390th Bomb Group

Index

Date Posted
2013-04-29 18:50:14
Posted By
jeb stewart
Title
My Dad
Notes
does anyone remb my Dad SSG Joe C.Stewart Jr. Ball turret Gunner on the Gang Job?
Date Posted
2013-04-19 14:10:31
Posted By
Joss Leclercq
Title
memorial for the crew of B-17G 42-97295, 27th May 1944
Notes
Hello\r\n\r\nA memorial plaque will be unveiled for the crew of B-17G 42-97295, 571st B.S., 390th B.G., in the village of Ecques, in northern France; on 8th May 2013.\r\nThe crew was made of John R. Schoenig, Melvin P. Van Houten, John F. Schnee, John Czemerda, Clinton A. Davison, Charles T. McKalip, Thomas H. Lewis, Ralph S. Metcalf, Hyman Green and Alvin D. SPARKS.\r\n\r\nAny informations about these men welcome\r\n\r\nJoss Leclercq\r\n\r\nJossLeclercq AT orange.fr
Date Posted
2013-03-12 02:07:53
Posted By
dlmroz
Title
Stanley J. Mroz - 390th bombardment group 570th squadron
Notes
I am the grandson of Stanley J. Mroz who was a pilot of a B17 plane. He passed away in 2005. Before he passed, he spoke of his stories when he was on his missions. On his 10th and final mission, his plane was shot down. He parachuted down and was captured. He was a POW until the of the war. He has many pictures and patches from the war. I am trying to find anyone who knew his crew members. I heard his stories, but I was young. It\\'d be great to share our prospectives. I can be reached at 609.513.5971 or by way of email at dlmroz@udel.edu
Date Posted
2013-03-04 01:21:54
Posted By
Harold R. Beck
Title
our uncle of the crew of 229991 passed on feb. 18th 2013 AGE 95
Notes
I HAVE A PICTURE OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE SPENT 18 MONTHS IN CAMPS, ONE OF WHICH WAS STALUG LUFT 111 and others. Call isf you like. I live in minnesota and winter in new mexico. Harry (651) 253 6763.
Date Posted
2013-01-18 03:15:50
Posted By
Michael geers
Title
Son
Notes
My father was Henry B. Geers, he flew 25 combat missions as a Pilot of the aircraft \\"Yardbird\\". He passe away in 1997. I spent many hours listening to the stories of his experience fyling in the 569th squadron, 390th Bomb Group. I\\'d like to hear from anyone that knew him. My contact e-mail is gunny50@hotmail.com I am a retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant
Date Posted
2012-12-26 18:25:43
Posted By
Pete Minix
Title
World War vet.
Notes
???Are you a World War 2 Veteran or know someone who is????\r\nIn 1998, I began my project of collecting stories from World War 2 veterans and their families for the purpose of preserving and documenting information for future generations to learn. I would like to talk to any World War 2 veterans who are interested in sharing their stories. I would greatly appreciate it. The histories that I have been collecting and compiling over the last 12 years, all this information has been donated to the General Patton Memorial Museum.\r\n\r\nIf you are interested in sharing your story, please contact me.\r\nCell: 760-218-5512\r\nE-mail: pdmmm@msn.com\r\nSubject line: WW2 Veteran\r\n\r\nVery respectfully, \r\nProud to have served\r\nPeter D. Minix\r\nFormer SGT. U. S. Marine Corps\r\nFormer California Army National Guard Member
Date Posted
2012-12-05 03:46:11
Posted By
Skyler Altieri
Title
Harold J. Erickson
Notes
Harold was my grandfather. He was the pilot of a B-17 in which he usually called \\"Patches\\". I am looking for more information about his flight crew and if anyone is still around. I am also looking for a book that was written by George Jahnke who was also in my grandfathers crew. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Date Posted
2012-11-19 22:40:03
Posted By
Sharon Waldron
Title
Niece
Notes
Marion Edward Laird,Crew 47 Engineer?Top Turret Gunner, Passed away November 17, 2012. Obituary (http://moultrieobserver.com/obituaries/x1332332960/Marion Edward Laird) sunshinegrangran@aol.com
Date Posted
2012-11-08 16:55:35
Posted By
Charles Penick
Title
penick14
Notes
Helping S/Sgt Bob Homrich
Date Posted
2012-11-08 14:13:36
Posted By
btcarter
Title
How do I contact you to correct incorrect information?
Notes
Date Posted
2012-09-24 02:41:48
Posted By
Ellis B. McClintick
Title
Colonel, USAF Retired
Notes
Flew combat Tour as a B-17 Navigator during the period March to October 1944. I flew with the Leroy Holmberg Crew, the Clifton Brown Crew and the M. O. Hedrick crew. On June 4, 1944, on my last mission with the Holmberg Crew, we experieced a fire in the cockpit and had to bail out of \\"I\\'ll Be Around\\". B-17 #892.
Date Posted
2012-07-06 23:00:32
Posted By
Laurence R Gulick. Major, USAF Ret.
Title
Bombardier-DR Navigator B24,$66 Bomb Group
Notes
30 TOUGH missions.
Date Posted
2012-07-05 14:37:22
Posted By
Laurence R, Gulick
Title
Major USAFRet.
Notes
Mombardier.DR Navigator 466 Bomb Group
Date Posted
2012-07-05 14:14:47
Posted By
Laurence R, Gulick
Title
Major, USAFRet
Notes
466 Bomb Group, Attlebridge, England, 30 misssions
Date Posted
2012-04-05 00:43:29
Posted By
Joseph Obermaier
Title
Looking for crew members of my father
Notes
I am looking for crew members (and their family members) that flew with my father, Joseph Obermaier, Pilot, 390thBG, 569th, crew 47.\r\n\r\nHe never talked about the war and died in 1983. I have met two crew members at various reunions. They have told me bits and pieces about my father, which I am forever grateful. However, one of them passed away a few years ago. I\\'m sure (and hope) there are other crew members still alive out there.\r\n\r\nThe next 390th reunion is September 2012 in St. Louis. I urge all of you to go. It might be the last one. \r\n\r\nMany thanks
Date Posted
2012-03-02 20:27:03
Posted By
rcrowther
Title
Uncle Al\\'s only mission.
Notes
My Uncle Al (SSgt Albert C. Widman) was one of the radio instructors for the 390 BG at Framlingham in the summer of 1943. When the regular radio operator for B-17 229991 got deathly sick with the flu, they grabbed Uncle Al for his first and only mission. Two ME-109s ripped their B-17 up and the whole crew bailed and wound up as POWs. Uncle Al was interned at Stalog Luft 17 until they were liberated in late spring of 1945. He sated in the Army for 26 years, rising to the rank of Command Sgt Major. He died in November 2010 at age 93.
Date Posted
2012-01-21 17:07:42
Posted By
Loren Douglas Meigide
Title
30 November 1944 Merseberg mission
Notes
My uncle (and namesake) was the pilot of the B-17 \\'Mis behavin\\' on that mission over Merseberg. Since getting my hands on the MACRS report a few years ago, I read over and over the harrowing story about keeping the plane aloft after getting 2(3) of the 4 engines knocked out by flak, and several of the crew making it out of the plane. (The account I read said that a 3rd engine was out by the time Lt Meigide gave the order to abandon ship near Kessel.)\r\nAn amazing story indeed; one of thousands these guys went through that people may never know.\r\nI have often wondered whether I could run across any survivors from the crew or their descendants, so I am glad to see Mr. Standard\\'s post here to know there are others like me, who with the help of an organization like the 390th museum can ensure these heroes will not be forgotten.\r\nI plan on bringing my Dad, Norman Meigide to the reunion in March. He is Douglas\\' little brother, now just turned 80. He was 13 when his brothers plane went down, but for most of his life had to just wonder about what really happened, until I was able to get the report. I hope we can find out more, and maybe a way to reach out to others who knew these guys.
Date Posted
2012-01-07 23:37:18
Posted By
Joseph Standard
Title
30-Nov-44 Merseburg Mission
Notes
My father Joseph Standard was the bombardier on the Msbehavin when it was shot down on the Merseburg mission. He told me they took a flak hit which took out two of the engines and the plane started down. The Pilot Douglas Meigide & Co Pilot Pat Condon pulled the plane out of the dive somehow and they started heading back to the west. While they were falling in the dive the pilot told everyone to put on their chutes and my father said that he was bouncing around in the nose so bad that he could hardly get his chest chute on. AFter the pilot and co-pilot pulled the ship out of the dive my father looked down at his chute and relaized that he had put it on upside down so had they had to jump at that time he would have been in one hell of a mess. As they were flying west they were throughing everything that was not tied down out the windows trying to lightin the load but the plane kept losing altitude. The pilot told my dad and the Navigator John Kaufmann to get everyone out of the plane while they were still high enough to bail out. As they were getting closer to the ground there were clouds and the plane went into the clouds so they could not see the ground. All crew members were out of the plane except for my father, John Kaufmann, Pat Condon & Douglas Meigide. Knowing they were very low my father shook hands with John Kaufmann and they said they would see each other on the ground. My father steped out of the plane and pulled his chute at the same time. The chute opened, he swang up and when he swang back down he hit the ground. The Pilot Douglas Meigide, CoPilot Pat Condon and Navigator John Kaufmann never had a chance to get out of the plane as it crashed. Before my dad got his chute off the local Germans ran up and caught him and a officer came up and kicked my father in the ass. My father tried his best to hit the officer but a couple of other Germans stopped him. He told me he figures had the other soldiers had not stopped him the officer would have very likely shot him on the spot. But as luck would have it they did stop him. He was rejoined with three other memebers of his crew George Hartman (Tail Gunner), Frank Hudson(Eng. & top turret) and Ervin Sabel(waist gunner) and they were sent to a POW camp or camps for the remainder of the war. My father was told by one of the other crew members that Ball Turret gunner Dulanne Gunn\\'s shut never opened and Radio operator Forest Petterson was shot by the Germans after he got on the ground.
Date Posted
2011-12-29 19:45:06
Posted By
gwood4848
Title
Gone To Heaven
Notes
My father-in-law, Burt Lewis, told me this story years ago: \r\n\r\nBurt was a bomb/nav with the 569th BS, and manning the B-17 nose gun enroute to their German target. He was firing at an attacking ME-109 when a bullet or shrapnel penetrated the nose and exploded a fire bottle hanging on the bulkhead right behind him. He said that with the shock of the noise, blast of air, and the exploding fire bottle he was quite disoriented to say the least...however, when the fire bottle blew whatever the white contents of the bottle was, it sprayed all over his goggles and filled the area with white mist/powder...all he could see was white--he was sure that he was in heaven, and thought to himself in those brief seconds...\\"so this is what heaven looks like\\"....\r\n\r\nBurt will be 92 10 March...he still gets around well, has poor hearing, his eye sight has been surgically improved, he\\'s still a gentleman of gentlemen, but unfortunately the last few years have nearly erased his memory of his Air Force career...I\\'ll miss hearing that story from him, but 5 years ago I brought the movie Memphis Belle to him and with my then 16 year old son, his grandson, he was able at that time to bring to life many memories of those horrible missions over Germany...maybe not such a bad thing for him to forget.
Date Posted
2011-12-09 20:26:54
Posted By
albert
Title
Edwin H. Leonard
Notes
I am 77 years old and wanting to find out more about my older brother who died on November 30, 1943 when his plane went down in Germany on a mission to Solingen. This website has been helpful.