George H Rottle

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

George Rottle was gunner on board of B-24 #42-50898 which took off from Old Buckenham for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway and immediately caught fire. Approximately 5 minutes later, the bombs went off and completely destroyed the plane. Pilot Roscoe C. Brown, Co-Pilot Russell C. Anderson, Bombardier Thomas F. Volkman and Navigator Charles D. Todd, Gunner S/Sgt George Rottle and T/Sgt Henry Sorowiec were killed. The 4 surviving crew members were in the waist section of the plane and were in such physical condition that their evidence was of no benefit in determining the cause of the incident.

Diary notes from another airman in a separate aircraft indicate that there was icing on the runway that morning, with straw laid down for traction. There was also icing on the wings and the pitot tube, which would cause reduced lift in the former and incorrect airspeed readings in the latter. A combination of the two will result in a stall event and a subsequent mishap. That appears to be what happened in the fate of aircraft 42-50898 and her crew with 1st Lt Roscoe Brown as pilot and Mission Commander. #42-50898 was a pathfinder aircraft, meaning it had radar to find targets in bad weather and would normally be the lead aircraft on takeoff, which it was on that fateful morning of 27 December 1944.

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Units served with

Colonel Larry Thomas of the 453rd Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Col Larry Thomas 453BG.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 732nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-818800
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 732nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-705307
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 732nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32888680
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 732nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-719966
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 732nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-707453
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Youthful Rocket
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 732nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 27 December 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Died

27 December 1944 in the crash on take-off of B-24 #42-50898 at Old Buckenham

Buried

George Rottle rests at Plot E, Row 0, Grave 118

Revisions

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ContributorED-BB
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
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Sources

AAir, US Army Human Resources, Combat Sup / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia