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Back row, left to right...
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John Youngberg, navigator
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Joseph Green, bombardier
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Seymour Clark, co-pilot
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Robert Munson, pilot
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Front row, left to right...
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John Eckstrom, radio operator
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Robert McLaughlin, top turret gunner
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Robert Ames, engineer
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Adolph Roth, ball turret gunner
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Robert McGough, tail gunner
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Wilmer Jester, waist gunner
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Munson Crew 814 Summary
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The Munson 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. They had a couple of personnel changes while at Alamogordo. They were assigned to the 858th BS, designated as Crew 812.
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1st Lt Robert Munson signed out for a B-24J, 44-40195. They gave it the nickname BOULDER BUFF. In April 1944, they flew their assigned aircraft to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. Their Squadron Commander, Capt Hambaugh, flew with them, thus bumping Sgt Jester onto the Queen Elizabeth.
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By our count Lt Munson (later Captain) flew as the aircraft commander for Crew 812 for a total of 12 missions. 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 the pathfinder-led missions.
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Capt Hambaugh accompanied them again on the Group's first mission. This maiden run went to Mulhouse, France, to bomb a marshalling yard near the Swiss boarder. Since the target couldn't be located the Group went after their secondary target instead.
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The radio operator earned himself the Distinguised Flying Cross for his actions on 28 May 44. The target for that day was the oil refineries at Zeitz. After the Group reached their IP (Initial Point, where the bomb run begins) their bomb bay doors wouldn't open. Sgt Eckstrom crawled back there and manually forced them open.
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Aother close call was on the mission to to bomb an airfield at Bremerhaven. They were severely damaged by flak. With their gas tanks leaking they made it back to North Pickenham. They counted over a hundred new flak holes in their ship.
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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 dropping. 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 Munson Crew 814 was reassigned to the 859th BS. On the following day, the Group suffered excessive casualties. Before the Munson Crew flew any missions with the 859th, they were quickly reassigned to the 856th.
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Their last mission was just as scary. On 6 Jul 44 they were flying as the low deputy lead on an attack on a shipyard at Kiel. Just as they were releasing their bombs, they got hit. They immediately lost one engine. Their plane took a dive going right underneath the rest of the Group just as they were letting their bombs go. They were rained on by the falling bombs. Munson and his co-pilot managed to get control of the plane. The two pilots discovered that if they both stood up and put their weight on the right rudder control pedal, they could control the ship. They knew it couldn't make it back to England so they decided to try for Sweden.
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They nursed "BOULDER BUFF" across the Baltic Sea to the town of Malmo. As they approached the Scandinavian coast, Swedish fighters came out to provide escort. Just as they were thinking they were safe, the Swedish flak guns opened fire at them. Perhaps it was just a demonstration to give some visiting Germans the illusion that they were trying to keep the Allies from finding refuge there. After all, none of the shots fired came close to hitting the B-24. After the short volley the Swedes let the Munson Crew land. MACR 7234.
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Added note: There were 11 men on board, as they were carrying a pilotage navigator.
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More Info |
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Original Roster for
Munson Crew 814
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| Position |
Name |
Rank |
Serial # |
Notes |
Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Munson, Robert M |
1st Lt |
O-433882 |
Promoted Capt
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Clark, Seymour R |
F/O |
T-122808 |
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
Navigator
MOS 1034 |
Youngberg, John E |
2nd Lt |
O-691850 |
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
Bombardier
MOS 1035 |
Green, Joseph J |
2nd Lt |
O-684152 |
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234
Seen name as Greene and Breen |
Engineer
MOS 748 |
Ames, Robert M |
S/Sgt |
37494536 |
Promoted T/Sgt
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
Radio
Operator
MOS 757 |
Eckstrom, John E |
S/Sgt |
16151983 |
Promoted T/Sgt
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
Top Turret
Gunner
MOS 612 |
McLaughlin, Robert M |
Sgt |
35455683 |
Promoted S/Sgt
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
Ball Turret
Gunner
MOS 611 |
Roth, Adolph J |
Sgt |
17160503 |
Promoted S/Sgt
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234
Seen name as Poth |
Tail Gunner
MOS 611 |
McGough, Robert E |
Sgt |
33569343 |
Promoted S/Sgt
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
Waist
Gunner
MOS 748 |
Jester, Wilmer H |
Sgt |
13151979 |
Arrived to the UK via the Queen Elizabeth
Promoted S/Sgt
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
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Others Who Flew with Munson Crew 814
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Squadron
Commander
MOS 1024 |
Hambaugh, Robert |
Capt |
O-421691 |
858th Squadron Commander
Flew to England with the crew
Flew on 1st mission
Promoted Major |
Staff
Commander
MOS 1024 |
Turnbull, John I |
Maj |
O-399733 |
Group Operations Officer |
Staff
Officer
MOS 1024 |
Jaques, Louis Jr |
Capt |
O-372868 |
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Bombardier
MOS 1035 |
Wikoff, James W |
2nd Lt |
O-695394 |
From Doyle Crew 808
Flying as pilotage navigator
Interned in Sweden, 6 Jul 44, MACR 7234 |
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Munson Crew 814
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 |
44-40151 |
Mulhouse, France |
Target: Marshalling yard
w/Harbaugh |
| 02 |
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13 May 44 |
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Tutow, Germany |
Target: Airfield |
| 03 |
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23 May 44 |
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Avord, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 04 |
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28 May 44 |
44-40167 |
Zeitz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
Lead ship w/Turnbull |
| 05 |
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4 Jun 44 |
44-40159 |
Avord, France |
Target: Airfield
Led C Section w/Jaques |
| 06 |
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8 Jun 44 |
44-40195 |
Angers, France |
Target: Railroad junction
Led C section
Aborted, initially uncredited, got credit later |
| 07 |
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14 Jun 44 |
44-40195 |
Chateaudun, France |
Target: Airfield
Led B Section |
| 08 |
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17 Jun 44 |
42-110143 |
Melun, France |
Target: Airfield
Deputy Lead
A/C borrowed from 856th BS |
| 09 |
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18 Jun 44 |
44-40195 |
Luneburg, Germany |
Target: Airfield
Led C section
Bombed Nordenham |
| 10 |
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19 Jun 44 |
44-40169 |
Courbronne, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets) |
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Mission Record with the 856th Bomb Squadron
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| 12 |
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6 Jul 44 |
44-40195 |
Kiel, Germany |
Target: Shipyard
Lost: 11 interned in Sweden,
MACR 7234 |
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