MACR 2661

B-17G 42-38002 614th

22 February 1944 Mission #26 Target: Oschersleben/Magdeburg

                  22 February 44 , 0815 hours , engines are on.
                  32 aircraft were airborne by 0935 , mission #26 , target today is a Aircraft manufacturing plant in Oschersleben , Germany,
                  but when the formation reached the target, it was under cloud cover and Magdeburg was attacked instead.

                  The plane was shot down by fighters and flak.
                  8 men were POW's and 2 men KIA.

Missing Air Crew Report : 2661

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.


       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 614th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course :North - East.
       Target : Oschersleben, Germany.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : 7/10 undercast.

4.    Last know date : 22 feb 1944
       time : 14:30
       location : Near magdeburg , Germany.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : enemy aircrafts

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-38002

7.    Nickname of aircraft : --

8.    Engines : R-1820-97.

10.  Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

11.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

12.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :

Pilot Vernon Arthur Arneson 2nd Lt. 0-741875 POW

Copilot Jerome Edwin Kleinburg 2nd Lt 0-678877 POW

Navigator John Herman Dean 2nd Lt 0-809551 POW

Bombardier George John Gilmore Jr. 2nd Lt 0-682107 KIA

Radio Operator Fredric Edsel Webb S/Sgt 15125071 POW

Engr / Top Turret Clennie Cecil Shults S/Sgt 34472857 POW

Ball Turret Gunner Armond Lionel Provencher S/Sgt 11083958 POW

Tail Gunner Richard Gustave Schmidt S/Sgt 36724944 POW

Left Waist Gunner Adrian Leonard Shutes Sgt 18124339 KIA

Right Waist Gunner Edward Trambitsky Sgt 12093118 POW

13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

James R. Hamilton     S/Sgt.        35661584        615th
Edward J. Phillips      Sgt.            38398663        614th

-     Lt. Arneson was flying no. 3 position of the second element.
      Near Nordheim, Germany, one engine was hit by flak and his ship left formation just before target.
      Bombs were salvoed and his ship caught up with the formation when it reached Magdeburg at about 14:25.
      At 14:50 he came into #4 position after three fighters had worked him over.
      When last seen at 14:50 it was heading north with two fighters on his tail and was losing altitude rapidly.
      P51's came in and helped him.
      No chutes were seen and it was under control altough 20 mm bursts were breaking around it like flak.
      Then he was last seen taking off for home with one prop feathered.

Mission to Magdeburg, germany, When last seen at 14:50 it was heading north with two fighters on his tail and was losing altitude rapidly.
Chrashed near Alvesse, Germany

Top Row L - R : Unknown - Unknown - Unknown - Adrian L. Shutes - Edward Trambitsky - Unknown
front row L-R : Vernon A. Arneson - Unknown - Unknown - George J. Gilmore Jr.

Will be continued soon

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