303rd Guest Comments (31 January 1998

31 January 1998 - 15 August 1998
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Frank M Spencer fspencer@swbell.net Looking for information on Lt. Grover Cleveland Bentinck, Bombardier of the B-17 Boom Town piloted by Captain Clyde Walker and copilot Lt Bill Reed. Book writer Martin Caidin mentioned the Boom Town and the death of Grover Bentinck in his book "Flying Forts" chapter 20. Grover Bentinck was killed by flak after dropping his load of bombs on the submarine pens at Lorient, France. Grover was my sister's father and I would like to know what Bomb Group he was in. Thanks.
[Lt Grover Cleveland Bentinck was a Bombardier with the 305th Bombardment Group(H) based at Chelveston, England. You can contact Edward A. Kueppers, Director of Information, The Eighth Air Force Historical Society, Box 7215, St Paul, MN 55107 Telephone 1-800-833-1942 for the name of the 305th BG(H) contact person who may be able to give you additional information on the death of Lt Bentinck on 24 February 1943 in the 305th BG(H) B-17F Boom Town. The story in Chapter 20 of Martin Cadin's book Flying Forts is probably as detailed an account of Lt Bentinck death that is available. Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian & Unit Contact 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association]

John & Ryan Nolan jnolan@sky.net (family of a 303rd Member) We're the grandsons of Winfred E. Faubion. Our grandfather, Winnie, was a gunnery instructor with the 303rd. We're looking for anyone who knew him or flew with him. He has passed on and we didn't get to hear the stories or learn much about what he did. We have a small photo album that shows a few things about his service. He was on the Lead Crew for Hamburg, 20 Mar 45 with the following crew: Capt. Smith, Sqd. Bombardier, Capt Counts, Sqd. Navigator, 1Lt. Moon, Sqd. Navigator, 1Lt. Holmes, Co-pilot, Capt Eisenhart, Pilot, Sqd. Ops Officer, T/Sgt Kreager, T/Sgt Vieira, 1Lt Weil and 1Lt Hall. He also flew lead crew on the Hitzaker raid, 7 Apr 45 with the following crew: Capt. Smith, Lt. Bailey, Lt. Christenson, LtCol. Cole, Lt. Bowes, T/Sgt Kreager, T/Sgt Vieira and Capt. Counts. We have pictures of these two crews with names on the back. We'd love to hear from anyone who knew our grandfather. We would appreciate any information you could give us. We don't even know what part of the 303rd he was in. Our grandmother said he was a Wing instructor, but he may have been in a Squadron. Thanks for any help you can give us!
[Your Grandfather Winfred E. Faubion, Serial #37524497, was assigned to the 359th Bomb Squadron/303rd Bomb Group (H) at Molesworth, England on 11 December 1944. Mission records confirm that he flew on the lead crew on two missions: 20 March 1945 - To Hamburg, Germany - The 303rd BG(H) lost two B-17s on this mission and experienced one of the first attacks by ME-262 German Jet fighters. 20 ME-262s attacked the formation about 30 minutes after bombs away Capt Eisenhart was the Air Commander of the 303rd BG(H) formation of 39 B-17's The lead crewmen in B-17G #44-8439 (no name) were as follows: Capt William E. Eisenhart (Pilot), 1Lt Alfred M. Holmes (CoPilot), Capt George H Counts (Navigator), 1stLt Richard Y. Moon (Navigator), Capt Ralph H. Smith (Bombardier), 1Lt Frank P. Weil (Mickey Radar Navig), T/Sgt Jon B. Kreageer (Engineer), T/Sgt Joseph Vieira (Radio Oper), S/Sgt Winfred E. Faubion (Waist Gunner) and 1stLt Merwin B. Hall (Tail Gunner/Observer)

7 April 1945 - Marshalling Yards at Hitzacker, Germany - The 303rd BG(H) experienced some rather heavy and accurate flak at several points to and from the target. One 303rd B-17, knocked out the formation of 39 B-17s, was attacked by a single ME-262 Jet Germany fighter. He avoided being hit by diving into the clouds. Fourteen B-17s suffered major battle damage and three had to land on the European Continent. The lead crewmen in B-17G #44-8564 (No name) were: Lt Col Richard H. Cole (Pilot & 359BS Commanding Officer), 1stLt Jack W. Bailey (CoPilot), Captain George B. Counts (Navigator), 1sLt Leroy P. Christenson (Navigator), 1stLt Frank P. Weil (Mickey Radar Navigator), T/Sgt Jon B. Kreager (Engineer), T/Sgt Joseph Vieira (Radio Operator), S/Sgt Winfred E. Faubion (Waist Gunner) and 1stLt Merwin B. Hall (Tail Gunner/Observer). Several of the men on the 20 March 1945 and 7 April 1945 missions are members of our 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association. Harry Gobrecht, 303rd BGA Historian]

Dail Coppom dcoppom@btc.adaptec.com (family of a 303rd Member) My Father, 1st. Lieutenant John F. Coppom was a pilot in the 303rd. He flew with Bill Heller and one of their planes was named Izavailable. He passed away in 1973 after a serveral years battle with a brain tumor. Thanks to all of you who served our country so bravely. God Bless You All and would love to hear from you.

MSgt Robert E. Williams robert.e.williams@mildenhall.af.mil I'm trying to locate information on a relative (Dad's uncle) that was killed during WWII during a bombing mission to France, 4 Jul '43. He was part of the 422nd Bombardment Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group(H). My dad said he found an old photo in the Air Force Times years ago that showed a photo of a bomber crew from the 306th BG, and he swears it's his uncle (TSgt Marvin D. Williams) that was killed as a member of the 305th BG. The B-17's name was Black Swan. I'm just trying to locate info on the 305th and 306th BG's right now, for him.
[Your Dad's Uncle, TSgt Marvin D. Williams, from Sacramento, PA, was KIA on 14 July 1943 in B-17F Black Swan #42-29641 (JJ-V) 305th Bombardment Group (H), 422nd Bombardment Squadron flying from the 305th airfield at Chelveston (Missing Air crew report #4483). Target was Nantes, France. The B-17 was hit by fighters and ditched in the Bay of Biscay after having been last seen SW of St. Nazaire. All ten members of the Lt Frank W. Scott, Jr. crew were KIA. The 305th BG(H) Has a websight at http://www.cris.com/~docherk/305th/history.html]

Jeanette Touhey chevy@ionet.net (family of a 303rd Member) I have a scrap book with a lot of pictures and clippings of the Hells Angels plane and some of its crew, including my Grandfather Sgt. Ernest Touhey, ground crew member. If anybody is interested in these please contact me. I have a complete scrap book that would be interesting to you all.
[As Historian of the 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association I maintain the archives of the 303rd Bomb Group (H) including newspaper clippings and photos. Would love to add your Grandfather's scrapbook to our archives. Our Archive collection home in a few years will be at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum in Pooler (Savannah), Georgia. Harry Gobrecht, 303rd BGA Historian]

Mike vette454s@aol.com My grandfather served in the 305th bomb group in England during WWII. The name of his plane was Spare Parts. Through long conversations with him, I have learned a lot about his group. There is still so much that I want to know. I haven't found a web site for his group, and information is scarce. I know that they were called something to the effect of the "Can Do Squadrons." If you know of a good starting point to find rosters, mission notes, etc. please let me know.
[check out http:www.cris.com/~docherk/305th/history.html]

Mac Mckenzie (303rd BGA Member)

Norman M Clark kriegie@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Line 135 in roster

Bruce Hunter hunter7@flash.net (family of a 303rd Member) Thanks for being here. I got to see my father's airplane SKY WOLF. William C. Hunter, Navigator, still lives in Laguna Niguel, California, with my mother his WREN warbride.

Lars Schjorring Knudsen schjorring@vip.cybercity.dk Great page, lots of information. My Homepage on the 447th Bomb Group: http://users.cybercity.dk/~bbl3024

Steve Malikoff steven@phaedra.apana.org.au I'd like to find out as much as possible about the 'Bugs Bunny standing on a bomb' patch on some 303rd BG / 427th BS A-2 flight jackets. How common was this patch? Would there be any reasonable hope of tracing one of these jackets to its original owner without a name tag? I have found a matching photo in Freeman's The Mighty Eighth on p.100. Apart from that, this is a great page, all the best with it!

Dave Shirley dschem@ameritech.net I do not know if you can help but I will try this. About a year ago I was in an antique store and I found a letter written from a B-17 pilot (David A. Tyler Jr.)to the crew chief. The head of the letter states that he was in the 305th bomber group 364th squadron and flew a plane by the name of Virgin. I know this is the wrong group but I cannot seem to find a 305th group web page. Can you tell me where to go? I would like to end up with a picture of the plane to put next to the letter. I hope this does not bother you but I would really appreciate any help you could give me.
[Contact Edward A. Kueppers, Director of Information Services, 8th Air Force Historical Society, Box 7215, St. Paul, MN 55107 Telephone:(800)833-1942 FAX: (612)222-7781. He can give you the Unit Contact Person for the 305th BG(H). 305th BG(H) B-17F Serial Number 42-29636 was named Virgin. It was also known as The Virgin, The Vanishing Virgin, Vanishing Virgin and X-Virgin. There is a photo of the nose art from X-Virgin: in "The 8th Air Force Year Book", by LtCol John H. Woolnough, 1981, page 188. Ed Kueppers should be able to furnish you with a copy of this nose art photo. Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian and Unit Contact 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association]

Marvin R. Edwards MokeLou@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Would like to hear from anyone from the 360th.

Bill Heller wheller@attglobal.net (303rd BGA Member) I noticed the contact on the website from DAVID COPPOM. David is the nephew of my original crew copilot, JOHN COPPOM from the 360th Squadron where my crew began. Though I was later Operations Officer of the 359th, I returned to the 360th as commanding officer. During this time JOHN COPPOM got his own crew and flew several missions with my original crew plus others. Post war, I was an International Airline Captain. One of my favorite Stewardesses one day told me she was getting married. Sometime later noticed in the airline logbook, the name COPPOM. She had married the nephew of my wartime copilot! I was quite touched and was moved to announce to the passengers how greatly pleased I was to again have a COPPOM on my crew, and also explained to the passengers the combat exploits of JOHN COPPOM. He was the greatest. He also flew with me on the Schweinfurt missions! He never lost his cool. Even under head-on attack he'd have some comic remark. Once he even pointed to the nose of an Me109 coming in and said, "Look at that crazy paint job!" I shall never forget the late JOHN COPPOM! He was the greatest! I welcome DAVID and LINDA COPPOM to the 303rd "Hell's Angels" Family.

Art Carpenter texraid@ix.netcom.com (family of a 303rd Member) I was wondering if anyone has any information on a 359th Pilot named Arthur G. Carpenter. He flew as Co-Pilot with my Father-in-Law Clinton A. Moser on mission #207 to Munich. They got shot up pretty bad and had to come home on 1 and 2. To this day all of Clint's surviving crew attribute their return on having two Pilots flying that day. If anyone has any information on him please contact me.
[Arthur G. Carpenter, Jr. (ASN 0-756178) was a 303rd BG(H) Pilot assigned to the 359th BS on May 11, 1944. He completed his 35 mission combat tour on 23 July 1944. On 19 July 1944 (Mission #207) he flew as CoPilot with Lt C.A. Moser as Pilot in B-17G # 42-97781 359BS (BN-O) The '8' Ball, MkII. The Moser Crew was the lead crew in the low squadron of the 41st CBW C-Group. Lt Moser's Low Group Leader mission narrative to the CO 303rd BG(H) reads, "Over Kaiserslautera we received direct flak hits in our right wing causing eventual loss of both #3 and #4 engines. When the #3 engine, the second engine to go out, failed I instructed the Deputy Group Leader to take over, which he did. We gradually lost altitude and sent S.O.S.'s continuously. When we were at about mid-channel we canceled the S.O.S. since we were holding our altitude fairly well. We landed at Woodbridge with no difficulty since we were able to maintain our altitude to Woodbridge." Lt Arthur G. Carpenter is not a member of our 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association and we have no record as to whether he is alive or his address. Suggest you write a letter to Arthur Anderson. Place his name (lLt Arthur G. Carpenter, Jr.) and serial number (0-756178) on a stamped envelope with your return address. Place you letter to Carpenter in side another envelope addressed to Life Insurance Division Dept. of Veterans Administration (VAROIC), P.O. Box 8079, Philadelphia, PA 19101 requesting that they forward your letter to Lt Carpenter. They will then forward your letter to the last address of recovered of Carpenter or advise you that he is deceased. They are prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974 from giving you his address. Many of our 303rd BGA members have found people via this method. Also try searching for him on the Internet. Regards, Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian, 303rd BG(H) Association]

Jack Turkel jackjay@worldnet.att.net (family of a 303rd Member) My father, George Turkel, was in the 359th squadron of the 303rd and just turned 80 years old this year. I myself have done much research about his role at Molesworth, and I found out a lot of stuff. First, your web site is great. The memory and accomplishments of the 303rd should never be forgoten and this site will keep that memory alive. My dad flew with the Eightball Mk2 (24638) as a top turret gunner and was also ground crew chief. And as some may know, that was the same plane Gable flew in. As a matter of fact, if you look at the picture of Clark Gable on this site, he is standing to his right in the background. I have some pictures of the plane and its assorted crews as well, but am always looking for more info and pics, (hint, hint) If anyone would like to contact him, or me, please e-mail me. (He would love to tell you plenty of stories) I am hoping we can get to the reunion in Georgia.

Richard L. Smith "Spider" spider@ivic.net (303rd BGA Member) Great job on this Web Site. I am Assistant 360th Sqdrn Rep. I build and fly R/C Models with my feet on the ground. I do the newsletter for The Hemet Model Masters of Hemet CA. Our Web Page is www.ivic.net/~spider/. Spider's Story is under Maps and Pictures on that page. It is the story of my second tour as a P51 Pilot flying with the First Scouting Force.

David M. Coppom LTORAL@aol.com (family of a 303rd Member) Excellent website -- my uncle Lt. John Coppom flew his 25 missions with the 360th Squadron of the 303rd, and is a great source of pride to me. Have his mission list, correspond with LTC Bill Heller, his fellow pilot for some of the missions, and collect AF books and reference pubs. Anyone who knew John or was on his crew is welcome to email me. Thanks again for having such a great site.

Richard Wakefield oldfeller@msn.com (303rd BGA Member) Thanks to the 303rd web site I recently received a picture of the B-17 that we crash-landed in Warsaw Poland on March 15, 1945. It was sent to me by a Michal Mucha who describes himself as as an aircraft researcher and a member of Aircraft M.I.A. He had obtained my name from Harry Gobrecht. I could hardly believe my eyes when I got it. I am really grateful to Mike and to all the people that worked so hard for the bomb group association and the web site. This could never have been possible without all of you.

I was the tail gunner on B-17G #43-39220 piloted by Tom Richardson. We only had 4 assigned members of our crew and the rest were assigned on a mission to mission basis. I can only remember the names of 2 of the non-regular crew members that were with us that day. They were a radio operator by the name of Grossman and a Navigator or Bombardier by the name of Pacheco. If anybody knows of any of the other crew members I would like to hear from them.
Richard Wakefield, 25725 Sunny Vale Lane, Shorewood MN 55331 (612)972-9202
[Our 303rd BG(H) records indicate that you were assigned to the 427th BS on Christmas Eve 12/24/44 as a member of the 2ndLt Peter D. Ayling Crew. The crew on your 15 March 1944 mission to Erfurt, Germany were: Pilot 2ndLt Thomas W. Richardson (To 427BS 12/24/44), CoPilot 2ndLt Peter D. Ayling (*) (Ayling's Crew to 427BS 12/24/44), Navigator F/O William R. Rubins (Demian's Crew to 427BS 12/25/44), Bombardier 2ndLt J.E. Pacheco (original Crew ? to 427BS ?), Engineer Sgt Henry E. Lindeman (Aagesen's Crew to 427BS 11/12/44), Radio Operator S/Sgt Howard A. Grossman (Eisenwinter Crew To 427BS 7/15/44), Ball Turret Sgt John M. Graves (*) (Ayling's Crew to 427BS 12/24/44), Tail Gunner Sgt Richard E. Wakefield (*) (Ayling's Crew to 4/27/BS 12/24/44). You had no Waist Gunners on this mission.
(*) Original members of Ayling Crew who is indicated as a CoPilot with no assigned Pilot. It appears that Lt Ayling was immediately reassigned as CoPilot on the Richardson Crew. Regards, Harry D. Gobrecht.]

Paul Clay Zosimus5c@aol.com Thoroughly engaging. I'm doing some research and this has helped a lot. Thanks for the web site, and thanks for your service to the country.
[Paul - We are pleased that you enjoyed our 303rd Bomb Group Association Web Site. In your Internet travels, we hope you will recommend it to other that you meet. Ed Miller]

Linda Hamilton LHAMIL7929@aol.com (family of a 303rd Member) My Dad was a tailgunner on the Sweet Rosie O'Grady. I have seen two paintings of her and wonder if it is possible to get a print of either painting? He always said there was only one other love of his life besides my mother and that was the Rosie O'Grady. It would be a great to give a print of his "love" to him for their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. P.S. My sister and brothers are sending them to the reunion for their anniversary.
[There are two paintings that depict the 303rd BG(H) B-17G Sweet Rose O'Grady, #42-39885 (GN-R, 427th BS/303rd BG(H) (1) Sweet Rose O'Grady by Robert Karr. 18" x 32" Lithograph print. Beautiful print of Sweet Rose O'Grady flying alone. Considered by some to be the definitive B-17 lithograph. Available from Aviation Arts, 533 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA Telephone: (714) 494-4303 (2) Alone No More by William S. Phillips, 36 1/2" X 14 3/8", 1991 Lithograph Print. Damaged Sweet Rose O'Grady being escorted home by two Spitfire Mar XI of the 241st Squadron, R.A.F. after she had dropped behind her formation leaving her alone in the European skies. With the arrival of the Spitfire escort she was alone no more. Available from The Greenwich Workshop, Inc., 30 Linderman Drive, Trumbell, CT 06611 Telephone: (800) 243-4246

This beautiful B-17G-05-VE #42-39885, was delivered to the USAAF by Vega Aircraft Company, Burbank, CA on 28 September 1943, Arrived in England on 15 November 1943, assigned to the 427th BS/303rd BG(H) at Molesworth on 30 December 1943 and flew 134 combat missions. She was transferred to the 457th BG(H) on 22 May 1945, to the 351st BG(H) on 29 May 1945 and was flown to the USA 09 June 1945 and ended up being scrapped at Kingman, AZ. She flew more combat missions (134) than any other 303rd BG(H) B-17. Crew Chief was M/Sgt Frank F. Furman. Harry Gobrecht]

Karen Stanford KARENS1@prodigy.net To: All former POW's of Stalag Luft 1 --POW in 1943-45 held in Rostock, Germany. From: Joseph Stanford, Nahant, MA 01908
Looking for former POW's during that time period. I was shot down on Dec. 14 north of Athens and transported to northern Germany--I spent New Years Eve (1944) at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof on my way to Rostock. I was liberated by the Russians in 1945. I am assisting my 82 year old father in searching for other POW's--so if your parent or grandparent participated in WW II, please let us hear from you.

Howard Ness hnsn88@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) I've been trying to find members of our original crew that flew the southern route in April of '43. We were assigned to the 427th squadron. I was co-pilot on that crew. We had a Life photographer with us on a raid to Stuggart and crash landed in England after the mission. We were flying the" Winning Run" that day. It was Billy Southworth's plane. I was on both Schweinfert missions in '43, ending my tour of 25 on the second mission Oct 14th. In the last issue of the newsletter on page 4 there is a picture of Lt. Hullar's crew the second person from the left back row is identified as Scroggins. His name was Paul Scroggins and he was our navigator on our original crew. I did send some information to John Edwards at the museum just recently. If you have any information about Paul Scroggins I would sure like to know where to contact him.

Raymond N. Calenberg B17GSparks@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Thanks Edgar Miller for this interesting web. On December 5, 1944, our 358th Squadron Chief radio operator, T/Sgt. Balzano, asked me to check out as squardon lead radio operator to fly with Lt. Miller. I had already flown 17 missions with the Lt. Gmernicki crew, and would only have to fly 12 more missions with Lt. Miller, instead of 17 more missions with my crew. I decided to stay with my crew since we had a terrific crew who worked together and got along so well, like a family. So Lt. Miller, we almost became flying buddies way back then. Strange how things work out, but I'm glad to know that you also survived those hectic days. Best wishes for continued success with this outstanding web. We all appreciate your efforts!

Carlton B. Murray II allaboutiron@worldnet.att.net I would like to find out if theres any websites or information on the web for my wife's Grandfather. He was in WWII 356th which he stated was changed to the 556th. Bomber Group. I appreciate your time and your service to your country. Carlton B. Murray II, Former U.S.M.C

Morton Moon MSargeM@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Colin, the student who I ordered the Might In Flight for has received the book and really enjoys it. He and his classmates at Troy High school, Troy Michigan will use the book for research on the stories of WWII. Thanks for sending the book to him so promptly.
Glad that Colon received his book and that his Troy, MI High School is enjoying Might in Flight. Thanks again for you kindness in purchasing our book for Colin.

Margaret Wilson margaret@tig.com.au I'm interested in knowing if there's a connection with the biker group of the same name. Is there a history here?

Burton Miner bminerb17@aol.com I was just looking at what was available on the internet about the Eighth Air Force. I thank you for all the work you have put into this web page. It is excellent. I was in the 305 Bomb Group at Chelveston from Sept.43 to Aug.44. We probably were on the same raids together. Regards: Burt MIner
[Welcome to the 303rd BGA's website. I was stationed with the 305th at Chelveston from April to D-Day 1944 as part of the PFF pool. We flew as lead crew with all of the 41st CBW crews but mostly with the 303rd. Hal Susskind, President 303rd BGA.]

STEVE B robinwb@awod.com Gary, great job on the page. I have been an avid reader of B-17 related books since I was in grade school. I had the pleasure of visiting the museum in Savannah GA. recently and was also very impressed. I am a retired US Army Special Forces Officer, and in my spare time (which is plenty!), Ic collect books and such of WWII. I would be very interested in getting some photos of any of the three planes which were named "Hells Angels," especially with the crews. I learned while in GA. that the Hells Angels and not the Memphis Belle was the 1st to complete 25 combat missions. Naturally, I will be glad to pay any cost associated with any of the photos or printed material you can help me with. Thanks so much and keep up the good work!
[Thanks for your 303rd BGA Guest book message. Our 303rd Bombardment Group (H) history book Might in Flight has several photos of the 303rd BG(H) B-17 "Hell's Angels" with crew lists, combat missions flown, etc. An order form for purchasing a copy of our 928 page history book Might in Flight is included on our 303rd BGA Web Page. I'm happy that you were able to learn that the 303rd BG(H) B-17 Hell's Angels, not the 91st BG(H) B-17 Memphis Belle was the first 8th AF B-17 to complete 25 combat missions. Hell's Angels went on to complete 48 missions before returning to the USA on a War Plant Morale tour. The Memphis Belle was the first 8th AF B-17 to complete 25 missions and return to the USA with a makeup crew of men who had completed their 25 mission tour. Many people forget to add return to the USA when touting the remarkable exploits of the Memphis Belle. Regards, Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian 303rd Bomb Group(H) Association]

John R. Craven crall.b@worldnet.att.net (303rd BGA Member) Glad to see this web page! Long overdue. You can reach me via my son, Roger Craven, who is an associate member of the 303rd BGA.

Alan R. Bower hmm362@ldd.net As a door gunner on a helicopter in in Vietnam, I had a very small taste of what you guys went through. God bless you and thank you!

Dave Armstrong Darmst2@aol.com I have the book Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer by Brian D. O'Neill and it is excellent! One of the best books on the air war I've read and I've read a bunch. I would like to know what the freak accident was that Edward M. 'Woodie' Woddrop (303rd) was killed in at the end of the war. He sounds like he was quite a guy. Excellent web site you have here. Thanks to veterans (and those who gave all) of all wars for their sacrifices so that we remain free!

Steve Daniel Olson steveatz@aol.com (family of a 303rd Member) My Grandfather was Keith Riley Olson, a tailgunner.

Lt Col John Howe John.Howe@MOLESWORTH.AF.MIL My congratulations on such a fine tribute to the 303rd. I have recently arrived at RAF Molesworth and use the data contained on the 303rd web site often to remind those here about professionalism, dedication, nd service to our country. By coincidence I found out that my wife's uncle (Lt Warren D. Ehrke/navigator) was stationed at Molesworth with the 303rd. The thorough listing allowed me to find out his squadron (359th) and dates of some missions. He did have a few sorties on the Thunderbird. I would also like to update you on the Post War Molesworth page. Lt Col Evans departed this April for the Pentagon and I have replaced him as 423 Air Base Commander. I feel fortunate to be at such a historic site and thought you'd like to know that your efforts help us pass on the rich history of the 303rd. Thanks again for your efforts. John Howe, Lt Col, USAF 423 ABS/CC

Edward L. Frank p51@1usa.com I have found this website, after almost two-year search, looking for information about my Uncle, John P. Millek, who was a T/G on a B-17. I remember him talking about the Hell's Angels Sqd., but didn't know at the time he was a member of it. He moved to CA in 1960, and I've never seen him since. None of my Aunts and Uncles could tell me much about his service to our Country. Having found this website I was elated to find his name among the members of the 303rd BG. Now, by posting this comment, I hope to find someone who may have served with him. Anyone with information about my Uncle John, if they would contact me, would really make my day. I thank one and all who made possible this great website. Being a Pilot myself since I was 40 years old, I have been a student of WWII, having read much history on the Aviation part of ETO. Here are the members of the Crew my Uncle served with: Pilot Brabant, P.H., CP Judy, I.J., Marby, Clyde E., Hodge, Dana A., Marquez, Robert P., Praplaski, Ed M. and Valentine, Robert J. Thanks to all who served, and thank you to anybody who can help me in my quest.

Morton Moon MSargeM@AOL.COM (303rd BGA Member) I received a letter from a student of Troy High School in Troy, OH. He wanted to know about my service experience during WW2 and thanked me for fighting for our beautiful country. As I was ground crew on the Knockout Dropper and did not have combat duty as such, I am going to buy a copy of the Might in Flight book and have it sent to him. He is doing a project regarding WW2 for his eighth grade class. I thought the book would give much more info than I could.
[Received your $75 check for a copy of Might in Flight. It is being shipped to Colin Girolamo of Troy, Ohio. This eighth grade student should have his book early next week. I hope that he gets an "A" on his report and will gain a new understanding about the terrible price paid by the Mighty Eighth Air Force to gain control of the air and help bring WWII to an end. Thanks for being such a generous and thoughtful person. You kept them safely flying and for this I have always been grateful. Regards, Harry D. Gobrecht.]

Donald O. Campen, Jr. ibspec@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Thanks for this service. I wish for information to locate TSgt. Joseph A. Czerwonka, serial 31074658, that was on pilot O'Leary's crew that arrived in 427th at Molesworth 2/22/44. He is listed by pilot and alphabetical on our listings. Thanks for any info. My address: 7603 Hillside Ave. Richmond, VA 23229-5923, phone: (804)288-8266.

Harold Bellamy hbellamy@gogebic.cc.mi.us My best friend in 1943 was Ron Elliott of Minneapolis, MN. We both went into service WW2, me to combat inf. Ron to the Air Force as a gunner on a B-17. Mother told me on my return in 1946 that she had a message for me namely that Ron went down in the North Sea. Would appreciate any info regarding Ron's service if that is possible. I inquired at Dayton Air Museum, and was informed that computer info on 8th Air Force casualties was not yet available. Thanks

Lloyd E. Sunderland LLOYDSUNDERLAND@WORLDNET.ATT.NET I was a pilot in the 532nd Sq of the 381st Bomb Group, and I flew one mission with the 303rd Bomb Group in July, 1944. It was one of those bad weather days when I couldn't find The 381st group formation. The one formation that seemed To be at our rendevous point had the big triangle "C" on the tails. After cautiously flying along side for a while, I tagged onto the formation and flew the mission. I was concerned because Germans sometimes flew restored B-17s, And I didn't want to be mistaken for one of them.

Tim Touhey firestorm42@yahoo.com I'm not sure if this is the right group, but my father was a ground crew member with the b-17 called Hells Angels. I would love to know more about this aircraft (my dad told me a lot!) and find any other people who may have served with him. His name was Ernest H. Touhey. Thanks!!!
[Your father was indeed one of the ground crew members who serviced the famous Hell's Angels B-17. In case your father didn't tell you our Hell's Angels B-17 was the first 8th AF B-17 to complete 25 missions. It was not the Memphis Belle. Hell's Angels went on to complete 48 combat missions. The story of the Hell's Angels vs Memphis Belle is in our 303rd BGA Page. You should purchase a copy of our 928 page 303rd BGA History book Might in Flight Included is the story of the Hell's Angels. Page 328 has a photo of your father with the rest of his ground crew sitting on top of the nose of the Hell's Angels. Your Dad was one of the twelve men who flew in Hell's Angels from our airfield at Molesworth, England to the United States on 20 January 1944 for a morale building tour of war plants. S/Sgt Ernest Touhey's boss M/Sgt Fabian Folmer (Crew Chief) and the original Pilot of Hell's Angels, Capt (later Colonel) Irl Baldwin are both members of our 303rd Bomb Group Association. All of the men who flew in and serviced Hell's Angels are very special persons to everyone who served with the 303rd Bombardment Group (H) "Hell's Angels" Group. Being Ernest Touhey's son also makes you a very special person. Regards Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian, 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association]

Jeanne M. Horstick qhaus@nbn.net (family of a 303rd Member) Just wanted to thank Lt. Col Harry Gobrecht and Lt. Col Edgar Miller and all who have helped to preserve the memory of the Hells Angels and the contributions each and every member made . Every one of these men deserve our gratitude and thanks and a place in history- because they are a vital part of it and they must not ever be forgotten. My father was S/Sgt. William T. L. Werner of the 427th crew of Lucious Lady. He died 6 years ago- This past year I also lost my mother Betty, so you can't begin to imagine the pride and tears that were shed when we opened a package addressed to Mom that contained a picture Entitled- "Heroes of Molesworth" and my Dad -at the Tailgunners spot wounded but still firing - this picture and this honor means more to my family then words can ever begin to express-- Hope to see and meet you this summer in Savannah- Thanks Again this site is just wonderful!!

Par Henningsson syrinx@algonet.se Congratulations on a fine and very informative site! The individual's stories were interesting. I find it very important to cherish these memories, and not only concentrate on numbers, figures, and logistics. Keep the stories coming!
[There will be more added within a few weeks. Stay tuned!]

A.L. Habich JJRETIRED@prodigy.net (303rd BGA Member) Eager to find others in my group. Was a radioman, flew in crew of P.H. Long (Pilot) and was interned in Geneva, Switzerland - 24 April 1944. Mailing address: Arthur Habich, 1938 Driftwood Court, Bakersfield, California 93309
[Welcome to the 303rd Bomb Group Association which has more than 2000 members. Why don't you join us at our reunion in Savannah, GA in August? I flew on the same mission and will send you details. Hal Susskind, President.]

Bill Heller wheller@attglobal.net (303rd BGA Member) Just had a wonderful telcon with Judge Peter Michael Curry. He phoned me today 5-10-98 just to chat. He's well and feisty as usual. He does not think he'll make Savannah, but WILL make Galveston. For those who might not recall, Judge Curry was in Group Intelligence and used to debrief us on return from missions. He's been on the Bench for 35 years!

Morton Moon MSargeM@AOL.COM (303rd BGA Member) I made contact with Mark Shoup who is the son of Col Shoup who was an original flight crew member on the Knockout Dropper. Col Shoup is still around and I will send him a letter shortly. I apperciate the 303rd web site and all of the info it contains.

James C. Miller grettemiller@hotmail.com (family of a 303rd Member) Great web Site. I loved the B-17 history and pictures.

Thomas Hayman scorpion11@msncom I have been enjoying the site and now am looking forward to a hangar dance that Brian McGuire has organized at Molesworth. He does a lot of work here. I hope to "re-live" some of the better moments at the dance and hope to see some of you there if you can make it. If not, I'll tell them about it later and may have a few pics from the night.

Wm J Carter WCarter516@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Excellent, I was a BTG on Neil Cunningham's crew and flew my 35th on April 25 1945 to Pilsen. I have lost all track of my crew members, although I know several have passed on. Great to find this site on the web!!

Robert McKeon rmckeon@jerseycape.com Gary, you my friend are a tribute to your Father and the Thunderbird. Great, great page!! My uncle was a tail gunner in the 8th AF in a plane named Winnie the Pooh, shot down over Regensburg 2-44. I would like to get more info on this plane - any tips? Once again GREAT work and I'm sure your father is very proud! Take care, Bob McKeon
[Bob, thanks for your comments. Though this came to via the Thunderbird Guest Book, I thought it was more appropriate here.... Gary]
[B-17 #42-3422 551st BS/385th BG(H) was named Winnie the Pooh. It was shot down on a 3rd Air Division mission to Regensburg, Germany on 25 February 1944. The Pilot, Lt Nelson H. Davis was killed in action. The other nine crewmen became POWs. The Tail Gunner was S/Sgt William E. Shay from Albany, NY who became a POW. S/Sgt Shay must have been your Uncle. #42-3422 Winnie the Pooh was delivered to the USAAF on 14 June 1943, arrived in England on 23 July 1943 and shortly thereafter was assigned to the 551st BS/385th BG.

I can furnish no other information. The 8th AF Historical Society Unit Contact for the 385th BG(H) is John Pettenger, Box 117, Laurel, FL 34272-0117. He may be able to furnish you with additional information. Also try Edward A. Kueppers, Director of Information Services, 8thAFHS, Box 7215, St. Paul, MN 55107 Telephone 1-800-833-1942.

The 303rd BG(H) [1st Division] also had a B-17 named Winnie the Pooh (also known as Flak Wolf) that was lost over Oschersleben, Germany on 11 January 1944. Tail Gunner was Sgt Roland R. Ziegler, from Alliance, Ohio who was killed in action. The 34th BG [3rd Division] also had several B-17's named Winnie the Pooh - Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian, 303rd BG(H) Association]

Morton Moon MSargeM@AOL.COM (303rd BGA Member) Hi, This is Mort again. I was wondering about the lettering on the fuselage of the Knockout Dropper, BN-R. Did the BN stand for Bill Neff our engineering officer and the R stand for the pilot Capt Roller? Do you Know about this?
[You made an excellent guess -- but it is wrong! Each 8th AF Squadron had a two letter code assigned by Headquarters 8th AF designating the Squadron. It was painted on each side of the airplane fuselage. 303rd BG(H) Squadron codes were: 358th BS - "VK", 359th BS "BN", 360th BS "PU", 427th BS "GN". The third letter designated the aircraft and was arbitrarily assigned by the Squadron Operations Staff. When an aircraft was lost in combat, salvaged after an accident, etc. the replacement aircraft was assigned the letter of the aircraft it replaced. A particular aircraft letter was , therefore, used many time during the course of the war, but the Squadron two letter code never changed. For radio identification purposes the aircraft letter and last three numbers of the aircraft serial number were used. For example 359th BS Knockout Dropper #41-24605 [BN-R] used "R-605" whenever identifying itself on a radio message with the airfield tower or with another aircraft, etc. Regards, Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian, 303rd BG(H) Association]

Donald Garriott dgarriott@ameritech.net (family of a 303rd Member) My father, John A Garriott, was a member of 303rd / 359 Sq. He flew with Lt. Stouse on the Duchess and the 8-Ball. I enjoyed visiting this site, and will be back often.

F.X. O'Brien Obart1@erols.com (family of a 303rd Member) This looks like a great resource. Can't wait to explore further.

C. Dale Esau cdesau@sprynet.spry9.com This is great information for those that need it. Although I don't at this time, it could be of need for future research. Thanks, Dale

William J. Dallas wmjdallas@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) I have lost contact with almost all of the crew that I trained with. The ones that I am very anxious to contact are James G. Clark, Jr. and Charles M. Webster. Both were originally from the state of New York. Any help would be appreciated.

Roger DeShetler rdeshetl@remc8.k12.mi.us I am a US History teacher at Newhall Middle School in Wyoming, Michigan. A also am a member the the 8th AF Historical Society. I am trying to put together a Unit dedicated those who served in in the AAF in WWII. I would like to gather information from veterans such as copies of photos and memoirs for our Wall of Fame dedicated to the men and women who served in the AAF. If you know of people willing to help please contact me. Thank you.

Lee C. Hauenstein lhauenstn@aol.com Anything related to the 8th AF interests me. My Dad was a pilot with the 487th BG in Lavenham, England, one of my Uncles was in the 389th, another in the 453rd. I always delight to find other Web sites dedicated to groups in the 8th. I've only just discovered your page, and if you have the amount of information that you say, I'm very impressed. Like the Thunderbird and ALL HER CREW!! How did you collect all this? I'm the database/membership chairman for the 487th BG Auxiliary and am building a database of information about the 487th. So far it contains data about less than 1000 men. So if you've got some magic source for this kind of data, I'd love to hear from you. Actually I'd enjoy hearing from you anyway. All of us with an interest must keep the flame burning by telling others the story and sharing it amongst ourselves. Regards, Lee
[Thanks to the research and generous help of Keith and Peggy Ferris, Harry Gobrecht, Ed Miller and research done previously by Jeff Ethell, the B-17 Thunderbird Web Page now has all 539 men who flew on her and the crews for each of her 134 flights (112 credited missions). - Gary Moncur]

Bill Dallas wmjdallas@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) I just received my copy of Might in Flight and have started looking up stories and events. It's amazing, some of the dates are not as I remembered . . . I must be getting old and my memory is faltering. I think it is worth every penny it cost me. It is some book!
[I'm glad that you received and are enjoying your copy of our 303rd BG(H) book Might in Flight. It was for people like you that the book was compiled and published. Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian, 303rd BG(H) Association]

Bill Burke burkejb@erols.com Just determined my Uncle, SSGT James C. Burke, 360th BS tail gunner of the B-17 Shangri-La Lil, was held a POW in Stalag XVII-B, located west of Krems, Austria. I was wondering if any others from the 303rd were also held their. Seeking any info concerning the camp, conditions, etc. Thanks.

Gretchen Musgrove-nelson gretchen@nemaine.com I am doing research for a book and was given this site.

Harold A. Susskind hasusskind@hotmail.com (President 303rd Bomb Group Association) I look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion in Savannah this coming August. Please refer to the REUNION section of this site for details. Details can also be found in the 303rd Bomb Group newsletter.

Linda Comstock-Teel 104457.653@compuserve.com Saw a copy of a message from Ed Miller on the Roots-L mailing list and thought I'd check out your site. It's great. I'm looking for something on the 305th Bomb Group. My husband's uncle was a pilot with this unit in WWII. Do you know of anything on this unit?

Thomas B. Hayman scorpion11@msn.com I live near the base and my wife works on it. I have been interested since I was a child in WWII and this is very interesting to be near this much history. It is almost too much for me as a historian. I don't know which way to turn. I am enjoying your site and will visit it often. Thanks, Tom

David Garriott triodave@usa.net (family of a Member) Very nice site. My father was a Hell's Angel - joined the Army Air Corp in 1940. He was a lower ball turret gunner.

Carol Shoup-Sanders sanders@2xtreme.net (family of a 303rd Member) I printed a couple of pages my father, John R. Shoup, was on and sent them to him. The Roller Crew photo, he said, was taken at Dow Field, Banjor, ME, Sept or Oct 1942. Dooley (NOT pictured) was the spare pilot, later shot down. Dad gave me some additional information which I want to pass on to you. The first is the photo of the Roller Crew - 359th BS: one crew member is incorrectly identified and Dad gave me the names of the first row crew which were not identified in the photo. Spence, not pictured, was shot down (missing 1/23/43) with Lt. Sanderson. Spence and his engineer Devers got hooked up with the free French underground and made it back to Molesworth. Sanderson and his Bombardier both survived the war as POWs. Grady Ward, the bombarder, was a Victorville classmate of Dad's. Sandy had several fingers shot off. Want more?
[Carol, Thanks for identifying the crewmen. The photo has been corrected. Your dad, John R. Shoup, had one of the earliest evadee experiences. In his 1996 reply to our 303rd BG(H) Personal Biography Questionnaire he sent me a copy of an article from the 26 March 1992 issue of QUEST-FRANCE that briefly tells about his journey from France to Spain thanks to the help of some very brave French helpers. Anything else that he might have about his 303rd BG(H) experiences would be a welcome addition to our 303rd archives and history. The Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum at Pooler (Savannah), GA has an excellent revised exhibit telling about the many Eighth Air Force men (real heroes) who escaped and evaded the Germans after they aircraft was shot down Our own 303rd BG(H) Clayton David, another evadee, helped plan and design the exhibit. If you haven't already visited the Museum it will be well worth you while to make the trip to see the E&E exhibit as well as the many other exhibits in this wonderful museum. The 303rd 1998 reunion will be in Savannah August 21-25. You would be welcome to meet with us. Harry D. Gobrecht, 358thBS/303rd BG(H) Pilot Historian, 303rd BG(H) Association.]

Mark Shoup markjs@wp.state.ks.us (family of a 303rd Member) My father is John Shoup, the bombardier on the original crew of the Knockout Dropper. He was never one to toot his own horn, but if dignity requires a man to suppress pride in his courage, admiration requires a son to express that pride. I did not know of this story until my parents 50th anniversary a few years ago. As a surprise, my sisters and I wrote all his old acquaintances to send pictures and stories relating anything interesting they might remember about my parents. The following story more than fits the description "interesting:"

Dear Folks, Sorry, I don't have any pictures I can send you, but as John's operations officer in WW II, I can tell you a story about him that might be of interest to you. On a mission over Europe, flying at 25,000 feet, a 500-pound bomb that was supposed to have been dropped on a target got hung up in the bomb rack. John, without any regard to his own safety, climbed back to the bomb bay, without a parachute or an oxygen mask (no oxygen outlet in the bomb bay) and temperatures at 50 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit. John stayed and worked until he finally released the bomb. As you know, John could have frozen all or any part of his body, or he could have become unconscious due to lack of oxygen. Through John's effort, he saved his own plane and crew and many others of us on the raid. Yours truly, H.E. Kalhoefer [major at the time, I believe, and Dad's squadron operations officer]

Richard R. Keller rvkeller@compuserve.com My wife is an accomplished Genealogist and had received an inquiry from Mr. Miller which prompted her to check out the website. She knows I'm a WWII buff and thought I would enjoy it. I did, and I would like to say I visited your museum several months ago, and can't wait to return for an entire day at least. I happened to get there on the day you honored the Tuskgee Airmen and found it a bit hectic, so I'll be back. We have just purchased a home in Sun City Hilton Head in Bluffton, SC, so getting to you will be no problem. I had served on Active Duty from 9/56 to 9/58 with HMR 262, Marine Air Group 26 at MCAF, New River, NC as an aviation electrician. Our squadron was comprised of 20 Sikorsky Helicopters and our mission was to land troops and training for the new idea of Vertical Envelopment that the USMC was developing at that time.

Philippe Dufrasne dufrasne.philippe@skynet.be Very nice site - Congratulations in the memory of those young boys who give their lives for our freedom, thank you. A question, where is it possible to have some information about the place where the planes of your Group crashed in Belgium? And, what's happened to the airplanes interned in neutral countries? Scrapped? returned to USA? Advance thank's.
[I do not have a list of all 303rd BG(H) B-17's that crashed in Belgium. The 303rd BG(H) book Might in Flight gives facts about each combat mission flown including where most of our lost aircraft crashed. It will entail a bit of research using the Might in Flight book.

The book Strangers in a Strange Land - Vol. II Escape to Neutrality by Hans- Weiri Stapfer/Gino Kunzle (ISBN 0-89747-278-0, published by Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc. 1115 C Drive, Carlton, Texas 75011-5010) contains the record of all USAAF aircraft interned in Switzerland during World War II. The last chapter details the disposition of the interned aircraft,. The Swiss refused to return any interned aircraft until the war with Japan had ended and demanded a check for 4,5290,000.00 Swiss Francs to pay for the lodging of interned Americans and the maintenance of the interned aircraft. In September 1945, a USAAF survey team arrived in Switzerland to decide on the disposition of the aircraft. Many of the interned aircraft were so badly damaged that they were scrapped in Switzerland. Others were repaired and flown to England where most of them were scrapped. I know of no other source for information on the interned aircraft. Harry D. Gobrecht, Historian, 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association]

Michael Charles Uher JefferyMollusk@compuserve.com (303rd BGA Member) I am looking for information concerning the April 25, 1945, mission to bomb the Skoda Truck Works at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia. I am particularly interested in corresponding with any 303rd Bomb Group member who participated in the raid, and my have first hand knowledge of any member of the Lt. Warren Mauger crew. Lt. Mauger's aircraft went down over Pilsen. Are any members of the original Mauger crew online?
[The 303rd BG(H) book Might in Flight tells about the mission to Pilsen. Warren Mauger is alive. You can obtain his address from the 303rd BG(H) 1997 Directory. I don't know if he is on-line. Harry D. Gobrecht

Joanne McFann-Davis treyajmd@aol.com Read about website in the Hell's Angels Newsletter. Looking forward to sharing it with the family of Richard A. Davis, Jr., deceased member of the 303rd.

William J. Dallas wmjdallas@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) I was a member of the 427th Bomb Sq. from January 1944 until 26 March 1944. After that date I became a guest (POW) of Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany. I have just visited the 303rd Bomb Group Website and had a very pleasant hour reliving the days of 1944 when I was at Molesworth. I want to thank everyone that had anything to do with putting the site together, it is terrific. (Super Life Member--S887) [posted by Ed Miller, from his letter]

Ben H. Allen flysandy@anet-dfw.com Got you from Keith and Peggy Ferris. They will borrow three of Keith's paintings we own for the show in Savannah. We will plan to go to the opening, too. Look forward to meeting you, if you are there. Ben & Sandy Allen

Stuart Loakes Manor.Farm.Granaries@farmline.com Very interesting site. I have lived next to the base all my life in the village of Brington. My late father lived and farmed here all through the 2nd WW. Very interested in the history of the base. Best Regards and thank you.

Morton M. Moon MSargeM@AOL.COM (303rd BGA Member) I was assistant crew chief on the Knockout Dropper and crewed two other B-17s One being Scorchy so named by Col Cole. It made 13 missions and was destroyed on landing due to hydraulic pump failure. I would like to hear from some of the 359th BS members. I joined the 359th at Boise, ID and stayed with it until they transferred home. I stayed and was assigned as a flight engineer on a Goonie Bird at the 7th Photo at Chalgrove, England. Finally arrived back in the states on 6 Sep 1945. See ya'all later, Mort

Sam McClung sammc@flash.net I see there was a Guy H. McClung in the 303rd. My dad was Guy L. McClung, Jr. who served in the 401st Bomb Group in 1944 as a navigator/bombardier on Rosie's Sweatbox and Home James with 35 missions over Germany and Europe credited to him. Does anyone here know of him or if there are any 401st Bomb Group web sites. Thanks. Your web site here is a wonderful link to how we got to where we as a nation (and as a world) are today. Sam McClung (p.s. I served in the U.S. Army on a Nike Hercules thermonuclear missile site in West German from 1976 to 1978.)

William J. Dallas wmjdallas@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) I have just spent an exceptionally happy hour in a reunion with the past. I was in the 427th BS from January until Mar 26, 1944 when I was shot down over France, a no ball target only 26 minutes over enemy territory. Our regular Navigator and Bombardier were not with us. I have tried for many years to find my Bombardier, 2/Lt James (Jim) G. Clark, Jr. SN 0811561. Anyway thanks for all the effort in putting this site together. I'll revisit it often and show it to my family.

Richard L. "Spider" Smith spider@ivic.net (303rd BGA Member) Hi, I'm Spider Smith. After completing my tour with the 303rd I volunteered for a second tour in the 1st Scouting Force and completed 25 missions before I was forced to bail out over Belgium on April 1st 1945. I am the alternate 360th SQ representative. I am retired in Hemet, California and build and fly Radio Controlled models for a hobby. See our web page at: http://www.ivic.net/~spider/ Spider's story is there under Maps and Pictures.

Cheryl Bowman Markiton cmarkiton@ctl.net (family of a 303rd Member) My dad, Joseph E. Bowman of Butler, IN, was a sheet metal worker. We enjoy reading the Hell's Angels Newsletter (in which Dad's letter was recently published), looking at old photos and mementos, and talking about his experiences in England. I've been to Dayton, OH to see a B-17 like the ones Dad worked on during the war. I grew up with annual visits to and from the family of Dad's army buddy, Julius Persyns of New York state. Dad especially enjoyed the map of Molesworth. Sta. 107 in the February 1998 newsletter. It helps with the details of a lot of memories. Thanks from Dad and Daughter!

Don Spruner spruners@mlode.com (303rd BGA Member) Great web site -- well worth the time to read it all. Second only to the assn's quarterly newsletter. I have been in contact with all of the surviving members of our crew - all but Ed Katz who was KIA Jan 13, 1945 flying his last mission with the O'Leary crew. All the rest of A.O. Caplinger's crew are alive and well as of today, including Ted Holen who was badly wounded on his 9th mission (Merseburg). Keep up the good web site work -- outstanding.

Jon Schulstad - Gary, this is a fabulous website!! Thanks for all your hard work!! My dad, Mel Schulstad, was at Molesworth from late '42 to the END!! He is now the proud owner of a new p.c. and is learning how to use it. This will stimulate him to learn FASTER!! I am sending him this website URL within the next 10 minutes. Thanks again for spending your time to honor these great men and these great machines. God bless you.

Gilbert Schaefer ESchaef@aol.com (family of a 303rd Member) I regret to inform you of the passing of my Uncle William H. Wagner on March 28, 1998. He was a member of the 358th squadron. His serial no. was 33550669.
[Thanks for letting us know. We offer our sincere condolences.]

Warren L. Hedrick hedrick@grolen.com (303rd BGA Member) Great web site. Thanks to my son's computer. You may contact me through his email address above. Chaplain 303rd BGA Warren (Lee) Hedrick

Ken Erichsen KenandWendy@prodigy.net My best friend, Kirk Stephens, found this incredible website and relayed its location to me. Both he and I have been intensely interested in history. I have carried that love of history throughout my career. The rich legacy left by the 303rd BG and other units, to the units I have been assigned, has enriched my career.

I am currently in the USAF and served in the 303rd Tactical Missile Wing from March 1987 through December 1988. I am very proud to have served in the unit that carried on the legacy left by the 303rd BG(H). "Might in Flight" was the motto used by the missile wing.. We, the Ground Defenders" (Cops), also had another, more unofficial, motto; "Leading The Way." During our short time as a unit we were able to carry on the rich legacy of achievement - A "Ready" rating on our Initial Nuclear Surety Inspection. Initial Operational Capability was described as "On Line Ahead of Time" and "Best Ever" for a cruise missile wing. We were awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for our efforts.

You may be interested to know that in 1987/88, we named and dedicated the base dining facility or "Chow Hall" to TSgt Vosler. A brass nameplate was placed by the entrance. TSgt Vosler attended the ceremony and I was fortunate to meet him after the ceremony and parade. I got a chance to say "Thanks" for the sacrifice he and so many others have made to keep freedom alive. Also, the Wing Commander's vehicle, a M1009 (military version of the Chevy Blazer) had the Thunderbird nose art painted on driver's side door.

Thanks "Angel's" for your sacrifices and service! Thanks for this website and for keeping the 303rd legacy alive. I will be applying for an Associate membership for sure!

[Glad to hear from someone who served with the 303rd Tactical Missle Wing at Molesworth. Our 303rd BG(H) book Might in Flight devotes ten pages to the post war RAF Molesworth, including a brief story about the 303rd Tactical Missile Wing that was at Molesworth from 1981-1989. RAF Molesworth is still an active U.S. Military Base (See the 423rd Air Base Squadron Home Page http://www.molesworth.af.mil). RAF Molesworth is now the home of the Joint Analysis Center (JAC), United States European Command (USEUCOM). They are responsible for intelligence gathering throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East - mostly by Satellite and U-2 Flights. The JAC named its Headquarters building the Might in Flight Building and it contains numerous paintings, photo displays, etc, about the 303rd BG(H). The Vosler building plaque is still used as well as a Mathis Building plaque. The missile silos still exists but have been deactivated. Photos of some of the JAC art collection are in our Might in Flight book. The JAC has sent a representative to our last four 303rd BG(H) Association reunions and will have someone at our Savannah reunion and will have someone at our August reunion in Savannah, GA. You are a welcome addition to our 303rd BG(H) Association family as an Associate Member. Give some thought to attending our Savannah reunion. We have a number of Associate Members who attend. You and your wife will be welcomed and will have a great time. Regards, Harry D. Gobrecht - 358th BS/303rd BG(H) Pilot, Historian and Vice President - 303rd BG(H) Association]

Bill La Perch afvet@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Awesome!!!!! Browsing the site brought back memories of those days of glory, days of fear. Congrats and thanks to all of you.

Donald Campen IBSPEC@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) I am the only enlisted member of Charlie J. Lonski's Crew still living. Lonski died in East Moriches, NY. Bourgot died very early after discharge in Mobile, AL. - then Beadle died in Saco, Montana - then Newby in Houston, TX - then Czarny in Aurora, CO - then Adams in Brownsville, TX. I am 78, in good health. I hope to get to Savannah August 1998. I have not been able to find our copilot Eugene Halonen nor Milton Szymanski (note he changed his name to Scott) and was last I knew assigned at Langley years ago. Also, we had a navigator named Face that I can not find. Any help will be appreciated.

Congrats to Gary Moncur, Harry Gobrecht, Hal Susskind, and to Ed Miller for dedicating himself to carry on the membership activity of grand gentleman Smitty (Carlton Smith). Wow! What a tremendous jolt to spend 4 pleasant hours on this magnificent web site - eligible for an oscar. Grats to all! Bravo Mighty Eighth!

Shirley Jacobsen shirleyja@aol.com (family of a 303rd Member) My husband is Norm Jacobsen who is a member of the 303rd and served with the 303rd as group navigator. He has an email address, but rarely uses it. His address is Sq359@aol.com I will share this web site with him and hopefully he will browse it and add his comments. Thank you so much for helping to share this part of our history.

Eric Schulstad essla@ix.netcom.com (family of a 303rd Member) You have my father's name spelled wrong on the original pilot's page. You have 1Lt L.M. SHULSTAD. The correct spelling is SCHULSTAD.
[We apologize for the error... it has been fixed. Gary]

Kirk Stephens line21vid@aol.com What an OUTSTANDING website! I'm a self confirmed B-17 / 8th Air Force nut and look for all types of info on bomb groups and crews. Your site is so full of info I'll be prowling through it for a long time. Again, a great site and here's to keeping it flying for many years to come.

Walfred Korpi GRNEIDIG@AOL.COM (303rd BGA Member) This is Walfred Korpi and I'm trying to locate the crew of the 427th Squadron who flew under Orange's, the pilot. Any information such as addresses or phone numbers can be sent to my daughter's email address which is listed above. Thanks so much for any help you can provide. Regards, Wally

Tom Mays tmays@chickasaw.com (303rd BGA Member) An outstanding web page. It carries a lot of memories just like Might in Flight. I was Harry Gobrecht's waist and ball gunner.

Dennis Smith Cretch@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) My congratulation to you all that have worked so hard and have made this web page something to be proud of. As a Life Associate Member (LA-178), and proud son of Carlton M. Smith, I was touched by the February 1998 issue of the newsletter. I will, come El Nino's high water or other bad weather, make it to Savannah in August!

Bill Heller wheller@attglobal.net (303rd BGA Member) Today, 27 March, Ruth and I motored to Beatty, NV and attended the burial of 360th Gunner, PAUL HENDERSON. I did not know him at Molesworth, but knew him from reunions. He was a 360th Sqdn. member and I felt he would like it if I attended. It was a simple ceremony with two uniformed USAF Airmen to officiate. His family desires to become Associate Members of the 303 BGA. They will contact the BGA.
[Thanks, Bill. We offer our condolences to the family. Gary]

[Bill Heller was not only an outstanding 360BS Squadron Commander but has proved many times that he really cares for the men who served with the 360BS and/or 303rd BG(H). Attending Paul Henderson's burial had to have meant a lot to the Henderson family. He has disproved the commonly heard notion that Commanders had only a distant affection for the men who served under them. My hat is off to you Bill!! Harry Gobrecht]

A1C Chelesa Weller wellerw@spacecom.af.mil Help! I am in graphics at Peterson AFB, CO, and I need an electronic copy of the 303rd Bomb Group shield or logo. Hopefully you will be able to help me out. This is for our NCO Academy, they are making a Sgt Vosler award. Very Respectively, A1C Weller
[Chelesa, consider it done! The graphic you wanted should be in your email. Gary]

A.C. Hunter josurf@pacbell.net (family of a 303rd Member) My father is William C. (Bill) Hunter a 303rd member who was a navigator on Sky Wolf during the big one. I have been an aircraft mechanic/inspector with UAL for the last 30 years. Good job guys, many thanks, my German isn't any better than my Japanese.

Bob (Pete) Petersen rsvpeat@aol.com Gary, Thanks for acknowledging my visit to our Website. I have just begun to explore it and from what I've seen you guys have done a great job. I wish I could say I have a specific memory of working on Thunderbird but I don't. The only B-17 that sticks in my mind is the Black Diamond Express which seemed to always be in need of repairs. I have nose pictures of a few other planes, Knockout Dropper, Hell's Angels on the way home, nose skin section from Iza Vailable Too, Miss Patricia, Special Delivery, Eight Ball, but no Thunderbird. Mostly from the early days when the number of planes we had was so few we knew just about all of them while they lasted.

You are right, 30 months was a long stay. There must only be a small number of us that hung around from Oct 1942 when we arrived from Hill Field to our departure 30 months later to Casablanca - what an exotic stopover! I have copies of some of the orders that sent us to Casablanca that would show names of those remaining at the end, and memory and research should be able to pick out the names that arrived that October. Hmmmm wonder what Tom Struck is doing!!! Thanks again for a wonderful 303rd website. I'll enjoy visiting it.
[Pete, I'm glad to see you call this "our" website. It sure is! It belongs to everyone from the 303rd. I'm just the guy that puts it together. I'll bet you worked on Thunderbird at some time. She sure got her share of holes!]

Patricia A. Wrinn pawrin@aol.com (family of a 303rd Member) Your web site is fantastic! I have always heard so much about the 303rd Bomb Group from my father and I was extremely pleased to find that you have been able to provide so much detailed information for everyone to enjoy. I have enjoyed my first visit and I plan to return many times in the future. Keep up the good work and thank you!

Michael McConaghy 70363.336@compuserve.com (family of a 303rd Member) A really great site. My father, TSgt Leo R. McConaghy T/G, was always very proud of his association with the Mighty 8th and the Hell's Angels. He never really spoke about his war experiences. The only stories I recall him every tell were a couple of amusing ones that I'm not totally sure were true but were very funny to me as a youngster.

Hap Rocketto hrocketto@riconnect.com (303rd BGA Member) Gary, Very nice website. Your graphics are wonderful and you have done the association a fine service. Thank you.

Bob (Pete) Petersen rsvpeat@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) Spent most of my time at Molesworth in the sheetmetal shop (and the pubs). Arrived in 42 with the 328th Service Squadron from Hill Field and was around for 30 months before being evicted. Hello to all with shared memories.

Bill Burke burkejb@erols.com Received much info about my uncle, James C. Burke, who was with the 360th. He was shot down over France in August 43, captured and was a POW for the rest of the war. His plane was the Shangri-La Lil. Thanks to a Newletter article, I received from a young French historian photos of the downed plane taken by German photographers. My uncle was killed shortly after returning home in an auto accident and we learned very little about his experiences as a POW. Hope to learn more from others who where there at the time. Great site and the best of people associated with the 303rd. Thanks.

Robert C. Bejna (303rd BGA Member) ENJOYED LOOKING THROUGH THE WEB SITE

Dennis Smith cretch@aol.com (303rd BGA Member) I'm glad to see that the association now has a world wide web address. Keep up the great work!

Al Dussliere ald@qconline.com (303rd BGA Member) The February issue of Hell's Angels Newsletter arrived this morning. I didn't get beyond the story about the internet site because I wanted to search for it. My time is going to be occupied in the next few days visiting the site and the links. Thanks for a great website.

Your dad should be proud of you and your efforts in behalf of the 303rd. I have already spread the news to two of my crew members who are on-line. I will write more later.

Charles H. Stoner cstoner@cpol.net (303rd BGA Member) I received my Feb. Newsletter today and am happy to find we are on the internet. It looks great, keep up the good work!

Jim Walling jimwall@ilhawaii.net (303rd BGA Member) I think this is a magnificent website. Last night (March 20 here) my wife and I went out to celebrate the fifty-third anniversary of my completing safely my 35th mission as a member of LT. Goodberlet's crew. We drank a toast to Gary and all the people who did such a first class job of putting this site together. We just decided on the spur of the moment that this was an event worth celebrating. I trust this will not be grounds for drumming me out of the Association.
[The Toast is appreciated.... and I don't think we'll drum you out of the Association just yet! :-) Gary]

Steve Smith handyman@totacc.com (303rd BGA Member) Thanks for reminding me about dues. I'm sending my check right away. Great to see you have a web site. It's good advertising for our group. Hope we turn up some more new members and crew members.

Philippe Dufrasne dufrasne.philippe@skynet.be Wonderful, are the others sites of the 8th AF like yours?

Jan Minter JanM22222@aol.com Just looking! My Uncle Edward fought and died in WWII. Cpl. James Edward Plunk, U. S. Marine Corps Btry L, 11th Mar, 1st MarDiv Killed in action at Peleliu, Palm Islands 27 Sept. 1944

Thomas E. Bass tybass@whidbey.net I'm a big B-17 Nut and along with that I've gotten into the 8th AF and all the groups of the 1st and thirds BD's. It's great to see that the "triangle C" has a home page. Hope to see some of you at the next reunion. Keep up the great work.

Bjorn Mellgren BjoHAK@AOL.COM Excellent site, do you have any info for my research that isn't on the site? Regards from Bjorn, a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Kent, England.

Jay Waters jwaters@pldi.net Very interesting I enjoyed the visit. A good friend of mine is a member. We appreciate your group.

William Heller wheller@attglobal.net (303rd BGA Member) Gary... Just another visit. It looks great! Cheers!

Gary A. Gaumer ggaumer@neo.lrun.com Gary, This is a great site!! Dad, Billy (Red) Gaumer ball turret gunner in the 303rd Bomb Group - 359th Bomb Squadron, also loves this site as well as your Thunderbird site.

Karen McCormack Kakamom@aol.com My uncle Wilbur V. Gee Jr. was killed on the Bow-Ur-Neck Stevens on May 11, 1944.
[Karen - We have also heard from Jack O'Hara, one of your relatives. I was on the mission that Johnnie Long was shot down. I saw the burst of flak that got him on the mission to Saarbrucken, Germany. My crew members reported seeing 4 parachutes before the aircraft went out of view in the clouds. One of my former crewmembers, Oscar Villasenor - Radio Operator, was riding with Johnnie Long and your Uncle that day. He was also killed. Ed Miller emille7@tampabay.rr.com]

Hardy R. Stone, COL, USA, Ret. Excellent pages. Truly a great tribute and a wonderful service to the brave flyers of the 303rd.

George R Hobaugh georgehob@msn.com Learned of the 303rd from Ed Miller. I am really enjoying your webpage. I attended a "lab school" at Indiana (Pa.) State Teachers College as a child. I was in the second grade when WWII started and was in my freshman and sophmore years of HS in 1948 to 1950. We had a lot of student teachers from the college, many were veterans. You can imagine what heros these men were to us kids. They were bigger than life.

Molly Mack Hello All! I'm Molly Mack, and I'm just introducing myself. I want to send some further information and ask you some questions soon. (I just typed a long message to you, but my network link was disconnected, so I don't believe any of it got through!) At any rate, my uncle, Austin J. Mack, was in the 358th squadron as a bombardier. He was one of 9 men killed in his plane on the May 24, 1944 mission to Berlin. My dad and I are very interested in making contact with any of you who might have known my uncle (who died 6 years before I was born) and/or who have information about his last flight which we don't already have. More soon, and I look forward to communicating with you!

Waldo Wldo@aol.com Great info. I'll be back.

Chris Pieroni cpieroni@qn.net Looking for information or crew members who knew my grandfather Robert B. Hoyt, Daddy's Delight, Radio Operator.

I am happy to see the work that has been done on the internet. It is of great value for veterans and families to learn more about the sacrifices and achievements that individuals made for the benefit of our country and the world. Thank you for your service.

Lawrence C. Farrell, Jr. Danger77@aol.com Thanks. It has made my link to my departed father easier to maintain. Larry

Roy Marberg rmarberg@microsystems.net Very nice. Wish my group, 384th had the same.

JoAnn Matern jmmatern@datc.tec.ut.us Hey, I just hopped here from the link on Dad's page. This has the same look to it...colors, etc. Tell me how this group is connected to Dad...or is it? I'm really proud of all that you're doing. What a great talent and dedication you've got. I'm glad you're my brother!!! Love ya, JoAnn

Brian McGuire bmcguire@acsdefense-dc.com (303rd BGA Member) I am the 303rd POC at RAF Molesworth, wartime home of the 303rd. I have hosted many 303rd veterans visiting Molesworth, and organized several events over the last 5 years honoring them. Next event here is a hangar dance at Molesworth, honoring all 8AF vets.It will be a big event with a band, lots of WWII vehicles and displays, veterans groups (100th and 34th BG) visiting England at the time, artists tables (Keith Hill and Geoff Pleasance) and many other surprises. But I would like to get the word out to ANY 303rd vet that might be able to attend. Also, I could provide some digital photos of Molesworth today if you want to post them. I am new to this cyber world and just learning how to use it.

Brent W. Perkins (Pres. Memphis Belle Memorial) bperk99@aol.com A fine page in tribute to fine men. It is great to be in this "cyber formation" with the likes of you. The Memphis Belle dips its wing in tribute all of the "Hell's Angels". Through these pages, we will continue the fight for education, for the rights and liberties of the people who do not have a voice in their own governments, and for those who have forgotten the struggle. A nation which forgets its defenders, will itself, be forgotten. With strength and purpose, we are... On your wing, The Memphis Belle Memorial Association Memphis, TN U.S.A.

Benny Gresham b.gresham@worldnet.att.net Told of the web page by Ed Miller of Temple, Ok. Looked it up just to see what was here.

Jeffrey Bilderback defenestr8@aol.com Hello Mr. Moncur. I was just writing to let you know how impressive the site is. I'm working at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum and recently spoke with Mr. Gobrecht during his visit to the museum in February. The information presented here is definitely first class, as well as the manner in which you put it together. I have been working on some web programming for the museum in respects to touchscreen multimedia interactive programming using html and wysiwyg programming. Just a simple program that uses Netscape to browse the page and let the visitors interact with pictures, sounds, and videos from the 8th air force as well as learn about upcoming events. With the approval of the museum I was hoping to eventually integrate some web pages like this in order to further enhance and broaden the scope of the program. Just ideas right now, so we'll see... Anyhow, I just wanted to send my appreciation for your incredible work in producing this page to preserve the history of the 303rd and the 8th. I'm on my way to check out your other pages, but I'm sure they will be just as great.
Sincerely, Jeffrey Bilderback, Registrar

Brian D. O'Neill bdoneil@ibm.net (303rd BGA Member) Hi, I'm the author of the 303rd Book, Half A Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer. Harry Gobrecht told me about this page in a recent letter. GREAT JOB!

Alfred D. Benjamin albenj@juno.com I enjoyed all the pages about the 303rd...I have some History associated with the group. I was a navigator In the 384th BG, 544th SQ. The 384th was a sister group To the 303rd, along with the 379th. We were located at Grafton Underwood, a stones throw from Molesworth. On September 19, 1944 we were designated as flying spare for the mission to Hamm. As our formation was nearing the enemy coast, we were disappointed that some of our aircraft had mechanical difficulties and had to abort the mission. We turned for home and found the 303rd was following the 384th and the 303rd had a vacancy in the high squadron. We joined up and flew the mission with the 303rd. Unfortunately we were hit by flak over the target. We lost oil pressure in two engines.. we limped on and eventually bailed out over Belgium.

Todd Hollritt todd.hollritt@attws.com Gary, Thank you for updating the list with my dads proper spelling. I just sent a thank you to Ed Miller too. Keep up the great work on the 303rd homepage, Its a great companion to the newsletter. Glad to see the Hells Angels are alive and well for many years to come! My dad found the group again about 10 years ago and loves to get all this information. As I told Ed, my dad's records seem to be misplaced somewhere between Molesworth & Chelveston (305th BG) because he flew pathfinders in the summer of 1944. I do know that Lew Lyle was the pilot on some of his missions as lead crew also. Johnson would fly Co-Pilot and Gable (co-pilot) would go to the tail position. My dad said it was a crazy time.
Thanks again, And Keep M Flying!

Todd Hollritt todd.hollritt@attws.com Please check the spelling of my fathers name, Alfred Hollritt of LT C.E. Johnson's crew 1944. It is misspelled in your roster. He is also missing from the Might in Flight book, Thank you.

Chuck McPartlin macpuzl@west.net (303rd BGA Member) Mr. Miller gave me your URL, and mentioned that your site was under construction. I must say it really looks well done, and is definitely going into my bookmark list. Is it OK with you if I make printouts of your page(s) to send to my uncle, Charles Cassidy, who was in the 303rd, but is not online?

Mike Kelly firewalker@coastalnet.com Sir: I am not a WWII type person or have much knowledge at all. My girlfriend just recently found she had an Uncle who perished in a bombing raid in 1943. Now I see your group flew B-17's ... The knowledge she has of her Uncle was he flew B-24's. Since her finding about him she has become a woman possessed to find out anything she can about him!! Her father (uncle's brother) knows very little or if he does he isn't saying...Not sure why. First we do know he flew with the 8th AF and perished on a raid into Germany sometime in 1943 over the ocean and near Sicily I think. I am trying to surprise her by finding what I can about her Uncle. We have no knowledge at all about his squadron or where he might have been stationed only that he was a Lt. Jesse Wilhite was his name. Unknown if he was a pilot, copilot, or navigator. Really know nothing about him at all. As a retired Marine I know how to get military records but, there is so much you will miss by just having those clinical documents. We want to know everything there is about him.

Now I do know this really isn't the site to be kinda asking these questions but, we can find nothing at all and found you by surfing the Web. We looked and found nothing so we go on....

I do appreciate your help in finding this long lost Uncle... Never seen a woman who wanted something so much in her life. She even made a Web site dedicating it to him... We both are genealogists and we are doing everything we can to find our families... Anyway thanx for your generous help and support. By the way.... WHAT A SITE and DEDICATION to the men who served in this group. "May the many men of this unit fly upon the wings of Angels throughout eternity!"

John Davies JOHN_DAVIES@ICPPHIL.NAVY.MIL My uncle (my mothers sister's husband), Jack (John P.) "Lucky" Fox was in the 303rd BG 360th Squadron. I always knew he flew in B-17s during the war but was always uneasy asking him any details. At a family get-together over Christmas I asked him a few questions. He proudly told me he flew with the 303rd, the "Hells Angels" Unfortunately I wasn't able to spend more time with him. He did tell me a few stories, - dislodging a frozen bomb mechanism with the bomb bay doors open flak thick enough to walk on below. Another time bailing out through the open bomb bay doors, landing in a field- being met by a friendly farmer with a pitch fork- explaining that he was an American. Another time returning from a mission on one engine (that may have been the time he bailed out). He tells me he was awarded the DFC, flew 18 missions, shot down two JU-88s and one 190FW probable, was shot down (I presume on his 18th mission over Belgium (this I deduced was mission #230) was captured and ended the war in a POW camp. I am amazed! These MEN were 18,19,20,21,22 years old at the time. I am very proud of him and all the other Young men who sacrificed so much. I'm just beginning research on this, I'm going to order MIGHT IN FLIGHT, along with the mission folders on the missions he flew after he gives me that info. I recently wrote him a letter inquiring about his days in the 303rd, along with some data I pulled from the Internet (before I found this EXCELLENT web site. I'm going to send him printouts from this site. I'm hope he likes it. I was wondering, What does "611" mean? Also the number 33622398? (this is from the 303rd BG Roster) I believe he was on Railing's crew. Railing was KIA after uncle Jack was captured, how's this? Anyway, have always been interested in this subject. I work for the Navy/Marine Corps (sorry), logistical support, aviation supply. Please respond to my Internet address if you can help me out. Thank you very much.

Russ Scherler Scherler@aol.com Good looking site.

Walter Schlecht tomblitz@msn.com (303rd BGA Member) Someone really did a lot of work in preparing this site. An excellent piece of history

George McDonald Oknga@AOL.com A young San Francisco member of your outfit noted my profile mentioning prev B-17 pilot and sent an Instant Mail on the internet. I flew 15 missions with 390th Bm Gp, 3rd Div, 8th AF and am fairly regular at attending reunions. Next to be this fall in San Diego. San Francisco. Good Luck!

Gene Ashton Outstanding site for an outstanding group of individuals.

Howard Owens howyo@yahoo.com My uncle, Ed Miller, advised me of this website. Pleased to have the opportunity to have a look. Good luck to all of you.

Don Dolan doln3@aol.com My contact was Ed Miller who is a member as well as a relative. Your Web site is impressive. It gives me ideas of doing the same for a group that I Secretary for. This group is from a carrier in WW-II, we reunion each year and enjoyed the browse of your Web Site. Thank you.

Earl Dean Dyson earldean@aol.com Great Site.

Kim N Chetwyn dir1@stable.demon.co.uk A good, concise, easily navigable site. I like it. 303rdBG veterans, and others may be interested to view the site available at: http://stable.demon.co.uk as it deals with the WWII aviation History of East Anglia.