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.

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.

- 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.
 

- 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