Date: Nov 7, 43
Dispatched: 39 Aborts:7
Mission: General support to 2nd TF (3rd Div) 80 B-17’s. Field Order: 172
Time Up/Down: 09:30 hrs 12:22 hrs Leader: Lt Col. McCollom
Target: Duren
Claims Air: 00-00-00 Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 00-00
Group made landfall west of Zeebrugge at 10:12 hrs, 24,500ft. Due to complete overcast ground references are conjectured but believe planned course was followed to R/V point. No bombers seen until possibly Eupen when bombers sighted to the north. R/V made vicinity of Maeseyek at 11:19 hrs, 30,000ft. Escorting then to south of Gilze Rijen leaving them at 11:30 hrs. Out enemy coast over Schouwen Island 11:42 hrs, 25,000ft. 1st box of bombers approx 40 in good formation, 2nd box of 20+ considerably strung out. First TF seen coming from northeast vicinity of Asten in good formation. No stragglers. No e/a. Bursts of flak Ghent going in, Dutch Islands coming out. Accurate height, inaccurate direction. Moderate flak from neighbourhood target area, possibly Aachen. Smoke screen believed around target area. From above account it would appear that bombers did not fly planned course. Radio whine intense. Capt. Rose and Lt. Thistlethwaite from Group HQ participated.
350th: Lt Col. McCollom. T/U 09:30 hrs. T/D 12:20 hrs. Total flight time 2:50 hrs. Course L/F over Bruges to 50 degree 00 n, 05 degree 00 E to Duren to 51 degree 20 N to O5 degree 20 E to home. Lt Col. McCollom led the Squadron with Major Rimerman leading the second element. Squadron carried further in than planned by strong wind and had to orbit a while to make R/V with bombers. No e/a encountered, no ground or sea activities observed. Flak negligible except for several heavy bursts accurate as to course and height but slightly behind Capt Newhart’s ship over Dutch Island on course out. Weather 10/10 overcast except over Dutch islands on course out. Three aborts: one gun trouble, one radio and one belly tank.
| Lt Col | Loren | McCollom | (Gp Ldr) | |
| Capt | John B. | Rose | ||
| 1st Lt | William W. | Odom | ||
| 2nd Lt | Robert S. | Hart | ||
| Capt | Dewey E. | Newhart | (Flt Ldr) | |
| 1st Lt | Francis T. | Walsh | ||
| 1st Lt | Charles W. | Dinse | ||
| 2nd Lt | John H. | Winder | ||
| Major | Ben | Rimerman | (Sqdn Ldr & Dep Gp Ldr) | |
| 1st Lt | Tom | Lorance | ||
| 1st Lt | John L. | Devane | ||
| 1st Lt | John | Zolner | ||
| Capt | Wilford F. | Hurst | (Flt Ldr) | |
| 1st Lt | Melvin P. | Dawson | ||
| 1st Lt | William J. | Price | ||
| 2nd Lt | William F. | Tanner | ||
| 1st Lt | Charles O. | Durant | P30 | LH-B |
351st: Capt. Beckham. T/U 09:30 hrs. T/D 12:20 hrs. Total flight time 2:50 hrs. Route: In NE of Ostend to Dinant, R/V at Duren and out to Schouwen Island.
| Capt | Walter C. | Beckham | (Sqdn Ldr) | |
| 2nd Lt | William T. | Thistlethwaite | ||
| Capt | Frederick H. | Lefebre | R31 | YJ-L |
| 1st Lt | William J. | Maguire | R65 | YJ-M |
| 1st Lt | Gordon B. | Compton | (Flt Ldr) | |
| 2nd Lt | Edgar J. | Albert | ||
| 2nd Lt | Don M. | Hurlburt | R32 | YJ-D |
| 1st Lt | George N. | Ahles | ||
352nd: Major Bailey. T/U 09:33 hrs. T/D 12:25 hrs. Total flight time 2:52 hrs. Target Support. Squadron led by Major Bailey made landfall at 10:12 hrs at 24,000ft. Made R/V three minutes late and proceeded to target area. Made landfall out over Dunkirk.
| Major | William B. | Bailey | (Sqdn Ldr) | |
| 2nd Lt | Clifford F. | Armstrong | ||
| 1st Lt | Jesse W. | Gonnam | ||
| 1st Lt | Gordon L. | Willits | ||
| 1st Lt | Wilbert H. | Juntilla | (Flt Ldr) | |
| 1st Lt | Charles W. | Kipfer | W42 | SX-H |
| 1st Lt | Edward M. | Fogarty | ||
| 2nd Lt | Maurice | Morrison | ||
| Capt | Raynor E. | Robertson | (Flt Ldr) | |
| 2nd Lt | Edison G. | Stiff | W56 | SX-J |
| 1st Lt | Gordon S. | Burlingame | ||
| 2nd Lt | William S. | Marchant | W32 | SX-Y |
| 1st Lt | Thomas J. | Forkin | (Flt Ldr) | |
| 1st Lt | William J. | Jordan | ||
| 1st Lt | Robert A. | Newman | ||
| 2nd Lt | Glenn C. | Callans | ||
Group Aborts/ERTNs/Damaged:
| 42-7940 | ABT glass elbow cracked | LH-M |
| 42-74669 | ABT belly tank cut out | LH-O |
| 42-74618 | ABT radio out [s/n crtd] | LH-? |
| 42-8664 | ABT gyro inst and air speed ind out | ? |
| 42-8396 | ERTN escort | SX-T |
| 42-22470 | ERTN escort | SX-? |
| 42-8687 | ABT oil temperature | SX-R |
*The Control Tower Log also records YJ-A returned to base 10:18 hrs, but I have no further information on this currently.
