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2nd Lt. Lyman C. Fillingame

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Lyman C. Fillingame Crew (left to right)
Standing: Bill Morrow (WG), Chuck Gamble (TG), Don Halverson (CP), Phil Soto (TTE), Chuck Randall (BTG)
Kneeling: Walter Lewis (NAV), Homer Duke (ROG), Lyman Fillingame (P)
Picture taken in England (1945) - 100th BG Photo Archives

Lymen C. Fillingame
 
2ND LT LYMAN C. FILLINGAME P CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
2ND LT DONALD HALVERSON CP CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
2ND LT WALTER L. LEWIS NAV CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
2ND LT WILLIAM COOK BOM CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
CPL HOMER C. DUKE ROG CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
CPL PHILIP A. SOTO TTE CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
CPL CHARLES H. RANDALL BTG CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
CPL PAUL HRENKO WG CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
CPL WILLIAM D. MORROW WG CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR
CPL CHARLES L. GAMBLE, JR. TG CPT 18-Apr-45 STRAUBING, MY & TABOR

349th Sqdn. Crew, as above, joined the 100th on 27 Dec 44, Lt William Cook does not appear on the orders sending this crew to the 100th, but a letter from L. C. Fillingame (1982) to James R. Brown lists Cook as being on the crew. Crew flew first mission on 28 Jan 1945 and their thirtieth mission on 18 Apr 1945.

Mission Log of Lt Lyman C. Fillingame 1945 including additional notes from Sgt Philip Soto's Diary (mpf 2005):

1. 28 Jan 45 Target-Railroad bridge at DUISBURG, A/C # 608, Position: #3 in the High Flt of "A" (lead) Squadron Time: 6hrs-3hrs on oxy. Visual-light but accurate flak, six holes in ship-cracked left windshield & had to change right wing.

2. 29 Jan 45 Target-KASSEL, A/C # 805 "FLAMIN MAMIE" Position: #6 in 2nd element of "C" (Low) Squadron, Time: 6hrs 40 min-5hrs on oxy. Our squadron bombed last resort at Bielefled, flew two bomb runs-flak inaccurate, no holes.

3. 3 Feb 45 Target-Center of BERLIN, A/C# 532 "LITTLE SWEETHEART" Position: #3 in low flight of "C" (low) Squadron, Time: 7hrs 45min-4hrs oxy. Visual as hell and plenty of flak. 4 ships from our group went down including leader. We were leading 8th A.F. One ship barely missed us on its way down. No hits but it flaked me up plenty. Maj. Rosenthal shot down, hit hard and ended up in Russia.

4. 9 Feb 45 Target-WEIMAR, A/C# 681, Position: #3 on lead, "B" (High) Squadron, Time: 7hrs 15min. Factory-2nd Target, no flak-poor bombing-our bombs released late because of rack malfunction.

5. 14 Feb 45 Target-CHEMNITZ, A/C# 681, Position: #3 high flight of "A" (lead) Squadron, Time: 8hr 35min-5hrs on oxy. No flak over target-met another sqdn head-on in the soup about 2 minutes from target. Everyone peeled off in different directions and we dumped our bombs out of formation. Picked up flak coming back over lines and had holes in 2 "tokios" (additional fuel tanks in the wings that allowed longer range on the B-17F and G models, introduced in summer 1943…mpf)

15 Feb 45 PASS TO LONDON!

6. 19 Feb 45 Target-OSNABRUCK-MUNSTER (S.T.), A/C # 512, Position: #3 off lead, "B" (High) Squadron, Time: 5hrs 50min-3:30 on oxy. Marshalling yards-bombed Munster instead of Osnabruck. Group lost one ship, Heavy flak.

7, 20 Feb 45 Target-NURNBURG, A/C# 512, Position: #2 in low element of "C" (Low) Squadron, Time: 7hr 10min-2hr on oxy. Lost #2 engine and aborted about 50 miles inside Germany. No enemy opposition, thank goodness-Walt brought us home through the soup-got credit for mission.

8. 21 Feb 45 Target-NURNBURG, A/C# 166 "YO YO BUDDY/SILVER DOLLAR Jr", Position: #2 in low element of "C" (Low) Squadron, Time: 7hr 40min-3hrs on oxy. Heavy railroad repair machinery, PFF (radar equipped B-17G aircraft that allowed bombing in bad weather/cloud covered targets...mpf). Good mission and lots of flak-none hit us.

9. 23 Feb 45 Target-TREUCHTLINGEN, A/C# 514 J "E-Z-GOIN", Position: #6 in "B" (high) Squadron, Time: 8hrs 45min-4hrs on oxy. Marshalling yards, no flak-good results-bad weather on TO and landing. Alt. 16,000ft, instrument landing at base.

10. 24 Feb 45 Target-BREMEN, A/C# 015 N "HUNDRED PROOF", Position: #3 in "A" (high) Squadron, Time: 7hrs-4hrs on oxy. Bridge across Rhine, 8/10 overcast-large flak barrage but we turned just in the edge of it and only a couple of holes.

11. 25 Feb 45 Target-MUNICH, A/C# 514 J "E-Z-GOIN", Position: #2 in Low element of "C" (Low) Squadron, Time: 8hr 40min-4hrs on oxy. Marshalling yards in center of town. Visual bombing and plenty of flak, but no damage.

28 Feb 45 PASS TO LONDON!

12. 3 Mar 45 Target-BRUNSWICK, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position:#2 in low element of "A" (Lead) Squadron, Time: 7hr-2hr on oxy. Half-track factory, visual bombing-light flak, lost one ship from chaff force by fighters-good mission otherwise. Holes in nose and No. 4 engine with a loss of oil pressure, but made it back home.

13. 4 Mar 45 Target-ULM, A/C# 817, Position: #3 in low element of "C" low Squadron, Time; 8hrs 45 min. Secondary target, PFF, assembly over France, bad visibility & contrails.

14. 8 Mar 45 Target-LANGENDREER, A/C# 811 X, Position: #3 in High element, "B" (High) Squadron, Time: 7hrs-4hrs on oxy. Picked up some holes-element lead (Lebo) got hit and lead us always from formation (private tour).

15. 9 Mar 45 Target-FRANKFURT, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #3 in high element "A" (lead) Squadron. Time: 7hrs 10min-4hrs oxy. Me 262 plant, Lots of flak but no hits-one ship got over 100 holes. Maj. Martin lead-missed target.

16. 10 Mar 45 Target-DORTMUND, Position: #2 in low element of "C" (Low) Squadron, Time: 6hrs 30min-4:30 on oxy. Marshalling yards-PFF-Light Flak-no damage.

17. 23 Mar 45 Target-UNNA, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: 3rd element lead in "C" (Low) Squadron, Time: 6hrs 10min-3hrs on oxy. Marshalling Yards, light accurate flak-no damage-First time for 4 NINE ship squadrons & first element lead.

18. 24 Mar 45 Target-STEENWIJK Holland, A/C 811 X, Position: 3rd element lead in "D" (trailing low and behind "A" Squadron, Time: 5hrs 10min-2hrs oxy. Milk-run- no flak- bombed jet airfield at 13,000ft-had trouble with bomb racks and dropped bombs all over the Dutch and they (bombs) fell on bomb bay doors and smashed one of them.

19. 24 Mar 45 Target-ZIEGENHAIN, Holland, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: 2nd element lead in "B" (High) Squadron, Time: 6hrs-3hrs on oxy. Left our Base at 13:25 for 2nd mission of the day. Hit jet airfield, little flak-three holes-flew eleven hours today.

20. 28 Mar 45 Target-HANOVER, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #2 in low element of "A" (Lead) Squadron, Time: 7hrs 35min-5hrs on oxy. Marshalling yards-PFF-little flak-rugged weather.

21. 31 Mar 45 Target-ZIETZ, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #3 in lead element of "D" Squadron, Time: 8hrs-5hrs on oxy. Oil Target-Refinery. Plenty of flak-Plenty rough, Larson had #3 engine shot clean off- several holes.

22. 4 Apr 45 Target-KIEL, A/C# 945 "DUFFY'S TUFFYS", Position: #3 in low element of "C" (Low) Squadron, Time: 7hrs 10min. Submarine pens-moderate flak-Chuck got a nice one in the tail & close. Alarm bell hit by mistake on takeoff-Duke kicked waist door out-we completed the mission sans door.

5 Apr 45 PASS!

23. 8 Apr 45 Target-EGER, Czech, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #2 in lead element of "A" (lead) Squadron, Time: 8hrs 30 min-1:45 on oxy. Marshalling yards-no flak-fighters in area but didn't come in-bombed in Group Formation.

24. 9 Apr 45 Target-MUNICH, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #2 in lead element of "C" (low) Squadron, Time: 8hrs 30min. Airfield on the edge of town. Light flak-no damage-nice mission.

25. 10 Apr 45 Target-BURG-bei-MAGDEBURG, A/C# 811D (418th Sqdn) "BABY SWEET", Position: #3 &#2 in lead element of "D" Squadron, Time: 6hrs 50min. Jet Airfield near Magdeburg. Hit by Jet fighters but good, , Engine fire #2, Bombs hung up on left side, crash landed in England, no injuries.

26. 14 Apr 45 Target-ROYAN, France, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position:#2 in lead element of "A" (lead) Squadron, Time: 7hrs 30min-3rs on oxy. Naval guns and Cleaning out German pockets -no resistance.

27. 15 Apr 45 Target-ROYAN, France, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position:#2 in lead element of "B" (high) Squadron, Time 8hrs-3hrs on oxy. Same deal, except we carried first firebombs & assembled over France.

28. 16 Apr 45 Target-ROYAN, France, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #2 in lead element of "D" Squadron, Time: 7hrs 10min-2hrs 45min on oxy. Ditto except for no fire bombs-hit marshalling yards.

29. 17 Apr 45 Target-AUSSIG, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #2 in the lead element of "B" (high) Squadron, Time: 8hrs 40min-3hrs on oxy. Marshalling yards flew in soup over target & lead squadron made 3 runs.

30. 18 Apr 45 Target-STRUBING, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II", Position: #2 in Lead element of "A" (lead) Squadron, Time: 9hrs 10min-3hrs on oxy. Marshalling Yards-secondary target-no flak, two runs on target-sweated out fighters but they didn't come, thank goodness.

FINIS!!

We missed out on the last mission by the group, which was Oranienburg, near Big "B". They didn't alert us because we had flown seven out of ten days with a crash landing included. The whole crew came through together with the exception of Mike (?) not flying with us when we had a Bombardier. They all did a wonderful job-one to be proud of.

Chowhound Missions:

3 May 45 -Holland, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II" Alkmaar-flew chowhound mission & dropped food to the Dutch

Continental Express:

14 May 45 Tour of the Ruhr, A/C# 602 P "GRUMBLIN GREMLIN II"-Took a load of 12 G.I.'s on a low altitude tour. Good trip

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