{"id":5184,"date":"2017-12-03T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2017-12-03T05:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/?post_type=b17database&#038;p=5184"},"modified":"2026-06-16T15:09:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:09:30","slug":"42-32037","status":"publish","type":"b17database","link":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/b17\/42-32037\/","title":{"rendered":"42-32037"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"942\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-942x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-942x1024.jpg 942w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-276x300.jpg 276w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-768x834.jpg 768w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037.jpg 994w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 942px) 100vw, 942px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">England\u2014The crew of an American bomber look sadly at the after end of their ship, following their return to a base in England. The tail gunner, and their buddy, was at his post when a burst of flak knocked a section of the plane\u2019s tail off over Hamm, Germany. Left to right, are: Sgt. Ollie Crenshaw, of Birmingham, Ala., Sgt. Bernard Bendin, East Chicago, Ind., S\/Sgt William Blakeney, Little Rock, AR<br>and S\/Sgt Seymour Berman, of New York City.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eyewitness Statements from MACR 6540<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On 21 June 1944, [\u2026] I was Ball Turret Gunner. When the plane in which we were riding appeared over Berlin, Germany, on the date afore-mentioned, flak from German anti-aircraft struck the plane 4 times, twice in the nose and twice in the bomb bay, with a result that the afore-mentioned plane exploded in mid-air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>S\/Sgt. Garland T. Meredith<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the mission to Berlin, Germany on 21 June 1944, I was tail gunner on aircraft 42-102569 which was flying in #3 position in the low squadron of the low group of the 41st \u201eB\u201c Combat Wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two mission aircraft, #42-32037 and #42-107002, were flying in #3 and #4 positions, respectively, as shown in the diagram of the formation below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just after bombs away the two missing aircraft broke formation and went down to the left. Then the pilot apparently got them under control as they pulled up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I believe they are both hit by anti-aircraft gunfire at the same time. I could see no fire or any apparent damage such as feathered propellers on either aircraft. A total of three parachutes came out but I cannot say from which aircraft. Since visibility was extremely poor due to clouds and dense persistent contrails, it was only possible to observe the missing aircraft for about a minute after they got into trouble,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sgt. Olaf F. Kahnert, Jr,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the mission to Berlin, Germany on 21 June 1944, I was pilot of aircraft 42-102569 which was flying in #3 position in the low squadron of the low group of the 41st \u201eB\u201c Combat Wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The missing aircraft, #42-32037, was flying in the #4 position in the same squadron. Just after bombs away, the missing aircraft received aa direct hit from anti-aircraft gunfire. At the same time the aircraft flying in #1 position in the squadron was hit and started down so it is difficult to set forth exactly what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I did, however, see to chute come out of aircraft 42-32037 and open. We were then flying at 26,800 feet. When I last saw the missing aircraft it was still under control and looked to be in good shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>1Lt. Chester N. Orange<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the mission to Berlin, Germany on 21 June 1944, I was tail gunner on aircraft 42-102569 which was flying in #3 position in the low squadron of the low group of the 41st \u201eB\u201c Combat Wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The two mission aircraft, #42-32037 and #42-107002, were flying in #3 and #4 positions, respectively, as shown in the diagram of the formation below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the bomb run, the missing aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft gunfire. It then fell out of formation and made two 360 &#8211; degree turns under control following which it went into a dive. I did not see any parachutes. Poor visibility made it hard to observe accurately what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sgt. Nicholas F. Kail<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the mission to Berlin, Germany, on 21 June 1944, I was tail gunner on aircraft #42-32037. My version of what happened to aircraft 42-32037 is the same as that of Sgt. Kail above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sgt. Jess Joyce<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Formation Diagram from MACR 6540<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"888\" src=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-diagram-1024x888.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-21321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-diagram-1024x888.png 1024w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-diagram-300x260.png 300w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-diagram-768x666.png 768w, https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/42-32037-diagram.png 1154w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Delivered Cheyenne 15\/1\/44; Gr Island 20\/1\/44; Assigned 358BS\/303BG [VK-F] Molesworth 28\/2\/44; mission to Hamm 23\/3\/44 with Ray Hoffman, Co-pilot: Calvin Brothers, Navigator: Herb Levy, Bombardier: Arnold Spatt, Flight engineer\/top turret gunner: Bill Blakeney, Radio Operator: Seymour Herman, Ball turret gunner: Ollie Crenshaw, Waist gunner: Dave Miller, Bernard Hendon (9 Returned to Duty);Tail gunner: Jim Williams (KIA-entire turret shot off); Missing in Action Berlin (38m) 21\/6\/44 with Henry Way, Co-pilot: Warren Raese, Bombardier: Julian Bell, Flight engineer\/top turret gunner: Vince Paolino, Waist gunner: Stan Lynam (5 Killed in Action); Navigator: Elden Sigurdson, Radio Operator: Jim May, Ball turret gunner: Garland Meredith,Tail gunner: Bob Parks (4 Prisoner of War); flak hits quickly followed by explosion, crashed near Schulzendorf rail station, Berlin, Germany; Missing Air Crew Report 6540.","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"airplane-status":[135],"status-date":[187],"status-day":[1880],"status-month":[1873],"status-year":[1892],"production-block":[51],"manufacturer":[130],"delivered":[1813],"project-number":[],"bomb-group":[277],"bomb-squadron":[336],"raf-service":[],"b17tags":[],"class_list":["post-5184","b17database","type-b17database","status-publish","hentry","airplane-status-lost-by-aa-flak","status-date-21-06-1944","status-day-1880","status-month-june","status-year-1892","production-block-b-17g-35-bo-42-31932-42-32116","manufacturer-boeing","delivered-cheyenne","bomb-group-303rd-bomb-group","bomb-squadron-358th-bomb-squadron"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.0","language":"en","enabled_languages":["de","en"],"languages":{"de":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":true}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17database\/5184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17database"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/b17database"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"airplane-status","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/airplane-status?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"status-date","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-date?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"status-day","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-day?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"status-month","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-month?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"status-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/status-year?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"production-block","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/production-block?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manufacturer?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"delivered","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/delivered?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"project-number","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-number?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"bomb-group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bomb-group?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"bomb-squadron","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bomb-squadron?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"raf-service","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/raf-service?post=5184"},{"taxonomy":"b17tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/b17flyingfortress.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/b17tags?post=5184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}