From: Mary Bryant,
bryantme2004@yahoo.com To:
looking4@379thbga.org Sent: Wednesday, May
30, 2007 1:46 PM Subject: information
Hello, My father was a tail gunner on a B-17
for the 379th during WWII. I would like to know
if you could give me the missions, dates and the
name of the airplane that he flew on during the
time he was overseas. His name is: Charles Core
Vermillion and he was from Shamrock, Texas. I
have his ss# and id number if you need them.
Thank you so much!
Respectfully, Mary
Bryant
Mary - Association records
for Charles C Vermillion show
he flew 24 missions as
gunner/togglier with the
524th Squadron from October
20, 1943 to February 22,
1944. Our records show
missions 39, 40, 41, 43, 45,
46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 54, 56,
58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64,
65, 66, 67, 69, and 71. Sgt
Vermillion may have flown
additional missions, but
these are the ones we have in
our records.
Sgt
Vermillion flew his missions
on a number of different
aircraft, and with different
crews. According to our
records, his 1st combat
mission was flown as part of
the Group's Lead crew, in a/c
42-30237, "Stump Jumper"
(photo will be sent in
separate e-mail), on the
October 20, 1943 mission to
Duren, Germany. Crew for that
mission was as follows:
Preston, Maurice A,
Colonel, Pilot Hemphill,
Mac C, 2nd Lieutenant,
Co-Pilot Dutch, Andrew K,
Captain, Navigator
Beeman, George E, 2nd
Lieutenant, Bombardier
Litz, Eugene A, Tech
Sergeant, Radio
Operator/Gunner Curry
Jr., James F, Tech Sergeant,
Top Turret Gunner Till,
Rufus W, Staff Sergeant, Ball
Turret Gunner Mulhausen,
James J, Staff Sergeant,
Right Waist Gunner
Vermillion, Charles C, Staff
Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner
Bleakman, Melvin J, 1st
Lieutenant, Tail
Gunner-Formation Control
This response will be
posted in the "Looking 4"
section of our website, in
case any members or readers
have any additional
information.
Responding 4 6/5/2007 Kent
Search No. 1379 - Mathew J.
Hunyad
From: Phyll & Toni: Phyllis Hunyad,
crueltattoo@hotmail.com
To: looking4@379thbga.org
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 8:43 PM
Subject: Searching for any information on Mathew
J. Hunyad.
My father's report of
separation paper listed his organization as the
563d Sq 388 B Gp. His occupational speciality is
listed as Airplane Mechanic Gunner 748. I once
searched the 8thairforce.com database and the
search showed him to be a member of the 525th Sq
379 B Gp. and his duty listed as Nose
Gunner/Togglier. Do you have his name on file?
Best regards,
Phyllis Hunyad
Phyllis - Association records for Mathew J.
Hunyad show he flew 15 missions as
gunner/togglier with the 525th Squadron from
January 23 to April 25, 1945. Our records show
missions 271, 276, 277, 281, 284, 285, 286, 296,
297, 321, 323, 324, 325, 328, and 330. Sgt
Hunyad may have flown additional missions, but
these are the ones we have in our records.
Being that Sgt Hunyad's missions were flown
near the end of hostilities in Europe, he did
not appear to be assigned a "regular" crew,
instead flying missions as that crew position
was required. According to our records, his 1st
combat mission was on January 23, 1945, flying
against the railroad marshalling yards at Neuss,
Germany, aboard a/c 43-38679, "Miss Liberty"
(photo will be sent in separate e-mail ). Crew
for that mission was as follows:
Elledge,
George H, 2nd Lieutenant, Pilot Bohne,
Lester W, 2nd Lieutenant, Co-Pilot Freedman,
Robert L, Flight Officer, Navigator Hunyad,
Mathew J, Sergeant, Nose Gunner/Togglier
Ebner, Kenneth F, Sergeant, Radio
Operator/Gunner Moore, Phillip , Sergeant,
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner Youd, Ivan M,
Sergeant, Ball Turret Gunner Cipriano, James
E, Sergeant, Waist Gunner Martin Jr.,
Francis W, Sergeant, Tail Gunner
This
response will be posted in the "Looking 4"
section of our website, in case any members or
readers have any additional information.
Responding 4 6/3/2007 Kent
Search No. 1378 - Joseph Ondo
From: Joy Macari,
vignale212@yahoo.com To:
looking4@379thbga.org Sent: Tuesday, May 15,
2007 10:23 AM Subject: Seeking Information
from Your Records
Hello, My husband
found your website for me and I am so happy to
learn of the association. I am seeking any
information that you have about my Father Joseph
Ondo. He was with the 379th Bomb Group and flew
out of Kimbolton. His plane was shot down and he
was MIA then a prisoner of war. Any information
that you can provide will be greatly
appreciated.
Best regards, Joy Ondo
Macari
Joy - Association
records for Joseph Ondo show he flew 5 missions
as pilot with the 525th Squadron from September
9 to October 4, 1943. Our records show missions
29, 30, 31, 33, and 34. Lt Ondo may have flown
additional missions, but these are the ones we
have in our records.
On October 4, 1944,
the 379th Bomb Group was dispatched to bomb the
rail transport facilities at Frankfurt, Germany.
Lt Ondo was in command of aircraft 42-29713,
which was listed as Missing in Action. Crew for
this mission, and their disposition, was as
follows:
Ondo, Joseph , 2nd Lieutenant,
Pilot, POW Reginer, Robert R, 2nd
Lieutenant, Co-Pilot, POW Morter, Willis B,
2nd Lieutenant, Navigator, POW Laspada,
Joseph G, 2nd Lieutenant, Bombardier, POW
Rye, Floyd V, Tech Sergeant, Radio
Operator/Gunner, POW Sims, Jack , Tech
Sergeant, Top Turret Gunner, POW Ruth,
Joseph T, Staff Sergeant, Ball Turret Gunner,
POW Hannon, Jerome J, Staff Sergeant, Right
Waist Gunner, POW Freund, Charles G, Staff
Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner, POW Peterson,
Lloyd E, Staff Sergeant, Tail Gunner, POW
This response will be posted in the "Looking
4" section of our website, in case any members
or readers have any additional information.
Responding 4 5/15/2007 Kent
Search No. 1377 - Richard R Blair
|
From: Blair, Todd R.,
TBlair@henselphelps.com To:
looking4@379thbga.org Sent: Friday, May 11,
2007 1:48 PM Subject: Richard R. Blair
Hi, My grandfather Lt. Richard R Blair,
was a B-17 co-pilot in the 379th (Triangle K)
and that's about all the hard information I know
as he didn't talk about it with us that often.
My Dad has a bunch of his flight logs, newspaper
clippings about the missions, and a piece of
flak that came through my grandpa's plane. It
would be a real treat to find out more about his
time during WWII. Anything at all would be
appreciated.
Thanks, Todd R. Blair
Todd - Association
records for Richard R Blair show he flew 35
missions as co-pilot with the 526th Squadron
from August 11 to December 27, 1944. Our records
show missions 187, 189, 190, 194, 197, 198, 199,
206, 209, 210, 211, 213, 214, 216, 218, 219,
223, 224, 226, 227, 228, 231, 232, 234, 236,
237, 238, 242, 243, 244, 246, 248, 249, 252, and
253. Lt Blair may have flown additional
missions, but these are the ones we have in our
records.
Lt Blair flew his missions, as
was common, on a number of different aircraft.
His first combat mission, on August 11, 1944,
against the coastal guns at Brest, France, was
flown on a/c 42-97678, "The Birmingham Jewell"
(photo will be sent in separate e-mail). Crew
for that mission, and what looks to be Lt
Blair's "regular" crew, was as follows:
Powders, Virdin C, Lieutenant, Pilot Blair,
Richard R, Lieutenant, Co-Pilot Sorrentino,
Jerry V, Lieutenant, Navigator Mccue,
Christopher T, Lieutenant, Bombardier Smith,
John T, Sergeant, Radio Operator/Gunner
Dernalowicz, Leonard E, Sergeant, Engineer/Top
Turret Gunner Dukes, Gordon B, Corporal, Ball
Turret Gunner Schoonhoven, Carl C, Corporal,
Waist Gunner Cox, Donald C, Corporal, Tail
Gunner
This response will be posted in
the "Looking 4" section of our website, in case
any members or readers have any additional
information.
Responding 4 5/12/2007
Kent
Search No. 1376 - Aron Wilford Jones
From: George
Chastain, georgech@hiwaay.net To:
looking4@379thbga.org Sent: Thursday, May 10,
2007 4:28 PM Subject: Seeking information on
a crewman
I am helping a friend to find
information about his Dad who was best friends
with my Uncle in WWII. We both crossed each
other's paths while I was researching my Uncle
and he was researching his Dad's service. My
Uncle was assigned to the 447th BG. His Dad, who
has "dementia", can no longer remember for sure
which group he served with. All he could recall
is that he thought his tail marking was a
"triangle K" which is the 379th. But since he
knew my Uncle, we weren't sure if his failing
memory was confusing that with the "square K" of
the 447th. So far, I have been unsuccessful at
finding records of his service with the 447th.
Can anyone at the 379th shed some light on
this man's forgotten past? His name is Aaron
Wilford Jones. His rank was S/Sgt and he was, at
least once, a tail gunner. His son remembers one
story his Dad told in which he said his plane
was named "The Singed Angel". He would
appreciate any information that you might
provide.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, George Chastain Nephew of S/Sgt
Clyde G. Chastain, Ball Turret Gunner, 711 BS,
447th BG, 8th AF, Friend of S/Sgt Aaron Jones.
George - Association records for Aron W Jones
show he flew 34 missions as tailgunner with the
527th Squadron from April 10 to June 19, 1944.
Our records show missions 94, 95, 96, 97, 98,
99, 100, 103, 105, 107, 109, 111, 113, 115, 116,
117, 118, 124, 125, 126, 127, 129, 131, 133,
134, 135, 136, 138, 139, 140, 143, 145, 146, and
147. Sgt Jones may have flown additional
missions, but these are the ones we have in our
records.
Sgt Jones flew his missions, as
was common, on a number of different aircraft.
Sorry, but we can find no record of missions
flown in an aircraft named "The Singed Angel",
or any name close to that. However, he did fly
many missions on a/c 42-37805, "Carol Dawn",
which went on to have one of the highest mission
tallys of the 379th at 125. Sgt Jones' 1st
mission on "Carol Dawn" was mission 96 to
Schweinfurt, Germany. Crew for that mission, and
what looks to be his "regular" crew was as
follows:
Kapsar, Paul J, 1st Lieutenant,
Pilot Kratt, Robert H, 2nd Lieutenant,
Co-Pilot Walsh, Paul V, 2nd Lieutenant,
Navigator Matus, Paul W, Flight Officer,
Bombardier Hannah, John W, Staff Sergeant,
Radio Operator/Gunner Mucklow, Bartlett C,
Staff Sergeant, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Corbin, Harold R, Sergeant, Ball Turret Gunner
Sparkman, John H, Sergeant, Right Waist
Gunner Grajeda, Albert E, Sergeant, Left
Waist Gunner Jones, Aron W, Sergeant, Tail
Gunner
This response will be posted in
the "Looking 4" section of our website, in case
any members or readers have any additional
information. A photo of "Carol Dawn" is
attached. The crew pictured completed their tour
on "Carol Dawn" on April 11, 1944 - the Group's
next mission was Mission 96, with the Kapsar
crew shown above, including Sgt Jones, aboard.
Responding 4 5/10/2007 Kent
Search No. 1375 - Stanley L Bielawski
(Taletha Ann)
From: Roger
Krings, Rjkrings@aol.com To:
looking4@379thbga.org Sent: Wednesday, May
09, 2007 7:40 PM Subject: Picture of 'Taletha
Ann' A/C #42 97485
Would be interested in
a picture of 'Taletha Ann'. I believe the pilot
was -- unknown rank Stanley Brent. His last name
may have been longer at that time and was
Polish. Information that I presently have is
that this was his third or fourth airplane. It
appears that he also flew tail #782 to
Oschersleben on 1-11-44 on Mission #58 with the
high group. They were the sixth group over the
target on the incendiary bombing flight. I am
the assistant director at the Selfridge Military
Air Museum in Michigan and knew Stan fairly well
and had the opportunity to fly with him.
Unfortunately he passed away before I could get
many details of his experiences. I would be
grateful for any help -- and am willing to pay
what it takes for the picture and/or any
history. Thank you. Roger Krings
Roger -
Association records for Stanley L. Bielawski
show he flew 13 missions as pilot with the 526th
Squadron from December 30, 1943 to March 26,
1944. Our records show missions 53, 60, 65, 66,
69, 70, 72, 73, 75, 79, 81, 85, and 89. Lt
Bielawski may have flown additional missions,
but these are the ones we have in our records.
On March 26, 1944, the 379th was dispatched
to bomb a buzz bomb site at Wizernes, France. Lt
Bielawski was flying as command pilot on a/c
42-97485, "Taletha Ann". The aircraft was hit by
flak and went down over the target. Crew for
that mission, and their disposition, was as
follows:
Bielawski, Stanley L, 1st
Lieutenant, Pilot, POW Young, Thomas E, 2nd
Lieutenant, Co-Pilot, POW Weinstein, Robert
M, 2nd Lieutenant, Navigator, POW Domorgue,
Raymond E, 2nd Lieutenant, Bombardier, POW
Ghiazza, Edward C, Staff Sergeant, Radio
Operator/Gunner, POW Greggs, Leo L, Tech
Sergeant, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner, POW
Conlin, Bernard M, Staff Sergeant, Ball Turret
Gunner, POW Finance, Edwin G, Staff Sergeant,
Right Waist Gunner, POW Frazer, George A,
Staff Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner, POW
Fifield Jr., Lester (NMI), Staff Sergeant, Tail
Gunner, POW
This response will be posted
in the "Looking 4" section of our website, in
case any members or readers have any additional
information. A photo of "Taletha Ann" is
attached. Crew in this photo is unidentified -
if you can determine that Lt Bielawski is in
this photo, we would appreciate an
identification.
Responding 4 5/10/2007
Kent
Search No. 1374 - Ernest L Whitmore
From: wayne whitmore,
enyaw3311@yahoo.com To: looking4@379thbga.org
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 11:28 PM
Subject: S Sgt Ernest Whitmore, serial #
32250758
Hello, My dad is Ernest L.
Whitmore. He was a B-17 gunner in England
following B-25 missions in North Africa. I have
only one photo of each kind of aircraft. The
B-17 photo is from the air and has a triangle K
on it. I don't know if it is his plane or not.
Reading other replys leads me to believe you can
find out if he was in the 379th. I would be very
grateful for any information! His health is
failing and he seems to enjoy talking about
little things he remembers from his Army Air
Force days. Thank you. Wayne Whitmore
Wayne -
Association records for Ernest L. Whitmore show
he flew 25 missions as gunner with the 525th
Squadron from November 8, 1944 to April 7, 1945.
Our records show missions 234, 235, 236, 237,
239, 241, 243, 246, 247, 253, 255, 258, 261,
262, 263, 266, 268, 273, 280, 286, 293, 298,
303, 315, and 319. Sgt Whitmore may have flown
additional missions, but these are the ones we
have in our records.
Records indicate Sgt
Whitmore, as is typical of most crew, flew
missions in a number of different aircraft.
Mission 235, his 2nd combat mission, and first
in a "named" aircraft, was flown on a/c
42-97370, "The Hellion" (photo will be sent in
separate e-mail). Crew for that mission was as
follows:
Nietert, Richard L, 2nd
Lieutenant, Pilot Lampe, Robert F, 2nd
Lieutenant, Co-Pilot Mershon, Richard L, 2nd
Lieutenant, Navigator Kane, Robert S, 2nd
Lieutenant, Bombardier Gray, Carlyle ,
Sergeant, Radio Operator/Gunner Elrod, Earl
L, Staff Sergeant, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Roberts, Wayne M, Staff Sergeant, Ball
Turret Gunner Putensen, Edward J, Sergeant,
Waist Gunner Whitmore, Ernest L, Staff
Sergeant, Tail Gunner
This response will
be posted in the "Looking 4" section of our
website, in case any members or readers have any
additional information.
Responding 4
5/6/2007 Kent
Search No. 1373 - Henry L.
Hainline
From: andre.pironet,
andre.pironet@teledisnet.be To:
looking4@379thbga.org Sent: Tuesday, May 01,
2007 6:09 AM Subject: Recherche
renseignements: HAINLINE,Henry
Bonjour,
Je recherche, tous renseignement, concernant Le
Second Lieutenant, HAINLINE,Henry,L. O-748178
décédé Le 05/O1/1944. Il faisait partie du
379 Bomber Group (Heavy) 525 Bomber Squadron
Merçi PIRONET,André
BELGIQUE
On January 5, 1944, the 379th Bomb Group was
dispatched to bomb the port facilities at Kiel,
Germany. A/C 42-31093, "Deacons Sinners" was
attacked by Me-109 fighters just after leaving
the target, and was ultimately rammed, breaking
the wing in half, and causing the aircraft to
disintegrate. Crew was as follows:
Eaton,
Thomas E, 2nd Lieutenant, Pilot, KIA
Hainline, Henry L, 2nd Lieutenant, Co-Pilot, KIA
Doty, Robert S, 2nd Lieutenant, Navigator,
MIA Wright, Clifford W, 2nd Lieutenant,
Bombardier, KIA Clark, Arnold G, Staff
Sergeant, Radio Operator/Gunner, KIA
Matheny, Ray T, Tech Sergeant, Top Turret
Gunner, POW Ferrell, Ray , Sergeant, Ball
Turret Gunner, MIA Nevells, Arnold E,
Sergeant, Right Waist Gunner, POW Ceglarek,
Boleslaw B, Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner, KIA
Blondell, Charles V, Sergeant, Tail Gunner, KIA
This response will be posted in the "Looking
4" section of our website, in case any members
or readers have any additional information.
Responding 4 5/1/2007 Kent
Search No. 1372 - Pierre Joseph
From: Charles T. Borg, Borg10231@aol.com To:
Looking4@379thbga.org Sent: Sunday, April 22,
2007 7:12 PM Subject: Staff Sergeant Pierre
Joseph, Service Nr: 39461681
Dear Sir,
I am doing research on the above named WWII
Veteran to provide his sons and daughter. I have
the following information SSG Joseph: -
Entered Service 3 Feb '43 - Attended Armorer
School, Kingman, AZ, and Aerial Gunnery School
Lowery and Buckley Field - Record of Award of
the Air Medal dated 2 Feb '44, station 634,
which shows assigned to 525th Sqdn. This record
shows, "By Command of" Brig Gen Williams
-Discharge record stating 17 combat missions
POW/MIA records at the Dept of Defense show
he was reported as POW on 13 May '44, at Stalag
17B, near Krems, Austria. There is a 'hitch'
here however, because that office shows him
assigned to the 384th BG, 547th Sqdn. Any
information you can provide would be deeply
apprecited.
Thank you in advance for your
time and efforts. SSG Joseph was a Native
American and little else than what I have stated
above is known about his military record
Sincerely, Charles T. Borg LTC USA (Ret)
Chuck - Association records for Pierre Joseph
show he flew 17 missions as gunner with the
525th Squadron from December 20, 1943 to March
8, 1944. Our records show missions 50, 53, 54,
55, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 75,
78, and 79. Sgt Joseph may have flown additional
missions, but these are the ones we have in our
records.
Sgt Joseph flew missions on a
number of different aircraft, but most
frequently aboard a/c 42-31228, "London Avenger"
(photo attached), which was an aircraft
"purchased" through War Bonds by citizens of
London, England. Crew of this aircraft for Group
Mission 50, Sgt Pierre's first combat mission,
to the Fw-190 factory at Bremen, Germany, was as
follows:
Walter, Robert E, 2nd
Lieutenant, Pilot Youcom, Theodore R, 2nd
Lieutenant, Co-Pilot Evans Jr., Robert W,
2nd Lieutenant, Navigator Wright Jr., Adam
G, 2nd Lieutenant, Bombardier Jensen,
Bertrand A, Staff Sergeant, Radio
Operator/Gunner Vadersen, Ernest R, Staff
Sergeant, Top Turret Gunner Joseph, Pierre ,
Sergeant, Ball Turret Gunner Bryant, Tommie
J, Sergeant, Right Waist Gunner Culver,
Raymond F, Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner
Pappone Jr., Frank N, Sergeant, Tail Gunner
This response will be posted in the "Looking
4" section of our website, in case any members
or readers have any additional information. We
have no record for Sgt Pierre following the
completion of his 17th mission with the 379th on
March 8, 1944, and have no information on any
crash that he may have been involved in that
would lead to his POW status. However, a check
of the 384th Bomb Group's website at
www.384thbombgroup.com reveals that they do show
a Pierre, Joseph as 384th Bomb Group personnel,
including a record indicating his status as POW.
It is possible that Sgt Pierre transferred from
the 379th to the 384th at some point following
his March 8, 1944 mission, but we have no
further records that would verify that.
Responding 4 4/23/2007 Kent
Search No. 1371 - Leif Nelson
From: Dane Rochelle, <danerochelle@yahoo.com>
To: <Looking4@379thbga.org> Sent: Saturday,
April 21, 2007 10:27 PM Subject: B-17 FATSO
Ball gunner Leif Nelson
Hi, My name is
Dane Nelson Rochelle. I am the nephew of Leif
Nelson (son of his sister Amy), who was at one
time serving aboard the B-17 FATSO as a ball
turret gunner while it flew out of Kimbolton
airfield. I am attempting to put a family
history together, and was hoping I might be able
to obtain any photos of him and his crew and
plane which you would be willing to provide, as
well as any possible information pertaining to
his service. I can also provide your group with
copies of family photos of him in his dress
uniform and also from his "class" book, which
was handed down to me. I think this is the one
he would have attended for the B-17 crew
training, but might be for fighter training, as
I recall hearing that he was up for fighter
(P-51) training toward the end of the war, but
was washed out due to the bigwigs seeing the end
of the war in sight.
I also wish to find
out more about my uncle Walter's service as a
Marine in the Pacific theater. He at one point
served aboard a B-25, I believe as a waist
gunner, but I know little else. Would you have
any suggestions as to how I might proceed in
researching this?
Both uncles survived
the war, by the way. I would appreciate your
reply and assistance, at your convenience.
Gratefully, Dane Rochelle
Dane - Association records for Leif H Nelson
show he flew 28 missions as gunner with the
526th Squadron from December 11, 1943 to March
23, 1944. Our records show missions 47, 48, 49,
52, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 66, 67,
69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 79, 81, 82, 83, 85,
and 87. Sgt Nelson may have flown additional
missions, but these are the ones we have in our
records.
Sgt Nelson flew missions on a
number of different aircraft, but most
frequently aboard a/c 42-29718, "Fatso". Crew of
this aircraft for Group Mission 48, to Bremen,
Germany, was as follows:
Sanda, John A,
2nd Lieutenant, Pilot White Jr., Hardy P, 2nd
Lieutenant, Co-Pilot Daniel Jr., Charles E,
2nd Lieutenant, Navigator Walsh, Robert R,
2nd Lieutenant, Bombardier Smail, Harry E,
Staff Sergeant, Radio Operator/Gunner
Fremaux, Wilton (NMI), Staff Sergeant, Top
Turret Gunner Nelson, Leif H, Sergeant, Ball
Turret Gunner Bremer Jr., John F, Sergeant,
Right Waist Gunner Crickmer Jr., Walter B,
Sergeant, Left Waist Gunner Lee, George W,
Sergeant, Tail Gunner
This response will
be posted in the "Looking 4" section of our
website, in case any members have any additional
information. A photo of "Fatso" is attached,
however it is of poor quality, being a scan from
the Group's record "Shades of Kimbolton",
available through our PX. We have no other
photos of this aircraft. We would be interested
in copies of photographs that relate to Sgt
Nelson's service, and appreciate your offer.
Sorry, we don't have any specific
suggestions to help with your research of your
uncle in the Pacific theater - perhaps looking
for a website similar to ours for his Marine
unit may be helpful.
Responding 4
4/22/2007 Kent
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