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 Crew of
E-Z Goin' after 7 Apr 45 mission to Buchen (left to right)
Standing: Ralph E. Spada, Matthew Schipper,
Alfred Collins, Paul Gerling
Joe Carl Martin - Pilot, Antonio Picone, Henry Cervantes
Kneeling: William E. Dudecz, Norman Larson
100th BG Photo Archives
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1st Lt Joe Carl Martin |
P |
FEH |
|
|
F/O Henry Cervantes |
CP |
FEH |
|
|
Lt Antonio Piccone |
NAV |
FEH |
|
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S/SgtWilliam E. Dudecz |
TTE |
FEH |
|
|
S/Sgt Celeste Rossi |
BTG |
FEH |
(served as Tog on Lt Ralph Litaker Crew) |
|
S/Sgt Norman Larsen |
ROG |
FEH |
|
|
S/Sgt Ralph E, Spada |
TOG |
FEH |
|
|
S/Sgt Matthew Schipper |
WG |
FEH |
|
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S/Sgt Paul Gerling |
TG |
FEH |
|
This crew joined the 349th Sqdn in January 1945.
S/Sgt. Alfred S. Collins (from the J. W. Thrasher crew) flew with
this crew as BTG.
Following is a list of the 26 combat missions the "Joe Martin Crew"
flew. (Courtesy of Henry Cervantes)
|
Nbr |
Date |
Target |
|
01 |
2/19/1945 |
Munster |
|
02 |
2/20/1945 |
Nurnburg |
|
03 |
2/21/1945 |
Nurnburg |
|
04 |
2/25/1945 |
Munich |
|
05 |
2/26/1945 |
Berlin |
|
06 |
3/02/1945 |
Dresden |
|
07 |
3/03/1945 |
Brunswick |
|
08 |
3/04/1945 |
Ulm |
|
09 |
3/08/1945 |
Langendreer |
|
10 |
3/09/1945 |
Frankfurt |
|
11 |
3/10/1945 |
Dortmund |
|
12 |
3/14/1945 |
Seelze |
|
13 |
3/15/1945 |
Oranienburg |
|
14 |
3/18/1945 |
Berlin |
|
15 |
3/19/1945 |
Fulda |
|
16 |
3/21/1945 |
Plauen |
|
17 |
3/24/1945 |
Steenwijk Airfield, Holland |
|
18 |
3/24/1945 |
Ziegenhain Airfield, Holland |
|
19 |
3/28/1945 |
Hanover |
|
20 |
3/30/1945 |
Hamburg |
|
21 |
3/31/1945 |
Zeitz |
|
22 |
4/03/1945 |
Kiel |
|
23 |
4/04/1945 |
Kiel |
|
24 |
4/06/1945 |
Leipzig |
|
25 |
4/07/1945 |
Buchen (Rammed at 15, 000 feet) |
|
26 |
4/20/1945 |
Oranienburg (Flew EZ Goin', the rammed B-17) |
CHOWHOUND MISSIONS:
|
Date |
Food Drop Target |
|
5/03/1945 |
BERGEN, HILVERSUM |
|
5/05/1945 |
BERGEN, AF, HILVERSUM, BAARN |
FERRY MISSONS:
|
Date |
Mission |
Destination |
|
6/03/45 |
DP/POW FERRY MISSION |
AUSTRIA |
|
6/04/45 |
GREEN SUPPORT MISSION |
CASABLANCA |
|
6/12/45 |
GREEN SUPPORT MISSION |
CASABLANCA (returning 13 June, 1945 from
Port Lyantey) |
As for the support missions dates in question my Form 5 records
indicate the following:
|
Date |
Landings |
Flying time |
|
5/3 |
1 |
3:30 (Chowhound) BERGEN, HILVERSUM
|
|
5/5 |
1 |
3:15 (Chowhound) BERGEN, AF, HILVERSUM,
BAARN |
|
6/3 |
3 |
9:15 DP/POW FERRY MISSION LINZ, AUSTRIA |
|
6/4 |
2 |
15:43 CASABLANCA, Ferrying GI's |
|
6/12 |
3 |
9:10 CASABLANCA Ferrying GI's |
|
6/13 |
1 |
6:00 (returning from Port Lyantey |
I believe the record to be in error. I know that we went to Linz at
least twice because I have a photo taken with a French Lt. Colonel.
I also have others taken on another date of French civilians
preparing to board our B-17. As for flights to Morocco; I believe
that we flew 15:43 and made 3 landings on our first flight down
there. As I remember it, 27 GI’s came aboard. Then, because the
Spaniards would not allow our bombers to over-fly Spain, we had to
go to Marseilles, cross the sea to Oran then backtrack along the
Atlas Mountains to Casablanca where we dropped-off the troops. We
then flew 90 miles north to a Navy base at Rabat to RON (which
accounts for the 3 landings). At Rabat, the Commander restricted all
B-17 crews to the base (they were from both the 8th and 15th Air
Forces). Nevertheless, a friend and I sneaked off to town. (I have
photos). Overnight the Spaniards lifted the restriction and allowed
us to over-fly Spain and return directly to England. I do not
believe that our crew stayed over night in Morocco after that one
time although I do believe we landed at Port Lyantey at least once.
I leave it to you folks to sort out the details.
Best wishes, Hank Cervantes, CP on Lt Martin Crew
7 APR 1945 Buchen -- one of the last raids on Germany and on the
crews 25th mission, the aircraft 43-38514, "E-Z GOIN'" was involved
in a mid-air collision with an ME-109. Crew managed to bomb target
and return to Thorpe Abbotts despite the loss of parts of the
vertical fin and the horizontal stabilizer. This is the aircraft
pictured on the front cover of "CENTURY BOMBERS" by Le Strange and
Brown.
Crew on Board 7 APR 1945
|
J. C. MARTIN |
P |
|
H. CERVANTES |
CP |
|
A. N. PICONE |
NAV |
|
R. E. SPADA |
TOG/NG |
|
W. E. DUDECZ |
TTE |
|
N. E. LARSEN |
ROG |
|
A. S. COLLINS |
BTG FROM JACK THRASHER CREW. REPLACED
CELESTE ROSSI |
|
M. SCHIPPER |
WG |
|
P. R. GERLING |
TG |
-end-
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