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Jacks Crew 918 Summary
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Lt Robert Jacks was initially a co-pilot on the Johnson Crew 908 in the 859th Bomb Squadron. He was promoted to relieve Lt Keeler as pilot and commander of Crew 918. Accounts say that Lt Keeler had been removed and transferred to the 44th BG as a result of disciplinary action after having to abort a mission because one of his crewmen had forgotten his parachute. Lt Meyer and S/Sgt Dixon were also transferred out of this crew and replaced by Lt Hawkley and S/Sgt Lawing, respectively, who had come to the 492nd as part of a replacement crew.
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Jacks took Crew 918 on 9 missions. Adding that to the 11 completed missions under Keeler brings the Crew total to 20 plus one aborted mission. We aren't certain who was on each of these missions. It's possible that there were substitutions and that the bombardier could have been left behind on some of the Pathfinder-led missions.
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The Crew's final mission was on 7 Jul 44 when they flew 44-40153 to Bernburg to bomb an industrial aircraft facility. They were attacked by German fighters. Accounts state that S/Sgt Stamerra was killed instantly. With the exception of the nose gunner, Sgt Brdecka, the rest of the crew bailed out. Claim is that the air battle between the GAF and Brdecka continued while the plane was falling. The casualties for the Jacks Crew: 2 KIA, 8 POW, MACR 7232.
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The bodies of the two dead were recovered and buried by the Germans. After the war, they were taken for reburial in an American cemetery, but the grave records couldn't say who was who. The two were brought back and buried in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St Louis, Missouri. They were buried with two men from the Smiley Crew 910, Darrel Andrews and Donald Brown, and another a man from another bomb group, 2Lt Frank A Fisher.
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We don't have any photos of the Jacks Crew, but we do have one for the Keeler Crew.
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More Info |
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Original Roster for
Jacks Crew 918
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| Position |
Name |
Rank |
Serial # |
Notes |
Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Jacks, Robert H |
1st Lt |
O-376079 |
Obtained from Johnson 903
Promoted to Pilot Crew 918
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft III |
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Hawkley, Leland G |
2nd Lt |
O-699368 |
Obtained from Jaques Crew 909
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft VIIA |
Navigator
MOS 1034 |
Turner, Samuel L |
2nd Lt |
O-705048 |
From Keeler Crew 918
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft VIIA |
Bombardier
MOS 1035 |
Benton, Frank B |
F/O |
T-123092 |
From Keeler Crew 918
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft VIIA |
Engineer
MOS 748 |
Lawing, Talmadge H |
S/Sgt |
14059830 |
From Keeler Crew 918
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft IV |
Radio
Operator
MOS 757 |
Woods, Glen D |
T/Sgt |
6990408 |
From Keeler Crew 918
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft IV |
Gunner
MOS 918 |
Kohout, Robert T |
S/Sgt |
17151663 |
From Keeler Crew 918
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft IV |
Gunner
MOS 748 |
Brdecka, Vincent J |
S/Sgt |
18186703 |
From Keeler Crew 918
KIA, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery |
Gunner
MOS 611 |
Taylor, Joseph B Jr |
S/Sgt |
13119981 |
From Keeler Crew 918
POW, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232, Stalag Luft IV |
Gunner
MOS 611 |
Stamerra, Salvatore E |
S/Sgt |
33422124 |
From Keeler Crew 918
KIA, 7 Jul 44, MACR 7232
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
Seen name as Stamera |
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Jacks Crew 918
492nd BG Mission Record
859th Bomb Squadron
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Crew
Mission
Number |
Group
Mission
Number |
Group
Mission
Date |
Aircraft
Serial
Number |
Primary Target |
Mission Notes |
| 12 |
|
15 Jun 44 |
44-40130 |
La Frilliere, France |
Target: Railroad bridge
Bombed target in Le Mans |
| 13 |
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18 Jun 44 |
42-50370 |
Luneburg, Germany |
Target: Airfield
Bombed Nordenham |
| 14 |
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19 Jun 44 |
42-50370 |
Courbronne, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets) |
| 15 |
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20 Jun 44 |
42-110091 |
Politz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
see Footnotes |
| 16 |
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23 Jun 44 |
44-40153 |
Juvincourt, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 17 |
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25 Jun 44 |
42-110091 |
La Vaupeliere, France |
Target: Tactical |
| 18 |
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4 Jul 44 |
44-40153 |
Beaumont-le-Roger, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 19 |
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6 Jul 44 |
44-40153 |
Kiel, Germany |
Target: Shipyard |
| 20 |
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7 Jul 44 |
44-40153 |
Bernburg, Germany |
Target: Aircraft manufacturing
Lost: 2 KIA, 8 POW, MACR 7232 |
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