AUGUST 1943

3. Mission planned for Schweinfurt, Germany was scrubbed.        

9. Mission planned for Schweinfurt, Germany was scrubbed.

12. The following pilots, with their crews, flew the mission to Gelsenkirchen, Germany: 1st Lt William J. Baltrusaitis, 1st Lt Marvin, D. Lord; these three aborted: Lts Leo J. Jarvis, Jack B. Painter and  Jack S. Pry; MIA is: 2nd Lt Theodore D. Moon, James W. Hamer, Stephen J. Pritz, Bernard McNichol; Sgts John F. Ernharth, Michael Fleming, John L. Wheeler, Wilbur Alsheimer, Howard F. Wood, Paul A. Mattfield.

2nd Lt Joseph Doerfler assigned this squadron as per Special Order, No. 51.

13. Mission planned for Schweinfurt, Germany was scrubbed

14. Lt Colonel Woodrow Dunlop was assigned to the 381st BG as deputy group commander, Special Order No. 218, HQ, 1st Bomb Wing.

15. The crews of Lts Painter, Pry and Darrow, participated in the mission over Brussels, Belgium, and returned safely to base. Painter flew lead in the spare formation.

16. Six aircraft of the 532nd were airborne in a group mission over Le Bourget, France; 1st Lt Marvin D. Lord flying lead position with group commander Lt Col Joseph J. Nazzaro, other pilots being: Lts Painter, Baltrusaitis, Pry, Jarvis and Darrow.  

17. ...the mission over Schweinfurt, recorded as one of the most successful by the Eighth Air Force, taking part were: Jarvis, Darrow, Baltrusaitis, Painter, Lord along with Major Hall and Capt Briggs in the group lead aircraft.

Darrow ditched off the east coast and was picked up with all his crew by Air-Sea Rescue, but Missing in Action are: Lts Leo Jarvis, Eugene Nancinelli, Ricahrd F. Riley, William Lockhart; Sgts Algernon Loren (534th), Harold Beynand, Charles L. Persinger, Harry L. Stecher, Herman E. Grossman, James E. Roehl.

Lts Jack B. Painter, Robert E. Nelson, William J. Keays, Lloyd L. Duke; Sgts Matthew B. Kowalski, William C. Balentine, Allen P. Kellogg, Raymond A. genz, Norman G. Whitman, James C. Mizell; 2nd Lt Everett B. Ragan.

18. 2nd Lt Richard D. Robinson was assigned to the 532nd as per Special Order, No. 57,  and assumed the duties of operations officer.

19. 2nd Lt Paul W. Gleichauf  and crew, were the only 532nd who took part in the mission to Gilze Rijen, Holland.

20. Mission to Villacoublay, France was scrubbed. Two new crews were assigned, as per SO No. 59: 2nd Lts  Cecil M. Clore, John Newell, Donald Frieze, Marvin Dille, T/Sgts Hessle Buck, Louis Devone, S/Sgts Named Howard, Richard Johnson, James Steward and Richard Ingmire. 

2nd Lts  David D. Hutchens, William Goodman, Royce Stephens, William Tillson, S/Sgts Lester Bucey, Michael Jasinski, Hilbert Braun, Edward C. Knauth, Carrol Purdy and Francis Barnett. 

24. 2nd Lt Gleichauf and crew successfully took part in the mission to Villacoublay, near Paris. In accordance with SO No. 62, Sgt George C. Ballou was assigned to this squadron as a crew member.

As per SO No. 63 another new crew were assigned:  2nd Lts Douglas L. Winter, Anthony Taormina, Max Liming, John Morgan, Sgts Gordon Teal, Alvero Christopher, Richard Streicher, Alex Pszalgowski, Harold Robinson.

26. The bombing mission planned  to Brussels, Belgium was scrubbed.

27. Lt Pry was the only 532nd pilot on the mission to Watten, France, and returned safely.

30. The mission to Cambrai/Niergnies, France, was re-called due to inclement weather.

31. Five ships from this squadron took part in the mission to Romilly-sur-Seine, France. Taking part with Lt Lord, with  Lt Col William M. Gross, of the 101st Combat Wing, others were: Lts Clore, Gleichauf, Hutchens and Pry.

Due to heavy cloud coverage, Romilly was not bombed,  however the last resort target of Amiens-Glisy was successfully attacked.

The end of the month of August finds the total strength of the squadron at 46 officers and 327 enlisted men. The Engineering departments reports that there is a tremendous fluctuation of aircraft on operational status during the month. On August 23 there were none on operational status, but by the end of the month six of the eight available were ready for status.

Awards were made to combat crew members of the squadron for valor and the successful completion of missions over enemy territory: S/Sgt Thomas J. Murphy being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. There were 133 Air Medals and 97 Oak Leaf Clusters.