George Asprocolas
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
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761
25 December 1944
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Crew #551 Seward M. Meinstma Crew Standing Left to Right: Jack Veach (R/O), George Wood (BTG), William Osborne (NG), John O'Donnell (FE), Howard Wade (TG), Sherell Campbell (G) Kneeling Left to Right: Seward Meinstma (P), Donald Vanderwall (CP), Eugene Gjertsen (N), Harvey Levine (B) This crew completed a 35 mission tour. Gjertsen transferred to the Welsh Crew of the 784th BS at some point during the tour. Also Daniel Chadbourne replaced O'Donnell as Flight Engineer during the tour.
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Overall Missions Map for the 493rd BG - USAAF Station 152 -Debach, UK noting missions flown by the Lt Bernard E Vaughan Crew
Official description
Not yet known
Description
Not yet known
Mission details
1.
Description
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
2. AHRWEILER
Description
RAIL BRIDGE
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Major George Preddy, an ace from the 352nd Fighter Group is shot down and killed in his P-51 Mustang by Allied AA fire near Leige, Belgium just after scoring his 26th and 27th victories over enemy aircraft.
Mission Statistics
3. BAD KREUZNACH
Description
RAIL BRIDGE
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
4. BAD MUNSTER
Description
RAIL BRIDGE
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
5. BUDESHEIM
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
6. ELLER
Description
RAIL BRIDGE
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
7. HALLSCHLAG
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
8. HERMESKIEL SIMMERN
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
9. HILLESHEIM
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
10. KAISERSLAUTERN
Description
RAIL JUNCTION
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
11. MARMEGEN
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
12. MARSCHEID
Description
RAIL BRIDGE
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
13. MECHERNICH
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
14. MURLENBACH
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
15. NETTERSHEIM
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
16. PELM
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
17. PRONSFELD
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
18. PRUM
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
19. WAHLEN
Description
COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS
Aircraft type
Not yet known
Notes
Not yet known
Mission Statistics
Service
People
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Clarence Bitner
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 336BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. 24 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Holzwickede 23-Mar-45. Mid air collision with B-17 44-8754, crashed Campsea Ash, Suffolk. Killed in Action (KIA). Awards: AM (3OLC), GC, PH. -
Max Burrows
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
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Rolland Bushner
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 25th Bomb Group
Missions: 1944 - Aug 9 Saarbrucken; 12 Mourmelon sur Marne; 14 Dole/Tauaux/ 16 Madgeburg; 24 Hanover; 26 Dulmen; 30 Mainz; Sep 9 Mainz; 10 Ulm; 11 Madgeburg; Oct 5 Lippstadt; 7 Madgeburg; 9 Koblenz; 22 Hamm; 26 Bottrop; 30 Hamburg; Nov 5 Karlsruhe; 10... -
James Castellano
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 389th Bomb Group
James Castellano was Navigator on B-24 # 42-100372, shot down by fighters over Germany on the 25 December 1944 mission to Wahlen, Germany. Plane crashed near Règné, 10km SW of Vielsalm, Belgium. Prisoner of War (POW). -
Gabriel Chapra
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 95th Bomb Group
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Oral Chippeaux
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Oral Chippeaux was Pilot of B-24 # 42-100372, shot down by fighters over Germany on the 25 December 1944 mission to Wahlen, Germany. Plane crashed near Règné, 10km SW of Vielsalm, Belgium. Prisoner of War (POW). -
Orman Coffin
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 22 -
Thomas Cowan
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Thomas Cowan was Left Waist gunner on B-24 # 42-100372, shot down by fighters over Germany on the 25 December 1944 mission to Wahlen, Germany. Plane crashed near Règné, 10km SW of Vielsalm, Belgium. Killed In Action (KIA). -
Arl Cross
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Aircraft
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42-107047 The Doodle Bug
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 6/2/44; Grenier 3/3/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-M] Horham 17/3/44; with R.V. Mercer force landed Framlingham AFB 25/12/44 with engine failure; battle damaged Berlin 3/2/45 with H. Palmer; force landed Charleroi, Bel; 97m, repaired & ret... -
42-97093 I'll Get By
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/1/44; Kearney 14/2/44; Presque Is 20/2/44; Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-S] Framlingham 3/3/44 DOC'S FLYING CIRCUS, then GIRL OF MY DREAMS; on mission 21/7/44 with ? , Lt Sam Dubin (Killed in Action); severe icing during assembly for... -
42-97844
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 14/3/44; Kearney 13/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-R] Horham 20/4/44; with Glovik 7/10/44, Waist gunner: Chas Buda KIA; 97m, Missing in Action Frankfurt 9/3/45 with Bill Durant (Ouratt?), Co-pilot: Dwight King, Navigator... -
43-38333 Heavy Date
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/7/44; Kearney 31/7/44; Grenier 9/8/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-H] Horham 12/8/44; with C.E. Willis force landed A-82 Rouvres, Fr 20/2/45; 73m, crash landed base with ?, non op 6/5/45; ditched North Sea with Roger Sundin 26/5/45.... -
43-38393
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/44; Hunter 8/8/44; Dow Fd 30/8/44; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-V] Framlingham 2/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)... -
43-38617 New York Express
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/8/44; Hunter 7/9/44; Dow Fd 18/9/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-Q] Horham 19/9/44; with W.N. Dunwoody force landed Raydon afb, Suffolk 10/1/45; 80m, Returned to the USA Bradley 24/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45;... -
44-8144 Hell's Belle
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 27/6/44; Langley 27/7/44; Dow Fd 4/8/44; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-O] Horham 10/8/44; 336BS [ET-O], then 412BS [GW-O]; with W.V. Owen force landed Framlingham afb, Sfk 25/12/44; battle damaged Hamburg 30/3/45 with E.R. Parrish[wia];... -
44-14906 Cripes A' Mighty
P-51 Mustang
George E. Preddy was KIA in this a/c 25 Dec 44
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2014 18:43:08 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'. |
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