100^th BOMB GROUP, Dec 17—Caught in the prop wash, the bomber flipped over and went into a tight spin, but 2^nd Lts. Denzil Naar, pilot from Brookline Mass. And William V. Wilson, co-pilot from Hawley, Minn. , got their Fortress out of a 5-turn dive—almost inevitably disastrous in an airman’s book—and then pulled up 8, 000 feet to rejoin their formation for the bomb run on a German war plant.

So torn and twisted that it had to be sent to the scrap heap after landing, the bomber was flown safely back to base. Centrifugal force pinned most of the crew helplessly against the sides of the Fort as it whirled earthward. Only the tail gunner S/Sgt Charles Herlihy of Jersey City, NJ was able to fasten his parachute and get to the escape hatch to await the "bail out" order which never came.

While six of the crew were "frozen’ at their positions, the pilot and co-pilot battled coolly to regain control as the Fort cork-screwed down at a dizzy 350 mph clip, straining wings and fuselage almost to the breaking point. The stress and strain on the bomber itself caused rivets and struts to break and part of the tail assembly to loosen. The right aileron was broken and parts of the wing supporters had buckled. Other members of the Crew were: 2^nd Lts Robert H. Latta, navigator from Ovale Tex, and Harry F. Bott, bombardier from Westwood, N. J. ; T/Sgt’s Cecil R. Fults, radio operator-gunner from Detroit, and Andrew R Poczes, top turret gunner from Cleveland and S/Sgt’s John R. O’Hare, ball turret gunner from Brooklyn and Dewey W. Quinn Jr. waist gunner from Pelzer, S. C.

Wins DFC for Rescuing Fortress from Tail Spin
(Press release to home town paper)

An Eighth Air Force Bomber Station: England-----First Lt Denzil Naar, 26 year old Brookline, Mass. , pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, who accomplished the unusual feat of recovering from a five turn tail spin in his bomber, saving his own life and the lives of all his crew, has received the Distinguished Flying Cross from Maj. Gen E. E. Partridge, commanding officer of the Third Air Division of the Eighth Air Force.

The decoration was pinned on the Brookline flyer by the general in recognition of the extraordinary achievement which took place during the preliminary assembly of Lieutenant Naar’s Fortress outfit, the 100th Bombardment Group in the skies over England, preparatory to a bombing attack on Germany. David Naar of 21 Greenstreet, Brookline, and former student of Boston University and of Trinity College was cited for his "courage", presence of mine; and "skill" in recovering for the spin. Prop Wash from a bomber in front caused Lieutenant Naar’s Fortress to Fall 8000 feet out of Control, weighted by 6000 pounds of Bobs and 2000 gallons of gasoline.

A veteran of many bombing attacks on German targets, Lieutenant Naar also holds the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters awarded fro "exceptionally meritorious achievement". The presentation of the DFC was made during a special ceremony at the 100th Bombardment Group

[It must be cited by Lt Naar that it was with the great strength and help of his copilot Lt William Wilson that they were able to bring the plane out of the tail spin…. mpf 2006]