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Back row, left to right...
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Frank Haag, pilot
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Joseph Cotton, co-pilot
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Ralph Goloven, navigator
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John Telford, bombardier
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Front row, left to right...
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Richard Kerr, gunner
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John Crowley, tail gunner
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John Watson, ball turret gunner
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Paul Zeigler, radio operator
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Frank Kormos, engineer
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Doyle Miller, right waist gunner
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F Haag Crew 611 Summary
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The Frank Haag Crew was one of the original crews for the 492nd BG that trained in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Frank Haag joined the service with his identical twin brother, George, who also served as a pilot in the 492nd Bomb Group flying with the 857th Squadron. They had been with the Group since the days of Col Pierce. A new crew was built around Lt F Haag by spliting up other crews and using their personnel. Five members of this crew were formerly with the Seitzinger CCT Crew. See the training link on the right. We're still working on figuring out where the other men came from.
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Lt Frank Haag signed out for a B-24J, 44-40161. The crew chose the name "TROUBLEHUNTER" for their ship. In April 1944, they flew their assigned aircraft to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. Their ground crew chief S/Sgt Keyes flew with them, thus bumping Sgt Miller onto the Queen Elizabeth.
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Haag flew as the aircraft commander for Crew 611 for a total of 23 missions plus two aborted ones. Initially, one of their missions wasn't credited until after the Group was disbanded. Therefore, some official records still mistakenly show this crew of having flown 22 missions.
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We can't be positive of all of the personnel changes on some of their missions. There was a different ball turret gunner when they were shot down and it's always possible that the bombardier could have missed some of the earlier pathfinder missions.
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On 7 Jul 44 they were shot down by enemy fighters over Bernburg in attempt to take out an aircraft manufacturing plant. Four of the men were killed while manning their posts. Some of the men were able to jump before the ship exploded. Others, like Frank Haag, were blown out. George Haag watched his brother's plane go down. 4 KIA, 6 POW, MACR 7238.
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Would you believe that the naviagtor survived without having his chute on? Ok, he did have it in his hand when he was sucked out of the plane and he did manage to get it half hooked up while falling. Even then it wouldn't open. He had to rip the chute open with his bare hands.
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The wreckage landed outside the town of Groningen, Germany, which is about 12 kilometers northeast of Halberstadt. The bodies recovered were buried locally at Groningen. After the war, their remains were taken to the American Cemetery in the Netherlands. The local Germans in the town of Groningen built a memorial to honor all victims of WWII in their area, which includes the names of the fallen men of the F Haag Crew 611.
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More Info |
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Original Roster for
F Haag Crew 611
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| Position |
Name |
Rank |
Serial # |
Notes |
Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Haag, Frank P |
2nd Lt |
O-794402 |
Promoted 1st Lt
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238, Stalag Luft III |
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Cotton, Joseph |
2nd Lt |
O-814402 |
KIA, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238
Buried in Netherlands, C-7-11 |
Navigator
MOS 1034 |
Goloven, Ralph |
2nd Lt |
O-702156 |
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238, Stalag Luft I |
Bombardier
MOS 1035 |
Telford, John P |
2nd Lt |
O-695561 |
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238, Stalag Luft III |
Engineer
Top Gunner
MOS 748 |
Kormos, Frank |
T/Sgt |
6997379 |
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238 |
Radio
Operator
MOS 757 |
Zeigler, Paul L |
T/Sgt |
13031389 |
KIA, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238
Buried in Netherlands, D-12-11 |
Ball Gunner
MOS 612 |
Watson, John B |
Sgt |
39298081 |
Reassigned, crew unknown |
Tail Gunner
MOS 612 |
Crowley, John M |
S/Sgt |
11044046 |
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238, Stalag Luft IV |
Gunner
MOS 748 |
Kerr, Richard L |
Sgt |
35685305 |
Promoted S/Sgt
KIA, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238
Buried in Netherlands, I-13-22 |
RW Gunner
MOS 748 |
Miller, Doyle C |
Sgt |
36302423 |
Arrived to the UK via the Queen Elizabeth
Promoted S/Sgt
KIA, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238
Buried in Netherlands, O-13-11 |
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Others Who Flew with F Haag Crew 611
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Crew Chief
MOS 750 |
Keyes, James M |
S/Sgt |
39556047 |
Flew to England with the crew |
Gunner
MOS 612 |
Anzolone, Joseph A |
Sgt |
20217939 |
From Daly Crew 605
Promoted S/Sgt
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7238, Stalag Luft IV |
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F Haag Crew 611
492nd BG Mission Record
856th Bomb Squadron
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Crew
Mission
Number |
Group
Mission
Number |
Group
Mission
Date |
Aircraft
Serial
Number |
Primary Target |
Mission Notes |
| 01 |
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11 May 44 |
44-40161 |
Mulhouse, France |
Target: Marshalling yard
w/Schepis and Simonds |
| 02 |
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13 May 44 |
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Tutow, Germany |
Target: Airfield |
| 03 |
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21 May 44 |
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Siracourt, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets) |
| 04 |
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24 May 44 |
44-40161 |
Melun, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 05 |
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25 May 44 |
44-40161 |
Belfort, France |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 06 |
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27 May 44 |
44-40161 |
Saarbrucken, Germany |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 07 |
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28 May 44 |
44-40161 |
Zeitz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
Bombed Ronneburg |
| 08 |
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31 May 44 |
44-40161 |
Brussels, Belgium |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 09 |
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02 Jun 44 |
44-40161 |
Berck-sur-Mer, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 10 |
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04 Jun 44 |
44-40161 |
Avord, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 11 |
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06 Jun 44 |
44-40161 |
Normandy, France |
Target: D-Day invasion coast |
| 12 |
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06 Jun 44 |
44-40161 |
Vire, France |
Target: Tactical |
| 13 |
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10 Jun 44 |
44-40116 |
Boulogne, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 14 |
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11 Jun 44 |
44-40161 |
Monfort, France |
Target: Bridge
Aborted, credited |
| 15 |
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12 Jun 44 |
44-40161 |
Dreux, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 16 |
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15 Jun 44 |
44-40161 |
La Frilliere, France |
Target: Railroad bridge |
| 17 |
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21 Jun 44 |
42-95196 |
Genshagen, Germany |
Target: Aircraft engine factory |
| Abort |
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22 Jun 44 |
42-95272 |
Crepy, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
Aborted, uncredited |
| 18 |
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23 Jun 44 |
42-95272 |
Juvincourt, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 19 |
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25 Jun 44 |
42-95272 |
Roye, France |
Target: Peronne Airfield |
| 20 |
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27 Jun 44 |
44-40145 |
Creil, France |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 21 |
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04 Jul 44 |
44-40158 |
Beaumont-le-Roger, France |
Target: Airfield
A/C borrowed from 857th BS |
| 22 |
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06 Jul 44 |
44-40157 |
Kiel, Germany |
Target: Shipyard
A/C borrowed from 857th BS |
| 23 |
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07 Jul 44 |
42-95230 |
Bernburg, Germany |
Target: Aircraft manufacturing
Lost: 4 KIA, 6 POW, MACR 7238 |
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