43-22524

Assigned to 856BS, 492BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) OSS mission (CHISEL insertion mission) to Munster, Germany. A-26 crashed in moor near Bramshe, Germany, just north of destination Munster, Germany. 5 x KIA 19-Mar-45. MACR 13281.



Crew: Pilot 1Lt Oliver N Emmel, Nav Major John W Walch, Bomb Maj Edward C Tresemer, Gunner S/Sgt Fredrick J Brunner, USMC, OSS agent handler. OSS Agent Kurt Gruber.



S/Sgt Fredrick J Brunner, USMC, was aboard in the turret gunner position as OSS agent handler for Kurt Gruber, a German national who was NOT listed among the casualties.

Connections

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Units served with

A Swedish Soldier guards a B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40159) nicknamed "Boulder Buff" of the 492nd Bomb Group that has landed in Sweden.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: OSS 388th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 371861
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: OSS/USMC
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 25th Bomb Group 654th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-2045247
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 492nd Bomb Group 46th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (492nd Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-434010
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 12th Replacement Control Depot No 1 Combat Crew Replacement Center VIII Reconnaissance Wing 25th Bomb Group 328th Service Group 60th Troop Carrier Group No 6 Combat Crew Replacement Center 802nd Reconnaissance Group (SP) 11th Troop Carrier Squadron 653rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-790106
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

Failed to Return (FTR)

49565 Bramsche, Germany 19 March 1945 Failed to Return (FTR) OSS mission (CHISEL insertion mission) to Munster, Germany. A-26 crashed in moor near Bramshe, Germany, just north of destination Munster, Germany. 4 x KIA 19-Mar-45. MACR 13281.

Other

Further details of crash

Harrington Airfield, UK 19 March 1945 Major Tresemer, Major Walch, Staff Sergeant Brunner and German OSS recruit Kurt Gruber are all interred in the hallowed grounds of the Ardennes American Cemetery. Major Edward C. Tresemer was Group Navigator of the 492nd Bomb Group whilst 1st Lt. Oliver H. Emmel and Major John W. Walch were on detachment from the 25th Bomb Group. This particular mission was intended to drop OSS agent Kurt Gruber into the Dummer Lake area of Germany’s Ruhr region. More information about Kurt Gruber can be found at: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol46no1/article03.html#author The reason for the presence of Staff Sgt Brunner is a bit of a mystery. Frederick Brunner was detached from the USMC and worked for the OSS. He had been involved in resistance training and support operations in the Vercors maquis in France, a month before the 15 August 1944 landing (see https://archive.org/stream/HerringboneCloakGIDaggerMarinesOfTheOSS#page/n59/mode/2up , chapter IX “Who knew not fear”). He spoke German, but there appears to be no mention that he participated in the Tools mission with which Kurt Gruber was associated.

Manufactured

Tulsa, OK, USA Built at Douglas.

Delivered

3001 S Douglas Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73130, USA Delivered to USAAF.

Assigned

Harrington, Northampton NN6 9NU, UK Assigned to 856BS, 492BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

MACR 13261 / MACR 13281 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
Contributoroconnornj
Changes
Date
Contributoroconnornj
Changes
Date
Contributoroconnornj
Changes
Date
ContributorJwilliew
Changes
Sources

Persico, Joseph, Piercing the Reich: The Penetration of Nazi Germany by American Secret Agents During WWII (New York: Viking Press, 1979)

Chisel Mission Dispatch Report, submitted by Army Lt. Joseph Gould and Army Lt. Carl Devoe, March 20, 1945, RG 226, OSS Records, NARA.

Date
ContributorJwilliew
Changes
Sources

Unable to verify through secondary source.

Date
ContributorJwilliew
Changes
Sources

Spelling correction to last name for Major John Walch (s replaced with c)

Date
ContributorJwilliew
Changes
Sources

Article with identifying photos titled "Geheimunternamen 'Chisel' ." Published FliegerReview X, Number 55, October 2015, PPVMEDIEN, Munich.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

MACR 13261 / MACR 13281 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database