349th Sqdn.

According to Nicholas O'Connor, the crew as above arrived at Thorpe Abbotts in Sept. 1943 and were assigned to the 349th Sqdn. See correspondence from O'Connor's son-in-law, Col. Terry Carlson (Jan. l990)

2nd Lt. Gerald R. Putnam POW 3/3/44 (with crew of R. H. Lohof while serving as the Command Pilot on the 03 March 44 Berlin Mission) Taps: 18 JUNE 1994 -- Highly respected and universally admired 100th Pilot who became the Operations Officer of the 349th Squadron.

It appears from records that this crew was assigned to two previous Bomb Groups prior to being assigned to the 100th BG. Records dated 23 Sep. 1943 that this crew was assigned to the 96th BG at Snetterton Heath. On 26 September 1943 we have the Putnam Crew being transferred to the 100th BG (but I believe they were sent to the 94th BG at Bury St. Edmunds due to next order). On 13 October 1943 Lt Putnam's Crew was transferred from the 94th BG to the 100th BG. This would be a permanent change of Station.

After about 20 missions, Putnam made Operations Officer of the 349th.

Name of their aircraft was "Murderer's Row" (named by Putnam for the batting order of the New York Yankee's). This ship was flown by R. D. Vollmer on 3/3/44 (Berlin) and shot down.

JANUARY 25, 1944. LT GERALD PUTNAM WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN-PULLED FROM PILOTING MISSIONS TO TRAIN FOR SQUADRON AND GROUP LEAD

POSITIONS. SEVEN MEMBERS OF CAPTAIN PUTNAM’S ORIGINAL "MURDERERS ROW" CREW COMPLETED THEIR 25 MISSIONS WITH OTHER CREWS AND WENT HOME. ROBERT TRUCOTTE, SEVERELY INJURED ON THE 8TH MISSION, REMAINED HOSPITALIZED FOR MONTHS AND EVENTUALLY RETURNED HOME WITHOUT FURTHER MISSIONS. SIDNEY ATHERTON WENT AWOL IN THE EARLY DAYS AT THORPE ABBOTTS.

Crew on the 3 Mar 44 Berlin mission (The 100th lost 3 A/C)

349th Sqdn. This crew was on its 23rd mission. See lost crews (J. G. Gossage & R. D. Vollmer) of 3 Mar 44 for more information on loss of this aircraft. MACR # 3022, Microfiche # 1022 A/C #42-31970

Capt Gerald R. Putnam, flying as Command Pilot, was the 349th's Operations Officer.

George W. Briggs died in a POW camp a few days before release was due . . . All ten men on the Putnam/Lohof Crew safely parachuted into northern Germany and were taken prisoner. George Briggs the tail gunner died while in captivity. Vollmer was on his 14th mission, flying Capt. Putnam’s original "Murderers Row". Five men on this crew were KIA, Vollmer and four others were taken POW.

S/Sgt George W. Briggs
All ten men on the Putnam/Lohof Crew safely parachuted into northern Germany and were taken prisoner. George Briggs the tail gunner died while in captivity. Vollmer was on his 14th mission, flying Capt. Putnams original "Murderers Row". Five men on this crew were KIA, Vollmer and four others were taken POW.

According to Dr. Leslie Caplan's M. D. * sworn affadavit in Minneapolis, MN on Dec 48 & Jan 48, he reports:

At 0200 on April 9, l945 at a barn in Wohlen, Germany, S/Sgt George W. Briggs (Ser #39 193 615, TG of the Capt Robert H. Lohof crew, (which crashed March 3, l944 @ Berlin), was suddenly overcome by violent shaking of the entire body & soon went into a coma.

This patient was sent to a German hospital. We were under the jurisdiction of POW Camp Stalag IIB & they voluntarily sent this patient to a hospital. This is in marked contrast to the treatment received when we were under the jurisdiction of Stalag Luft 4 when every hospitalization was either refused or granted after a long series of waiting for guards, waiting for permission to see Capt Weinert and awaiting his decision. In spite of the prompt hospitalization, this patient died on April 11, 1945. No doubt this death was largely caused by being weakened on the first march
while under the jurisdiction of Stalag 4.

*Dr. Leslier Caplan continued to help ex-prisoners of war until his death.

National Medial Research Committee
American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc.
1410 Adler Road
Marshfield, WI 54449

AMBC:
S/Sgt George W. Briggs, US Army Air Force, Service #39193615,
349th Bomb Sqdn, 100th Bomb Group. Entered the service from: Washington.
Buried at Row 37 Grave 12, Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupre, Belgium.
His awards are: The Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Hope this helps. Regards
Ken McPherson 8th AFHS.

Taps
GERALD R. PUTNAM 349th Dept. Operations Officer 18 June 1994, of cancer. On the 3 March 1944, mission to Berlin his twenty-third, Gerry was shot down over Germany and held as a POW for fourteen months. A graduate of Princeton University, Gerry became an advertising and insurance executive in New York City after the war, serving for a time on the staff of McCall's "We served together from the time I enlisted as an aviation cadet on 2 January 1942, until we became members of the 100th Bomb Group. He was an outstanding pilot and one of the brightest people I ever knew. He was a joy to be with and my dear friend. His family and friends shall miss him dearly. " (Bob Rosenthal to Splasher Six)

Missions of Capt. Gerald R. Putnam (supplied by Nancy Putnam) mpf 2001

"MARCH 3 WAS THE DATE, BERLIN THE TARGET. AS MENTIONED IN YOUR CHAPTER ON JOHN BENNETT, THE 100TH LOST 3 CREWS THAT DAY-PUTNAM/LOHOF, GOSSAGE, VOLLMER. I REMEMBER THE OCCASION WELL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD SERVED AS ACTING COMMAND PILOT AS GROUP LEADER-HAVING FLOWN DEPUTY LEAD ON TWO OCCASIONS PRIOR TO MARCH 3. WE WERE LEADING THE 13TH COMBAT WING THAT DAY IN A BRAND NEW PLANE WITH THE LATEST ELECTRONIC AND BOMBSIGHT EQUIPMENT BUT A VERY DEFECTIVE RADIO. WHEN THE RECALL WENT OUT, WE DID NOT RECEIVE IT AND VERY SHORTLY FOUND OURSELVES IN THICK SOUP OVER GERMANY. AFRAID TO TURN THE GROUP BACK INTO THE FOLLOWING WAVES, WE DECIDED TO CLIMB ON COURSE FOR TEN MINUTES BEFORE TURNING AND HEADING BACK. BY THAT TIME, WE HAD LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH ALL EXCEPT OUR WINGMEN-GOSSAGE AND VOLLMER. BEFORE THE 10 MINUTES WERE UP, WE STARTED BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS, JUST IN TIME TO BE MET BY THREE FW-190's COMING AT US FROM THE SUN. NUFF SAID, THE REST IS HISTORY"

"THE PILOT ANNOUNCED WE WERE TURNING BACK, SO I DISCONNECTED FROM MY OXYGEN AND WENT TO CHECK ON FUEL. I HEARD GUNFIRE . . . PILOT CAME ON INTERCOM AND SAID 'WE'RE HIT; WE’RE GOING DOWN, BAIL OUT! THERE WERE INJURIES. I HAD TO PUSH THE BOMBARDIER OUT OF THE HATCH. WE WERE IN CLOUDS, DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IF WE WERE OVER LAND OR WATER. IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY, DIFFICULT TO BREATH OR SEE. COULD SEE LAND JUST BEFORE HITTING GROUND, WAS MET BY ANGRY CIVILIANS. DURING INTERROGATION THE GERMANS TOLD ME THAT THE WHOLE CREW WAS CAPTURED, THAT THEY KNEW CAPT. PUTNAM WAS NOT MY REGULAR PILOT. I ACTED AS IF I DID NOT KNOW HIM"