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360th Railing Crew
Charles F. Railing Jr., Pilot
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Railing Cres
CHARLES F. RAILING JR. CREW - 360th BS
(crew assigned 360BS: 21 Aug 1944 - photo: 24 Aug 1944)

(Back L-R) 2Lt Meyer Leibovitz (N-KIA);
2Lt Howard D. McCarl (CP-KIA); 2Lt Louis H. Willson (B-KIA);
1Lt Charles F. Railing (P-KIA)

(Front L-R) S/Sgt James B. Mellon, Jr (E-KIA);
S/Sgt William M. Hanna (R-KIA); Sgt John P. Fox (WG)(*);
Sgt Lawrence L. Burgeson (BT-KIA); Sgt Lorne R. Cole (WG-KIA);
Sgt Ralph K. Barber (TG-KIA)

(*) Fox (WG) was deleted from crew when crew size was changed from 10 to 9 men.

(KIA) - On 28 September 1944 mission #248 to Magdenburg, Germany in B-17G #43-38572 (No name) (360BS) PU-A. The aircraft was last seen in formation, under control. The right wing was on fire after being hit by German fighter gunfire. No parachutes were seen departing the B-17. It crashed near Homburg, Germany. All crewmen were killed. Eleven 303rd B-17s were lost on this mission after being attacked by an estimated forty FW-190 and ME-109 German fighters.

[photo courtesy of Terrance Hanna]
[Researched by 303rdBGA Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]