DIARY OF MEDICAL DETACHMENT – STATION #167

FEBRUARY 1944

3 February – Briefing was held at 05.00 hrs this morning and the target announced was Wilhelmshafen, Germany. Bombing altitude was 25,000 ft, actually made at 28,500 ft. The increased altitude was due to the heavy condensation trails, which even at increased altitude, impaired visibility markedly and prevented good formation flying. The target area was 10/10th overcast and bombing done by pathfinder. Outside air temperature was – 43 degrees and there were five mild cases of  frostbite, one placed in sick quarters.

No ships were lost and flak and fighters almost negligible. Thirty three aircraft from this command took part in the raid, Captain Briggs leading the group and reported what he believed to be a German B-17 flying alone over Germany, out of range.

A Medical Board, under Major Ernest Gaillard, Jr. was convened today to determine the mental status of Pvt J. of the 532nd BS. The case history was filed and he was found to be constitutional inadequate. Recommendation was made that he to held accountable for his acts and that he be discharged from the service.

4 February – Briefing at 05.15 hrs this frigid morning was take off at 08.45 hrs, with 33 aircraft from this command took off  for the target, two areas in the city of Frankfurt, Germany. Bombing was by pathfinder through 10/10th overcast, from 20,000 ft where the outside temperature was – 35 degrees.

The briefing route avoided most flak areas but the route taken went over the heart of the Ruhr Valley both going in and coming out. All ships returned to base. There was no enemy fighter opposition and friendly fighters escorted the whole distance, P-47s, P-51s and P-38s were used.

There were no killed or wounded. Lt Kuhl had #3 and #4 engines knocked out by flak over Germany and displayed great courage and tenacity brought the ship home more than three hours after the formation. The landing gear would not come down and a beautiful crash-landing was made. Most of us had given the ship up for lost.  Lt Fastrup’s co-pilot hit the landing gear switch instead of the flap switch and the ship collapsed on runway 28.

The body of 1st Lt Carl O. Baer, was washed ashore at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, last night. When he ditched on 30 January he was in good spirits and wise-cracking on the radio. He will be buried at the U.S. Military Cemetery at Cambridge.

5 February – Twenty eight aircraft from this command took off at 07.45 hrs with the target designated as an airfield at St Avord, in France, just west of Bourges. The Air Division was led by Lt Col. Hall. Bombing was at 16,000 ft and hits were right on the nose in excellent visibility, while no flak or fighters were encountered. There were no wounded, no missing in action and no aircraft were damaged. A perfect mission.

The only event of the day was on landing when one ship could not get the ball turret guns out of the down position and had to grind them off on landing. We have had briefings seven  out of the last eight mornings and five missions flown. The crews are in good shape. 

6 February – This command provided 33 aircraft which took off for Nancy, France, the target being an airdrome. The weather was overcast and the ships returned without dropping bombs.

Lt Putek and crew were near the target when there was an explosion near the T.T. which set off flares and a severe blaze ensued.  The ship landed at Dunkeswell, a U.S. Navy field, near Taunton, Devon. The ship had many 20m and flak holes, the nose was shot out, the ball turret shot up and partially burned, the cockpit windows shattered and rolled back while the wings and fuselage was riddled with bullets. Three officers bailed our over France and the following were injured and hospitalized at the 67th General Hospital, Taunton.

C/Landed 535th /42-40025

French – 2nd degree burns; Burgasser – facial wounds through flak.

Major Gaillard and Capt Bland visited the wounded on 8 February.

10 February – The ships were dispatched and recalled on 9 February, thus command called for a practice mission today.

For the past two weeks the medical department has been having quite a lot of psychiatric activity. There has been a Section VIII Board on Pvt J. 532nd – a case of hysterical amnesia; 2nd Lt H. 534th ; and a psychoses of unclassified type in Pvt S. 534th. Several consultations have been held on patients found not to be psychotic.

11 February – It was dark when 33 aircraft from this command took off at 07.15 hrs after an 04.15 hrs briefing (the sack is sure hard to leave at 03.30 hrs!). The target was Frankfurt, Germany, the bombing altitude 25,000 ft by pathfinder method through thick 10/10th overcast, in minus 45 degrees centigrade.

The group was led by Col Leber, who also led the Air Division. There were two pathfinder aircraft and the target was hit by visual bombing and the results thought to be good.

MIA 532nd G/42-31099

Three men were wounded in action, as follows:-

S/Sgt Richard G. Morrison, 532nd BTG. 1. Wound, perforating, left ankle, entrance above & posterior to internal mallcolus, exit posterior and proximal to lateral mallcolus, mod. Severe. Caused by 30 cal bullet, high velocity.

1st Lt George A. Hoffman, 535th; received minor abrasions, ½ “ medial to left nipple.

S/Sgt Charles L. Carter, 534th ETTG, suffered burn, 2nd degree, left heel.

Contrary to expectancy there were only three cases of frostbite, and one was on the cheek of a previously bitten right waist gunner.

The men do not seem unusually tired after this mission and did not run into any strong enemy opposition.

19 February – The weather has been stinko for the past eight days and no operational missions have been flown.

On Monday, Feb. 14, a dinner meeting was held for the commanding officers and surgeons in the group and an attempt was made to present the psychiatric problems and their dispositions that confront the Eighth Air Force. All were kind enough to listen attentively but the memory of the hamburgers seems to remain a bit longer than the pearls of wisdom that were given by this poor narrator.

The chief topic of the week among the medical officers has been who was going on pass. I think I will settle the question in the near future and go on pass myself!

We had several accidents during the week. The first, Cpl John Vodden, of the British RASC, suffered a compound fracture of the right tibia and fibula and lacerations about the face, when he continued to travel when his motor cycle had stopped. His commanding officer, Major Lloyd, gave me an Achtung salute as he entered, and yours truly thought he was being addressed by the G.I. Joe of the army until the major identified himself. He turned out to be quite a cocoa guzzler and I believe only pride kept him from polishing off his third cup in as many minutes. Cpl Vodden was sent to the 121st Station Hospital at Braintree.

Later in the afternoon one of our own G.I.’s Cpl Irving T. Rossman, of the 533rd BS, was cutting wood and attempted to bisect his foot along with the log. He was given plasma before evacuation on account he was in shock.

To top Captain Bland’s rather interesting tour of duty, he was called to see two soldiers that a jeep had apparently taken off the base without permission and said jeep had piled into the truck that was returning with the local band. The two injured men were: Pvt Clarence J. Caswell, 534th BS. Diagnosis: 1. Wound. lacerated, cheek and sub orbital region, left, moderate severity and mild, respectively; 2. Wound. Lacerated face, leg, middle third, left, moderate severe.

Sgt Johnny T. Mills, 535th BS. Diagnosis: 1, Abrasions and contusions of forelegs, moderate severe. 2. Sock, post-traumatic.

Poor Captain Bland finally got to bed at 4 am, and with the bed clothes rising and falling about four foot with each respiration gave articulate evidence that said Captain Bland was completely pooped upon retiring. He was able to sit up and take nourishment about noon the following day.

20 February – Today was the busiest day of the war as far as the number of ships dispatched was concerned. Two groups, a total of 47 aircraft, attacked the targets (two) in Germany, one was Leipzig and the other Auschersleben. The effort was directed at German fighter production. One aircraft is missing.

A top turret gunner, T/Sgt Edward J. Senk, 533rd, was killed apparently by a 50. cal. machine gun bullet while over friendly territory. A tail gunner, S/Sgt Johnnie U. Gibson, 532nd, received a compound fracture of the right forearm with extensive tissue destruction from an enemy 30. cal. bullet. He was evacuated to the 121st Station Hospital, Braintree; another gunner was wounded mildly in the face by flak, S/Sgt Richard L. Walters, 532nd, but he returned to duty. One case of frostbite occurred.

MIA 532nd N/42-3562

The officers’ dance of the month was held this evening, most of the time during a red alert which no one knew about or wouldn’t have cared if they did know, and the party was one of the most successful we have had. The guests were Lt. Col. W.R. Martin and Major George S. Robinson.

21 February – Briefing at 05.30 hrs this clear but cold, frosty morning. Most of us were a bit under the weather as a result of the previous evening’s activities and it was with a shaking hand and aching head that most of us attended the briefing. Thirty three aircraft from this command took off with 12 500lb bombs- bombing altitude 22,000 ft- outside air temperature – 36 degrees, the target being Ascher, Germany, which was not the primary target. The results were excellent.

All the ships returned from this mission. Lt Mackintosh’s ship, of the 535th BS, was hit in the nose and the bombardier, 2nd Lt William F. Piekarski and navigator, 2nd Lt Allen E. Bergreen, bailed out. The co-pilot went down and put the fire out and the ship was brought safely back to the base. T/Sgt John D. Sinclair, 533rd, was injured by mild fragment wounds in both feet. This was his 25th mission.

The fighter support was good on the way in and fair on the way out. Fighter attack was intense for some combat wings, but slight for this one.

22 February – Briefing was at 05.30 hrs for the 32 aircraft that took off at 06.30 hrs with the primary target an aircraft factory at Oschersleben, Germany. Due to weather condition the rendezvous was again messed up and all but 13 of the aircraft returned to base without being unable to assemble or join the group. The returning crews reported intense fighter opposition.

Two crews landed short at another base and only five returned to the home base. Six crews were lost during aerial combat. T/Sgt Fred F. Berg was flying top turret in the lead ship and received severe cold injury of the hands which was the result of having to crank up the bomb bay doors without gloves, his 25th mission.

MIA 532nd M/42-31443

MIA 533rd Z/42-97474

MIA 533rd /42-39946

MIA 535th S/42-39895

MIA 535th /42-31696

MIA 535th U/42-31533

24 February – Briefing was at 05.30 hrs and take off at 08.30 hrs for the 32 aircraft of this command, but six aborted and three crews got back to the field early enough to make a  second take off and join the group at rendezvous point. The target was the ball-bearing plant at Schweinfurt, Germany. This is the third trip to this target made by the group and it fell to the honour of Major Shackley to lead the combat wing, his third trip to Schweinfurt.

The weather over the continent was ideal and the crews all reported unusually satisfactory bombing results. The primary target had been hit previous to our bomb run. Fighter cover was reported as being the best yet and no doubt is the  reason for all our aircraft returning, though some had received battle damage of a major nature.

A 532nd gunner of Lt Fastrup’s crew, Sgt William F. Seifermann, received a wound from a piece of flak which came in the left window of the tail assembly and apparently struck him at the right side of the base of the neck posteriorly and then came out through the left sterne cloide muscle just above the point of its insertion. He had received excellent first aid care by members of the crew and particularly the radio operator, Sgt Dick, is to be commended for keeping oxygen going to him constantly until their return to this field.

Captain Ralston met the plane on the runway and immediately began preparations to administer blood plasma to the stricken gunner who was in the radio room on the floor. There was no radial pulse obtained, pallor, and he was in extreme shock. He was conscious and attempted to mutter something at intervals, but his mutterings were unintelligible. He had not received morphine and several members of the crew stated he asked not to be given morphine at the time of the injury. He could not move any of his extremities.

Captain Ralston started plasma in each arm and three units were given on the plane. His condition had improved slightly and it was felt by the three medical officers that were present that it was safe to remove him from the plane by the Neil-Robinson litter to the station sick quarters.  He was brought to sick quarters about 15.30 hrs after a fourth unit of plasma and there was a noticeable improvement in his condition. The radial pulse was present and blood pressure was about 70/40.

He received Holy Sacrament by the chaplain. About 1/6th of a grain of morphine was given and a 9th unit of plasma was started. About 17.00 hrs he was transported by ambulance to the 121st Station Hospital, Braintree with the plasma running. He was accompanied by Capt Cohler and six or eight potential blood donors were taken to the hospital on a separate ambulance. He arrived at Braintree and according to  Capt Cohler he was only slightly weaker than when he left sick quarters. X-ray at the hospital revealed  a compound, comminuted  fracture of the 5th and 6th  cervical vertebrae. However this gunner died two days later of his injuries.

25 February – This morning briefing was at 05.45 hrs, for the 32 aircraft which took off at 08.45 hrs, target, the main assembly building for Messerschmitt fighters and an adjoining school for training purposes, at Augsburg, Germany. The returning crews reported the weather being excellent with visibility unlimited, and a good concentration of bombs in the target area. Flak at the target area was moderately heavy, but fairly accurate.

Two aircraft failed to return to the field; Lt Kels, 533rd, landed at an airfield near the coast, while Lt Henderson, 532nd, was seen to go out of formation apparently under control of the plane and some crews reported seeing his plane burning on the ground later. There were no battle casualties, and only the one plane was lost. The mission was the longest flown by the group, the distance being, 1,380 miles. The first planes home touched down about 17.30 hrs.

MIA 532nd B/42-37786