JUNE 1943

1. Early  in  the  morning  the  coast  of  Scotland  was  sighted and before noon, the  "Queen Elizabeth" had entered the Firth of Clyde. Squadron personnel collected barracks bags from below decks, and remained in readiness for de-embarkation.

The ship arrived at Gourock, Scotland, late in the afternoon and during the remainder of the day tenders drew alongside to unload the cargo. Men amused themselves conversing with the crews of the tenders and showering them with candy, cigarettes, cigars, oranges and money. Squadron personnel remained aboard ship for another night.

2. Two officers and 73 enlisted men disembarked and left Gourock by train at 18.30. 3.  Twelve officers and 200 EM disembarked  and left Gourock by train at 07.00 hrs, while those who had left the day before arrived at Ridgewell, in the county of Essex, England, at 13.00 hrs. Halstead was the nearest town, about nine miles away.

4. The second contingent of ground crewmen arrived at Ridgewell at 01.30 hrs,  when men received supper at the mess hall and were assigned to quarters. During the day the usual camp duties were begun.

5. Squadron personnel assembled in the Consolidated Mess Hall, with men of the other squadrons to hear a lecture on security.

6/9. No change.

10. Cpls Kurnafil, Lindsay, Osborne, Pruiett, Geary, Klick and Goswick were all appointed Sgt; Sgt Haffner assigned from Station Hospital, Gourock; Sgt Heist transferred to 532nd; Pvts Dufilho and  Weitz to HQ, 1st H.P.B.; Pvt Goswick assigned.

11. Sgt Bilicki reduced in grade to Pvt.

12-18.  No change.

19. Pvts Diaz, Brandeis and Maykowski appointed Pfc; Sgt Klick to S/Sgt; Cpl Caldwell reduced to Pvt.

20/21. No change.

22. The first action for the 533rd came today when six  of the squadron's planes took part in a diversional raid on Antwerp, in Belgium. Calculated to draw German fighter strength from the main target in the Ruhr, the raid was aimed at the General Motors plant in Antwerp. The pilots taking part were: 1st Lt Robert L. Withers in the lead, with General Hunter and Lt Duggan aboard as observers; others:  Lts James H. Alexander, Charles E. Hedin, Inman G. Jobe, Martin L. Shenk and  John J. Martin, the latter is missing in action.

MIA crew: 2nd Lt John J. Martin, F/O Robert J. Marsh, 2nd Lt Harry R. Long, 2nd Lt Wallace A. Hoag; T/Sgt James Lantto, Sgt Hugh T. Goswick, Sgt William Geary, S/Sgt John B. Hutchinson, S/Sgt Leonard J. Fornaro, S/Sgt Glenn W. Witts.

Two aircraft, "Little Chuck" piloted by Jobe, and "Linda Mary" by Shenk, were both badly damaged by enemy fire and forced to crash land on the English coast. The tail gunner of Lt Hedin, S/Sgt Arnold B. Lorick, was fatally wounded by a bursting 20mm shell. Flying as a spare with the 532nd, T/Sgt Robert L. Mandell was lost in action.

The crash landings by Jobe and Shenk not only saved their lives, but also those of their crewmen. With two engines knocked out and a third so badly damaged by flak that it threatened to tear loose from the aircraft at any moment, Lt Shenk managed to nurse the ship to the English coast and crash-land at a small flying field.

Lt Jobe's predicament was even worse. With only one engine still functioning he barely made England and was forced to land with his wheels up in a potato field. The skill which Jobe brought his battered craft home is evident in the fact that none of his crew was injured except S/Sgt Kinley W. Lindsay, top turret. Among Shenk's crew, S/Sgt Charles W. Brinton, waist gunner, was severely injured and died two days later at the 12th Evacuation Hospital. There injured in the same crew were: Lt George C. Williams (B), T/Sgt John D. Sinclair (RO), S/Sgt James F. Sloan (TG) and S/Sgt Mitchell LaBuda (WG).

23. The severe pounding taken by the 533rd on their first mission prevented any participation by squadron aircraft on the second mission, the target being a German airfield at Fecamp, France. The following men took part as spares with other squadrons: S/Sgt Stewart McDonald (BTG), S/Sgt Albert Wackerman (BTG), S/Sgt Clifford Marhefke (RWG), and T/Sgt Richard J. Hanna (LWG). None were injured.

Tragedy struck however, on 23 June 1943, when the B-17 42-30024 exploded on the ground while being serviced by the ground crew, and 23 men of the squadron, including an officer and one civilian were killed in the blast. Two other squadron planes were damaged in the explosion, one so badly it had to be scrapped.

Those killed were:

The first explosion took place shortly after 11.00 hrs. It was followed, between 30-40 seconds later, by another blast. In addition to those killed, Pfc Glenn W. Burkland suffered a compound leg fracture. He probably owes his life to the quick thinking and heroism of S/Sgt Francis E. Owens, who dragged him from the danger zone between the first and second explosions.

Eyewitness accounts from men either in the immediate vicinity of the explosion or at other points on the line when the blast occurred were taken by the Public Relations office, and they are quoted below.

S/Sgt Owens had traveled about 25 yards away from the plane after the first explosion when he looked back and saw Pfc Burkland, whose leg had been broken, lying under the wing. Without consideration for himself, he returned at once and dragged Burkland behind a concrete revetment, out of danger, before the second blast went off.

Others quoted below came back on the scene (or first came to the scene) after the second explosion. They de-fused bombs in the danger area and carried the fuses out of the way. They fought fires, and they moved one of the two damaged Fortresses out of reach of further injury. Had there been any other injured besides Pfc Burkland, the prompt appearance of Lts Julius Eichenbaum, George Bannon, W/O Joseph Nutt, and Sgts Robert Miller, Walter Balasa and Francis Owens probably would have resulted in saving more lives.

Reported by Lt George A. Bannon: "I was about 700 yards away in the bomb dump. When I heard the explosion, I started towards the plane. Joe Nutt and myself carried Lt Tull's body (handed out to us by Sgt Miller) away from the plane. We carried the boy with the broken leg (Burkland) out to Creek's car. Ike (Lt Eichenbaum) and I then ran around trying to put out the fire in the damaged plane.

After that they decided they wanted to move the plane. So I took the fuses from the bombs inside. We handed then down to Nutt and an enlisted man as we took them out. I then helped to get people out of the area. When we did all we could, I took off and finished loading up my own plane for the mission."

Lt Julius Eichenbaum (Sqd ordnance officer): "About three minutes before the first explosion I went to 024 (The ship in which the explosion took place) to see how my men were doing. I sent three of them down to get some more ammunition for another squadron, the 535th.

I then went to the ammunition area, about 150 yards from the plane. The first thing I saw was flame and black smoke and then I heard the blast. I jumped into my jeep  and told everybody to clear out of the ammunition area and I started towards the plane. I heard another explosion. I saw an MP and told him to keep everybody away from there. I went to 992 (about 30 ft away from 024). I knew it had fused bombs in it. As I cut across, I gave orders to keep everybody clear of the area. I picked up Joe Nutt and Sgt Miller en route.

We rushed over to 992 and we came across Burkland lying about nine feet from the plane, behind a piece of concrete curbing. We started to give him first aid. I ordered him moved out immediately, but somebody hollered, `He's got a broken leg. You can't move him'. I knew we had to get him away from there, broken leg or no broken leg, because there might be another explosion. Creek brought a board over and said, `Put him in my car'. At that time somebody suggested looking in the plane for anyone else who might be in there. I, Nutt, Miller and Lt Alexander, pilot of the ship, jumped into the plane. Alexander went up to the nose and I went to the tail.

Alexander then came running out to where I was and said: `Tull's dead up the nose, Ike. Let's get him out of here.' Miller  lifted Tull from the seat and handed him out to Nutt and Bannon. I checked the plane and there was nobody else there.               I then took the extinguisher and went to put out fires burning near 992. I used up three extinguishers but couldn't put the damn thing out.

Col. Nazzaro, Col. Fiegel, Lts Bob Withers and Karl Franek came along. I started to de-fuse the bombs. I was handing them Gerry Platz, Sgt Pinter and Joe Nutt. Bannon started to de-fuse some. He was giving them to Franek, Miller, and Balasa, then when we got the fuses out we went to work on the fire again. About that time the Cletrac came around. We hitched 992 to it and Bob Withers got in and we pulled it away."

S/Sgt Francis E. Owens: "I was cleaning guns in Lt Ballinger's ship, which was parked right next to 024. I was standing right by the rear entrance when the first explosion happened.  All this stuff was flying through the air. Everyone was running. I started running towards the tail, too. Everything was coming that way, so I started beating it away from there in another direction.

I got about 25 yards away when I saw this fellow under the wing, right by the bomb bay. He (Burkland) had been helping to load bombs on our ship. He was lying under the wing trying to crawl away. I went over, grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him away and laid him behind a little piece of concrete curbing. We just got there when the second explosion went off. I thought maybe he needed a tourniquet. He wasn't bleeding that bad, though. A little while later some other fellows came along and helped me carry him to the runway where a car was waiting."

S/Sgt William E. Pinter: "I was a little beyond 992, just getting out of a jeep to check the material in the ship when the first explosion took place. There wasn't much time between to two explosions. I got on the other side of the jeep when all of the .50 cal. machine gun bullets started going off. Somebody started putting out the fire. They pulled Lt Tull's body out and I helped carry it over to the car. Then I went to the scene of the explosion and helped identify the bodies.

I came back to 992 and Lt Eichenbaum, Lt Bannon, W/O Nutt, Sgt Balasa and I helped de-fuse the bombs. There was a lot of commotion. Everyone was walking round the wreckage. Then I went to the rest of the planes and told them to keep on loading, but not to fuse the bombs until they were in the planes. We had been at 024 just a few minutes before it blew up. The fusing of the bombs had been completed, so we sent some of the fellows for ammunition for the guns."

T/Sgt Walter Balasa: "I was in the bomb bay of 092. We had just got through putting in the ninth bomb. It was lucky we had the shackles hooked to the rack when the explosion went off. There was a state of confusion. The plane trembled from the blast. We went out of the right side of the plane facing the explosion. There was a big cloud of black smoke. We all started running towards the civilian huts. Two guys passed me like I was standing still. Then the second explosion went off. We waited to see if anything else was going up. W/O Nutt and Sgt Miller went up to the wreck in a jeep and I came up a few minutes later. We started taking the fuses out of the bombs in 992. That's all."

Sgt Robert Miller: "I was standing underneath 024 when Mr Nutt came along and sent me down to 992. I was walking down there, just a little past the gasoline dump, when I felt the rush - then heard the explosion.  I started back to 024 and then I hit the concrete when the pieces started flying. About 45 seconds later the second bomb went off. I saw Lt Eichenbaum coming down the road in a jeep.  Then I saw somebody waving under the wing of 992. Mr Nutt, Sgt Barnes, Lt  Eichenbaum and I went back to 992 and found a boy with an injured leg. I asked if there was anybody in the ship yet and he said there was a lieutenant. We found Lt Tull in the bombardier's compartment. I moved a lot of ammunition boxes and equipment that was blocking the hatchway. I passed Lt Tull down to Mr Nutt, then I went through to see if there was anyone else in the plane.

Pvt Scott and I moved seven bombs that were in front of the ship to the side. About that time Lt Platz and some other bombardier de-fused the bombs we had moved and then went at the ones in the bomb bay. Mr Nutt, Sgt Balasa and I carried the fuses to the side. We got a few men to turn the plane round and pull it away."

W/O Joseph Nutt: " I was standing by the fuselage of 992 talking to Lt Alexander. We were evidently blown under the plane by the blast, because, although we had been standing on the right side before, we picked ourselves up on the left side after the explosion. I was under the impression that somebody helped me get up, but I don't remember that completely. Stuff was falling all around me. I was afraid an engine was going to fall on me. I started to get the hell out of there.

The whole crowd was running. I ran into Lt Eichebaum somewhere. He was in a jeep and wanted to know if I was hurt. I shook myself and found nothing broken. He said `Let's move that plane (992) before it blows up.' I hopped on the jeep along with the others and we went up to 992. I heard somebody say: `There is somebody inside.'

Some fellow crawled in the ship. I didn't know who it was but I heard somebody say: `He's dead. He's dead.' I recognized Sgt Miller and I told him to hand the dead man out to me. He did it. Lt Bannon and I carried the dead man across the runway. I could see for myself he was dead then. Part of his head was blown off. I went back into the ship and Lt Bannon and Lt Eichenbaum were up in the bomb bay pulling out the fuses. He handed some down to me. I almost dropped one because my hands were slick with blood. We carried the fuses out of the danger area. After that we turned the plane around so that the Cletrac could get a hold and tow it off. That's about all."

Lt Gerald M. Platz (ordnance officer): "I picked up Joe Nutt in our jeep and dropped him off at 024. I drove around the ramp to see how things were going (We were getting ready for a mission later in the day). Then I went into my office and had just started to talk to Lt Ruby about getting an intervalometer when the first blast went off. We looked out the window and saw a big cloud of smoke. I was hoping it was the bomb dump because there weren't so many men out there.

I imagine it took about ten seconds to realize what had happened  and to get into the jeep with T/Sgt Reiser. I was about 20 ft behind Col Nazzaro's jeep and arrived at the scene simultaneously with the Colonel. The RAF fire truck was there fighting fires. Lt Kohler (Station Medical Officer) was also there. They were putting one man in an ambulance. Next thing, we started getting ready to move 992. I took some fuses out of the bombs lying in front of the plane. Then we started trying to put out a fire around some ammunition boxes lying between 024 and 992.

After the bombs were de-fused  and the fires were put out we cleared off the part of the taxi strip necessary to move 992. When the plane had been moved, I got Lt Kohler and told him to take W/O Nutt to the hospital despite the fact that Nutt didn't want to go. I made sure the area was clear, for there were still bombs in the fire path. I gave the MP's a direct order to not allow anyone in the area, not even the photographers. We had a lot of work to do so we had to go back and do it."

The first reaction of the men who were in the area of the explosion was that either the base was being attacked by enemy bombers or that a gas or oil truck had blown up. The explosions were heard for miles around and the towering column of black smoke could be seen from all neighboring villages.

24. No change.

25. For the group's third operational mission, the squadron sent two aircraft, but only one returned safely to base, flown by Lt Hedin. The other in missing in action, containing the squadron operations officer, Capt Hamilton.

MIA crew: 1st Lt Robert J. Schrader, Capt John H. Hamilton Jr, 2nd Lt Edward J Rogers Jr, 2nd Lt Edward J. Samara; T/Sgt William K. Cutting, T/Sgt William A. Yarnell, Sgt Cecil A. Pruiett, S/Sgt Leo W. Liedecker, Sgt Steve Kurnafil and Sgt Lewis E. Frisbee.

Combat crewmen flying as spares with other squadrons were: Lt H. McDaniel (N) - 532; Lt Keheley (N) - 534th; T/Sgt Klick (ROG) - 534th; S/Sgt Lane (ROG) - 534th; T/Sgt Goucher (ETTG) - 534th (aborted); S/Sgt Molis (BTG) - 532nd; S/Sgt Metcalf (RWG) - 532nd; S/Sgt Owens (LWG) - 534th; S/Sgt Bauscher (LWG) - 534th.

There were no changes in regular squadron duties.

26. This squadron did not take part in the group's fourth mission, the target being a German airfield near Paris.

Flying as spares were the same men as the previous day.

27.  No change.

28. Three planes from this squadron took part in a raid on the German submarine locks at St Nazaire, France. Bombs were dropped with damaging effect. The squadron commander Capt Landon C. Hendricks and T/Sgt John P. Kapustka (ETTG) were both slightly wound aboard the same ship flown by Lt.Withers, the other pilots being: Lts Alexander and Ballinger, but the latter aborted.

Spares were; Lts Turner, Ham, Bradley, all navigators flying with the 532, 534 and 534th respectively; T/Sgt Thomas (ETTG) - 535th; S/Sgt McDonald (BTG) - 532nd.

A new crew was assigned today: 1st Lt Challen P. Atkison, 2nd Lt Murray Dulberger, 2nd Lt Frederick Freiberger, 2nd Lt Julian Marks; T/Sgt Stanley Kasha, T/Sgt John Kapustka, S/Sgts Hubert Goss, John Hyk, Peter Katsarelis, James McGoldrick.

29. Three ships took part in a raid on Tricqueville airfield, France. The mission was declared a sortie but no bombs were dropped, the pilots being: Lts Jobe, Ballinger and Shenk, who all returned safely to base.

No change in squadron personnel reported this date.

30. 2nd Lt Jack Taylor, S-2 officer, was transferred to 1st Bomb Division HQ.


The squadron strength was 41 officers and 291 enlisted men.