Mission#58 December 24, 1943 – Target: Pas de Calais

Date: Dec 24, 43

Dispatched: 45 Aborts: 2

Mission: Patrol Area ‘E’ Eye Que Support to 3 composite Bomb Wings

Target: Pas des Calais Field Order: 209

Time Up/Down: 12:08 hrs 15:52 hrs Leader: Major Bailey

Claims Air: 00-00-00 Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 00-00

Group made L/F between Calais and Gravelines at 13:05 hrs, 24,000ft. Flew course arriving Amiens 13:20 hrs (5 mins early) 25,000ft, so complete orbit over area was made letting down to planned altitudes of 18,000ft, 20,000ft and 22,000ft at 13:25 hrs. Patrolled planned area in figure 8 pattern starting from the SW to NE to SE to NW in order to take advantage of the Sun’s position. During patrol many boxes of bombers in 65 and 125 seen in distance on way out. One box of B-17s seen approximately 14:30 hrs with 4 P-51s as escort at 14,000ft. Passed over one area on way out that had the appearance of having been effectively bombed, looked like block houses. Haze layer made ground observation difficult. Patrols were met at both ends of assigned area and another group seen to the south at 26,000ft. Large explosion seen immediately north of Hesdin believed to be a B-17. As no e/a were seen in this area at this time, this might have been due to flak. Accurate flak Calais. 5 to 6 salvos of flak seen in distance probably coming from Cambrai. No e/a seen. No reception from Parker. Fighter intercom satisfactory but usual whine. L/F out Le Crotoy at 14:40 hrs, 17,000ft. Lt. Thistlethwaite and Lt. Herfurth of Group participated.

350th: Capt Pidduck. T/U 12:20 hrs. T/D 15:35 hrs. Total flight time 3:15 hrs. Squadron entered continental coast at Calais at 22,500ft, 5 minutes early, where heavy accurate flak was encountered. Proceeded on course to Glisy at 27,000ft, where area allotted was covered in figure 8 pattern. Area covered at 22,000ft. Contrails noticed at east end of area each time covered. No e/a. Came out at Estuary north of Cayeaux at 14:35 hrs. Shipping: Nil R/T whine. Weather: Clear slightly puffing overcast low scud over Channel and coast. Very clear over area. Persistent contrails at altitude. Air to air and air to ground visibility excellent over area.

Capt	Stanley R.	Pidduck	(Sqdn Ldr)
2nd Lt	Chauncey	Rowan
1st Lt	John	Zolner
2nd Lt	Richard A.	Stearns
1st Lt	John	Sullivan	(Flt Ldr)
1st Lt	Joseph F.	Furness
1st Lt	Melvin P.	Dawson
1st Lt	Charles O.	Durant
1st Lt	William W.	Odom	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Kenneth	Chetwood
1st Lt	Francis T.	Walsh
2nd Lt	Walter L.	Angelo
1st Lt	Charles W.	Dinse	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	John H.	Winder
1st Lt	Wayne K.	Blickenstaff
2nd Lt	William F.	Tanner
1st Lt	William J.	Price
1st Lt	John L.	Devane

351st: Major Beckham. T/U 12:10 hrs. T/D 15:30 hrs. Total flight time 3:20 hrs. Route: In Gravelines, patrolled area from Amiens to Cambrai, out at Berck. Squadron made landfall at Gravelines at 24,000ft at 13:03 hrs. Proceeded on course as planned to assigned patrol area. Left enemy coast at Berck at 14:34 hrs, 18-19,000ft. Large explosion reported over St. Pal area, cause undetermined because no planes were seen in this area at the time, and it looked too big to be flak. No E/A seen. R/T was same as usual. One pilot, Capt. Leatherman, landed at Manston.

Major	Walter c.	Beckham	(Sqdn Ldr)
F/O	Joseph E.	Wood
2nd Lt	Hassell D.	Stump
2nd Lt	Lloyd A.	Thornell
1st Lt	Vernon A.	Leatherman
2nd Lt	Irving	Toppel
1st Lt	George N.	Ahles
1st Lt	Gordon B.	Compton
2nd Lt	Jack	Terzian
2nd Lt	William T.	Thistlethwaite	(Gp HQ)
2nd Lt	Don M.	Hurlburt
1st Lt	Harry F.	Hunter
1st Lt	Francis N.	King
1st Lt	David C.	Kenney

352nd: Major Bailey. T/U 12:16 hrs. T/D 15:20 hrs. Total flight time 3:04 hrs. Squadron took off as scheduled. Made L/F at 24,000ft, approximately on course, at 13:03 five minutes early. Magnetic course to Glisy as briefed would have taken us somewhat to W of Glisy so heading was altered. Reached Glisy at 13:21 hrs and patrolled assigned area uneventfully until 14:27 and left French coast at 14:40 a few miles to N of estuary at Cayeux. Other patrols were met at both ends of the patrol area. Large explosion seen immediately N of Hesdin believed to be a Fortress. Four warning bursts of flak fired from Thames Estuary at three planes of Blue flight on return to base. R/T clear, whine less noticeable than usual. 10/10 overcast on East-West line from Ramsey vicinity southward. 2/10 scattered cumulus over enemy territory that we covered. Moderate contrails from 25,000ft. Lt. Schillinger down Framlingham and Lt. Gonnam down Halesworth. [Two aborts listed in Squadron records Lt Dustin – oil leak covered windshield and Lt. Burlingame as escort.]

Major	William B.	Bailey	(Gp & Sqdn Ldr)
2nd Lt	Clifford F.	Armstrong
1st Lt	Jesse W.	Gonnam
1st Lt	Gordon L.	Willits
1st Lt	James N.	Poindexter	(Flt Ldr)
1st Lt	Herman	Herfurth	(Gp HQ)
2nd Lt	Richard V.	Keywan
1st Lt	Leslie P.	Cles
Capt	Charles J.	Hoey	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Joseph A.	Schillinger
1st Lt	Robert P.	Geurtz
2nd Lt	William S.	Marchant
Capt	Thomas J.	Forkin	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Harry H.	Dustin
1st Lt	Gordon S.	Burlingame
2nd Lt	Maurice	Morrison

Group Aborts:

42-8379	ABT oil   leak	YJ-H	Lt.   Dustin?
42-7972	ABT gas   fumes	YJ-P

Mission#57 December 23, 1943 – Target: Gilze-Rijen Airfield Thunder Bombing

Date: Dec 23, 43

Dispatched: 44 Aborts: 0 Mission: Thunder Bombing Field Order: 37(wg)

Time Up/Down: 09:04 hrs 11:06 hrs Leader: Lt Col Duncan

Target: Gilze Rijen

Claims Air: 00-00-00 Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 00-00

Group made L/F between Schouwen and Walcheren Islands at 09:50 hrs at 25,000ft with 56th Group acting as top cover. 350th and 352nd Squadrons carried bombs, 351st acted as close escort. Course flown to Gravesend where right turn was made. Due to cloud, Group flew beyond airfield. Turn was made to the right and both Squadrons made their bomb run on planned courses, 350 Squadron from SW to NE, 352 Squadron from SE to NW starting their dive from about 14,000ft to 15,000ft. 350th releasing bombs from 5-6,000ft, 352nd releasing about 8,000ft. Inasmuch as cloud covered part of the airfield 352nd had to dive thru cloud on their planned bomb run. Angle of dive 45 to 50 degrees, some flights up to 80 degrees. Group pulling up to about 12,000ft and then climbing up to 15,000ft on way out and came out enemy coast as planned at 10:23 hrs. 26 x 500GP fused 1/25 sec nose, 1/100 sec tail and one cluster of 30 x 20 fragmentation bombs were used. 5 bombs brought back to base (one because of mechanical failure, 4 due to failure to see target because of cloud). Bomb results seemed to be well concentrated on airfield; majority of bombs in dispersal areas with 5 bursts on airfield proper, 3 bursts in field south of airfield, 2 bursts on road to the NW and one north western part of canal. Included in these hits was one direct hit on building believed to be station HQ, where large smoke ring came up after bursts. Two direct hits on buildings in SE dispersal, two columns of black smoke seen to come up, 3 hits on runways, and one hit on rail road track to the northwest. No flak encountered until last 2 flights of second bomb squadron attacked, when 12 bursts seen at 6-8,000ft to the right. 20-30 bursts seen behind Group coming up to approx. 25,000ft. No e/a seen. Parker control poor probably due to jamming. Lt Col. Duncan, Capt. Stafford, Lt. Thistlethwaite and Lt. Herfurth of Group participated.

350th: Lt Col Duncan. T/U 09:05 hrs. T/D 10:55 hrs. Total flight time 1:50 hrs. R/V with fighter escort off continental coast in vicinity of Dutch Islands. Proceeded to target on course and entered bomb run from south to north. Hits seen in all dispersal areas. One large building seen destroyed in NW dispersal. No e/a encountered. Fighter support excellent. Weather: Channel overcast – very few breaks – some for continental coast. Clear area on route to target and over target. Contrails above 25,000ft. Air to air. Visibility excellent. Air to ground excellent over target. Bombs: 15 500lb NF 1/25 TF 1/100. 1-5 Cluster, 6 Frag each. Entered dive about 16,000ft, pulled out 7,000 ft.

Lt Col	Glenn E.	Duncan	(Sqdn Ldr)
1st Lt	John L.	Devane
1st Lt	William W.	Odom
1st Lt	John	Zolner
Capt	Wilford F.	Hurst	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Richard A.	Stearns
1st Lt	Melvin P.	Dawson
		Unknown
Capt	Dewey E.	Newhart	(Flt Ldr)
1st Lt	Francis T.	Walsh
1st Lt	William J.	Price
2nd Lt	Chauncey	Rowan
1st Lt	Charles W.	Dinse	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	John H.	Winder
1st Lt	Wayne K.	Blickenstaff
1st Lt	Charles O.	Durant

351st: Capt Pidduck. T/U 09:00 hrs. T/D 11:15 hrs.  Total flight time 2:15 hrs. Route: In Schouwen Islands, S of Dordrecht, target out between Walcheren and Schouwen Islands. Squadron made landfall at Schouwen Island, altitude 27,000ft at 09:53 hours. Continued on course flying as close top cover, slightly arrears, to the 350th and 352nd bombing squadrons. Made a left orbit south of Dordrecht and flew SE passing over the target. Squadron then made a right turn and swept in from the south over the target. Squadron then made a right turn and swept in from the south over the target area, making left turn and taking up position to rear of bombing Squadrons. Left coast between Walcheren and Schouwen Islands at 10:27 hrs, 17,000ft. One hit was seen on south end of runway running from northwest to southeast. Several hits were seen in open field south of runway running from northeast to southwest. 3 hits were seen in dispersal area w of the field. 3 more hits seen in dispersal area E of field. No flak seen going in or out of the coast and only a few bursts seen over the target area.

Capt	Stanley R.	Pidduck	(Sqdn Ldr)
1st Lt	Harry F.	Hunter
2nd Lt	William T.	Thistlethwaite	(Gp HQ)
2nd Lt	Lloyd A.	Thornell
1st Lt	Vernon A.	Leatherman
2nd Lt	Irving	Toppel
1st Lt	William J.	Maguire
Capt	Vic L.	Byers
2nd Lt	Jack	Terzian
Capt	Charles L.	Stafford
2nd Lt	Harry D.	Milligan
1st Lt	David C.	Kenney
2nd Lt	Don M.	Hurlburt
2nd Lt	Richard D.	Stanley

352nd: Major Bailey. T/U 09:05 hrs. T/D 10:50 hrs. Total flight time 1:45 hrs. Squadron took off 20 minutes later than planned as planes in our Squadron and the 351st [sic], the other Squadron which was carrying the bombs were not completely serviced. Made landfall as scheduled at 09:54 hrs, on course and proceeded as planned until about 5 miles before the I/P when a shallow right turn was made which brought us out SW of the target. The field was then called in by Lt. Burlingame, and out Squadron turned to the right and flights went into their dive in directions varying from NE to SE. Dives were started at altitude of 14,000ft and planes pulled out at altitudes from 5,000ft to 8,000ft. Sighting of the field and selecting targets was made particularly difficult by a middle layer of clouds extending from 9,000ft to 11,000ft. The following bomb results were observed: 3 hits in#7 area, 4 hits in #5 area, 1 in the S end of the NS runway, 1 in the N end of the NS runway, 1 in the railroad tracks just N of the field, 1 in the canal just outside the village NW of airdrome.  5 A/C failed to bomb for the following reasons: Blue flight – inability to find target, Yellow#3 – failure of bomb release. All five bombs were brought back to base. Moderate, medium and heavy flak accurate for altitude over the target area. Made landfall out at 10:23 hrs. Air to air transmission good. Boyhood control exceptionally poor due to jamming.

Major	William B.	Bailey	(Sqdn Ldr)
2nd Lt	Edison G.	Stiff
1st Lt	Jesse W.	Gonnam
1st Lt	Gordon L.	Willits
Capt	Raynor E.	Robertson	(Flt Ldr)
1st Lt	Herman	Herfurth	(Gp HQ)
1st Lt	James N.	Poindexter
2nd Lt	Hildreth R.	Owens
Capt	Thomas J.	Forkin	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Harry H.	Dustin
1st Lt	Edward M.	Fogarty
2nd Lt	William S.	Marchant
Capt	Wilbert H.	Juntilla	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Donald J.	Corrigan
1st Lt	Gordon S.	Burlingame
2nd Lt	Wilton W.	Johnson

No Group Aborts/Early Returns/Damaged/Lost

Harrison J. Wakely – September 15, 1923 to March 6, 2013. Veteran of the 1260th MP Company.

Ash Gant writes with the sad news that we have lost another veteran of the 353rd Fighter Group. Harrison J. Wakely, a former Pfc with the 1260th Military Police Company, passed away March 6, 2013 aged 89. You can visit his obituary site for further details HERE.

Harrison came back to Raydon on several occasions and Ash took time to record his memories of his wartime service. They are a wonderful evocation of a time now passed and a reminder that the 353rd as an organisation was more than the pilots and planes. The following post is with condolences to the family of Harrison and with thanks to Ash for his efforts to record the history of the 353rd and for sharing it here with us in memory of his late uncle.

PFC Harrison J. Wakely – 1260^th MP Company Memoir 

These recollections were written up following an interview with Harrison when he visited Raydon in 1999 for the 353FG reunion. They are written in the order that the interview followed.

Pfc Harrison J. Wakely of the 1260th MP Company on guard in the sentry box near Gt Wenham church. (Gant)

I was inducted 22/1/1943 and drafted a week later on 29/1/1943. Our initial posting was to Little Falls Army Camp in Minnesota for 5 months intensive training. Our basic training covered various aspects of MP’s work including learning to ride a motorcycle, traffic control, riot control and use of firearms. I qualified as a rifleman which nearly had serious repercussions for me later in the war as I will mention in due course.

Once we’d completed our training I (Military Policeman 677) and the company transferred to New Jersey. At this time we were a fully operational unit and received orders that we were to be posted to the UK in the ETO. We left Newark, New Jersey on 8 October 1943 and arrived in Liverpool on 20 October 1943 after 14 days in convoy. The trip was largely uneventful. Upon arrival in the UK we received further training and were posted initially to Goxhill on the River Humber. I then had spells at Leiston (where there were no flying units but we oversaw construction work), Bottisham and finally Metfield in Suffolk where the 353FG were based at the time. By this time the company had been reduced in number from about 100 men down to 60, the remainder being re-assigned to other bases and/or units.

The 1260th MP Company at Raydon during 1944. Harrison Wakely is immediately to the right of the white star. (Gant)

The company structure was split into three smaller companies each being allocated to a different base. Detachment A were assigned to Raydon and Detachment B to Leiston. I cannot recall where Detachment C were sent. The chain of command within the company was Captain, Lieutenant, Staff Sergeant, Sergeant and Corporal. I was promoted to acting Corporal at the end of hostilities when the base was being closed down.

Our duties in England were many and varied. In addition to the routine daily duties there were other tasks that we had to fulfil. The MP’s were split into three 8 hours shifts so at any time there would be around 20 of us on duty. The shifts were 6-2, 2-10 and the ‘Night Shift’ 10-6. During a shift you might be on duty at one of the 3 main gates onto the base or on the dispersal areas guarding the aircraft. Motorcycle patrols were also carried out frequently around the base and in particular the ammo and bomb dump areas which were more remote. It was during a motorcycle patrol around the ammo dump that I slid off on a patch of ice, fortunately avoiding injury other than a dent to my pride. The Harley Davidsons that we used were however very heavy to lift from a horizontal position. Other duties we performed included escorting the Group Finance Office into Ipswich where the bank handling the 353FG’s finances was located; this was one of the first tasks that I carried out when I arrived at Raydon. We also provided escort for the weekly garbage run to the US dump located near Manningtree station. This run was usually carried out by American prisoners and our main job was to make sure they didn’t escape or go AWOL. Similarly we had to accompany and guard prisoners who were taken to the American hospital in Braintree.

On base one of our duties was to provide a guard on the door at the Red Cross Club on dance nights to prevent the men leaving with local girls which wasn’t always successful. One of our more dangerous jobs was when the group were flying P-47’s on ground attack missions. They frequently returned with bombs that had failed to release or ‘hung up’ but the jolt on landing would often dislodge them and they would drop onto the runway. If this did happen we were instructed to secure the area and guard the bombs until they were dealt with – not a popular job!

Another unpopular though necessary duty was to guard any crashed aircraft which often still had the bodies of crewmen inside them. Our MP’s were responsible for crashes in the vicinity of Raydon but extending South to Boxted, West to Sudbury, East to the coast and North to Wattisham. If the crash crews from those bases were already dealing with an incident then we would provide cover and vice versa. One crash that sticks in my mind is the 446BG B-24 that came down in the middle of Capel St Mary, fortunately without loss of life. My future wife Doreen, her sister Margie and friends Joy and June bought Fish and Chips in the village and sat and ate them underneath a large part of the plane to keep dry – even though there were still 3 tons of bombs on board! I also recall the P38 crash just after D-Day. The P38 was ‘rat-racing’ with one of our P-47’s and hit the ground right in the middle of the barracks that the MP’s had been living in until only the previous day. We had fortunately moved to the site opposite the Queen Public House in Great Wenham – my new hut was the nearest to the Pub.

Another shot of the 1260th MP Company in 1944. This time Harrison Wakely is to the immediate right of the telephone pole. (Gant)

There were very few law and order problems at Raydon; the main offenses being drinking and traffic violations. Security on the gates was however tight and access was via a system of passes. Civilian workers had to show their passes to get on and off the base. We liaised regularly with the local Police but generally there were few problems. Off base we would carry a .45 pistol and on base an M1 carbine. We would usually send a couple of MP’s into Ipswich and Colchester to patrol the streets and keep a check on American servicemen going into the towns but again there were no real problems to speak of.

Around the time of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, most of the riflemen from the MP companies were drafted into the infantry under the Infantry Replenishment Program. Because I was due to get married I avoided the draft and believe I was the only qualified rifleman to do so. I know that several men went from Raydon and that some were wounded but don’t know any specific details. I do recall we lost one member of the MP company while based at Raydon but cannot recall how or why he died.

The base was virtually underneath the flight path of the V1 flying bombs launched from France and we had several land near the base although none actually hit us. I do remember a V2 rocket breaking up in the air above us and falling to earth about 15 miles away; several men had pieces as souvenirs and we would watch the rocket trails as they passed high overhead.

At the end of the war I remained at Raydon and oversaw the closing down of the base. At this time I was promoted to Acting Corporal and was one of the last personnel to leave the base. At this time I transferred to 66FW HQ at Sawston Hall near Cambridge under the command of Commander General Woodbury who was from New Hampshire. At this time we were being prepared for possible assignment to the Pacific Theatre following the assault on Okinawa but luckily the war ended shortly afterwards and this never happened.

We were transferred in early 1946 to Bury St Edmunds/Rougham which was a transit camp for US personnel returning home. I very nearly never made it home as one night the truck I was travelling in left the road and overturned but fortunately no serious injuries resulted. We finally left the UK via Southampton in late January 1946 and arrived in the US on 2 February 1946 at which time I was demobbed at Fort Devens, Massachusets.

Harrison returned to Raydon on several occasions after the war as his wife Doreen’s family remained in the area. His final visit to the UK was when he attended the 1999 reunion at Raydon where to his surprise he was asked to sign many autographs.

Harrison J. Wakely at the Raydon Wings Airshow and reunion in 1999. The Thunderbolt was painted black and yellow especially for the day! (Gant)

Mission#56 December 22, 1943 – Target: Osnabruck. The Loss of 1st Lt. Leroy W. Ista, 352nd Fighter Squadron.

Date: Dec 22, 43

Dispatched: 50 Aborts: 3

Mission: Target support to 240 B-17’s, 1st Div and 120 B-24’s, 2nd Div.

Field Order: 207 Target: Osnabruck

Time Up/Down: 12:30 hrs     15:28 hrs Leader: Major Rimerman

Claims Air: 01-01-00 Claims Ground: 00-00-00 Lost/Damaged: 01-01

Group informed by Controller soon after takeoff that the bombers were 10 minutes late. Later informed only 3 minutes late. Bombers seen to the north and south of Group in Channel. R/V with the bombers believed to be in the vicinity of Bentheim, 13:45 hrs. 350th right, 351st left, 352nd top and rear. Proceeded with bombers over target leaving them at approximately 14.20 hrs after another P-47 group R/V’d with bombers. L/F in and out unknown due to overcast. What was believed to be vicinity of Rheine 10+ greenish gray Me109s came from 11 o’clock, thru 351st formation. Group leader turned on them immediately [and they] rolled over and went down. However, blue flight managed to engage and destroyed a Me109. One P-47 damaged in the engagement but managed to bring plane home category AC. Two B-24s were seen to go down just after the target. One caused by Me109 colliding with the B-24 clipping off 10 to 15 feet of its wing. One P-38 seen smoking in vicinity of Saerbeck. Just after R/SS [?], 3 B-17 seen circling with wheels down. Moderate flak over target and at coast on way out. Two boxes of B-17s, considerably ahead, 4 flying well back of 1^st TF. Two trails of blue gray smoke burst at our altitude were seen in target area. Enemy tactics: Several mixed S/E A/C from IP to target attacking bombers from below, rolling over, firing, then going down. 8+ E/A seen making beam attacks on bombers, coming underneath wing and coming up on the other side. These E/A were attacked by 350^th Squadron and driven off, but no claims resulted. Wakeford White flight was bounced while at 30,000ft by 3 Me109s. The e/a fired and continued down in a steep dive. Contact on “C” channel made with both fighters and bombers. Radio whine as usual but reception good. Lt. Ista 352nd MIA. Lt. Herfurth, Lt Thistlethwaite and Major Rimerman of Group participated.

1 Me109 destroyed Capt. Lefebre 351st Fighter Squadron.

1 Me109 probably destroyed 1st Lt Sperry 352nd Fighter Squadron.

350th: Capt Pidduck. T/U 12:39 hrs. T/D 15:25 hrs. Total flight time 2:46 hrs. Scheduled course: L/F at 13:23 hrs to Alt at 13:33 hrs to R/V (target Osnabruck) at 13:55 hrs to Alte Piccadie (withdrawal) at 14:11 hrs to home 15:14 hrs. R/V was made with bombers early about 13:37 hrs. Squadron took up escort position on right side of bombers. Approximately 10 Me109s and a few FW109s came out of cloud and started making attacks upon low box of bombers from underneath. By the time the Squadron got in position to break up attacks, the bombers started dropping bombs. The e/a came in again as soon as bomber left target, and Capt. Pidduck and Capt. Newhart wheeled their flights into the Me109s. Nobody could get e/a into position for burst. Capt. Newhart saw Me109 run into a B-24, cutting off his wing. No chutes were seen. Capt. Pidduck saw another B-24 go down as a result of e/a as no flak visible. Lt. Devane sustained battle damage on his ship probably as a result of .50 cal bullets from the B-24s when he followed an Me109 under the bombers. No rocket attacks were observed. One P-47 seen to dive vertically into cloud. The P-38s were seen in vicinity of target. Weather: 10/10 overcast over enemy territory. Cloud layers stacked up as high as 24,000ft. Flak: negligible. [Lt Mueller, flying the spare on the mission with Lt Stump of the 351st, was hit in wheel well by small arms fire while returning on the deck, both landed at Manston].

Capt	Stanley R.	Pidduck	(Sqdn Ldr)
1st Lt	John L.	Devane		LH-?	42-8392
1st Lt	William W.	Odom
1st Lt	Tom	Lorance
1st Lt	Wayne K.	Blickenstaff
2nd Lt	Robert S.	Hart
1st Lt	Melvin P.	Dawson
1st Lt	Roland N.	McKean
Capt	Dewey E.	Newhart	(Flt Ldr)
1st Lt	Francis T.	Walsh
1st Lt	William J.	Price
2nd Lt	Richard A.	Stearns
1st Lt	Charles W.	Dinse	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	John H.	Winder
1st Lt	Robert N.	Ireland
2nd Lt	Chauncey	Rowan
2nd Lt	William F.	Tanner	(Spare)
1st Lt	Charles O.	Durant	(Spare)
2nd Lt	Carl W.	Mueller	(Spotter)	LH-?	42-8546

351st: Major Rimerman. T/U 12:20 hrs. T/D 15:28 hrs [Gp time as none available for 351st]. Total flight time 3:08 hrs.  Route: In Zandvoort to R/V target to Neuenkirchen, out Ijmuiden. Group led by Major Rimerman took off at Metfield at 12:30 hrs. Made landfall Zandvoort at 13:23 hrs, at 25,000ft. Ground check points problematical because of complete overcast. Proceeded on course, making R/V with rear box of bombers at 13:33 hrs. Passed on over these up to lead box, escorting them around the target, leaving bombers at 14:20 hrs. Crossed enemy coast out at Zandvoort area. Capt. Lefebre’s flight engaged 15 plus Me109s, which were making head on attacks on the bombers in Heerde area at 29,000ft, claiming one Me109 destroyed by Capt. Lefebre. Lt. Thornell, wing man to Capt. Lefebre, received a hit in the engine by an E/A, resulting in oil completely covering the canopy [it was shell cases from Lefebre’s guns that hit Thornell’s aircraft]. Pilot managed to bring plane home. One B-17 seen circling down, wheels down, just
after R/V. Many brilliantly colored E/A seen. Complete overcast over entire route. R/T usual. Flak on way out accurate for height, and closely trailing tail end of plane of Group leader. Lt. Stump, relay plane, down Manston.

Major	Ben	Rimerman	(Gp & Sqdn Ldr)
1st Lt	Harry F.	Hunter
2nd Lt	William T.	Thistlethwaite
F/O	Joseph E.	Wood
Capt	Frederick H.	Lefebre	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Lloyd A.	Thornell		YJ-K	42-8674
1st Lt	Gordon B.	Compton
2nd Lt	Don M.	Hurlburt
2nd Lt	Richard D.	Stanley
1st Lt	Vernon A.	Leatherman	(Flt Ldr)
1st Lt	David C.	Kenney
1st Lt	Francis N.	King
1st Lt	William J.	Maguire
Capt	Vic L.	Byers	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Jack	Terzian
2nd Lt	Edgar J.	Albert
2nd Lt	Harry D.	Milligan
1st Lt	George N.	Ahles
2nd Lt	Hassell D.	Stump

Capt. Lefebre reported:

At 29000ft 10 + Me109’s approached head on and passed to our right. I turned right into them. They broke down, but the first two pulled back up to the left. I closed to about 300 yards behind the second one and gave him a short burst from about 15 degrees astern.

He snapped violently to the right, as I saw strikes on the left wing. I gave a short burst as he rolled to the inverted position, and saw many strikes on the left wing root, fuselage and engine cowling. An instant later he burst into flames and trailed smoke as he disappeared in the clouds.

352nd: Capt Raynor Robertson. T/U 12:33 hrs. T/D 15:27 hrs. Total flight time 2:54 hrs. Target and withdrawal support to 1st Task Force. 1st Lt. Leroy W. Ista missing. Last heard calling for an emergency homing about 10 miles due east off the coast of Coltishall. Squadron led by Capt. Robertson believed to have made landfall as planned 13:23 hrs. Followed along the right side of the bombers and made actual R/V at 13:40 hrs, 10 minutes ahead of schedule. One of two unidentified S/E A/C seen to explode over 2nd box of B-24s of the 1st Task Force. Both boxes of B-24s were flying well back from the rest of the 1st Task Force, the trailing box being in a particularly spread out formation. We were flying over the bombers at about 30,000ft when the latter made a left turn over the target area. At this time three Me109s painted a mottled brown made a diving attack from an altitude of at least 5,000ft higher than ours. Lt. Sperry fired a short burst and the E/A broke down and away from the bombers [he made no claim though after assessment of his gun camera film he was awarded a probable destroyed]. Meager, inaccurate, heavy flak was fired at the bombers at the target area and two bursts of telephone pole flak rising to a height of about 30,000ft were also seen there. Immediately after the bombers made their second left turn after leaving Lt. Poindexter heard a call on “C” channel from the bombers who identified themselves as part of the 2nd Wing of B-24s. They said they were being attacked by E/A but we were then too low on gas to go to their aid. 2 B-24s were seen going down in a dive over the target area. About 10 minutes after leaving the target area two silver-black Me109s made one diving attack at a formation of B-17s but it is not believed that they inflicted any damage on the bombers. A solid overcast composed of low, middle and high clouds with tops up to 25,000ft prevailed over the entire area covered from the middle of the North Sea eastward.

Capt	Raynor E.	Robertson	(Sqdn Ldr)
1st Lt	Herman	Herfurth	(Gp HQ)
1st Lt	James N.	Poindexter
2nd Lt	Hildreth R.	Owens
Major	William B.	Bailey	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Clifford F.	Armstrong
1st Lt	Jesse W.	Gonnam	Landed at West Malling
1st Lt	Gordon L.	Willits
Capt	Charles J.	Hoey	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Wilton W.	Johnson	Landed at West Malling
1st Lt	Clinton H.	Sperry
2nd Lt	William S.	Marchant
Capt	Wilbert H.	Juntilla	(Flt Ldr)
2nd Lt	Donald J.	Corrigan
1st Lt	Gordon S.	Burlingame
2nd Lt	Richard V.	Keywan
1st Lt	Edward M.	Fogarty	(Spare)
1st Lt	Leroy W.	Ista	(Spare) W46	SX-L	42-22458
1st Lt	Leslie P.	Cles	(Spare)
2nd Lt	Maurice	Morrison	(Spare)

Returning from the mission Lt. Ista was reported as missing in action 10 miles off the Norfolk coast. It remains a mystery what exactly happened to him, though mechanical failure or shortage of fuel was the likely cause of his bailing out. A full Air Sea Rescue search was unable to find any trace of him. The flight leader, 1st Lt Edward M. Fogarty reported [MACR1539]:

After rendezvous with the bombers I took up high rear cover. After the second orbit to the left, Lt. Ista who had fallen behind started to catch up. I gave him a call and asked if he was all right, he answered, “Yes.” By the time I had turned 180 degrees he was up even with me and in good supporting position. I was watching the bombers and presumed that he had gotten out of position again and had joined another flight. When I was circling the base waiting to land, I heard him call for a homing. There was quite a few calls at the time and I am not sure whether his request for a homing was answered.

1st Lt. Leroy W. Ista (0-728668) from Walcott, North Dakota lost while returning from the December 22, 1943 mission. Lt Ista’s aircraft (SX-L 42-22458) was called “Stingeree” and had a wasp painted on the left side.

This plot from a good “fix” on Lt. Ista by Contollers shows how close he got to home (click for larger image).

Lt. Ista from Walcott, North Dakota flew 31 missions in his career with the 352nd FS and was awarded an Me109 destroyed on November 5, 1943. He received the DFC, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart. He is commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Military Cemetery, Madingley. You can see further details HERE.

Group Aborts/Early Returns/Lost/Damaged:

42-74706	ABT manifold pressure	YJ-N
42-22781	ABT manifold pressure	YJ-P Bar
42-8398	ABT radio out	LH-?
42-8674	BD Cat A	YJ-K
42-8392	FFBD Cat A	LH-?	Lt. Devane
42-8546	BD Cat A wheel well	LH-?	Lt. Mueller
42-22458	MIA	SX-L	Lt. Ista	“Stingeree”