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WARREN F. MAUGER CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 24 Dec 1944)
(Back L-R)
2Lt Norman C. Gadbois (B/GHN),
1Lt Warren F. Mauger (P)(EVD),
1Lt William T. Burgess (CP)(POW),
2Lt Bernard J. Brown (N)
(Front L-R)
T/Sgt Matthew W. Grden (R)(POW),
T/Sgt Glenn R. Walling (E/TG)(KIA),
Sgt Gerald H. Craven (WG)(KIA),
S/Sgt Francis H. Kelley (BT)(KIA),
S/Sgt James W. Haley (TG/SJ/RCM)
Ranks and grades at time of last combat mission
THE LAST 303rd BG (H) COMBAT CREW TO BE LOST ON THE LAST DAY
OF EIGHTH AIR FORCE COMBAT OPERATIONS - 25 APRIL 1945
Twenty-three credited combat missions flown by 1Lt Warren F. Mauger:
301 (13 Jan 45), 307, 311, 313, 319(LC), 324 (LC), 325 (LC), 332 (LC), 335 (LC), 342, 343 (LC), 347, 348, 349, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 360, 361, 362, 364 (25 April 1945).
(LC) Lead crew mission. For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions
Thirteen B-17Gs flown by 1st Lt Warren F. Mauger on his 23 credited combat missions:
- 43-38764 (No name) (359BS) BN-C - Mission 301
- 43-38878 (No name) (359BS) BN-D - Missions 307, 358, 360, 361, 362
- 43-38767 (No name) (359BS) BN-L - Missions 311, 313
- 44-8564 (No name) (PFF B17G) (359BS) BN-Z - Mission 319 (LC)
- 44-8710 (P) Idle Wheel (PFF B-17G (427BS) GN-Y - Mission 324 (LC)
- 44-8545 (No name) (PFF B-17G) (427BS) GN-X - Mission 325 (LC)
- 43-37537 (P) Queen of Hearts (PFF B-17G) (359BS) BN-Q Missions 332 (LC), 335 (LC), 343 (LC)
- 43-38541 (No name) (360BS) PU-D - Mission 342
- 43-39127 (No name) (359BS) BN-K - Missions 347, 349
- 43-38645 (No name) (359BS) BN-B - Missions 348, 356, 357
- 43-38891 Blues in the Night (359BS) BN-H - Mission 354
- 43-38289 (P) Sweet La Rhonda (359BS) BN-J - Mission 355
- 44-83447 (No name) (427BS) GN-B - Mission 364
(P) See Nose Art Photos
Crew Notes:
Original Assigned crewmen in 1Lt Mauger Crew photo
- 1Lt Warren F. Mauger (P)(EVD) - Twenty-three credited missions flown:
Seventeen As First Pilot (307, 311, 313, 342, 347, 348, 349, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 360, 361, 362, 364 (EVD). Six As Lead Crew CoPilot: (319, 324, 325, 332, 335, 343)
- 1Lt William T. Burgess (CP)(POW) - Twenty-Eight credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 11 missions (307, 311, 313, 347, 348, 349, 355, 356, 358, 361, 364 (POW);
With other Pilots: 17 Credited missions - With 1Lt Kenneth E. Bixby (317, 320(Aborted), 321, 324,
326, 332, 333, 335, 337, 339). With 6 Other Pilots (302, 327, 331, 336, 343, 345 (As Tail Gunner), 350, 357)
- 2Lt Bernard J. Brown (N)(POW) - Seven credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 4 missions (301, 307, 311, 313); With 3 other Pilots (312, 317, 318)
- 2Lt Norman C. Gadbois (B/GHN) - Ten credited missions flown: With 1Lt Mauger - No missions;
With other Pilots as a Lead crew GH Navigator (GHN) - 10 mission (317, 323, 332, 333, 335, 342, 343
344, 346, 363)
- T/Sgt Glenn R. Walling (E/TG)(KIA) - Twenty-six credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 5 missions - As Tail Gunner (301, 307, 311, 313), As Engineer (364) (KIA);
With other Pilots - 21 missions - Nine with 1Lt Jack W. Bailey (318, 320, 322, 323, 325, 332, 336, 349, 352), 12 with 8 other Pilots - 317, 319, 333, 339, 341, 343, 348, 350, 354, 360, 361, 362).
Was the cousin of 358th BS Ball Turret Gunner S/Sgt James A. Walling.
- T/Sgt Matthew W. Grden (R)(POW) - Twenty credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 5 missions 301, 307, 311, 313, 319); 15 with other Pilots - 10 with 1Lt Jack W.
Bailey (318, 320, 322, 323, 325, 332, 336, 343, 348, 349), 5 with other Pilots (352, 354, 360, 361, 362)
- S/Sgt Francis H. Kelley (BTG)(KIA) - Thirty-two credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 10 missions (301, 307, 311, 313, 347, 349, 355, 361, 362, 364 (KIA).
22 with other Pilots - 7 with 1Lt Jack W. Bailey (318, 320, 322, 323, 332, 343, 352), 8 with 1Lt Arthur
J. Tarvid (325, 335, 336, 337, 342, 344, 345, 360), 7 with other Pilots (317, 331, 333, 339, 341, 348, 354)
- Sgt Gerald H. Craven (WG)(KIA) - One credited mission flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - No missions; With 2Lt Galt L. McClurg (301). Was KIA on mission 301 in
B-17G 43-38764 (No name) (359BS) BN-C to Mannheim, Germany. Was hit in the chest with a flak
burst and his body was returned to Molesworth.
- S/Sgt James H. Haley (TG/SJ/RCM) -Eighteen credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - No missions. Was made a Spot Jammer (SJ) Radio Control Measure (RCM)
crewman on 18 missions with other Pilots: As a Tail Gunner (318), as a SJ (314, 316), as a RCM
(319, 324, 325, 329, 331, 336, 340, 343, 344, 348, 352, 358, 360, 362, 364).
Substitute crewmen on last mission #364
- 1Lt George E. Knox (N)(POW) - Fourteen credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 1 mission (364 - POW); With other Pilots - 9 missions with 1Lt Frederick A.
Stewart (345, 347, 348, 350, 354, 356, 357, 358, 360), 4 with other pilots (343, 344, 361, 362).
- 2Lt Henry G. Moss (B)(KIA) - Thirty-five credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 1 mission (364 - KIA); With other Pilots - 34 missions - 18 with 2Lt Kenneth E.
Bixby (271, 272, 274, 275, 276, 282, 283, 286, 287, 288, 298B, 301, 302, 304, 309, 317, 321, 335), 16 with other Pilots (277, 278, 298A, 315, 323, 331, 333, 337, 339, 344, 345, 348, 349, 350, 357, 362).
- Sgt Earl M. Dugan (TG)(POW) - Three credited missions flown:
With 1Lt Mauger - 1 mission (364 - POW); With 1Lt George E. Sabin - 2 missions (356, 357).
Parts from B-17 #44-83447 427BS GN-B
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Mission Notes:
- Mission 301, 13 January 1945 to Mannheim, Germany in B-17G 43-38764 (No name) (359BS) BN-C Sgt Gerald H. Craven (E) was KIA and S/Sgt Robert J. Dittman (Substitute Togglier) was wounded. B-17 was flown back to Molesworth.
- Mission 307, 23 Jan 1945, to Neuss, Germany in B-17G 43-38878 (No name) (359BS) BN-D
Landed at a British airfield at Eindhaven, France with 1 1/2 engines operating. All crewmen safe.
- Mission 313, 9 Feb 1945, to Lutzkendorf, Germany in B-17G 43-38767 (No name) (359BS) BN-L. Landed at Field B-16 on the European continent. All crewmen safe.
- Mission 364, 25 April 1945, to Pilsen, Czechoslovakia in B-17G 44-83447 (427BS) GN-G.
Hit by anti-aircraft fire immediately after "Bombs Away." When flak hit the #3 engine nacelle,
flames shot up enveloping the entire nacelle. The Fortress was out of control and fell sharply off
to the right almost straight down. Lt Mauger ordered his crew to bail out, righted the B-17 the best
that he could, and went to the nose hatch where he bailed out. The B-17 then exploded and
disintegrated. Lt Mauger found himself tumbling towards the earth. With some difficulty he
managed to open his parachute and float safely to earth. Fires in the cockpit had burned his face
and hands. He landed on some soft ground. A farmer gave him some assistance and directions to
friendly battle lines. He then spent 10 days evading capture by German troops. Assisted by
several farmers, and coming close to capture, he managed to reach American troops. Three of
the other crewmen were KIA and four became POWs. (Missing Aircrew Report # 14223)
Parts of the B-17 crashed near Brux, Czechoslovakia about 60 miles NW of Pilsen. An exhibit of the Mauger crew is in the Pilsen museum.
[photo courtesy of Warren Mauger and the Irue Ferguson Family]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]
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