The Gaulke Crew 602 was one of the original crews for the 492nd BG that trained in Alamogordo, New Mexico. They had come up as Crew 1024 from the 32nd CCT at Davis-Monthan Air Field in Tucson, Arizona. After arriving to the 492nd the crew had their bombardier and one gunner replaced. They were assigned to the 856th BS, designated as Crew 602.

In April 1944, they flew their assigned aircraft to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. Their ground Crew Chief, S/Sgt Ed Nydam, flew with them, thus bumping their new gunner, Pfc Warren Branch onto the Queen Elizabeth. 

Lt Gaulke flew as the aircraft commander for crew 602 for a total of 8 missions. 

Crew 602 barely survived the air battle on 19 May 44, during a raid to Brunswick. Although the ship was heavily damaged they did manage to limp back to England. They landed at the first base they saw at Shipdham, home of the 44th BG. 

Ten days later on their eighth and final mission, the Gaulke Crew 602 again cheated death during another battle with the Luftwaffe. This time they were bombing the well-defended oil refineries at Politz. The Luftwaffe didn't get them but the flak did. It had punctured their gas tanks. The engineer, Fry, was wounded. They knew their ship could not reach England. They had to attempt Sweden. 

They made it to Sweden's southern coast where they found a small airstrip in the middle of the woods. But it was too short to land a B-24. Sgts Branch and Baker proposed tying their parachutes to the wasit guns and opening them just as soon as the plane touches down. Gaulke agreed to try it. Branch's side held but Baker's didn't. But it was enough for Gaulke to bring the plane to a halt with a 100 feet to spare.

Sgt Fry was rushed to the hospital by a Swedish rescue team. The crew's landing attracted a large civilian crowd at the end of the runway to see the Liberator. 

Casualty figure: 10 interned in Sweden, MACR 5220.