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Back row, left to right...
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Milton Goodridge, pilot
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Abraham Schonfeld, navigator
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Earl Davis, co-pilot
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Front row, left to right...
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Front row, left to right...
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Everette Bolte, gunner
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Charles Ippolito, radio operator
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James Stuckey, gunner
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John Stazen, gunner
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Theodore Kossey, gunner
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Fairce Connor, gunner
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Goodridge Crew 812 Summary
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The Goodridge Crew was one of the original crews for the 492nd BG that trained in Alamogordo, New Mexico. They transferred in as crew 116 from the 331st CCTS (Combat Crew Training School) in Casper, Wyoming, on 26 Jan 44. The Crew did have a couple of personnel changes while at Alamogordo. They were assigned to the 858th BS, designated as Crew 812.
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Lt Milton Goodridge signed out for a B-24J, 44-40169. They gave it the nickname BOTTLE BABY. In April 1944, they flew their assigned aircraft to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. One of the staff navigators, 1st Lt Lutonsky, flew with them, bumping Sgt Stuckey onto the Queen Elizabeth.
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By our count, Lt Goodridge flew as the aircraft commander for Crew 812 for a total of 15 missions, plus two 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 missed a pathfinder mission or two. Their regular bombardier was reassigned and transferred before the Crew was shot down.
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Their first rough mission was their fifth one. It was a bombing raid on the oil refineries at Politz, Germany. Goodridge wrote that for him the mission was fairly routine until they started home. The German fighters came at him head-on. One of them came in, flipped up on a wing and slid between him and his wingman. "And I thought we had a pretty tight formation," said Goodridge. The attacks left Goodridge with no rudder controls as the tail section was badly damaged. They did manage to limp back to England where they landed at Oultun. The 492nd sent a plane over to pick up the crew.
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Goodridge made a note that his tail gunner missed the next mission because of his wounds on the Politz mission. But he didn't say who it was and at this time we don't know either.
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On 19 Jun 44, the 858th was dismantled. Its staff was reassigned to Cheddington as the 8th Composite Command for leaflet droppings. The air crews, ground personnel and planes were reassigned to the other three squadrons. Thus the 492nd became a three squadron group. Each squadron was allowed to have 24 crews instead of the traditional 18 crews. The Goodridge Crew 812 was reassigned to the 856th BS. We don't know what their new crew designation number was.
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The Goodridge Crew 812 was one of the many casualties suffered by the 492nd on 20 Jun 44 during a bombing raid on the well defended oil refineries at Politz. While approaching the target from the Baltic Sea, the Group came under an attack by the Luftwaffe. The crew's plane was hit by cannon fire. It lost a wing, rolled over and dove. Then it blew up. Goodridge, the only survivor, didn't jump but was blown from the plane. He was picked up by a German patrol boat. The rest of his crew was claimed by the Baltic. 8 KIA, 1 POW, MACR 7081.
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More Info |
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Original Roster for
Goodridge Crew 812
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| Position |
Name |
Rank |
Serial # |
Notes |
Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Goodridge, Milton K |
2nd Lt |
O-807820 |
Promoted 1st Lt
POW, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081, Stalag Luft I
NARA AAD POW file has ASN as O-807839 |
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Davis, Earl A |
2nd Lt |
O-813477 |
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge |
Navigator
MOS 1034 |
Schonfeld, Abraham |
2nd Lt |
O-801512 |
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge |
Bombardier
MOS 1035 |
Kennelly, Herman J |
2nd Lt |
O-374354 |
Transferred 19 Jun 44, to 93rd BG w/Handwright Crew 807 |
Engineer
MOS 748 |
Kossey, Theodore G |
S/Sgt |
32142243 |
Promoted T/Sgt
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge |
Radio
Operator
MOS 757 |
Ippolito, Charles J |
S/Sgt |
12190364 |
Promoted T/Sgt
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge |
Gunner
MOS 748 |
Eatherton, George L Jr |
Sgt |
37401269 |
Promoted S/Sgt
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge |
Gunner
MOS 612 |
Bolte, Everette C |
Sgt |
37237094 |
Promoted S/Sgt
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge
Seen name as Evert |
Gunner
MOS 612 |
Conner, Fairce |
Sgt |
35128260 |
Promoted S/Sgt
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge
Seen name Connor Fairce and Fairce Connor |
Gunner
MOS 612 |
Stuckey, James W |
Sgt |
12167320 |
Arrived to the UK via the Queen Elizabeth
Promoted S/Sgt
KIA, 20 Jun 44, MACR 7081
Wall of the Missing, Cambridge |
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Others Who Flew with Goodridge Crew 812
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Staff Officer
MOS 1035 |
Lutonsky, Luke F |
1st Lt |
O-659751 |
Group Navigator
Flew to England with the crew |
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Goodridge Crew 812
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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12 May 44 |
44-40169 |
Zeitz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| 02 |
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15 May 44 |
44-40169 |
Siracourt, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets) |
| 03 |
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23 May 44 |
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Avord, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 04 |
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24 May 44 |
44-40169 |
Melun, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 05 |
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29 May 44 |
44-40169 |
Politz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
Landed at Oulton |
| Abort |
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30 May 44 |
42-95132 |
Rotenburg, Germany |
Target: Air depot
Aborted, uncredited |
| 06 |
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31 May 44 |
44-40135 |
Brussels, Belgium |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 07 |
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4 Jun 44 |
42-95196 |
Avord, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 08 |
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6 Jun 44 |
42-95196 |
Normandy, France |
Target: D-Day invasion coast |
| 09 |
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8 Jun 44 |
44-40064 |
Angers, France |
Target: Railroad junction
Aborted, initially uncredited, got credit later |
| 10 |
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10 Jun 44 |
42-50279 |
Boulogne, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 11 |
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11 Jun 44 |
44-40064 |
La Possonniere, France |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 12 |
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12 Jun 44 |
42-95196 |
Dreux, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 13 |
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14 Jun 44 |
42-50391 |
Chateaudun, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 14 |
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15 Jun 44 |
44-40086 |
La Frilliere, France |
Target: Railroad bridge
Bombed target in Le Mans |
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Mission Record with the 856th Bomb Squadron
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| 15 |
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20 Jun 44 |
44-40169 |
Politz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
Lost before target
8 KIA, 1 POW, MACR 7081 |
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