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358th Stein Crew
Lawrence J. Stein, Pilot
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LAWRENCE J. STEIN CREW - 358th BS
(crew assigned 358BS: 13 June 1944 - photo: crew training in Sioux City, IA)

(Back L-R) 2Lt Lawrence J. Stein (P)(Evd), 2Lt Jack W. Riseden (CP),
2Lt Bernard J. Larkworthy (N), 2Lt Earl W. Carloss (B)

(Front L-R) S/Sgt Clarence J. Williams (TG)(Evd), T/Sgt Fred R. Meyer (R)(Evd),
S/Sgt Arlie E. Winn (WG), T/Sgt Harry R. Card (E)(Evd),
S/Sgt William P. Truesdell (BTG)(Evd), S/Sgt Manley E. Grissom (WG)(Evd)

[Ranks and grades at time photo was taken. See Crew Notes below for ranks at time of last combat missions]

Twenty dispatched (19 credited) combat missions flown by 1Lt Lawrence J. Stein:
As crew first pilot - 16 dispatched missions (190 - 24 June 1944, 191, 193, 194 (A) , 196, 197, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 207 (AS), 208, 209, 210, 211, 213 - 28 July 1944). As Lead Crew CoPilot - 3 dispatched missions (214, 216, 229 15 Aug 1944)
(A) Non-credited aborted mission flew with 379th BG(H) whose formation returned early
(AS) Credited Abortive Sortie Oil .line failure. Jettisoned bombs over Germany
For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions.

Nine B-17Gs flown by 1Lt Lawrence J. Stein on his twenty dispatched missions:

  • 44-6006 (No name) (358BS) VK-D - Missions 190, 191
  • 42-97298 (P) The Floose (358BS) VK-H - Missions 193, 196, 202, 207
  • 42-31583 Clover Leaf (358BS) VK-C - Missions 194, 197, 200, 201
  • 42-97085 (No name) (358BS) VK-B - Mission 199
  • 42-31224 Hell in the Heavens (358BS) VK-F - Mission 203
  • 44-6086 (P) My Blonde Baby (358BS) VK-L - Missions 208, 209, 210, 213
  • 42-102453 (P) Princess Pat (358BS) VK-J - Mission 211
  • 43-38065 Princess Pat 2 (358BS) VK-J - Mission 216
  • 43-37838 (P) Fearless Fosdick (358BS) VK-A - Missions 214, 229
    (P) See Nose Art Photos


Enlisted Men of the Lawrence J. Stein Crew
(Back L-R) T/Sgt Fred R. Meyer, T/Sgt Harry R. Card, S/Sgt Clarence J. Williams
(Front L-R) S/Sgt Manley E. Grissom, S/Sgt Arlie E. Winn, S/Sgt William P. Truesdell

Crew Notes:
  • 1Lt Lawrence J. Stein (P)(EVD) - First two missions (190, 191) flown as First Pilot with 2Lt Ernest S. Whittall as combat mission orientation CoPilot. Last three missions (214, 216, 229) flown as a Lead Crew CoPilot. Other missions flown as First Pilot. Completed 19 credited missions on 15 August 1944 (Mission 229) when his B-17 was shot down and he evaded capture by the Germans.

  • Captain Jack W. Riseden (CP) - Flew on fourteen credited missions as the 1Lt Stein crew CoPilot (193, 194(A), 196, 197, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 213). Flew as CoPilot with other Pilots on six missions (190, 191, 215, 222, 223, 225). Upgraded from CoPilot to Pilot on orders dated 16 August 1944. Flew on nine missions as Crew First Pilot: As crew Pilot (226, 227, 235); As a Lead Crew Pilot (230, 245, 247, 251, 253, 267, 271). Promoted to Captain while a Lead Crew Pilot. Completed his combat tour (31 missions) on 10 Nov 1944 (Mission 271).

  • 1Lt Bernard J. Larkworthy (N) - Flew on fifteen credited missions with 1Lt Stein (190, 191, 193, 194 (A), 196, 197, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 207, 210, 211, 213, 216). Flew on fourteen missions as a Lead Crew Navigator (208, 214, 221, 223, 230, 231, 243, 246, 251, 258, 261, 265, 267, 271). Completed his combat tour (29 missions) on 10 Nov 1944 (Mission 271).

  • 1Lt Earl W. Carloss (B) - Flew on fifteen credited missions with 1Lt Stein (190, 191, 193, 194(A), 196, 197, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 207, 208, 209, 210, 213) and seventeen missions with other Pilots (211, 220, 223, 226, 227, 231, 232, 233, 235, 237, 241, 243, 244, 245, 246, 255, 256). Completed his combat tour (32 missions) on 14 Oct 1944 (Mission 256).

  • T/Sgt Harry R. Card (E)(EVD), T/Sgt Fred R. Meyer (R)(EVD), S/Sgt William P. Truesdell (BTG) (EVD), S/Sgt Manley E. Grissom (WG)(EVD), S/Sgt Clarence J. Williams (TG) - Flew on all of the 1Lt Stein missions with the following exceptions: All EM Crewmen (mission 214), S/Sgt Grissom (Missions 200), S/Sgt Williams (Mission 216). Completed their last combat mission (18 or 17 missions) on 15 August 1944 (Mission 229) when their B-17 was shot down and they evaded capture by the Germans.

  • Sgt Arlie E. Winn (WG) - Was deleted from the 1Lt Stein Crew when crew size was changed from 10 to 9 men. Flew no 303rd BG(H) combat missions.
(Ranks and Grades at time of last combat mission):

Combat mission 229, 15 August 1944 (Missing Air Crew Report # 8440):
See the crash photos.

Mission to Wiesbaden, Germany in 303rd BG(H) Low "C" Group Lead Crew in B-17G 42-37838 Fearless Fosdick (358BS) VK-A. The formation was hit by 20-25 German fighters and was one of the nine formation B-17s lost on mission 229. Went down in flames and crashed near Beine-Nauroy, France. Three of the nine crewmen were not members of the 1Lt Stein Crew:

  • Captain Arnold S. Litman (P)(EVD) - Flew 13 of his 35 missions as a Lead Crew Pilot

  • 1Lt Wayne E. Krouskup (N)(EVD) - Member of the 1Lt James F. McNamara crew. Flew 15 of his 25 missions as a Lead Crew Navigator.

  • 2Lt Lawrence "Larry" M. Wolf (B)(KIA) - Member of the 1Lt Marvin S. Boyce crew on his 13th dispatched combat mission. A 20mm shell exploded in his back. He immediately lost consciousness and died within 10 minutes. Lt Krouskup (N) tended him until he died. His body was removed from the crashed B-17 by German soldiers. He is buried in the Restland Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas. A memorial monument was dedicated on 21 April 1990 in Beine-Nauroy, France (A very small city near Reims) honoring the Capt Litman Crew and 1Lt Wolf.

T/Sgt Fred R. Meyer (right) with the French family that saved the evadees lives.
Evadees on mission 229:
Eight of the nine Captain Litman Lead Crew men evaded capture by the Germans.

Escape & Evadee (E&E) report numbers and date of return to England:
Capt Litman (P)(E&E 1383) Returned 3 Sept 1944, 1Lt Stein (CP) (E&E 1384) Returned 3 Sept 1944, 1Lt Krouskup (N) (E&E 1385) Returned 3 Sept 1944), T/Sgt Meyer (R) (E&E 1386) Returned 3 Sept 1944, T/Sgt Card (E)(E&E 1387) Returned 3 Sept 1944, S/Sgt Grissom (WG)(E&E 1388) Returned 3 Sept 1944 , S/Sgt Truesdell (BTG)(E&E 1389) Returned 5 Sept 1944. Was captured and escaped two times. S/Sgt Williams (TG)(E&E 1684) Returned 7 Sept 1944.


[crew photo courtesy of Jeff Riseden]
[other photos courtesy of Lynn Meyer Arngrimson, daughter of Fred R. Meyer]
[Researched by 303rdBGA Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]