Guest Book > Historians > Pages & Links > About Us > B26 Site Index
Dear Mrs. Rynowecer,
I created the
1st Pathfinder Squadron website (co-hosted with the 391st Bombardment
Group website that I relaunched in 2018) in 2021, and I have done my best to
add as much information from the official squadron records to the website. I
have also been fortunate to have been contacted by family members of those who
served with the 1PFS, and I have been able to add further information,
documents, and photos to the website.
Your father appears in
57 crew loading lists between August 1944 and February 1945, initially
with the Ostlind crew and, later, the Bartels crew. Are any of the names in
the crew listings familiar to you?
He flew in 21 different aircraft, but, most commonly,
42-96223 IH-O "Chere Amie". This aircraft was shot down on December 23,
1944 when being flown by a different crew.
Your father appears in
2 Medal
Award documents that I have copies of. The documents state that he was
assigned to the 387th Bombardment Group, but on "Detached Service" (DS) to the
1PFS. It was not unusual for replacement crews and personnel to be sent to the
1PFS first rather than their assigned group, but, as I do not have records for
the 387BG, I cannot tell you if this was the case.
There is an account in the
Squadron War Diary
of your father's and his crew's last mission:
"Feb 16: The 16th of the month gave an inkling of the kind of stuff of which
crews are made.
Lt. Bartels with F/O Sikora, Lt. Carls, Lt. Hoenshel, Sgt. LaBahn, Sgt. Mayer
and Sgt.Morris were leading the 416th Group to Unna Ordnance Depot. Just
before "bombs away" the PFF a/c was hit by flak. A rudder cable was severed,
gas and hydraulic tanks and lines were punctured and the co-pilot wounded.
With the ship almost completely out of control it was impossible to bomb the
primary. Picking out a casual at Kamen, Lt.Bartels and Lt. Hoenshel bombed
visually - with good results - and then turning, led the formation back toward
the bombline. All this time it was losing gas and the ship finally
crash-landed at Helmond in Holland. The crew has now returned to base and are
"sweating out" their next mission. Other targets were Solingen Engineering
Works (323 & 394), Rees Comm. Center (322 & 387) and the Mayen RR Bridge.
Results were Superior to unobserved and flak meager to intense."
Details of the aircraft flown on February 16, 1945;
41-31916 IH-M "The New San Antonio Rose".
If you have any documents and/or photos that you'd be willing to share with me
and the B26 site, they would be most gratefully received.
As we say, by sharing information online, we hope to connect descendants so
they can help each other. I can only add that it's a great feeling when it
happens!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Regards,
Steve Sharp
Hello Ellen
In response to your request I have come up with the following information to
help with your search:
I have identified crew listings that show him flying on 45 completed missions
with two further aborts plus one occasion when they did not take-off, These
are listed on the attached document showing the date, target attacked, pilot
in command and the aircraft flown including the fuselage code and a nickname
if known.
His regular crew seems to have been led by 1Lt. William M Stout with copilot
Lt George W Klenk, who sometimes occupied the pilot's seat with whom he flew
35 of the missions I have identified.
I also attach a photo's of the two aircraft that he flew the most, 41-31877
and 42-107605, but if you search the internet with the serial number details
of the others you will find other photographs online that show some of these
aircraft.
I hope that this helps you piece together more information about your father's
service life.
Regards
Alan F. Crouchman, Historian, Author
B-26 "Flak-Bait": The Only American Aircraft to Survive 200 Bombing Missions
during the Second
Hello B26ers!
Thank you again for your kind help with research into the B-26. My new book
for Osprey Publishing in their 'Duel' series,
B-26 Marauder versus the Me 262, is due out in early March in the US. The
book covers the story of what happened in the air battles when these two
aircraft encountered each other - and for the B-26 crews of groups such as the
17th and 323rd Bomb Groups - the jet came as a shock, due in a large part, to
failed intelligence. The book covers the development of each aircraft, as well
as training, technical descriptions and combat. Available through Amazon at as
well as other usual retail outlets.
Robert Forsyth
42-96158 397BG 598BS "LITTLE PEEDOFF"
6 Feb 45 damaged, to service group
Lt. Robert D. Kriehl
1st.PFF 30 Mar 45 to 4 Apr 45 engine failure on landing, plane demolished,
four dead, two injured, salvaged 5 Apr 45
Lt. William A. Enneking
Good morning,
As part of our memorial work, we would like to offer an article on Commander
Francis QUERETTE, who died for France on February 26, 1945 in Biskra, Algeria.
This officer is buried in the cemetery of Sauvebonne, a hamlet attached to the
city of Hyeres. This officer was a B 26 pilot.
Killed in air service at Ourlal in the commune of Biska in Algeria following
the collision of B-26 Marauder x050 and x135. The 15 crew members under the
command of the commander did not survive: Captains LACOSTE, MORDACQ,
Lieutenants PARISOT, POINCLOUX, EAR LAVAL, Sergeants-major MAGAUD, PEROIS,
Sergeants BRANET, BRIDIER, PEROIS, PLUMET, TRELLU, VOLLEZ, Corporal TROGNO and
Private PICOUT.
Do you have any information to share with us?
The article will be published in October in the special issue of Souvenir
Francais.
Dans l'attente
Cordialement
Marc BUREL
President of the Committee of the French Remembrance of Luc-en-Provence
Coordinator of the Census of the Graves of the Dead for France in the
cemeteries of Var
Hello,
In your guestbook on 5/25/2020 there is a post regarding
Corporal Francis J. Rizzi,
who was my great uncle.
The post is asking for pictures of him, so I've attached what I have. If you
have their contact information, can you please forward the pictures to Joseph &
Nancy Rizzi, who must be distant cousins of mine.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Deanna S.
Happy New Year!
Marauder Men, family and friends are invited to add content to the web
site. Send scanned pictures 300dpi or mail pictures via post. Tell a story
about your Marauderman and include as much information as you can.
Guest Book > Historians > Pages & Links > About Us > B26 Site Index