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8th Air Force 670

9 October 1944

  • Crew #551 Seward M. Meinstma Crew Standing Left to Right: Jack Veach (R/O), George Wood (BTG), William Osborne (NG), John O'Donnell (FE), Howard Wade (TG), Sherell Campbell (G) Kneeling Left to Right: Seward Meinstma (P), Donald Vanderwall (CP), Eugene Gjertsen (N), Harvey Levine (B) This crew completed a 35 mission tour. Gjertsen transferred to the Welsh Crew of the 784th BS at some point during the tour. Also Daniel Chadbourne replaced O'Donnell as Flight Engineer during the tour.

    Crew #551 Seward M. Meinstma Crew Standing Left to Right: Jack Veach (R/O), George Wood (BTG), William Osborne (NG), John O'Donnell (FE), Howard Wade (TG), Sherell Campbell (G) Kneeling Left to Right: Seward Meinstma (P), Donald Vanderwall (CP), Eugene Gjertsen (N), Harvey Levine (B) This crew completed a 35 mission tour. Gjertsen transferred to the Welsh Crew of the 784th BS at some point during the tour. Also Daniel Chadbourne replaced O'Donnell as Flight Engineer during the tour.

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  • Crew #664 Elmo Maiden Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B), Gustave J. Roussel (E), Guerino G. Petti (N), Herbert Rosenkoff (CP), William A. Thomason (TT), Elmo Maiden (P), Kenneth W. Chester (NG), Joseph R. Zebrowski (R/O) B-24J-5-DT #42-51532 Code: U8-W Photo taken on 27 December 1944 after crash landing at an airfield in Belgium.

    Crew #664 Elmo Maiden Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: Bernard M. Atkins (TG), Vernon R. Hayden (WG), William R. Hoopes (B), Gustave J. Roussel (E), Guerino G. Petti (N), Herbert Rosenkoff (CP), William A. Thomason (TT), Elmo Maiden (P), Kenneth W. Chester (NG), Joseph R. Zebrowski (R/O) B-24J-5-DT #42-51532 Code: U8-W Photo taken on 27 December 1944 after crash landing at an airfield in Belgium.

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  • Map from 8th Air Force mission #670 to Mainz (Gustavsburg) on October 9, 1944. from the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold's typed mission list gives the target as Gustavsburg, but the notes on the back of the map reads,

    Map from 8th Air Force mission #670 to Mainz (Gustavsburg) on October 9, 1944. from the estate of Harold Motz, navigator on the Westrope crew, 708th squadron, 447th bomb group. Harold's typed mission list gives the target as Gustavsburg, but the notes on the back of the map reads, "Mainz (Tank Depot)." Original map now in the collection of the Museum of the US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.

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  • "Matthew's crew of the 8th AF 398th Bomb Group by their B-17 'Wonder Bird' at their Base in England, 9 October 1944." Tail of B-17 42-107183 K8-J 602BS, 398BG in background. Rear L-R: Unk, 1Lt Thomas M Matthews IV, Unk ,Unk, 1Lt Adrian P Higginbotham Front L-R: Unk , Unk, Sgt Robert Charles Gordon, Unk

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  • Mission list kept by 2nd Lt. Donald Muckerman of the 8th Airforce, 305th Bomb Group, 422nd Squadron (back)

    Mission list kept by 2nd Lt. Donald Muckerman of the 8th Airforce, 305th Bomb Group, 422nd Squadron (back)

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  • Overall Missions Map for the 493rd BG - USAAF Station 152 -Debach, UK noting missions flown by the Lt Bernard E Vaughan Crew

    Overall Missions Map for the 493rd BG - USAAF Station 152 -Debach, UK noting missions flown by the Lt Bernard E Vaughan Crew

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Official description

Not yet known

Description

Black Week

Mission details

1.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 2.50

2.

Description

BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 3.00

3. GUSTAVSBURG

Description

AIRCRAFT FACTORY

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

Not yet known

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 353.50

4. KOBLENZ (Secondary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th BG, 93rd BG, 389th BG, 392nd BG, 445th BG, 446th BG, 448th BG, 453rd BG, 458th BG, 466th BG, 467th BG, 489th BG, 491st Bomb Group, 492nd BG

Units

  • 2nd Bomb Division

    2nd Bomb Division

    Division
    The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 972.60

5. MAINZ (Primary)

Description

MARSHALLING YARDS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

3rd Bomb Division was made up of 34th BG, 94th BG, 96th Bomb Group, 100th BG, 385th BG, 388th BG, 447th BG, 452nd BG, 486th BG, 487th BG, 490th BG, 493rd BG. 390th Bomb Group stands down.

Units

  • 3rd Bomb Division

    3rd Bomb Division

    Division
    The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 493.70

6. SCHWEINFURT (Secondary)

Description

BALL BEARING PLANTS

Aircraft type

Not yet known

Notes

1st Bomb Division was made up of 91st Bomb Group, 92nd BG, 303rd BG, 305th BG, 306th BG, 379th BG, 381st BG, 384th BG, 398th BG. 351st BG, 401st Bomb Group and 457th Bomb Group stand down.

Units

  • 1st Bomb Division

    1st Bomb Division

    Division
    The groups under the command of the 1st Bomb Wing came under the command of the 1st Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 1st Air Division.

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 817.20

Service

People

  • Harold Adams

    Military | Technical Sergeant | MOS 757 - Radio Operator / Mechanic / Gunner, AAF | 384th Bomb Group

  • Glen Alexander

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
    Lead Crew Squadron Operations Officer AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ DFC

  • Robert Boyd

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group

  • Rolland Bushner

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 25th Bomb Group
    Missions: 1944 - Aug 9 Saarbrucken; 12 Mourmelon sur Marne; 14 Dole/Tauaux/ 16 Madgeburg; 24 Hanover; 26 Dulmen; 30 Mainz; Sep 9 Mainz; 10 Ulm; 11 Madgeburg; Oct 5 Lippstadt; 7 Madgeburg; 9 Koblenz; 22 Hamm; 26 Bottrop; 30 Hamburg; Nov 5 Karlsruhe; 10...

  • Warren Callahan

    Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
    Warran Callahan served as a co-pilot with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.

  • Heath Carriker

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
    Dec 23, 44 on mission to Blatchen, ger. flack disabled aileron and rudder control with resulting loss of altitude from 23,000 to 8,000 ft. With elevator controls and all engines we made it back to Base 1:30 late. This was a close call! ...

  • Charles Dolan

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Joined Sqd 9/13/44. Killed in Action (KIA) 10/18/44 (Leverkusen). Pilot: Lehnhausen, E. Plane was B-24 'Flak Magnet' #4250596

  • John Dugan

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group

  • Thomas Flemming

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Thomas F Flemming served as a pilot with the 323rd Bomb Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group. ...

  • Oscar Flores

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Right Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
    Oscar Flores served as a waist gunner with the 708th Bomb Squadron of the 447th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Rattlesden, England.

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Aircraft

  • 42-107047 The Doodle Bug

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Tulsa 6/2/44; Grenier 3/3/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-M] Horham 17/3/44; with R.V. Mercer force landed Framlingham AFB 25/12/44 with engine failure; battle damaged Berlin 3/2/45 with H. Palmer; force landed Charleroi, Bel; 97m, repaired & ret...

  • 42-107062 Worry Bird/Miss Bea Haven

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 9/2/44; Rapid City 2/3/44; Dow Fd 3/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 25/4/44; no ops, transferred 562BS/388BG Knettishall 29/4/44 WORRY BIRD; Returned to the USA Bradley 8/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 29/11/45;...

  • 42-38013 "NEVADA AVENGER"

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; New Castle 10/12/43; Presque Is 15/12/43; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-C] Grafton Underwood 21/1/44; sal battle damaged 27/4/44. NEVADA AVENGER. ...

  • 42-97105 Paper Doll

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Selfridge Fld 3/2/44; Dorval 4/3/44; Assigned RAF [HB-768]; transferred 561BS/388BG Knettishall 13/3/44; Missing in Action Parchim 7/4/45 with Lew Hickman, Arnold Wolf, Cawthorn Perdue, Albt Vawter, Herman Meyer (5 Prisoner of War); John...

  • 42-97804

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 2/3/44; Hunter 7/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 1/5/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 11/9/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 12/11/45.

  • 43-37756 Milk Wagon

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 18/5/44; Kearney 27/5/44; Dow Fd 8/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 9/6/44; completed 129 missions with no abort; Returned to the USA Bradley 9/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/7/45; Reconstruction Finance...

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
24 September 2016 18:55:42 466thHistorian Changes to person associations
Sources

"Attlebridge Diaries" - John Woolnough
page 132
Date Contributor Update
23 September 2016 23:39:26 466thHistorian Changes to person associations
Sources

"Attlebridge Diaries" - John Woolnough
page 119
Date Contributor Update
27 May 2015 16:36:48 jdossetter Changes to event
Sources

https://www.google.com/maps/place/49%C2%B059'33.7%22N+8%C2%B019'27.4%22E/@49.9927,8.32428,4z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0?hl=en
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:43:13 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.

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