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14 January 1945
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.
8th Air Force mission 792; Magdeburg, Germany; January 14, 1945. 447th Bomb Group strike photo. "Extensive smoke screen partially obscures Elbe River and the bomb bursts."
Lt. George J. Rosen of the 351st FS/353rd FG, 8th AAF. Based out of Raydon, England.
1st Lt. John W. Rohrs KIA on March 2, 1945. Rohrs was credited with a 1/2 kill of a ME262 jet fighter on January 14, 1945 along with Lt. George Rosen. Rohrs flew with the 351st Fighter Squadron in the 353rd Fighter Group out of Raydon AF
Personal photograph of Billy J. Murray with the "Donna J" named for his only sister, Donna Joyce Murray. The aircraft is his first P-51D #44-14808. Murray would shoot down his only air kill, a ME-262 on January 14, 1945. This aircraft was later crash landed by Lt. Robert Wiehe SE of RAF Wattisham, Suffolk, England when engine trouble forced a landing. Fortunately Wiehe survived the landing, but the plane was written off.
![From “The Story of the 371st Fighter Group in the E.T.O.,” Army & Navy Publishers, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1946.
[ The 371st FG’s nickname was “Frisky”. ]](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/media/media-17388.jpeg?itok=PilrS_ME)
From “The Story of the 371st Fighter Group in the E.T.O.,” Army & Navy Publishers, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1946. [ The 371st FG’s nickname was “Frisky”. ]
42-97851 LL-K Qualified Quail after crash landing in France near Valenciennes on 14 January 1945. Picture taken on 15 January 1945.
42-97851 LL-K Qualified Quail after crash landing in France near Valenciennes on 14 January 1945. Picture taken on 15 January 1945.
42-97851 LL-K Qualified Quail after crash landing in France near Valenciennes on 14 January 1945. Picture taken on 15 January 1945.
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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FIGHTER SWEEPS
P-51 Mustang
A mix of 116 P-47s and P-51s fly a fighter seep over North. Germany. Mix not given in available data.
After escorting Bombers, pilots of the 353rd Fighter Group, 351st Fighter Squadron lead by Blue Flight Leader, Lt. Billy J. Murray with Pilots Lt. John W. Rohrs, Lt. George J. Rosen, and Lt. Clarence Geiger observed 2 ME262's traveling north at 10,000ft. Murray maneuvered the flight to bounce out of the sun from 20,000ft and took the jet on the left, observing strikes from the left nacelle to the right. The pilot immediately veered high and right to evade almost hitting his wingman. The pilot was observed to bail out at this point. Rohrs managed to get behind the right ME262 wingman and raked him with fire. Rosen joined in and the plane began an immediate dive straight into the ground. No chute was observed and both pilots Rohr and Rosen reported that the German pilot was most likely wounded or dead prior to the crash. Murray would be credited with a confirmed victory and Rosen and Rohrs shared the second plane.
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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BERG, Germany
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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HIGHWAY BRIDGE
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HIGHWAY BRIDGE
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HIGHWAY BRIDGE
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OIL REFINERY
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OIL REFINERY
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OIL REFINERY
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OIL REFINERY
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OIL REFINERY
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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Military | Captain | Pilot | 323rd Bomb Group
Robert H. Adams flew many missions with the 323rd Bomb Group. Promoted to Captain he was Pilot of B-26 Serial #42-107588 on the 14 January 1945 mission to bomb the bridge at Steinebrück, Saint-Vith, Belgium.
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Military | Captain | Bombardier | 323rd Bomb Group
Captain Warren Anderson was Bombardier on B-26 Serial #42-107588 hit by Flak on the 14 January 1945 mission to bomb the bridge at Steinebrück, Saint-Vith, Belgium. In the Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 11926, Captain Anderson mentions he was...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator; Waist Gunner | 487th Bomb Group
Flew 34 combat missions from 1/8/45 to 4/21/45. Most of them in a B-17G 'Dinah-Mite' #44-8694.
Military | Captain | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
Military | Captain | Navigator | 323rd Bomb Group
Captain George Burnett Jr was Navigator on B-26 Serial #42-107588, hit by Flak on the 14 January 1945 mission to bomb the bridge at Steinebrück, Saint-Vith, Belgium. Wounded, he was captured - Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 466th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
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.
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Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 34th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 14 January 1945
Military | Master Sergeant | Photographic Chief | 34th Bomb Group
Lew was born in Wattenberg, Colorado, on Jan 30, 1921, to John and Alta Funk. An Eagle Scout who served in the National Guard at Fort Logan, he attended photo school for the Army at Lowry Air Force base. He achieved the rank of Master Sergeant as the...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/44; Billings 3/5/44; Kearney 12/5/44; Grenier 26/5/44. Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-R] Framlingham 27/5/44. Missing in Action on the 14 January 1945 mission to Derben, Germany. Pilot Gerald W. Johnston, Radio Operator William J....
B-26 Marauder
42-107588 was the lead ship on the mission of the 453rd to bomb the wooden bridge over the Our River at Steinebrück, near Saint-Vith, Belgium on 14 January 1945. In the Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 11926 -, Lt Mitchell E. Mussman, flying in number 3...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/44; Hunter 8/8/44; Dow Fd 30/8/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-V] Framlingham 2/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
P-47 Thunderbolt
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 16/9/44; Dow Fd 2/10/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-Y] Horham 13/10/44; battle damaged Nurnberg 20/2/45 with R. Lee Young, #2 feathered, crash landed near A-78 AF Florennes, Bel; 9RTD; 39m, sal 28/2/45. CADET NURSE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 31/10/44; Grenier 15/12/44; Dow Fd 15/12/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-X] Horham 17/12/44;with Bill Dunwoody force landed B-53 Merville Afd, Bel. 19/3/45; battle damaged Holzwickede 23/3/45 with Bill Dunwoody, Co-pilot: M. Burrows,...
B-24 Liberator
P-51 Mustang
The aircraft was called the "Donna J" and flown by Lt. Billy J. Murray of the 353rd FG/351st FS. It was crash landed on Jan. 17, 1945 by Lt. Robert Wiehe with engine trouble 2.5 miles SE of RAF Wattisham. Wiehe survived the crash.
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 20 February 2018 09:55:11 | marshaferraro | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Personal list of 30 missions Lloyd C. Kenagy participated in with the 401st Bomb Group 613th Squadron between Aug 1, 1944 and April 11, 1945. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 March 2017 20:57:10 | dwgdallas | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
From the Personal Collection of Lt. Billy J. Murray |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 March 2017 17:09:14 | dwgdallas | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
"Jonah's Feet are Dry" --a history of the 353rd FG by Graham Cross |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 March 2017 16:57:27 | dwgdallas | Changes to person associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
The personal collection of Lt. Billy J. Murray |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2016 19:49:07 | dwgdallas | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Murray was credited on this date with shooting down his only air kill of a ME-262 fighter. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 May 2015 14:27:24 | jdossetter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Might Eighth War Diary by Roger Freeman. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 May 2015 14:20:34 | jdossetter | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
http://8thafhs.com/maps.php?lat=52.4261&lon=12.0014&target_name=DERBEN+G... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:09 | 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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