DIARY OF MEDICAL DETACHMENT – STATION #167

MAY 1944

1 May – Briefing was at 11.45 hrs with take off at 14.15 hrs for 25 aircraft from this command whose target was the railroad yard at Troyes, France. he weather was beautiful and the bombing results were said to be good. There were no killed or wounded and all ships returned home safely.

6 May – Thirty seven aircraft from this command took off at 05.30 hrs after n 02.30 hrs briefing, the target being designated as the rocket gun installations at Cherbourg, France. Bombing altitude was 25,000 ft, but the target was 9/10th overcast and the bombs were not dropped. The flak was intense. All the ships landed at the base except Lt Wardencki who landed safely at Biggin Hill, an R.A.F. field.

Lt Joseph F. Grace, (535th) Yates’ crew was wounded and had the following diagnosis: 1. Wound, low velocity missile, 2” x ¾” avulsive type through skin and subcutaneous layers to muscle and deep fascia right leg, lateral aspect, three inches above lateral malleolus. 2nd Lt John J. Monahan (533rd), received minor abrasions of the forehead due to plexi-glass set in motion by low velocity flak.

While we  were standing in the control tower a P-51 was seen to crash from an estimated 3,000 ft (he was only about 300 ft when I first him) and burst into flames. We were on the scene  within ten minutes and later picked up the pilot Lt G. Boyce. He was decapitated, eviscerated, had his right leg amputated and had a compound fracture of his left leg. Division was notified and he was found to be from Debden, Essex and a member of the 4th Fighter Group.

The previous day Major Gaillard went to Nuthampstead to lecture new combat crews.

7 May – Twenty nine aircraft from this command led by Lt Col Hall took off at 05.30 hrs and bombed Berlin by pathfinder method from 26,000 ft. Flak was moderate but not too accurate, while a few enemy fighters were seen. All ships returned safely, and there were no killed or wounded. There were five cases of anoxia, one due to resistance by another anoxic individuals, two by disconnection of the mask from the ship’s system and two by freezing of the A-14 mask.

The monthly officers’ dance was held and approximately seventy show girls from London were guests. The party progressed with only a mild amount of trauma and most everyone felt it was one of our better dances.

8 May – Briefing was at 03.00 hrs, take off at 05.45 hrs when the target was designated Berlin. Bombing was from 26,000 ft by pathfinder method. All ships returned safely and there were no killed or wounded. One case of frostbite was recorded and the individual was admitted to sick quarters. Combat crew members reported seeing flying wings that did not attempt to engage them.

Because of the influx of new crews the missions do not seem to be causing any undue strain on personnel and we have not had any psychiatric casualties that have required disposition for some time.

9 May – This command provided 31 aircraft that took off at 05.45 hrs with the designated target an airfield at St Dizier, France.  The group was led by our commanding officer Col Harry Leber with deputy leader Lt Col Shackley. The weather was beautiful and bombing done from 20,000 ft. The bomb run was good  but results were not obtained. There were no killed or wounded and there were no abortions or ships receiving battle damage.

11 May – The first target was Bettembourg in Luxembourg, and the  second target the Thionville, France. Bombing altitude was 20,000 ft and 20,500 ft respectively, by pathfinder method. There were no killed or wounded. Fifty enemy aircraft were sighted  but did not attack. All ships returned safely to base.

12 May – The group dispatched 18 ships today and the formation was led by Major Halsey, the target designated, Lutzkendorf, Germany. Bombing altitude was 24,500 ft by pathfinder method, with enemy fighter opposition nil. All ships returned safely with no killed or wounded.

13 May – Again we had a dual mission with targets at Stettin and Stralsund, Germany, with bombing altitudes 23,3000 ft and 23,500 ft respectively. The group was led by Col Kunkel, while enemy opposition was again nil. Bombing was done by pathfinder with all ships returning safely with no casualties.

As a commentary on the group as a whole, it seems to me that many individuals, both officers and enlisted men, are becoming a bit stale and have less interest and drive than heretofore. Several officers have complained of being tired, fed up, irritable, and just plain sick of the routine day after day with no break.

The war has lost its novelty for most of us and has taken on more drudgery than was the case. The answer will probably be one of two things; with awakened interest by the opening of the long awaited and delayed second front, or the number of passes and leaves will have to be increased if the efficiency is to be maintained. It would also seem advisable to have a rotation policy for the return to the Zone of Interior  because if individuals have a real hope of returning in the reasonable near future their outlook seems to be improved considerably.

We received this date a picture of the inspection held on 19 April, and the generals shown in the picture are Lt Gens McNarney, Doolittle, and Spaatz and Major Gen Kemper. The orderly holding the door of the ambulance open is Capt Cohler.

19 May – Thirty eight aircraft from this command took off at 03.15 hrs this foggy morning with Lt Col Kunkle in the lead, with the target designated ast Berlin.  The bombing was expected to be by pathfinder method from 26,000 ft, but the weather was better than expected and bombing was done visually. Flak over the target was intense and four ships returned with feathered props.

Two ships did not return: Lt Blog in the lead group and Lt Sharp, lead element on 533rd, the high squadron. He was said to have gone down out of control by no details available for Lt Blog.

We had no frostbite, despite the outside temperature being minus 38 degrees Centigrade, while those wounded included two 535th men, Sgt Nicholas M. Rotz and T/Sgt Floyd C. Hanson. Rotz was wearing a flak helmet  and steel helmet but received a penetrating and lacerated wound of left frontal region of forehead 2” above left eyebrow, mod. severe, caused by low velocity flak; Hanson suffered a wound, penetrating, acute, mod. severe, left mid-axillary line at level of left nipple. This was also caused by flak. He was wearing a flak suit but the missile went in laterally between the two halves of the flak suit. The remainder of the ships returned at 17.45 hrs.

MIA 532nd M/42-32088

MIA 533rd U/42-97454

20 May – Briefing was at 03.30 hrs and take off at 06.30 hrs when 13 ships were dispatched under Lt Col Shackley, in poor visibity, about 200 yards through heavy haze, the target being Villacoublay, a large airfield just south of Paris. Bombing altitude was 25,000 ft, the weather was good as were bombing results reported. All shops returned home safely, with no killed or wounded, and only one case of frostbite.

The body of S/Sgt Frank J. Kurtz, 534th tail gunner, a former member of Lt Dan Henry’s crew was washed ashore at Frinton-on-Sea, Essex. The body was badly decomposed and there was nothing but skull above the head. There was a large flak wound in the posterior chest region which confirmed the previous belief that Sgt Kurtz was dead when the ship was abandoned (26 March). There were numerous articles found in his clothing but the most interesting of these were maps and photographs which were partly altered by the action of the sea over this six week period. The body was picked up by Lt Fick and taken to the American Cemetery, Cambridge, the funeral service scheduled for tomorrow (21st) at 14.30 hrs.

22 May – Twenty eight aircraft from this command took off at 08.45 hrs with the target the industrial area at Kiel, Germany. Bombing was briefed by pathfinder method but carried out visually with good results. This group was carrying incendiary bombs. Flak was estimated as light to moderate and a few enemy aircraft were seen but did not attack. Fighter support was good.

All ships returned safely to this base and the only incident was Lt Cann, 532nd BS, who could not keep up with the formation because his #4 engine was feathered. He landed with his tail wheel locked and had to ground loop about 2/3rd up the runway.

23 May – At 05.15 hrs this morning 25 aircraft took off with the primary target an airfield near Metz, France, while the secondary target was Saarbrucken. The primary was overcast and the secondary could only be seen through a hole in the clouds. It was bombed from 22,000 ft and thought successfully. There were no killed or wounded and all ships returned safely to base. The combat wing was led by our commanding officer Col Harry Leber, and one of 14 that attacked the target.

24 May – Today 37 aircraft from this command and two PFF’s took off at 08.00 hrs with the target designated as Berlin. Bombing altitude was 25,000 ft and the temperature minus 38 degrees. There were 6-8/10th  cloud cover and bombing was done by both visual and PFF methods, with results thought to be good. However six ships are missing.

MIA 532nd J/42-38010

MIA 533rd N/42-31698

MIA 534th B/42-97214

MIA 534th F/42-31291

MIA 535th Z/42-31878

MIA 535th Y/42-39890

It is thought Lt Wainwright  collided with another ship [Lt Wardencki in 42-97214], and both exploded. Lt Dasso’s ship collided with a fighter which tore a wing off, but I have no details on the other ships.

A 534th tail gunner, S/Sgt Jack M. Ross had quite a tale to tell. His pilot, Lt Williams, was flying #174, called Joanne, which flew through the wreckage of the explosions and blackened his silver plane (Natural Metal Finish) and had the rudder, horizontal stabilizers and left aileron were partly burnt away. The tail gunner, Ross, jumped out thinking the ship was on fire. However the ship landed back at base without event.

Lt Yates, 535th, landed without brakes after having a fire in the nose and cockpit which burned him and his co-pilot, Lt Klutha, slightly.  Lt Bailey also landed without brakes and put out a couple of parachutes to slow him down but were without much effect, and he ground-looped about 2/3rd down the runway. Lt Zapinski lost a prop governor at assembly and feathered the engine and tried to stay with the formation but could not. He salvoed his bombs and still could not keep up so he turned back and heard a distress call from a B-17 and he went on an Air-Sea rescue mission. He found the ditched crew and a small ship in the vicinity and flashed the position of the crew. He landed 11 hours after take-off.

Among injured crewmen were: Lt Leroy H. Baird, a 535th bombardier with Lt Nelson, received a 30 cal. bullet wound of the right leg. Diagnosis: 1. Wound, penetrating, leg, right, lateral at mid-portion tibia, asterior, size of entry ½” in diameter. Those burned were: Lt Howard Yates, 535th, on right wrist and above right eyebrow; Lt Robert Klutha, 535th, who received mild burns to neck and both wrists; S/Sgt Tom O’Brien, 535th, had 1st degree  burn of right thumb.

A frostbite casualty due to defective electric equipment was: Lt Abraham A. Levine, 535th, reported to dispensary with mild abrasions of the right cheek by splintered plexi-glass. S/Sgt Ross B. Gladfelder, 532nd, received a mild wound of the left leg due to low velocity flak. One anoxia case was reported, Sgt Oliver J. Brown, 533rd, because the quick-disconnect plug was pulled apart apparently while the gunner was searching for fighters during a heavy fighter attack.

The crews seemed impressed but not unduly shaken by their experience and their morale is good. The bulk of the ships returned to base about 15.30 hrs.  

25 May – This morning at 04.45 hrs, Sgt Robert Q. Pope, 535th, was hit by a plane part which was set in motion by a 50 cal. machine gun bullet which was accidentally discharged from a ball turret about 100 yards away. Diagnosis: 1. Wound, penetrating, moderate severity, left costal margin in nipple line. The wound was explored at the 121st Station Hospital, Braintree, and the peritoneum was just nicked and an exploration was not done.

Just 30 minutes later, 26 ships from this command took off at 05.15 hrs with their target the airfield and Nancy-Essey, France, led by Col Leber.. Bombing altitude was 22,000 ft weather was clear and bombing done visually with good results. All ships returned safely to base and reported only a few bursts of flak behind them. No enemy fighter opposition was encountered while the friendly fighter support was good. Several crews reported seeing two or three B-17s go down. There were no killed or wounded from this group. The mission was regarded from a strategic standpoint as eminently successful.

27 May – Nineteen aircraft were dispatched at 07.45 hrs to fly high group with the 94th Combat Wing, with the primary target the marshalling yards at Ludwigshafen. Germany.  In case of undercast, the centers of the cities of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim were to be the target. Bombing altitude was 25,000 ft; weather outlook was favourable for visual bombing. Flak was moderate and not too accurate over the target area. This group was fortunate in not receiving any fighter attacks, but the group ahead received considerable opposition. Strike photos showed a bullseye strike by the lead bombardier, Lt Cassidy. There were no killed or wounded.

One ship failed to return, Lt Stuart and crew, 532nd, while Lt Harding, 534th, landed about 20 minutes after the formation was in.

MIA 532nd A/42-107023

Captain Bland returned last night from SNAFUING at the Walhampton House and reported a most wonderful seven days of rest.

28 May – Thirty three aircraft took off at 10.00 hrs with two PFF’s. Major Halsey was leading the 1st Combat Wing, flying the first PFF. This group was to furnish the lead group and the lead and low squadron fir the composite group for the 1st Combat Wing. The primary target was missed, the ships being unable to pick it out in time to bomb.

Having bombs remaining, 18 ships, bombed marshalling yards in Frankfurt, Germany, a target of opportunity. They scored hits on the yards and on a bridge nearby. However, the bombs they were carrying were 500 lbs incendiaries so that this portion of the mission was snafued. Flak over the target was reported as being the most intense encountered over any target, including Berlin, recently.

On returning, 2nd Lt Francis J. Treanor, 533rd, was evacuated to the 121st Station Hospital, because of a penetrating wound of the right thigh, accompanied by Sgt William M. Cusick, 534th, who suffered a penetrating wound of the right thigh.

Sgt George Samuelian, 532nd, was killed in action and his remains are to be sent to the American Military Cemetery, at Cambridge tomorrow. His diagnosis was: Wound, penetrating, marked severity, at lateral anterior aspect, right thigh, at level of hip joint. Size of entrance 2 ½” x 1 ¼” with the tract penetrating into abdominal cavity. Caused by flak, low velocity. There were four other minor flak wounds reported but those concerned were returned to full flying duty.

29 May – Briefing at 05.00 hrs and take off at 08.00 hrs this beautiful, clear and wonderful morning. The designated target was Posen, in Poland, a round trip of 1,700 miles, one of the longest of the war, for the 19 aircraft of this command, the route being over the North Sea and through Denmark. Bombing altitude was 22,000 ft; visual bombing was done with excellent results.

Only 16 ships returned to this base, the others as follows: Lt Boyle and Lt Martin landed at Coltishall and Lt Nelson at Foulsham, both in Norfolk. They ran into some flak over Kiel, over the target area and over the German coast. There were no killed or wounded. The only thing of medical interest was that Lt Goodman, 535th bombardier, was having trouble with oxygen presumably, and he salvoed his bombs between the I. P. and the target. Apparently he had a poorly fitting oxygen mask thus was returned to full flying duty.

30 May – Thirty ships were dispatched from this command leading the Division with Colonel Gross in command. The designated target was the Dessault Aircraft Assembly Plant at Leipzig, Germany. Bombing altitude was 23,000 ft with the outside temperature minus 39 degrees centigrade.  The lead and high group got their bombs away right on the nose and the strike photos showed the bombs of the lead group right on the M.P.I. The group was under hostile attack by ME 109’s on the bomb run and two ships were knocked out of formation, Lts Zapinski and Burton, while Lt Monahan was heard calling as the ships were coming out of Germany but his whereabouts is unknown at the present.

Friendly fighters were underneath engaged in enemy activity elsewhere as they were not in evidence in the target area. There were no killed or wounded on the remaining ships that landed at the base.

MIA 532nd P/44-6025

MIA 533rd R/42-102672

*Toggler

MIA 533rd K/42-38188

*Toggler

Lt Howard Yates, 535th, was hit between the I. P. and the target knocking out engines #1 & #2. The first was feathered but #2 windmilled all the way home. The co-pilot, Lt Robert Klutho and top turret gunner, S/Sgt James Dixon, bailed out right after the ship was hit. The remainder of the crew was under repeated hostile attack and did violent evasive action with two starboard engines and an air speed of about 100 miles per hour. They destroyed three enemy aircraft and probably more.

Lt Yates used maximum power (2500RPM and 50 inches of mercury) on his two good engines for 1 ½ hrs and eased it back slowly while over the Channel. Six of the machine guns went out of commission while under attack. The ball turret was salvoed and equipment thrown out in order to lighten the ship. He landed wheels down without hydraulics on two engines and ground-looped at the end of the runway. Lt Yates and crew are excited and shaken but in good condition. They are being admitted to the sick quarters for sedation this evening.

31 May – Briefed at 04.30 hrs and 25 aircraft were put up. Lt Col Fitzgerald led the combat wing. They put up the high squadron for the composite group, the target being in south eastern France. Upon crossing the Channel, weather was met which forced the aircraft up to 27,000 ft top get over the clouds and after penetration into territory over north eastern France they found a hole in the cloud cover and orders from Division they bombed a target of opportunity, hitting a dispersal point at an airfield in Florrennes, France. Only extremely light flak and no enemy fighters were encountered. There were no killed or wounded and all aircraft returned safely to this base landing about noon.