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Gaines Crew 715
 Gaines Crew 715
Back row, left to right...
Clyde Hatley, engineer
Charles Egan, ball turret gunner
Joyce Freeman, top turret gunner
Archie MacIntyre, radio operator
George Attchren, tail gunner
Hulon Thurston, waist gunner
Front row, left to right...
Irvin Gaines, pilot
Thomas Leggett, co-pilot
Charles Heist, bombardier
Walter Wyatt, navigator
Gaines Crew 715 Summary
The Gaines Crew was one of the original crews for the 492nd BG that trained in Alamogordo, New Mexico. They transferred in as crew 1664 from the CCTS (Combat Crew Training School) in Biggs, Texas, on 3 Mar 44. They were assigned to the 857th BS, designated as Crew 715.
2nd Lt Irvin Gaines signed out for a B-24J, 44-40201. They named their ship SILVER CHIEF. In April 1944, they flew their assigned aircraft to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. Their ground Crew Chief S/Sgt Hartstock flew with them, thus bumping Sgt Webb onto the Queen Elizabeth.
By our count Lt Gaines flew as the aircraft commander for Crew 715 for a total of 13 missions, plus 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.
According to Archie MacIntyre, their mission to Politz on 29 May was an extremely tough one. We found his account written up in the HAPPY WARRIOR newsletter of March 1991. We have republished his well-written story under Baptism of the CHIEF via the link to the right.
For reasons unknown to us, Lt Gaines switched jobs with Lt Tracey, the co-pilot of the Bridges Crew 702. There were at least two more personnel changes in this crew, but we're not sure whenthey took place. The reorganized crew became the Tracey Crew 715 and their 3-mission record can be seen on their page (see the Tracey Crew 715 link to the right).
More Info
Gaines CCT 1664
Tracey Crew 715
Bridges Crew 702
Orthman Crew 806
Heber Crew 705
Kuecker Crew R-07
44-40201
SILVER CHIEF
44-40140
ALICE
42-95220
44-40158
TINKER BELLE
42-94986
PREGNANT ANGEL
41-28978
44-40136
SILVER WITCH
42-51121
NIAGARA
SPECIAL
44-40118
WE'LL GET BY
42-95023
LUCKY LASS II
44-40135
DAISY MAE
44-40072
B.T.O.
44-40156
42-51171
ELI SWOF, Jr
Links to missions
flown by the
Gaines Crew 715
are below in their
Mission Record
Original Roster for
Gaines Crew 715
Position / MOS Name Rank Serial # Notes
Pilot
MOS 1024
Gaines, Irving L 2nd Lt O-808816 Promoted to 1st Lt
Reassigned to co-pilot Bridges Crew 702
Transferred to 44th BG, 10 Aug 44
Co-Pilot
MOS 1022
Leggett, Thomas A 2nd Lt O-702208 Interned in Switzerland, 11 Jul 44, MACR 6934
Navigator
MOS 1034
Wutkiewicz, Walter E 2nd Lt O-703841 Interned in Switzerland, 11 Jul 44, MACR 6934
Bombardier
MOS 1035
Heist, Charles M 2nd Lt O-698886 Promoted to 1st Lt
Reassigned to Orthman Crew 806
Transferred to 44th BG, 67th BS
Engineer
MOS 748
Hatley, Clyde S S/Sgt 34590966 Promoted T/Sgt
Interned in Switzerland, 11 Jul 44, MACR 6934
Radio
Operator
MOS 757
MacIntyre, Archie A S/Sgt 16151743 Promoted T/Sgt
Interned in Switzerland, 11 Jul 44, MACR 6934
Gunner
MOS 612
Freeman, Joyce K Sgt 13117587 Promoted S/Sgt
Interned in Switzerland, 11 Jul 44, MACR 6934
Gunner
MOS 748
Eagan, Charles G Sgt 19090968 Promoted S/Sgt
Reassigned to Heber Crew 705
Interned in Sweden, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7072
Gunner
MOS 748
Atchison, Robert G Sgt 32713096 Promoted S/Sgt
Interned in Switzerland, 11 Jul 44, MACR 6934
Gunner
MOS 748
Thurston, Hulon Sgt 15335338 Promoted S/Sgt
Reassigned to Kuecker Crew R-07
  Others Who Flew with Gaines Crew 715
Crew Chief
MOS 750
Hartstock, Robert P S/Sgt 35266742 Flew to England with the crew
Promoted T/Sgt
Promoted M/Sgt
Gaines Crew 715
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 04 page 04
15 May 44 44-40201 Siracourt, France Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
02
 Link to Mission 07 page 07
23 May 44   Avord, France Target: Airfield
03
 Link to Mission 08 page 08
24 May 44 44-40140 Melun, France Target: Airfield
04
 Link to Mission 09 page 09
25 May 44 42-95220 Belfort, France Target: Marshalling yard
05
 Link to Mission 11 page 11
28 May 44 44-40158 Zeitz, Germany Target: Oil refinery
06
 Link to Mission 12 page 12
29 May 44 42-94986 Politz, Germany Target: Oil refinery
Abort
 Link to Mission 13 page 13
30 May 44 41-28978 Rotenburg, Germany Target: Air depot
Aborted, uncredited
07
 Link to Mission 15 page 15
2 Jun 44 44-40136 Berck-sur-Mer, France Target: Airfield
08
 Link to Mission 19 page 19
6 Jun 44 42-51121 Vire, France Target: D-Day invasion coast
09
 Link to Mission 22 page 22
10 Jun 44 44-40118 Boulogne, France Target: Airfield
10
 Link to Mission 23 page 23
11 Jun 44 42-95023 La Possonniere, France Target: Marshalling yard
11
 Link to Mission 30 page 30
17 Jun 44 44-40135 Tours, France Target: Airfield
A/C borrowed from 856th BS
Abort
 Link to Mission 32 page 32
19 Jun 44 44-40072 Courbronne, France Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
Aborted, uncredited
12
 Link to Mission 37 page 37
22 Jun 44 44-40156 Crepy, France Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
A/C borrowed from 859th BS
Abort
 Link to Mission 39 page 39
23 Jun 44 41-28978 Juvincourt, France Target: Airfield
Aborted, uncredited
13
 Link to Mission 40b page 40b
25 Jun 44 42-51121 Roye, France Target: Peronne Airfield
Abort
 Link to Mission 41 page 41
27 Jun 44 42-51171 Creil, France Target: Marshalling yard
Aborted, uncredited
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Page last modified Tuesday, October 4, 2011.