45th Combat Bomb Wing
Wing
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42-97235
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 9/2/44; Kearney 27/2/44; Grenier 13/3/44; Assigned 729th BS / 452nd BG ( H ) RAF Deopham Green 16/3/44; Missing in Action Brux 12/5/44 with Walt Naylor, Navigator: Austin Casselberry, Bombardier: Mike Veselich, Radio Operator: Durwood Mitchell, Ball turret gunner: John Ahern (5 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Winecke Carpenter, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Roger Mullenmeister, Waist gunner: Tom Garten, Waist gunner: Dick Berkoben,Tail gunner: Ralph Bates Wounded in Action (5 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft caused ship to explode, crashed near Merzhausen Afd, near Usingen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 4778.
Service
Units
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452nd Bomb Group
Group
The 452nd Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deopham Green, Norfolk, from January 1944. The air crews hit strategic sites in Germany but also supported the movement of ground forces across Europe after D-Day. On 6 June 1944 itself, the Group... -
729th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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John Ahern
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). AM/ PH -
Ralph Bates
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Richard Berkoben
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Winecke Carpenter
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Austin Casselberry
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). AM/ PH -
Thomas Garten
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner; Flight Engineer | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). This was my 8th mission. Spent 1 year as Prisoner of War (POW) and was on 600 mile Death March POW/Purple Heart, AF Medal ETC -
Durwood Mitchell
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
Roger Mullenmeister
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Walter Naylor
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
Michael Veselich
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 452nd Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). PH
Places
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Deopham Green
Military site : airfield
Deopham Green was another air base constructed after America's entry into the war to Class A standards for use by the B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber. When the 452nd Bomb Group arrived in January 1943 they found a main runway of 2,000 yards, two...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 12 May 1944 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 02 April 2017 15:48:02 | terveurn | Changes to markings, description and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Added basic information |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:41:10 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4778 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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