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359th Bixby Crew Kenneth E. Bixby, Pilot |
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KENNETH E. BIXBY CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 23 Oct 1944 - photo: 09 Nov 1944)
(Back L-R) 1Lt Kenneth E. Bixby (P)(1), 2Lt James S. Burns (CP)(WIA/DOW)(2),
2Lt Henry G. Moss (B)(KIA)(3), 2Lt Clayton C. Jones (N)(4)
(Front L-R)
T/Sgt John B. Robichaux (E)(5),
S/Sgt Dale G. Reese (BT)(7),
S/Sgt Leland J. Krumwiede (R)(6),
S/Sgt John W. Peters (TG)(9),
Sgt Mondo F. Lombardi (WG)(8)
Bixby Crew missions:
271 (10 Nov 1944), 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 281, 283,
295(A), 286, 287, 288, 289, 290, 292, 293, 295, 296, 298B, 301, 302, 304, 309, 310, 316(AS), 317,
320(A), 321, 324, 326, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339 (18 March 1945)
Crew Notes:
- 1Lt Kenneth E. Bixby (P) - Was Pilot on all of the crew's 39 dispatched missions.
- 2Lt James S. Burns (CP)(WIA/DOW) - Dispatched on 24 crew missions 272 through 304. During the mission #304 return from Mannheim, Germany on 20 January 1944, in B-17G #43-38258 Forget Me Not Olly (358BS) VK-H, Lt Bixby (P), landed on the Continent. 2Lt Burns was badly wounded and died of his injuries on 21 January 1945 in the 30th British General Hospital in Belgium. Crew flew with five different CoPilots on Lt Bixby's final 14 missions. Eight were with CoPilot 2Lt William T. Burgess (317, 320(A), 321, 324, 326, 332, 333, 335)
- 2Lt Clayton C. Jones (N) - Flew with other Pilots on 9 missions (279, 280, 294, 298, 303, 311, 315, 318, 319). Substitute Navigators used on 11 missions (278, 281, 288, 316, 324, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339). Combat tour completed on 18 March 1945.
- 2Lt Henry G. Moss (B) - Flew with other Pilots on 12 missions (277, 278, 298A, 315, 323, 331, 333, 339, 350, 357, 362, 364). Substitute Bombardiers or Toggliers used on 21 missions (273, 277, 278, 279, 285, 289, 290, 292, 293, 295, 296, 310, 316, 320, 324, 326, 332, 333, 336, 337, 339). Was killed in action on the 303rd BG(H) last combat mission #364, 25 April 1945 on a mission to Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, in B-17G #44-83447 (No name), (427 BS) GN-B, Lt Warren F. Mauger (P) (MACR 14223)
- T/Sgt John B. Robichaux (E) - Flew with another Pilot on one mission (294). Substitute Engineers used on three missions (276, 296, 339. Combat tour completed on 18 March 1945.
- S/Sgt Leland Krumwiede (R) - Flew all of his missions with Lt Bixby. Substitute Radio Operator used on two missions (304, 339). Combat tour completed on 18 March 1945.
- S/Sgt Dale G. Reese (BTG) - Flew with other Pilots on three missions (294, 298A, 331). Substitute BTG used on five missions (272, 335, 336, 337, 339). Combat tour completed on 10 March 1945.
- Sgt Mondo Lombardi (WG) - Flew on ten missions with the Lt Bixby crew (271, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 281, 282, 283). Was then removed from combat status. Was replaced by S/Sgt Joseph R. Erdody (WG) who flew with LT Bixby on thirteen missions (285(A), 286, 289, 290, 292, 293, 295, 296, 301, 302, 304, 309, 310). Substitute Waist Gunners used on six missions (272, 287, 288, 298B, 316, 317). Flew with other Pilots on 23 missions - twelve with the Lt Phillip H. McDavid Crew.
- S/Sgt John W. Peters (TG) - Flew on 33 missions 271 through 326 with the Lt Bixby crew. Flew with other Pilots on four missions (284, 297, 318, 331), Substitute Tail Gunners used on six missions (332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 339). Combat tour completed on 7 March 1945.
[Researched by Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]