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G Haag Crew 706
 G Haag Crew 706
Back row, left to right...
George Haag, pilot
(unidentified)
(unidentified)
(unidentified)
Front row, left to right...
Karl Kosen, engineer
Albert Flyen, radio operator
(unidentified)
(unidentified)
(unidentified)
G Haag Crew 706 Summary
George Haag joined the Army Air Force with his twin brother, Frank. They both became pilots and ended up with the 492nd while it was still under the command of Col Pierce. Frank was assigned a crew in the 856th squadron and George was given a crew in the 857th.
A new crew was built around Lt George Haag using personnel from other crews that had been disassembled in Alamogordo. Most of his crew came from the Caputo CCTS Crew 1119. He did get a couple of men from the R Murray CCTS Crew 1663. His navigator came from the old Col Pierce echelon. See links in the box on the right.
2nd Lt George Haag signed out for a B-24J, 44-40158. They nicknamed their ship, TINKER BELLE. In April 1944, they flew their assigned aircraft to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. Their Ground Crew Chief, T/Sgt Docken flew with them, thus bumping one of the crewmen onto the Queen Elizabeth. We're still not sure who he was.
By our count, Lt G Haag flew as the aircraft commander for Crew 706 for a total of 25 missions and 4 aborted ones. We can't be positive of all of the personnel changes on some of their missions. It's always possible that the bombardier could have missed some of the earlier pathfinder missions. We do know that the co-pilot was promoted to take command of another crew. This roster had other changes by the time they were transferred to the 44th BG on 10 Aug 44.
If there is any crew who could say, "Been there and done that," it would be this one. The 492nd experienced four extremely hard-fought air battles with the Luftwaffe and the Haag Crew 706 was in all of them. And they returned all four times. On the last one, 7 Jul 44, George Haag saw his twin brother's plane go down.
The old saying, "It's better to be lucky than good" more than applies to the George Haag Crew. They were both lucky and good.
More Info
plus another photo
Caputo CCT 1119
Nelson CCT 1663
F Haag Crew 611
Grettum Crew 714
44-40158
TINKER BELLE
44-40166
IRISHMAN'S
SHANTY
44-40173
ERNIE'S BEAVERS
44-40050
SUPER WOLF
42-51121
NIAGARA
SPECIAL
44-40156
44-40072
B.T.O.
44-40071
SWEAT BOX
44-40168
TEQUILA DAISY
44-40157
LUCKY LASS
41-28978
44-40167
SIERRA BLANCA
44-40140
ALICE
Links to missions
flown by the
G Haag Crew 706
are below in their
Mission Record
44th BG
website
Original Roster for
G Haag Crew 706
Position / MOS Name Rank Serial # Notes
Pilot
MOS 1024
Haag, George B 2nd Lt O-794403 Promoted 1st Lt
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024
Nelson, Arthur E 2nd Lt O-691054 Promoted to Pilot, Grettum Crew 714
Promoted 1st Lt
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Navigator
MOS 1034
Edwards, Harold H 2nd Lt O-685564 22 May; reassigned to 858th BS
20 Jun; reassigned to 857th BS
23 Jun; Promoted as Squadron Navigator
Bombardier
MOS 1035
Spadone, Charles D 2nd Lt O-668811 Promoted 1st Lt
Engineer
MOS 748
Kosen, Karl W S/Sgt 12136530 Promoted to T/Sgt
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Radioman
MOS 757
Flyen, Albert J S/Sgt 36295822 Promoted to T/Sgt
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Gunner
MOS 611
Brown, Garrett J Sgt 17169735 Promoted to S/Sgt
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Gunner
MOS 612
Ennis, Lewis C S/Sgt 32265399 10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Gunner
MOS 611
Gaba, John J Cpl 13087341 Promoted to S/Sgt
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Gunner
MOS
      Arrived to the UK via the Queen Elizabeth
  Others Who Flew with G Haag Crew 706
Crew Chief
MOS 750
Docken, Arthur G T/Sgt 390922196 Flew to England with the crew
Promoted to M/Sgt
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024
Gavin, Thomas A 1st Lt O-702268 Obtained from Stanhope Crew 710
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
We've have seen his name spelled Graven, unsure which is correct
Navigator?
MOS 1034
Chaffee, Thomas L 1st Lt O-704147 13 Jun; obtained from Jaques Crew 909
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
Bombardier?
MOS 1035
Fiester, Lewis N 2nd Lt O-559100 Obtainment unknown
Promoted 1st Lt
Reassigned to Rusden Crew R-29
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG, 67th BS
Gunner
MOS 612
Hoder, Kenneth A S/Sgt 12220032 Obtainment unknown
10 Aug 44; transferred to 44th BG
G Haag Crew 706
492nd BG Mission Record
857th Bomb Squadron
Crew
Mission
Number
Group
Mission
Number
Group
Mission
Date
Aircraft
Serial
Number
Primary Target Mission Notes
01
 Link to Mission 02 page 02
12 May 44 44-40166 Zeitz, Germany Target: Oil refinery
02
 Link to Mission 03 page 03
13 May 44   Tutow, Germany Target: Airfield
03
 Link to Mission 05 page 05
19 May 44 44-40173 Brunswick, Germany Target: Marshalling yard
04
 Link to Mission 07 page 07
23 May 44   Avord, France Target: Airfield
05
 Link to Mission 08 page 08
24 May 44 44-40158 Melun, France Target: Airfield
06
 Link to Mission 12 page 12
29 May 44 44-40050 Politz, Germany Target: Oil refinery
A/C borrowed from 859th BS
07
 Link to Mission 13 page 13
30 May 44 44-40158 Rotenburg, Germany Target: Air depot
08
 Link to Mission 15 page 15
2 Jun 44 42-51121 Berck-sur-Mer, France Target: Airfield
Abort
 Link to Mission 16 page 16
4 Jun 44 44-40156 Avord, France Target: Airfield
A/C borrowed from 859th
Aborted, uncredited
09
 Link to Mission 17 page 17
6 Jun 44 44-40158 Normandy, France Target: D-Day invasion coast
10
 Link to Mission 19 page 19
6 Jun 44 44-40158 Vire, France Target: D-Day invasion coast
11
 Link to Mission 21 page 21
10 Jun 44 44-40158 Boulogne, France Target: Airfield
12
 Link to Mission 23 page 23
11 Jun 44 44-40158 La Possonniere, France Target: Marshalling yard
Aborted, credit unconfirmed
13
 Link to Mission 25 page 25
12 Jun 44 44-40166 Dreux, France Target: Airfield
Abort
 Link to Mission 29 page 29
17 Jun 44 44-40072 Melun, France Target: Airfield
Did not take off, aborted
14
 Link to Mission 31 page 31
18 Jun 44 44-40158 Luneburg, Germany Target: Airfield
Bombed Wesermunde
Abort
 Link to Mission 32 page 32
19 Jun 44 44-40158 Courbronne, France Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
Aborted, uncredited
15
 Link to Mission 34 page 34
20 Jun 44 44-40158 Politz, Germany Target: Oil refinery
Abort
 Link to Mission 39 page 39
23 Jun 44 44-40071 Juvincourt, France Target: Airfield
Aborted, uncredited
16
 Link to Mission 41 page 41
27 Jun 44 44-40168 Creil, France Target: Marshalling yard
Abort
 Link to Mission 43 page 43
29 Jun 44 44-40157 Magdeburg, Germany Target: Aircraft Industry
Aborted, uncredited
17
 Link to Mission 44 page 44
4 Jul 44 41-28978 Beaumont-le-Roger, France Target: Airfield
18
 Link to Mission 45 page 45
6 Jul 44 44-40158 Kiel, Germany Target: Shipyard
19
 Link to Mission 46 page 46
7 Jul 44 44-40158 Bernburg, Germany Target: Aircraft manufacturing
20
 Link to Mission 54 page 54
20 Jul 44 44-40158 Erfurt, Germany Target: Airfield
21
 Link to Mission 56 page 56
24 Jul 44 44-40158 St Lo area, France Target: Tactical
22
 Link to Mission 57 page 57
25 Jul 44 44-40158 St Lo area, France Target: Tactical
23
 Link to Mission 61 page 61
3 Aug 44 44-40167 Mery-sur-Oise, France Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
Damaged by flak
24
 Link to Mission 62 page 62
4 Aug 44 44-40140 Kiel, Germany Target: Submarine base
25
 Link to Mission 66 page 66
7 Aug 44 44-40072 Ostend, Belgium Target: Oil dump
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Page last modified Wednesday, January 28, 2015.