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Back row, left to right...
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George Haag, pilot
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(unidentified)
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(unidentified)
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(unidentified)
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Front row, left to right...
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Karl Kosen, engineer
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Albert Flyen, radio operator
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(unidentified)
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(unidentified)
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(unidentified)
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G Haag Crew 706 Summary
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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More Info |
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Original Roster for
G Haag Crew 706
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| Position |
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 |
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Arrived to the UK via the Queen Elizabeth |
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Others Who Flew with G Haag Crew 706
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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 |
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G Haag Crew 706
492nd BG Mission Record
857th 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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12 May 44 |
44-40166 |
Zeitz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| 02 |
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13 May 44 |
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Tutow, Germany |
Target: Airfield |
| 03 |
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19 May 44 |
44-40173 |
Brunswick, Germany |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 04 |
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23 May 44 |
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Avord, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 05 |
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24 May 44 |
44-40158 |
Melun, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 06 |
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29 May 44 |
44-40050 |
Politz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
A/C borrowed from 859th BS |
| 07 |
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30 May 44 |
44-40158 |
Rotenburg, Germany |
Target: Air depot |
| 08 |
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2 Jun 44 |
42-51121 |
Berck-sur-Mer, France |
Target: Airfield |
| Abort |
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4 Jun 44 |
44-40156 |
Avord, France |
Target: Airfield
A/C borrowed from 859th
Aborted, uncredited |
| 09 |
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6 Jun 44 |
44-40158 |
Normandy, France |
Target: D-Day invasion coast |
| 10 |
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6 Jun 44 |
44-40158 |
Vire, France |
Target: D-Day invasion coast |
| 11 |
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10 Jun 44 |
44-40158 |
Boulogne, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 12 |
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11 Jun 44 |
44-40158 |
La Possonniere, France |
Target: Marshalling yard
Aborted, credit unconfirmed |
| 13 |
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12 Jun 44 |
44-40166 |
Dreux, France |
Target: Airfield |
| Abort |
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17 Jun 44 |
44-40072 |
Melun, France |
Target: Airfield
Did not take off, aborted |
| 14 |
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18 Jun 44 |
44-40158 |
Luneburg, Germany |
Target: Airfield
Bombed Wesermunde |
| Abort |
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19 Jun 44 |
44-40158 |
Courbronne, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
Aborted, uncredited |
| 15 |
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20 Jun 44 |
44-40158 |
Politz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| Abort |
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23 Jun 44 |
44-40071 |
Juvincourt, France |
Target: Airfield
Aborted, uncredited |
| 16 |
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27 Jun 44 |
44-40168 |
Creil, France |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| Abort |
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29 Jun 44 |
44-40157 |
Magdeburg, Germany |
Target: Aircraft Industry
Aborted, uncredited |
| 17 |
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4 Jul 44 |
41-28978 |
Beaumont-le-Roger, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 18 |
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6 Jul 44 |
44-40158 |
Kiel, Germany |
Target: Shipyard |
| 19 |
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7 Jul 44 |
44-40158 |
Bernburg, Germany |
Target: Aircraft manufacturing |
| 20 |
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20 Jul 44 |
44-40158 |
Erfurt, Germany |
Target: Airfield |
| 21 |
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24 Jul 44 |
44-40158 |
St Lo area, France |
Target: Tactical |
| 22 |
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25 Jul 44 |
44-40158 |
St Lo area, France |
Target: Tactical |
| 23 |
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3 Aug 44 |
44-40167 |
Mery-sur-Oise, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
Damaged by flak |
| 24 |
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4 Aug 44 |
44-40140 |
Kiel, Germany |
Target: Submarine base |
| 25 |
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7 Aug 44 |
44-40072 |
Ostend, Belgium |
Target: Oil dump |
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