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 358th Fielder Crew
George H. Fielder, Pilot
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GEORGE H. FIELDER CREW - 358th BS
(crew assigned 358BS: 23 Sep 1944 - photo: 6 Oct 1944)

(Back L-R) Capt George H. Fielder (P), 2Lt Thomas J. Kruckemeyer (B),
2Lt James C. Buckner (N), 2Lt John "Dewey" Dorsett, Jr. (CP),

(Front L-R) T/Sgt James L. Brown, Jr. (WG), T/Sgt James E. Cavagnaro (E),
T/Sgt Neil C. Buie (R), Sgt Glenn J. Denning (WG),
Sgt Gasper Pizzolato, Jr. (BT), T/Sgt Lyle H. Cox (TG)

[photo courtesy of Dewey Dorsett, Jr.]



GEORGE H. FIELDER CREW - 358th BS

(Back L-R) Sgt Glenn J. Denning (WG), T/Sgt Lyle H. Cox (TG),
T/Sgt Neil C. Buie (R), T/Sgt James E. Cavagnaro (E),
T/Sgt James L. Brown, Jr. (WG), Sgt Gasper Pizzolato, Jr. (BT)

(Front L-R) 2Lt James C. Buckner (N), Capt George H. Fielder (P),
2Lt John "Dewey" Dorsett, Jr. (CP), 2Lt Thomas J. Kruckemeyer (B)

Twenty-seven credited combat missions flown by Captain George H. Fielder:
As Aircraft Commander (First Pilot) - 253 (7 Oct 1944), 254, 255, 261. As Lead Crew Pilot 260 (19 Oct 1944), 267, 268, 272, 275, 276, 279, 281, 283, 285, 292, 296, 298A, 299, 303, 308, 312, 310, 324, 328, 334, 342, 360 (15 April 1944).

Fifteen B-17Gs flown by Captain George H. Fielder on his twenty-seven combat missions

44-6116 (PFF) - The Red (427BS) GN-Z - Missions 267, 296
42-97557 (PFF) - Mercy's Madhouse (358BS) VK-X - Mission 281
43-38999 - Emma (358BS) VK-F - Mission 298A
44-8256 (PFF) - Yankee Girl (359BS) BN-Y - Mission 303
43-38238 (PFF) - (No name) (358BS) VK-L - Missions 253, 254, 255, 261
44-8038 (PFF) - (No name) (427BS) GN-Z - Missions 260, 268
44-8238 (PFF) - (No name) (358BS) VK-Y - Missions 275, 279, 283, 292, 342
42-97691 (PFF) - (No name) (427BS) GN-Y - Missions 272, 276
44-8351 (PFF) - (No name) (358BS) VK-Z - Missions 285, 308
44-8137 (PFF) - (No name) (359BS) BN-Z - Mission 299
44-8590 (PFF) - (No name) (358BS) VK-Y - Mission 312
44-8568 (PFF) - (No name) (358BS) VK-X - Mission 319
44-8484 (PFF) - (No name) (358BS) VK-W - Missions 324, 334
44-8545 (PFF) - (No name) (427BS) GN-X - Mission 328
44-8876 (PFF) - (No name) (358BS) VK-P - Mission 360
(PFF) Lead Crew B-17G's - Had a PFF Radar Dome installed in lieu of Ball Turret
Lead crews had two or three Navigators. (Lead Navigator, PFF-Navigator and GH-Navigator)

Crew Notes:

  • Captain George H. Fielder (P) - Flew four missions as a Crew First Pilot and others as a Lead Crewman: As Lead Crew CoPilot - ten missions; As Lead Crew Pilot Aircraft Commander - 13 missions. Completed 27 credited missions on 15 April 1945 (Mission 360).
  • 2Lt John D. "Dewey" Dorsett, Jr (CP) - Flew on 10 missions with Capt Fielder: Regular Crew - 3 missions (254, 255, 261); Lead Crew - 7 missions (292, 296, 298A, 299, 303, 319, 334). Flew on 11 missions as with other Pilots: Lead Crew Tail Gunner/ Observer - 2 missions (263, 271); As regular crew CoPilot - 9 missions - With 1Lt John M. Twomey (P) - 6 missions (267, 273, 274, 277, 281, 283), With other Pilots-3 missions (255, 266, 285) - Upgraded from CoPilot to Pilot. Flew 9 missions as First Pilot (311, 313, 314, 331, 332, 354, 356, 358, 359). Completed 30 credited mission combat tour on 14 April 1945 (Mission 359).
  • 2Lt James C. Buckner (N) - Flew on Nine missions with Capt Fielder: Regular crew (253, 254, 255, 261): Lead Crew (285, 292, 299, 303, 308). Flew on ten missions with other Pilots: Regular crewman - two missions (260, 282); Lead Crews - Eight missions (283, 289, 291A, 298A, 294, 311, 315) plus a 28 Dec 1944 mission with the 381st BG(H). Dispatched on 19 combat missions (18 credited). Last mission (315) on 15 February 1945 with 1Lt Werner G. Goering (P) in PFF B-17G 44-8590 (No name) (358BS) VK-Y. The B- 17 crashed shortly after takeoff. Lt Buckner, was flying as a Mickey Navigator and suffered minor injuries. S/Sgt Joseph A. Blinbury (WG) was awarded the Soldier's Medal for the rescue of 2Lt Buckner from the crashed B-17.
  • 2Lt Thomas J. Kruckemeyer (B) - Flew on three mission with the Capt Fielder Crew (253, 255, 261) and sixteen missions with other Pilots (262, 269, 292, 295A(LC), 296, 300, 312(DLC), 316, 322, 324(DLC), 327, 330, 336, 339, 358(LC), 364) - (LC) - Lead Crew and (DLC) - Deputy Lead Crew. Completed 19 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
  • T/Sgt James E. Cavagnaro (E) - Flew on 25 missions with Capt Fielder (All Fielder missions except missions 260 and 275). Flew on one Lead Crew mission with 1Lt Werner G. Goering (363). Completed 26 credited combat missions on 20 April 1945 (Mission 363).
  • T/Sgt Neil C. Buie (R) - Flew on 24 missions with Capt Fielder (All Fielder missions except missions 260, 272, 275). Flew on three Lead Crew missions with other Lead Crew Pilots (343, 356, 363). Completed 27 credited combat missions on 20 April 1945 (Mission 363).
  • Sgt Gasper Pizzolato, Jr. (WG/POW) - Flew on seven missions with Capt Fielder as Waist Gunner (253, 254, 255, 261, 267, 268, 276) and two missions with other Pilots (272, 277). Became a POW on 26 November 1944, mission 277, in B-17G 42-97972 (No name) (358BS) (VK-N), 1Lt Chet H. Jameson, Jr. (P). A fuel leak caused a fire around the #4 engine and right wing. The nine man crew bailed put and became POWs. The B-17 crashed near Bielefeld, Germany.
  • T/Sgt Glenn J. Denning (BTG/WG/Togglier) - Flew on eight missions with the Capt Fielder crew: As Ball Turret Gunner (253, 254, 255, 261); As Waist Gunner (319, 324, 328, 334. Flew on twenty-one missions with other Pilots: As Waist Gunner (322, 339 (LC), 292, 298A, 299); As Ball Turret Gunner (275, 279); As Togglier (277, 280, 281, 283, 291, 292, 297, 302, 303, 308, 311, 315, 318, 340). Completed 29 credited missions combat tour on 19 March 1945 (Mission 340).
  • T/Sgt Lyle H. Cox (TG/WG/Togglier) - Flew on eleven missions with Capt Fielder: As Tail Gunner (253, 254, 255, 261, 267); As Waist Gunner (279, 285, 292, 303, 308, 312). Flew on eighteen missions as Togglier with other Pilots (268, 272, 273, 276, 281, 283, 284, 289, 293, 294, 295, 298A, 298B, 300, 301, 318, 331, 340). Completed 29 credited missions combat tour on 19 March 1945 (Mission 340).
  • T/Sgt James L. Brown (WG/Togglier) - Flew on no missions with Capt Fielder. The second Waist Gunner position was deleted from the Fielder crew before their first combat mission. Flew as a utility Togglier with a number of different crews on thirty-seven dispatched combat missions (269, 270, 272, 273, 275, 276, 277, 278, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 291,292, 296, 297, 298A, 303, 304, 306, 307, 309, 310, 313, 317, 322, 324, 335, 336, 339, 341, 342, 346, 348). Completed 35 mission combat tour on 19 March 1945 (Mission 340).
[photo courtesy of James M. Brown]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]