James J Meyers
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-20013.jpeg
UPL 20013
Trall Wertz's original crew put together in the States and sent to Old Buckenham Air Base in East Anglia, England. Several crew members were Killed In Action prior to March 6, 1944. Golbski, Diederich and Anderson had already been MIA on a mission February 22, 1944. Trall's Co-Pilot, Gilbreath was MIA March 6, 1944 flying with another crew, and a member from Crockett’s crew by the name of Santora was MIA ironically in the same plane as Gilbreath. The names below were written on the back of the photo in Trall’s handwriting:
Front Row from Left to Right: Pilot, Lieutenant George Wear (Colombia, Louisiana), Seymour Cohen, Navigator (New Jersey),
Ralph J. Swafford, Bombardier (St. Louis, Missouri), Co-Pilot, Second LieutenantLt. Ray Gilbreath (Massachusetts)
Back Row from Left: T/Sgt. Trail W. Wertz, Radioman (Jeannette, Pennsylvania), Jim Meyers, Nose Gunner (Buffalo, New York)
Staff Sergeant James Golbski, Lower Gunner (Biddendorf, Iowa), Raymond J. Diederich, Top Gunner (St. Joseph, Michigan),
Staff Sergeant Richard Anderson, Tail Gunner (North Canton, Ohio), Robert B. Williams, Engineer (Sheibourne, Massachusetts)
Front Row from Left to Right: Pilot, Lieutenant George Wear (Colombia, Louisiana), Seymour Cohen, Navigator (New Jersey),
Ralph J. Swafford, Bombardier (St. Louis, Missouri), Co-Pilot, Second LieutenantLt. Ray Gilbreath (Massachusetts)
Back Row from Left: T/Sgt. Trail W. Wertz, Radioman (Jeannette, Pennsylvania), Jim Meyers, Nose Gunner (Buffalo, New York)
Staff Sergeant James Golbski, Lower Gunner (Biddendorf, Iowa), Raymond J. Diederich, Top Gunner (St. Joseph, Michigan),
Staff Sergeant Richard Anderson, Tail Gunner (North Canton, Ohio), Robert B. Williams, Engineer (Sheibourne, Massachusetts)
Information provided by grand-nephew of Trall W. Wertz, Bruce B. Wertz
Shot down by fighters on the return from a mission to Genshagen near Berlin and crashed near Oldenburg on 6 Mar 1944 in B-24H #42-64460 'Shack Rabbit'. Killed in Action (KIA).
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Shack Rabbit
- Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 733rd Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Died |
6 March 1944 | ||
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Germany | 6 March 1944 | |
Born |
Buffalo, New York, USA | ||
Buried |
Listed on Tablets of the Missing |
Revisions
Contributorusxpat
Changes
Sources
An Emotional Gauntlet, Stuart J Wright, Pen & Sword Books, © 2004
American Battle Monuments Commission
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2372, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / MACR 2972 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database