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Military
Nose art by Albert Knowles 458 BG. A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left to right) Carl Johnson - Nose Gunner, Chuck Frazer - Gunner, Charles Gretz - Top Turret Gunner, "Bubba" Monroe - Co-Pilot, (front row, left to right) Dick Eselgroth - Navigator, Al Miller - Bombardier, Billy Duke - Pilot "Luke" Lucas - Radio Operator, Baldamore Garcia - Engineer, "Pan" Panarese - Tail Gunner . Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: 'Crew 22, 458th Bomb Gp. 754th Squadron, Horsham Jan 1945.'
A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left to right) Carl Johnson - Nose Gunner, Chuck Frazer - Gunner, Charles Gretz - Top Turret Gunner, "Bubba" Monroe - Co-Pilot, (front row, left to right) Dick Eselgroth - Navigator, Al Miller - Bombardier, Billy Duke - Pilot "Luke" Lucas - Radio Operator, Baldamore Garcia - Engineer, "Pan" Panarese - Tail Gunner . Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: 'Crew 22, 458th Bomb Gp. 754th Squadron, Horsham Jan 1945.'
A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left to right) Carl Johnson - Nose Gunner, Chuck Frazer - Gunner, Charles Gretz - Top Turret Gunner, "Bubba" Monroe - Co-Pilot, (front row, left to right) Dick Eselgroth - Navigator, Al Miller - Bombardier, Billy Duke - Pilot "Luke" Lucas - Radio Operator, Baldamore Garcia - Engineer, "Pan" Panarese - Tail Gunner . Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: 'Crew 22, 458th Bomb Gp. 754th Squadron, Horsham Jan 1945.'
On 22 February 1945, Monroe's B-24 (serial number 44-10491) nicknamed "The Iron Duke" was hit by flak during a mission to Peine. Monroe successfully bailed out of the aircraft but was captured by two policemen after landing near Bieber.
As he was being taken to Offenbach police headquarters, Monroe and his captors took shelter in a fire station after an an air raid warning sounded. Also taking shelter were the assistant police director, Josef Kiwitt, fire chief, Paul Nahrgang, and two of his assistants, Bernard Fay and Phillip Hammann. During a quiet conversation with his men Kiwitt ordered Monroe shot.
Despite being surrounded, his captors later testified that Monroe struck Fay and 'began to escape' wearing his heavy flying suit and fur-lined boots. After Fay sounded the alarm, Hammann who was carrying a rifle, fired three shots at Monroe, killing him instantly.
The next day Monroe's body was then taken to Offenbach police headquarters and buried at the Cemetery at Muhlheim. Upon its rediscovery in March 1946 it was clear that Monroe had not been killed in the crash as previously believed. His captors were tried at the Dachau War Crimes Trials in 1947.
Group
The 458th Bomb Group (H) entered combat with the 8th Air Force in February 1944. Based at Horsham St. Faith in England, the combat crews participated in the decisive Campaigns 'Big Week', 'Big B', D-Day and the assault on Germany's oil industry waged...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
Crash-landed 29 June 1944 at Horsham St Faith on return from Aschersleben mission after being hit by Anti-aircraft fire and set ablaze. The order to bail out was given, but before the fire was extinguished, two airmen bailed out due to failure of...
B-24 Liberator
Shot down 22 February 1945 on raid on marshaling yards at Peine, Germany. MACR 12675
Military site : airfield
Horsham St Faith was an RAF Bomber Command Station opened in June 1940. It was home to Bristol Blenheim medium-bombers, and was for a time occupied by fighters, including those of No. 19 Squadron and No. 264 Squadron. From September 1942 the airfield...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Batesville, Michigan | |
| Crashed | Bieber, 63073 Offenbach am Main, Germany | 22 February 1945 |
| Killed in action | Offenbach, Germany | 22 February 1945 |
| Lived in | Batesville, MS 38606, USA |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 19 February 2020 10:38:49 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to events, unit associations, place associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
MACR 12675 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 August 2018 14:22:58 | Emily | Changes to nickname, service number, biography, events, unit associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
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Records from the US Military Tribunal at Dachau, US POW cases, January- December 1947, at the Jewish Virtual Library, Case No. 12-2000 & 12-390A & 12-391 & 12-565 & 12-1872 & 12-1892 & 12-2127 & 12-2182 & 12-3188 (US vs. Jurgen Stroop et al) Tried 21 Mar. 47 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:03:53 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Page 279 of the book LIBERATORS OVER NORWICH by Mackay, Bailry & Scorza, 2010, D790G4582010 & 458bg.com (detailed info including story of final mission) |
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