Roger L Garrison

Military
media-6396.jpeg UPL 6396 James Van Ginkle Crew
Crew 752
466th BG - 787th BS

This crew completed a 35 mission tour.
5 September 1944 thru 22 March 1945

Standing Left to Right: Richard G. Walters (N), Loren B. Whitehead (R/O), James Van Ginkle (P), Jay Kooiker (TT), Roland J. Stewart (RWG), William A. Schneider (NG).

Kneeling Left to Right: Art Lindsey (LWG), T.O. Jordan (TG), Martin L. Coleman (CP), Ben Weiner (FE), Roger "Whitey" Garrison (Ground Crew Chief) 466th Bomb Group collection

466th BG Historian

Object Number - UPL 6396 - James Van Ginkle Crew Crew 752 466th BG - 787th BS This crew completed a 35 mission tour. 5 September 1944 thru 22 March 1945 Standing...

29 September 1944 crew chiefs were assigned to the flight engineers position for the gas missions to St. Dizier, France. I flew in that position with Lt. Kriek's crew on the Fearless Knights. We ran into heavy overcast over the channel and the pilot started letting down to get under and avoid running into the aricraft 2 - 3 minutes ahead at takeoff. When we broke through, I saw a house roof out of the right window, above eye level, and we were running through the tree tops in an orchard. We pulled out and when we leveled off we had a fire on #1. We extinguished that and feathered the propellor. When we finally landed, no one could reason why the aircraft made it. We left the ship in France and I hitched a ride back with Lt. Bayres. No medals for those missions.



ETO Medal w/ 6 battle stars

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Rochester, New York 24 March 1923

Enlisted

Rochester, NY, USA 15 December 1941

Died

Rochester, NY, USA

Buried

Henrietta, NY, USA Maplewood Cemetery Henrietta Monroe County New York, USA Plot: F - 194 - 5

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self

Roger L Garrison: Gallery (1 items)