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Left to right...
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Willis Van Fossen, gunner
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Albert Miesse, ball turret gunner
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Francis Quigley, radio operator
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Ray Shelton, engineer
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Alfred Falconi, gunner
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Continuing left to right...
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Lionel Lowery, co-pilot
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Howard Anderson, navigator
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Stanley Zaritsky, bombardier
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Ralph Frantz, pilot
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Not in the photo...
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Edward Hogan, gunner
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Frantz Crew 803 Summary
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The Frantz Crew 803 was one of the Group's orignial crews that trained in Alamogordo. They transferred into the 492nd as crew 112 from the 331st CCTS (Combat Crew Training School) at Casper, Wyoming. There were two personnel changes made within the crew after they arrived in Alamogordo. They got a new co-pilot, Lt Flanagan, and a gunner, Sgt Hogan. The crew was assigned to the 858th BS, designated as Crew 803.
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2nd Lt Ralph Frantz signed out for B-24J, 44-40126. Their plane was nicknamed SPITT'EN KITTEN. They flew their assigned plane to England via the southern route. The Squadron's Operations Officer, 1st Lt Rogers, went with them, bumping Sgt Hogan onto the Queen Elizabeth.
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By our count, the Frantz Crew 803 flew 18 missions. We aren't certain just who was on each of these missions in way of substitutions or if the bombardier was left behind on some of the Pathfinder-led missions. But the crew was transferred intact to the 389th BG when the 492nd was disbanded.
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The Frantz Crew had their share of bad luck, but they seemed to have had a guardian angel flying with them as well. Their bad luck experiences would prove to be their good luck in the end.
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For example, on 19 May 44 the Frantz Crew took their assigned ship in a bombing run targeting a marshalling yard at Brunswick, Germany. After getting a good hundred miles deep into enemy territory they began to have bad luck aboard their craft. The radio operator's oxygen system ruptured. The lead-in lines to the ball turret caught fire and the heat caused the supporting rod of the ball turret assembly to crack. Then the ship's interphone and emergency interphone went out. They were forced to drop out of formation and head back to England alone. If things weren't bad enough, a German fighter discovered them while they were crossing Holland.
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For reasons unexplained, the German fighter didn't attack, but escorted them to the channel instead. At least it would have looked so to any casual observer. The other reason they were lucky is because after they left the Group, the 492nd got caught without any fighter protection by about 40 German fighters. The ensuing bloodbath cost the 492nd eight planes, seven of which were in the same section that Frantz had been in.
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On 19 Jun 44, the 858th bomb Squadron was dismantled. Its staff was transferred to Cheddington to become the 8th Composite Command for leaflet droppings. Its crews and planes were reassigned to the other three squadrons. The 492nd had been reorganized into a three squadron group. Each squadron was to have 24 crews instead of the traditional standard of 18. The Frantz Crew 803 was sent to the 857th BS. They were redesignated as Crew 705 to fill the void of the fallen Heber Crew 705.
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Frantz' last mission for the 492nd was on 27 Jun 44. They were a part of a raid striking a marshalling yard in Creil. In the process Lt Frantz was seriously wounded by flak. They made it back to North Pickenham, but the wound kept Frantz out of action until after the Group was disbanded. Was that bad luck? Again Frantz was unlucky because he had been injured, yet lucky because he and his crew survived the war.
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With Frantz being out of action, his co-pilot, Lt Flanagan, was given command of the crew until he could recover. Flanagan led the Crew on 6 more missions. See the Flanagan Crew 705 link.
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More Info |
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Original Roster for
Frantz Crew 803
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| Position |
Name |
Rank |
Serial # |
Notes |
Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Frantz, Ralph F |
2nd Lt |
O-808404 |
Promoted 1st Lt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Flanagan, Jack O |
2nd Lt |
O-811058 |
Promoted 1st Lt
Took temporary duty as pilot for this crew
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG
ASN seen as O-811053 |
Navigator
MOS 1034 |
Anderson, Howard F |
1st Lt |
O-795274 |
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
Bombardier
MOS 1035 |
Zaritsky, Stanley A |
2nd Lt |
O-755143 |
Promoted 1st Lt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
Engineer
MOS 748 |
Shelton, Ray T |
S/Sgt |
38426796 |
Promoted T/Sgt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
Radioman
MOS 757 |
Quigley, Francis D |
S/Sgt |
32314073 |
Promoted T/Sgt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
Gunner
MOS 612 |
O'Brian, James J |
Sgt |
32208913 |
Promoted S/Sgt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG
Have seen his name spelled O'Brien |
Gunner
MOS 611 |
Van Fossen, Willis J |
Sgt |
39460534 |
Promoted S/Sgt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
Gunner
MOS 612 |
Miesse, Albert |
Sgt |
35627067 |
Promoted S/Sgt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
Gunner
MOS 611 |
Hogan, Edward B |
Sgt |
39004708 |
Arrived to the UK via the Queen Elizabeth
Promoted S/Sgt
10 Aug; transferred to 389th BG |
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Others Who Flew with Frantz Crew 803
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Staff Officer
MOS 2161 |
Rogers, James P |
1st Lt |
O-429700 |
858th Squadron Operations Officer
Flew to England with the crew |
Navigator
MOS 2161 |
Therme, David L |
1st Lt |
O-701506 |
Flew a mission with this crew |
Navigator
MOS 1034 |
Boos, Paul V |
2nd Lt |
O-564847 |
From Rasmussen Crew R-02
Flew 27 Jun 44 mission with crew |
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Frantz Crew 803
492nd BG Mission Record
858th 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 |
44-40159 |
Mulhouse, France |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 02 |
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12 May 44 |
44-40145 |
Zeitz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| 03 |
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19 May 44 |
44-40126 |
Brunswick, Germany |
Target: Marshalling yard
Aborted 100 miles deep inside enemy territory |
| 04 |
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24 May 44 |
42-95196 |
Melun, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 05 |
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28 May 44 |
42-51091 |
Zeitz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
Don't know if aborted or failed to bombed, credit unconfirmed |
| 06 |
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29 May 44 |
42-51091 |
Politz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| 07 |
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30 May 44 |
44-40135 |
Rotenburg, Germany |
Target: Air depot |
| 08 |
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2 Jun 44 |
42-51091 |
Berck-sur-Mer, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 09 |
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6 Jun 44 |
42-51091 |
Normandy, France |
Target: D-Day invasion coast |
| 10 |
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6 Jun 44 |
44-40086 |
Vire, France |
Target: D-Day invasion coast |
| 11 |
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10 Jun 44 |
42-95132 |
Boulogne, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 12 |
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12 Jun 44 |
44-40135 |
Dreux, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 13 |
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14 Jun 44 |
44-40086 |
Emmerich, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| 14 |
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15 Jun 44 |
42-50391 |
La Frilliere, France |
Target: Railroad bridge
Bombed target in Le Mans |
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Mission Record as Frantz Crew 705, 857th Bomb Squadron
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| 15 |
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22 Jun 44 |
44-40050 |
Crepy, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
A/C borrowed from 859th BS |
| 16 |
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23 Jun 44 |
42-50370 |
Juvincourt, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 17 |
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25 Jun 44 |
42-51091 |
Roye, France |
Target: Peronne Airfield |
| 18 |
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27 Jun 44 |
42-51091 |
Creil, France |
Target: Marshalling yard
Shown as bombing target on mission log, but is not on the formation sheet |
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