This was researched for me by the Late Bruce Hicks, British Air Museum.

Copy below

R

DOB 7/2/1924

DOD 9/26/1984

Internment: Grand Rapids Vets Home Cemetery, plot 8, row 9, grave 68

Service #364-54-977

Enlisted 3/5/1943 Kalamazoo

8th AF, 491st Bomber Group, 854th Squadron, crew R136 (early 1944)

 

 

Anthony Wigda research

Hi Tim,

 

I don't know if anyone has responded to your request for info that you posted on the 491st BG Guestbook. I have a small amount of info on Mr. Wigda.

 

He belonged to crew number R136 and was with the 854th Bomd Squardon.  The crew was as follows:

 

P      Paul E Southwell

CP   Charles J Mangel

N      Haigus Tufenkjian

B      Frederick Gefen

E     Lawrence R Conley

R      Anthony P Wigda

NG   Ronald R Harris

TG    Robert F Smith

RW   Kenneth O Wise

G      Melvin C Grant

G      Kevin J Moynihan

 

The R in the crew number means the crew was a replacement crew. The 491st first arrived in England in May 1944 with 72 original crews (18 in each of the 4 squadrons).  They were numbered from 1 to 72. As replacement crews arrived they were assigned crew numbers that began with the R designation. Each squadron was given a block of R numbers so the 136 in this crew number doesn't tell you when the crew arrived at the 491st. This crew was with the 491st relatively early because the Navigator was killed by German civilians on August 26, 1944. As far as the plane they flew, I have no idea. The information I have mainly only has plane numbers for the original crews and for crews that lost planes. The crew list came from the group roster put together in 1994. As of that time none from this crew were members of the 491st BGH Association. The association was together another 15 years so some of them may have joined but I think at least five were already deceased by 1997.

 

I hope some of this is of interest to you.

 

Bruce Hicks