yard 3.45

No Flak No Bombs

Dropped .. No Mission

10th

April 28 N. Italy

Steel Mill Hit Target

Light Flak 5.40 P.38

1st Wave Got Intense Flak

Must Have Knocked Out Flak

Batteries For ous --------- He seems to always put ous when he meant us or ours. Not sure but could mean either.

Edited February 7, 2011 by Bigasshammm

[Bigasshammm]

11th

April 29 Southern France

Oil Tanks Hit Target

Heavy Flak Inaccurate

Shot At F.W. 190 Gun Jammed ---------- damn gun

Refuled At Corsica

Total Time Little Over 8 Hrs.

Toulon France

Flew With Capt Gorman

Smudge Pots Over Target

12th

April 30 Milan Italy

1 B 17 on fire 9 chutes

5 F.W. 190 Attacked

Flak Over Coast

None Over Target

Suspossed To Be 80 Heavy

Guns Over Target 6.40

Date 5-2-44 Dry Run

On Important Bridge

To Cloudy

5-4-44

Ball Turret Man Busted On

Our Crew By Our Own Pilot

Line Chief Turned Him In ------------- tensions were obviously running high by this point.

For Cussing Him Out.

13th Misson 5-5-44 Rumania

Marshling Yard & Shipping Yard

On Danube.. Heavy Flak Before

Target (Inaccurate) No Flak

Over Target Hit Target

5.50 Radar Ship

14th Misson 5-6-44

Same As 13th Same Flak 6.00

Same Results Radar Ship

Our Ship 406 Got 26 Holes -------- I literally just noticed this. So he did fly on 42-102406 and according to Flak it was shot down May 7 44. The very next day. Wow.

Had Red Colorings

5-7-44 1st Time I Didn’t Go -------- which means that for whatever reason he wasn't on the ship when it went down. Major Lanford must have been the pilot of 42-102406. Again wow.

With 817thSq. Our Pilot

Major Lanford Got Shot Down

2 Chutes Came Out He Flew

With Clarks Crew… Lt.

Marklin & Crew Missing

Bellgrade Was Target . Bridge.

Hit Target.. First Time We

Lost Any Ship Will Be Damned

Lucky To Last Out 36 More

Missons Lt Marklin Came

Back on 2 Engines Fourth

Ship In SQ. Full Of Holes

Couple Guys Hurt By Flak

5-10-44 15th & 16th

Weiner Neustadt Aircraft

Factory Hit Target P.38 Escort

Austria 7 Hrs. About 1000 Miles

Round Trip Heavy Flak

Saw Fighters 1 FW 190 Went Down

2. B.17 Went Down Near Us

1 No Chutes The Other 9

Chutes.. One Chute Didn’t Open

Until It Almost Reached

Ground (Chute Lines Twisted)

1 Tall Gunner Killed in 815

Over 1000 Planes -------- can't even imagine.

5-12-44 North Italy 1000 LBS

Mass-Adr-LBE German Headquarters

No Flak Hit Target 3.45

Took Major Dell Along

Morning 17th Misson

5-12-44 Afternoon 18th Misson

Same Misson As Morning

Hit Target No Flak

It Looks Like The Push Is On

19th Misson

5-14-44 Ferrara Italy

Marshling Yards Hit Target

Heavy Inaccurate Flak

5Hr. 25 Minutes 100 LB

5-18-44 Dry Run Bellgrade

Yugoslauia To Cloudy

5.30

5-17-44 P.38 Crashed

Plane Burned Killed Pilot

Landing Speed To Slow

5-19-44 N. Italy Bridge

Hit Target Moderate Flak

5Hrs. 500 LB. Bombs 20th Misson

[Bigasshammm]

5-22-44 21st Misson

Defenseless Town N. Italy

Hit Our Section Of Town

Very Cloudy & Windy 4.10

2 Planes Ran Off Runway

5-23-44

22 Misson N. Italy Town

Very Cloudy Hit Target

1000LBS Bombs Light Flak

483 B Group Has Best Bombing

Record In 15th Air Force &

817th Has Best Record In Group --------- Damn right!

5-24-44 N. Italy Bridge 4.35

Flak 5 Different Times

12 Fighters Attach

Someone in 817th Knocked

3 Down 2 Probables

P.38’s Run Them Off. 1

Ball Turret Gunner Was

Blown Clean Out Of ----------- terrible

Ball Turret By 20 M.M.

3 Others Wounded On

Same Ship 6 Hrs.

1000 LB. Bombs Hit target

Guns burned out behind radio room

We were last box over

Target & we tried like Hell to protect straggler --------- Again terrible. No word what happened to straggler but it doesn't sound good.

23 Misson..

5-24-44

24th Misson Central France

Marshling yeard. Hit target

Flak 3 different times

1318 miles 1000 lb bombs

8 hrs. & 15 minutes

Flak was intense coming

Back. Our group almost

Ran into a B.24 Group

5-25-44

25th Misson Central France

Went same course as yesterday

No flak 1388 miles.. Hit

Ammunition warehouses could

See explosions 100 miles away

8 hrs. & 30 minutes Radar Ship

Our ball turret operator is

Back on flying status

26th Misson Central France

1300 miles Hit target

Marshling Yards 8 hrs. 1300 miles

Damned good flak Hit target

Our group got commendation

For best bombing in 15th

Air Force.. Our ball turret

Gunner got credit for knocking

Down F.W 190 on 23 Misson

Col. Barton’s arm is ok again

Was broke on April 15th

6-2-44 B.17 blew up --------- This is the first ever shuttle mission flown to Russia. I haven't started getting the information on that yet.

27th & 28th Misson 7hr.30min.

Railroad yard in Hungary

Hit target 8 – 500 lb bombs

Ended up in Russia First

Americans to use Russia

For base.. Flak over

Hungary & Russia both.

Nice people very polite

Flew over Yougoslavia,

Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria,

& Czeckslovakia to get there … --------- incredible.

6-6-44 Galaza

Rumania Airport 29 Misson

Hit target 16. 250 lb bombs

Flak all over Rumania…

Fighters shot rockets &

20 M.M. at ous 817 shot

Down 2 F.W. 190’s 6 hrs.30min.

Axis Sally said none of ous will reach Italy

Again.

[Bigasshammm]

30 & 31 Misson

6.11.44

Airport Rumania.. Hit target

1 B.17 went down over target

1 blew up after we left

Target …817 shot down 1

F.W. I had a couple of

Good shots…1 P.51 Pilot

Bailed out over Adriatic

They had a good fight

Coming back to Italy..

Intense Flak 3 different

Times.

6-14-44 32 &33 Misson…..

Bucharest Hungary shell

Oil refinery… intense flak

Hit target 6 hrs. 20 minutes

1 B.17 Blew up 126 flak gun

Yiema Austria 34th & 35th

Oil refinery Hit target

Could see smoke 150 miles

Away… Flak 3 different times

318 Flak guns over target

Suspossed to be toughest

Target yet “In flak for

18 minutes. 1 P38 blew

Up and I saw 3 fighters

Go down as result of dog fights (Had P.38,

P.47 & P 51 escort

70 enemy planes shot down

On that misson by escort and

Bomber gunners ---------- Another instance where I can't even imagine that many aircraft in the sky at one time.

6-21-44

36th Misson N. Italy oil storage

& Marshling Yards…1st time we

Flew in 5 days (bad weather)

Hit target but got hell shot

Out of ous on way back

Were not briefed for flak

And there must have been

100 or more radar guns

And we didn’t have any tinfoil

Our ship full of holes and

So is rest of group 3

Ships went off runway on

Landing one no brakes

2-flat tires 1 ship went

Down did slow roll and

Dove straight for ground

Started disintigrading and

2 chutes came out, exploded

And one more chute came

Out ship burned out before

It reached ground 1 ship

Ditched that makes 3 ships

483 lost today …1 that went

Off runway demolished

Couple men wounded in group

I’m getting nerveous lately and

I can see rest of Crew is to

4 ships ran off runway --------------- Sounds a little frustrated at the briefings they were receiving. I can't say I blame him after that mission.

That's all I've got right now. More in the next day or two probably.

[robtmelvin]

A big thanks for sharing your work. This is absolutely riveting stuff. Brief as his comments were, you can feel the emotion and strain coming through. Its always been hard for me to imagine what those guys went through up there at 30,000 feet, -30 degrees, scared, tired ......

Its a da**ed shame that Hollywood couldn't take something like this and develop one spell binding story without buggering it up. I'm thinking something along the lines of Das Boot in B17s. I can't imagine a more compelling story to tell than what these guys endured.

Bob

[Bigasshammm]

A big thanks for sharing your work. This is absolutely riveting stuff. Brief as his comments were, you can feel the emotion and strain coming through. Its always been hard for me to imagine what those guys went through up there at 30,000 feet, -30 degrees, scared, tired ......

Its a da**ed shame that Hollywood couldn't take something like this and develop one spell binding story without buggering it up. I'm thinking something along the lines of Das Boot in B17s. I can't imagine a more compelling story to tell than what these guys endured.

Bob

Like I said it's my life's goal to write a book documenting this. It will probably be a work of fiction though as I want it to be compelling and tell a story and not just be a factual documentary. Maybe some day it could be a movie but it has to be accomplished first. Chances of all that happening -1%.

I would love to see something along the lines of Band of Brothers or The Pacific be done about the flyers of WWII.

[Chuck1945]

... Its always been hard for me to imagine what those guys went through up there at 30,000 feet, -30 degrees, scared, tired ......

I was going to make a new thread, but this is good a spot as any. I have been reading Havelaar's book on the 91BG (he was a bombardier in the 91)

The nominal aircraft strength of a four squadron Bomb Group (H) would have been 36 aircraft. ( Although as the pipeline of replacement crews and aircraft got into full swing, it would not have been unusual for a squadron to have more aircraft)

The 91BG (H) flew its first mission 3 November 1942. They flew a total of 19 missions and lost 12 aircraft in 1942. (This excludes the one lost enroute from USA to England) At that rate, had replacements not started arriving, the Group would have ceased to exist during April 1943.

In 1943, the Group flew 86 missions and lost 81 aircraft.

In 1944 (with the now present fighter escorts) the Group flew 155 missions and lost 105 aircraft

In 1945 the Group flew 28 missions and lost 13 aircraft.

There were a total of 208 B-17s lost or missing during combat missions (this equates to the nominal group stength being lost almost 6 times)

There were 2012 aircrew killed, wounded, PoW or MIA

All in all, a very hard way to earn flight pay.

[B-17 guy]

Like I said it's my life's goal to write a book documenting this. It will probably be a work of fiction though as I want it to be compelling and tell a story and not just be a factual documentary. Maybe some day it could be a movie but it has to be accomplished first. Chances of all that happening -1%.

I would love to see something along the lines of Band of Brothers or The Pacific be done about the flyers of WWII.

Thank you for sharing this with us. And you should consider yourself lucky to have something like this. All I know of my grandfather's service in the war was that he was in the army, in france and that he survived. No idea what he did, when or where.

If ever you publish that book, let me know, I'd like to read it.

And damn would I love to see a band of brothers/pacific style series done for the WWII aviators, that would be freaking sweet!

[381st Guy]

Thank you for sharing this with us. And you should consider yourself lucky to have something like this. All I know of my grandfather's service in the war was that he was in the army, in france and that he survived. No idea what he did, when or where.

If ever you publish that book, let me know, I'd like to read it.

And damn would I love to see a band of brothers/pacific style series done for the WWII aviators, that would be freaking sweet!

If you need some help with the book, let me know.

I've worked out a proposal with sample chapters for a book about my grandfather. He was in much earlier than your granddad - IIRC, he was already in POW camp when your granddad started flying. He was in for 25 missions and got shot down on #25.

I've been working through the publication aspect. It'd be great if you could do it non-fiction.

Would like to talk with you about what you have besides the diaries.

[Bigasshammm]

If you need some help with the book, let me know.

I've worked out a proposal with sample chapters for a book about my grandfather. He was in much earlier than your granddad - IIRC, he was already in POW camp when your granddad started flying. He was in for 25 missions and got shot down on #25.

I've been working through the publication aspect. It'd be great if you could do it non-fiction.

Would like to talk with you about what you have besides the diaries.

Not much. His log book and a few pictures are about all I have. I've been getting a ton of info over the last few weeks from various sources and have a decent pictur in my head. There's a few books I need to pick up.

I won't be doing any kind of book for several several years. This project has really only just begun.

[381st Guy]

Not much. His log book and a few pictures are about all I have. I've been getting a ton of info over the last few weeks from various sources and have a decent pictur in my head. There's a few books I need to pick up.

I won't be doing any kind of book for several several years. This project has really only just begun.

Well, hit me up when you're ready, hopefully I will have a book by then, but if not, I'll still have some stuff you may find useful.

[Bigasshammm]

6.24.44 Railroad Bridge Romania

Hit target with 1000 lb Bombs

Came Back On 3 Engines

6 hr ½ Radar Ship 37 Misson

6.25.44 Warehouses & Marshling

Yards In France 1300 Miles

8 hrs & 45 Minutes 500 lb Bombs

Heavy Flak From Islands

Off France P.51 Shot Down

38th Misson

39 Misson Budapest, Hungary

To Cloudy At Target Hit

Secondary Brod, Yougoslavia

Hit Target Flak 3 Different

Times Major Reardon 815 Got

Direct Hit In Wing By 88M.M

But Still Came Back.

Left A 3 Foot Hole … 20 ME

110’s Attacked Group Over

Budapest & Put 20MM Holes

In A Few Ships Wing Lost 35 B17

7.1.44 to 7.7.44 We Spent At Isle of Capri

7.8.44 483 B.G.P. Went Back To Vienna

Came Back With 10 Feathered

Engines.. 2 Officers In Our

Squadron Injured… 3 Planes

Went Off Run Way On Landing

Another Rough One Polesti Oil

Refinery 7.9.44 Intense

Flak 285 Flak Guns 5 Engines

Feathered In Our Group …Quite

A Few Fighters 1 Got A Couple

Good Shots At 2 ME 109’s As

They Made Pass At 2 Crippled

P.38’s That Were Flying In

Formation With Ous For

Protection… Others Made

Pass But Without Success

7 hrs & 40 minutes… 1 B.17

Caught Fire…Fire Went Out

And So Did 10 Parachutes.

1 Man In 815 Had Leg Broke

Another Had Leg Amputated

& Another Was Killed…..

We Flew With Col. Barton &

Had A Major For A Bombardier

We Bombed By Radar Because

Target Had Smudge

Pots Around It. 500 lb Bombs

40 & 41st

7.15.44 Polesti Oil Fields

One Of Toughest Yet.

840. Lost 2 Ships Today

1 Crash Landed Yesterday

Intense Flak … Formation

Broke Up Over Target, Bombs

Dropped From Above Almost

Hit Our Squadron.. I Shot

About 200 Rounds At ME 109’s

That Made Pass At Ous

About 8 Made Passes. I

Had A Few Hits But He

Didn’t Go Down. 500 lb.

Nitro Glycerine Bombs. Our

Ship In Service Sq. Wing

Spar Shot Out. 1 Ship

Went Down Over Target

Was Ball Of Flame

Couldn’t See Any Chutes

8 hrs. Single Misson

Only 5 Doubles From

Now On. 8th Air Force

Really Has Snap With

Only 30 Missons To

Do … 230 Flak Guns.

1 Bombardier In Our SQ.

Got Hit By Arming Fire

Cut Up Pretty Bad…..

840th Radar Ship Ditched

Bombardier, Navigator and

Co-Pilot Already Dead When

It Hit (Nobody Got Out

After It Ditched ……..

Our Ship Full Of Holes From

Tail To Nose.. Flew With

Munson & Hatinover Our C.O.

In Rome

7.18.44 43 & 44 Misson

1st Time We Went To Germany

Lost (can’t make out number might be 15) Ships Out Of Group

Our Sq. Lost 5 Our Ship

And 1 Other Only One

That Came Back. Our

Ship Got Hit By 20 M.M.

6 Times (Almost Blew Up)

They Had About 150

Fighters And They

Lined Up Behind Ous

And Shot Hell Out Of

Ous. I Shot Down 2 Our Ball Turret 1 Our

Navigator 1 Our Bombardier 1

Top Turret One

Our Radio Operator

And Navigator Got Hit

Our Wing Almost Shot

Off. 816 Lost Whole Sq.

815 Lost 3 Ships

1 Hit About 4 Others That

Started Smoking. But Didn’t

Deserve Results. Flak

Twice On Way Up. ….

I Saw 816 Get Wipped

Out In High Box, Some

Ships Still Firing As

They Went Down In Flames

I Wish I Could Express In

Words What I Saw But

That Is Impossible. But

I Will Never Forget

It As Long As I Live.

Very Few Chutes Came

Out Of Any Of The Ships.

Germans Lost About 30

Ships In 3 Passes They

…………..made…………….

Our Tail Got Hit By 1

20 M.M…Tail Guns Went

Out Of Commisson And

We Were By Ourselves

After 1st Pass, Rest Of

Sq. Nocked Out Except

1 and He Went Ahead

We Had Only 3 Engines

After 1st Pass And I’ll

Never Know How We

Survived. They Gave Ous

2 Qts. Of Liquor & We All

Got Drunk. Flew With Benson &

Hattenhaver Landed Without

Flaps 140 M.P.H.

Our Group Got Credit For

71 Fighters On That Misson

Memmingen Germany

53 Shot Down By Gunners

The last mission there is the notorious Memmingen mission. Of 26 483rd BG ships to go out only 12 returned. You can tell just by the length of his entry that it was by far the worst yet.

For more info on the Memmingen mission go HERE!

Which also has a link to the Presidential Unit Citation awarded HERE!

The radio operator and Navigator also received the Silver Star for this mission.

The photo I posted in the other thread of the crew standing in front of the nose of the aircraft that has all the mission markers and swastikas on it I am 99% certain was taken right before this mission. He flew with Karl Hattenhauer's crew aboard B-17G-60-BO 42-102922. This will be the plane I will turn my final B-17G model into but probably not for this GB.

No other words can really be expressed after reading that.

More to follow...

Edited February 8, 2011 by Bigasshammm

[Kostucha]

Reading that last mission account... Jeeeee-sus! Don't know what to say aside from thank you for posting all this information. Amazing!

[Bigasshammm]

7-21-44 45 & 46th Misson

Maux In Central Germany

Flak About 15 Different

Times 88 Guns At Target

Fighters Jumped 2nd Bomb

GP. The Same As They Did

To Ous On The 18th Of July

And Shot Down 3 Before

Escort Came I Saw The

17’s Go Down And 1

Chutes The Other Chute

Couldn’t See The 3rd One

Go Down… Very Cloudy On

Way Back And Group

Broke Up Once But Got

Back Together Again.

840 Lost One Man Today

His First Misson (2 ME 109’s

Made Pass At Ous)

7-30-44 47th Misson

Budapest Aircraft Factory

Intense Flak, We Lost

Nivines Today… Ship

Blew In Half From

Direct Hit 816 Lost

Another Ship Today Too

Nivines Ship 1 Chute

We Had 3 Cylinder’s Blown

Clear Out Of Engine

By Flak & Also

Large Holes In Wings

Came Back ON 3 Engines

Couple Guys In Sq.

Wounded. 7 Feathered

Engines In Group.. P38

& P51 Escort, Kept Enemy

Fighters Away …

Bombed At 25,500 250 lb Bombs

48th Misson Porteslesvalanc

France, Marshling Yards

Hit Target No Flak No

Fighters, 5 ½ hrs. Oxygen

Over 1000 Miles 8 hrs.

Very Bad Weather, Some

Ships Stopped At Corsica

To Refuel .. Tail Gunner

Is Finished Up Today

Bottom Bomb on 1 Side Hung

Up Other Bombs Bounced

Off It ..

49th Misson N. Italy 8-12-33

Camofladge Shore Batteries

500lb. Nitro Glycerine Bombs

Hit Target Flak Ready

Tracking. Shot At Ous For

About 40 Miles … Everything

Indicates Another Invasion

Comming

1 4 Star General Came ------- Would love to know their names anyone?

Today With 3 Other Generals

8-13-44 --------- Ok this is surreal. For whatever reason I have been fascinated with my grandfather since I was born. Never met the man as he died of cancer before I was hatched and all my mother ever did was share a few stories. From what she has said he sounds exactly like me. She said he was fascinated with cars and would always go down the street and spin the car around just to show he could do it. (I do things like this all the time scares the wife) He loved golf and was pretty good. (I'm decent but love golf) He was pretty smart but yet quiet and kept to himself. (everyone has told me exactly like me) Well come to find out the date of his last mission is the same day I was born. 8-13-44. I was born 8-13-79. My jaw hit the floor.

Utopia 50th Misson

Same As 49 Missed Target

Yesterday … Bombed At

19,000 Ft. 18,000 Yesterday

My Fighting Day’s Are Over

Took 4 Months And 1

Day To Finish

(Nothing else on this side of the ledger)

[Bigasshammm]

I guess he wrote like a double sided log. Flipped it over and kept notes to distinguish them from his mission log. Here they are.

(Turning the ledger over and starting from the other side)

“My Ship Didn’t†------- Apparently everything below are missions that the 483rd went on but for whatever reason his crew didn't

5-13-44 Fly Didn’t Go

North Italy 35 Degrees Below 0

P.51’s And ME 109’s Tangled

Hit Target .. Marshling Yards

815th Tail Gunner Killed

Our Tail Gunner Flew & Came

Back On 2 Engine 3rd

Engine Caught Fire As They Landed Just Behind

Front Lines, Almost Ditched

5-19-44

463 Lost 9 Planes Another

Group Lost 7 Went Over

Polesti Oil Fields Without

Escort & Bought Hell From

Fighters & Flak

On 23 Misson B.24 Landed

At Our Field On 3 Engines

Front Turret Gunner Shot

Through Neck

One Of Our Ships Came

Back On 1 & 2 Engines 1

Day & The Next Day They

Came Back On 3 & 4

5-29-44 The 483 Bomb Group

Has Made 28 Missons So

Far And Our Crew Has Been

On 26 Of Them..

5-29-44

S/SGT Stout (Died Yesterday

May 30th From Wounds Received

On Raid Of May 24, 1944

The Best Yet

463 B.GP. Had 5 Planes

Shot Down On Practice Misson

Germans Were Waiting On

Them (Suspect Sabotage)

Have Lost 27 Planes So Far

½ A Group.

6-16-44

Tail Gunner And

Radio Man Went To Rest Camp.

6-24-44 Navigator In 815th

Got Hit In Stomach By 20 M.M.

463 B.GP. Lost 51 Planes

Came Over 1 Month Before ------- Poor 463rd.

Ous 7-11-44

7-14-44 840th Lost One Plane

Today Over Shell Oil Refinnery

In Rumania .. Nose Blown Off

By Flak…

7-15-44 840 Lost 5

Ships In Last 4 Days

7-14-44 1 Ship In Our Gp.

Landed At Foggia Main … They

Had Direct Hit In Bomb Bay

Blew Bombs Out .. Cut Both

Legs Off Radio Man About

Knee High And Wings Bent

Backward While Flying Because

They Were So Weak

7-20-44 Our Crew Lost 3

Co-Pilots Yesterday Monson,

Pedigo, & Capt Clark… Pedigo

Went Down On (Last 50th) Misson

7-19-44 301st Acted As Guinea ---------- Take that Germans. The Germans lost a lot of planes between 7-18 and 7-19 wow.

Pigs And Flew Over Germany

With About 400 Escort At

40,000 Ft. Fighters Came

In And Were About To

Attack And Escort Came

Down And Shot Hell Out

Of Germans…That Evens

Up What Happened To 483

The Day Before

Germans Using The Fighters

They Been Saving And In

Last 2 Days Our Group

Saw 8 B 17’s Go Down

7-24 & 7-25-44 .. All B.17’s

I Have Seen Go Down Went

Down In Flames

7-26-44 Been Getting Drunk

Every Night, Every Misson

Now Seems Like 50.

Got Air Medal Today & ---------- Need to get copies of this. Anyone know how/where?

4 Oak Leaf Clusters

7-24-44 301st Lost 11

Planes By Fighters

B.17’s Shot Down 54 Today

Lt. Pedigo Who Used

To Be My Co Pilot

Shot Down On 50th

Misson. Later Found

Out He Is In Switzerland

Major Lanford is Prisnor

Of War

922 Ship We Brought Back ------- This is again 42-102922 That he rode in with Karl Hattenhauer's crew on the Memmingen mission. I will be modeling it.

From Germany Was Worst

Ever Brought Back In

Group. They Still Can’t

See Why Wing Didn’t

Fall Off

Flew With First Pilot J.C. Kent

8-10-44 Polesti Our Ship

Turned Back 90 Miles

From Target (No Misson)

No. 2 Feathered Came Back

Without Escort..Bombed

Bridge In Yugoslavia

Landed At 68 M.P.H. Once ------- slooooooooooooow

Landed At 140 M.P.H. Once -------- fast wow

Without Flaps

Got Presidential Sitation ------- Linked to that near the account of the mission.

For Memingen Raid Estimated

200 Fighters. 101 Destroyed

8 P.38 All The Escort That

Showed Up. Biggest Air Battle

15th GP. Ever In.

I'm not sure if there's more or not.

[Shawn M]

fascinating stuff!

[Kostucha]

VERY!

[robtmelvin]

I don't read a lot of fiction, real life is too wild, weird, dramatic, scary, everything else you could come up with to have to make stuff up, but if you write that book I'll be the first in line to buy it! Better let your brothers here know when its ready - and don't forget you knew us when you are a famous author.

Bob

[Bigasshammm]

Will do. Once I get my research done I may start throwing some things down and see what sticks. I just bought a DVD off Amazon that was an Army Air Force production of Operation Frantic Joe. This was the June 2nd mission where they flew the first shuttle mission into Russia. Can you imagine if I see him on there? Wow!

[Prop Duster]

Dude, WOW, Man,........ran out of words

Just spectacular.

Thank You for shairing this with us.

[flak88]

3rd 500 lbs

April 15 Nis Yugoslavia

Railroad Yard Heavy Flak

Missed Target 5hrs.

1 B-17 Exploded No Chutes

1 B-17 Co-Pilot Hit With Flak In Embarrassing Spot

Col. Got Arm Broke By Flak

As the illustration of this particular event:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18532986@N07/4278483890/

One of the most horrific photos of the air war ever...

[381st Guy]

As the illustration of this particular event:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18532986@N07/4278483890/

One of the most horrific photos of the air war ever...

I would agree. Apparently this was less common than with the B-24 due to the wing tank design of the B-24, but still possible and obviously horrific.

As I went through the B-17 at the air show last fall, I couldn't help but marvel at the fact these things worked at all.

1. Large quantities of oxygen

2. Gasoline

3. High explosives

4. Guns

All sandwiched into a tube and being shot at. It's a miracle anyone survived!

[Shawn M]

some great stuff on that Flickr page!

[Bigasshammm]

Another angle of the same photo. this was in part of his collection. If you compare the pictures it's the same photo but a little closer zoomed. You can really see the railyard they were bombing in it too.

Edited February 10, 2011 by Bigasshammm

[Bigasshammm]

8-15-44 Ball Turret Flew

48th Today … Invasion Of

S. France .. Had Battleships

And Aircraft Carriers

Bigger Invason Than

Normady .. Lost One

Plane On Takeoff In

840 .. 2 Bombs Blew

Up Under Ball Turret

Today And Injured

Navigator & Blew

A Lot Of Holes In Ship

No Survivors In 840th Ship Today

It Hit Mountain (They

Took Off At 2.30 In The

Morning

Ball Turret Gunner

Finished Today 8-18-44

Lost Another Ship Out Of

Group (Ditched In

Adriatic) Polesti Oil

Refinery 263 88 M.M.

817 Lost 7 Ships

815 Lost 9 Ships

816 Lost 7 Ships

840 Lost 8 Ships

31 Ships Lost In Group

Group Bombed Polesti

At 32,000 Ft. 8-19-44

That’s As High As

Super Forts (B29) Bomb

817 Brought Over 18 Crews

2 Of Them Transferred

To Second Bomb GP. 1

Finished There & 1 Was

Shot Down.. Of The Re-

Maining 16 Crews There Are

Now Less Than 7

Crews Left.. Of The 7

Left There Are Only 1

That Is Intact.. The

Rest Have Had Men

Killed Or Shot Down

Our Crew 701 Have Had

A Bombardier, Navigator

And Radio Man Injured

1 Pilot Shot Down (Maj Lanford)

And 3 Co-Pilots Shot Down

Lt. Monson

Lt. Pedigo

Capt. Clark

Our Sq. Has 34 German

Ships To Its Credit

Our Crew Has 7

32 Ships Lost In Group

Now Another One Went

Down In Adriatic

Yesterday 8-19-44

Ball Turret & Gunner In

Sq. Shot Down German Plane

8-18-44

Our Sq. Has 31 German

Ships Destroyed And

4 Damaged Or Probably

Destroyed

THE END

That's it. There's a bunch of names and addresses but I obviously won't post those here. Doubt most of them are any good anymore anyway.