Delivered Cheyenne 26/4/44; Hunter 4/5/44; Dow Fd 21/5/44.



Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK-F] Chelveston 2/6/44.

Detailed Hamm, Germany 9/8/44 with George Hogaboam, Co-pilot: Lee James, Navigator: Mark Neaudeau, Bombardier: Ira Beckman, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Abel Flores, Radio Operator: Bill Knightley, Ball turret gunner: John Jones, Waist gunner: Felix Gladden (8 Returned to Duty); Tail gunner: Bill Robertson (Prisoner of War); suffered battle damaged including control cables but limped back to base; Salvaged 21/9/44.



"On 9 August 1944, on a mission to Munich but was changed to Karlsruhe, Germany, we were attacked by fighter planes. Just after we released our bombs we took a direct hit to the tail and our plane went into a dive. I was tail gunner and the intercommunications was out, so when I saw other crew members preparing to bail out I jumped and was taken Prisoner of War (POW). The pilot was able to pull aircraft out of the dive and the navigator found all control cables to the tail were severed, the tail wheel was flat and the twin fifty caliber tail guns were demolished. With shoe strings and cables from the guns the navigator was able to make repairs that enabled them to get back and land in England. My crew was later shot down on 11 September 1944 and taken Prisoner of War (POW). Hogie's Heroes" - Billy R. Robertson