B-17G " Doolittle's Doughboy's " 42-31518 615th
20 February 1944 Mission #24 Target : Leipzig
20 February 44 , 0820 hours , engines are on.
41 planes are off on mission #24.
Target today is an Aircraft Plant at Leipzig , Germany.
Lt. Edward T. Gardner gave his life for his crew, holding the B-17 steady until the other nine crew members had
safely bailed out, by which time it was too late to bail out himself.
Missing Air Crew Report : 2437
1. Organization : AAF Sta 128.
Command : 8th Air Force.
Group : 401st.
Squadron : 615th.
2. Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
Course : East.
Target : Leipzig , Germany.
Type of mission: Operational Bombing , aircraft plant.
3. Weather conditions when last sighted : CAVU ( Clear Air, Visibility Unlimited).
4. Last know date : 20 Feb 1944
time : 13:00
location : 51/58° N - 10/10° E.
5. Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Enemy aircraft.
6. Aircraft type : B-17G
serial no. : 42-31518
7. Engines : R-1820-97.
9. Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.
10. Persons on board : Crew : 10.
11. List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :
Pilot |
Edward Thomas Gardner |
2nd Lt |
0-745881 |
KIA |
Copilot |
George Louis Carter |
2nd Lt |
0-750770 |
POW |
Navigator |
Carroll Arthur Gouger |
2nd Lt |
0-808038 |
POW |
Bombardier |
John Lavier Foster |
2nd Lt |
0-685793 |
POW |
Radio Operator |
Fred Monnes |
Sgt |
12187401 |
KIA |
Engr / Top Turret |
Dale William Minard |
S/Sgt |
16125203 |
POW |
Ball Turret Gunner |
Peter Joseph Piazza |
S/Sgt |
35583120 |
POW |
Tail Gunner |
Stephen Roman Bosowski |
S/Sgt |
35561239 |
POW |
Left Waist Gunner |
Salvatore Anthony Trupia |
Sgt |
12133746 |
KIA |
Right Waist Gunner |
Francis John Durben |
Sgt |
17154973 |
POW |
13. Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :
Knapp , Phil N. S/Sgt. 39540171
- Aircraft attacked by enemy fighters at about 51/58° N - 10/10° E.
A/C dropped down and out of formation.
When last seen was under control and was lagging back and spiraling into clouds.
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Mission to Leipzig, germany, Aircraft attacked by enemy fighters, dropped down and out of formation.
Crashed on a field at Pilm, near Magdeburg, Germany.
Casualty questionaire
This is the report a crewmember writes after he was back in England
- Your name : JOHN LAVIER FOSTER.
- Rank : 2nd Lt.
- Serial number : 0-685793.
- Mission : Leipzig.
- Target : Assembly plant.
- Altitude : 20.000 Ft.
- Where were you when you left formation : Over or near Magdaburg.
- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.
- Tell more about others : Every one bailed with the exeption of 3 men, we all bailed out together.
- Where did plane strike the ground ? : Near Gommern.
- Can you tell anything more ? :
The pilot , Edward T Gardner , never turned up.
No one off the crew knows whether he bailed out or not.
The last one to leave the ship with the exception of the pilot was the engineer, Dale Minard.
After we were hit the pilot seemed to lose his mind and just sat there lifting a pair of booties
which he carried over the steering colum.
When co-pilot finally did bring him back to his senses it was too late to try to make it home as enemy
fighters were all around us and the formation had gone on.
The Germans told me they could not find the pilot and wanted to know if I knew where he was,
I was unable to tell them anything.
He may have tried to crash land it , but was unsuccessful as it nosed into the ground and exploded.
If he did bail out it is possible civilians got him and killed him before any military personnel got to him.
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- Your name : DALE WILLIAM MINARD.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 16125203.
- Mission : Leipzig.
- Target : Aircraft factory.
- Altitude : 19.000 Ft.
- Where were you when you left formation : Tail end charlie.
- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.
- Tell more about others : Tail gunner , Right waist gunner and ball turret left at 12.000 Feet.
Landed mear Magdeburg , Germany. Co-pilot was with them.
Navigator , bombardier and I were in same vincinity but picked up seperatly.
Pilot was alive when I left but never saw or heard from or about him since.
- Where did plane strike the ground ? : Open ground near small village south of Magdeburg, Germany.
- When where did you see any members ? : Trupia and Monnes in plane , both dead.
Pilot was alive and flying the ship uninsured.
Navigator and bombardier slightly injured were in Red cross
camp with me in Frankfurt.
Ball gunner and Right waist gunner in Prison camp injured but
were healing.
Never saw pilot and Co-pilot or tail gunner after leaving plane.
- Can you tell anything more ? :
I was not injured in plane but was captured and beaten by civilians.
From this I recieved a knee injury.
It does not keep me from working but bothers me all the time.
I applied to hospital but they turned me down they said that it wasn't bad enough.
I wonder what would happen if in the near future it prevented me from holding down my present job.
If you have any information that would releave me my worry I would appreciate it very much.
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- Your name : CARROLL ARTHUR GOUGER.
- Rank : 2nd Lt.
- Serial number : 0-808038.
- Mission : Leipzig.
- Target : Aircraft assembly plant.
- Altitude : 22.000 Ft.
- Where were you when you left formation : Approx. 30 miles S.W. of Magdeburg.
- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.
- Tell more about others : Lt. Foster and myself left plane through emergency door in nose.
Lt. Carter and Sgt. Minard left through bomb bay , Sgt. Piazza , Durben and
Bosowski left through waist door.
None of us know what happened to Lt. Gardner , our pilot.
- Where did plane strike the ground ? : On edge of large patch of wood about 3 miles S.W. of town named
Gommern, Germany.
- What members wre in AC when it strucked the ground ? :
Sgt. Monnes and Trupia were still in plane.
Also believe that my missing Pilot , Gardner , stayed with plane and tried to crash-land by himself.
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- Your name : PETER JOSEPH PIAZZA.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 35583120.
- Mission : Leipzig.
- Time : Around noon.
- Altitude : About 20.000 Ft.
- Where were you when you left formation : Very close to Magdaburg, Germany.
- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.
- Tell more about others : I was first to bail out from waist escape door.
- Where did plane strike the ground ? : Near Magdeburg.
- Can you tell anything more ? :
I think that you can understand that things happened so fast and being wounded myself that the seconds
are few that no one can be positive of anything.
I hope that this little information I have given you will help in your job.
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- Your name : FRANCIS JOHN DURBEN.
- Rank : Sgt.
- Serial number : 17154973.
- Mission : Leipzig.
- Target : Airfield.
- Time : 13:10
- Altitude : 25.000 Ft.
- Where were you when you left formation : Near Magdaburg, Germany.
- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.
- Tell more about others : The tail and ball gunner and myself bailed out the main hatch at the same time.
When we bailed out the left waist gunner was dead but the radio man was O.K.
and ready to bail out.
- Where did plane strike the ground ? : Near Magdeburg, Germany.
|
George Carter |
California |
|
POW |
|
Stalag Luft 1 South |
Carroll Gouger |
Massachusetts |
1923 - |
POW |
|
Stalag Luft 1 North |
John Foster |
New York |
|
POW |
|
Stalag Luft 1 North |
Dale Minard |
Illinois |
1921 - |
POW |
|
Stalag Luft 4 |
Peter Piazza |
Indiana |
1923 - |
POW |
|
Stalag Luft 4 |
Francis Durben |
Minnesota |
1922 - |
POW |
|
Stalag Luft 4 |
Stephen Bosowski |
Michigan |
1921 - |
POW |
|
Stalag 9C |
Edward Thomas Gardner |
Michigan |
1921 - 1944 |
KIA |
AR |
B - 34 - 19 |
Fred Monnes |
New York |
1923 - 1944 |
KIA |
NE |
Wall of Missing |
Salvatore Anthony Trupia |
New Jersey |
1923 - 1944 |
KIA |
NE |
Wall of Missing |
AR = Ardennes , Belgum NE = Margraten , Netherlands
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