Jack E. Stocks Crew

JACK E. STOCKS CREW - 359th BS
(Assigned 359BS: 01 December 1944 - photo: USA Training)

(Back L-R) T/Sgt Edmond D. Copp (E), T/Sgt John Fiore (R), S/Sgt John W. Hamilton (BT),
Sgt Cecil E. Harman, Jr. (BT), Sgt Lewis E. Carl (WG), Sgt Nauphlet F. Daniel (TG)

(Front L-R) 1Lt Jack E. Stocks (P), 2Lt John F. Marsh (CP),
2Lt Ronald A. Anstrom (N), 2Lt James T. Steineman (B/N)

(Ranks and grades at time of last combat mission)

35 Combat missions of 1Lt Jack E. Stocks:
Lt Stocks only: 291A (28 Dec 1944). Other crewmen (as shown in crew notes): 292, 293(AS), 294, 295, 297, 298A, 298B, 300, 301, 314, 315, 316, 317, 319, 324, 325, 327, 328, 330, 331, 332, 333, 337, 339, 340, 341, 343, 344, 345, 348, 349, 350, 351, 360 (15 April 1945)
(AS) - Abortive Sortie - no bombs dropped - credited mission. For mission dates and targets see the missions list.

Crew Notes:

1Lt Jack E. Stocks (P) - Mission #291A was flown as CoPilot with a 381st BG(H) crew. All other missions were flown as the crew Pilot. 35 mission combat tour completed on 15 April 1945.
2Lt John F. Marsh (CP) - Flew on all of the crew missions with Lt Stocks. Flew on mission 288 as CoPilot with another Pilot. Was upgraded from CoPilot to Pilot on orders dated 01 April 1945. Mission 360 was flown as a 1st Pilot with another crew. 35 mission combat tour completed on 15 April 1945.
2Lt Ronald A. Anstrom (N) - Flew on 8 missions with the Lt Stocks crew (292, 293, 294, 297, 298, 298A, 300, 301). Also flew on 5 missions with other Pilots (288, 289, 290, 291, 299). Was removed from combat status after being wounded on 13 January 1945. Substitute Navigator were then used.
2lt James T. Steineman (B/N) - Flew on ten missions as Bombardier (292, 293, 294, 295, 297, 301, 327, 328, 330, 331) and fourteen missions as Navigator (332 through 360) with the Lt Stocks crew. Flew on eight missions as Navigator with other Pilots (290, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 361, 362). Total 32 missions. Substitute Bombardiers and Toggliers used on 24 missions.
T/Sgt Edmond D. Copp (E) - Flew on all of the Lt Stock missions except for three (291A, 351, 360). Flew on three missions with other Pilots (290, 299, 323). 35 mission combat tour completed on 4 April 1945.
T/Sgt John Fiore (R) - Flew on all of the Lt Stocks missions except for one (360). Flew on two missions with other Pilots (290 & 355). 35 mission combat tour completed on 8 April 1945.
S/Sgt John W. Hamilton (BTG) - Flew on all of the Lt Stocks missions except for one (360). Flew on two missions with other Pilots (290 & 318). 35 mission combat tour completed on 4 April 1945.
Sgt Lewis E. Carl (WG) - Flew on the Lt Stock crew first seven missions. Was then removed from combat status. Substitute Waist Gunners used on 13 mission. No waist Gunner used on 14 missions.
Sgt Nauphlet F. Daniel TG) - Flew on the Lt Stock crew first nine missions. Substitute Tail Gunners used on the other 25 missions - Sgt Henry C. Tanner, from the Lt Fred E. Call crew, used on 16 missions.
Sgt Cecil E. Harman, Jr. (BT) - assigned elsewhere and flew no missions with the 303rd BG.

Mission Incident:
Mission #301, 13 January 1945 to Mannheim, Germany, in B-17G #43-38682 (No name) (359BS) BN-X. Landed at airstrip Y-1 at Tantonville, France, 371st & 64th Fighter Group P-47 base. 2Lt Ronald A. Anstrom (N) was badly wounded. Flak shattered bones in his right leg, went through his left leg and out of his hand. A fire was started in the nose. 2Lt James T. Steineman (B), gave first aid and put out the fire. The B-17 stayed with the formation and bombed with the 359th BS formation. Over the target at Mannheim, Germany the B-17 was again hit by flak that set the #4 engine on fire. It was extinguished and feathered. The #2 engine was also on fire but could not be feathered. The left wing was on fire. 2Lt Jack E. Stocks (P), left the formation five minutes later when he was unable to maintain altitude. The oxygen system in the B-17s nose was out. Lt Stocks ordered Sgts Fiore (R), Hamilton (BTG), Bates (WG) and Daniel (TG) to bail out. 2Lt Steineman (B) moved 2Lt Anstrom, the wounded Navigator, to the catwalk area to prepare him for bail out. Lt Anstrom felt that it would not be advisable for him to bail out with his injured legs. About that time the Tantonville landing strip was sighted. Flares were fired and with the assistance of 2Lt Marsh (CP) and Sgt Copp (E) a landing was made with the wing ablaze. Lt Anstrom were placed in the 21st General Hospital at Mirecourt. Sgt Daniel (TG) was also hospitalized. The Pilot, CoPilot, Engineer and Bombardier returned to Molesworth on 03 February 1945. Three of the crewmen who bailed out (R, BTG & WG) returned to Molesworth shortly thereafter.

As an example of the poor communication at the time, the following letter was mailed to the Copp family one week after T/Sgt Copp had safely returned to Molesworth.

[Researched by Historian Harry D. Gobrecht - photos courtesy of Dustin Vulgamore, nephew of Edmond Copp]