B26.COM 2025 Guest book - dedicated to Martin B-26 Marauder Men.

Home > Guest Book > Historians > Pages & Links > About Us > B26 Site Index

Privacy Guarantee. Because of spam, addresses are not added to the guestbook. If you wish to contact a person in the guestbook, simply cut and paste their post into a new email, provide your contact information and the reason for contact. Your email will be reviewed and forwarded. Sign the guestbook. Tell us something about your Marauder man :)
Send email to: contact at b26.com
Date:: 8/08/2025
Time:: 7:10 AM

Malcolm "Don" Enlow, Jr., passed away. Many people who posted to the site received relevant pictures related to what they shared in the guestbook. Don was a very good man and an example for all of us mortals. Rest in peace, buddy. Malcolm D. Enlow was his Dad. http://www.ww2buddies.com/Memories/Mem_Enlow_M.html
Date:: 8/01/2025
Time:: 6:48 AM

Hello B26ers, My brother contacted me yesterday about some missing or incorrect info in the index portion of the b26.com website. My grandfather, Russel E. McClintock was shot down over Olbia, Sardinia June 18th 1943 as the Engineer/Turret-Gunner aboard B26 41-31603. It's mistakenly listed as being shot down 4/7/43. Held captive at Southern Sardinian jail - June 18th to June 23rd Poggio Mirteto, Italy - June 23rd to early July Stalag Luft XIIA (7A) Moosburg, Germany - early July to Oct. 13th Stalag Luft XVIIB (17B) Krems, Austria - Oct. 1943 to April 8th 1945 Russian Camp 4km north of Braunau Austria - on April 8th The SS Force marched them 18 days to the Russian Camp. Liberated May 3rd and evacuated May 9th. Also, the rest of the crew aboard the ship, minus the Pilot Roger L. Zeller, are missing off the index Albert G. Irish - Co-Pilot. Injured his spine when parachuting through the mountain trees of Sardinia. Sent to Stalag Luft III then transferred to a German hospital camp, 80 miles south of Berlin. Subsequently sent back to the states after being released by the Nazis in a POW trade along with 19 others. Sam D. White - Navigator/Bombardier. Spent a year and a half at Stalag Luft III before being "Death Marched" to other camps in sub zero temps by the Germans to avoid the approaching Russian forces near the end of the war. Held captive at Southern Sardinian jail - June 18th to June 23rd Poggio Mirteto, Italy - June 23rd to early July Stalag Luft III, outside of Sagan, Germany (now Zagan, Poland) - July 1943 to January 1945. "Death Marched" and cattle carted January 27th to 8 different camps in the middle of winter before being liberated by Pattons 3rd Army on April 29th 1945. Carl D. Piper - Radio Operator/ Waist Gunner. Held captive at Southern Sardinian jail - June 18th to June 23rd Poggio Mirteto, Italy - June 23rd to early July Stalag Luft XIIA (7A) Moosburg, Germany - early July to Oct. 13th Stalag Luft XVIIB (17B) Krems, Austria - Oct. 1943 to April 8th 1945 Russian Camp 4km north of Braunau Austria - on April 8th The SS Force marched them 18 days to the Russian Camp. Liberated May 3rd and evacuated May 9th. Frank A. Raitto - Tail Gunner (KIA) Shot down June 18th 1943 aboard B26 41-31603 during a bombing raid over Olbia Sardinia. His chute caught fire and never fully deployed. Memorialized on a stone monument at the Florence American Cemetery in Via Cassia, Florence, Italy. Would you please also consider adding https://www.june18th1943.com to your link page. Thank you so much, Rusty McClintock
Date:: 7/15/2025
Time:: 5:16 PM

"Bill often joked that he got his pilot's license before his driver's license." https://web.archive.org/web/20250716001029/https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/william-bayer-obituary?id=58868495
Date:: 7/14/2025
Time:: 5:53 PM

RE: Missing members 587th BS 394th BG 9th AF USAAF Gentlemen, Can you add the Bloody Mary Crew? Nose Art is attached. Knew it was 5W Aircraft letter is unknown (please advise if you know the identifier for the Bloody Mary Crew. The Bloody Mary Crew completed 65 Missions, whereas the Bloody Mary had Crash landed on take off with an engine failure while fully loaded... all the crew survived. She made around 53 missions when she Broke her spine on the emergency landing. If you need more info, please advise. S SGT Brian Davies' son, Dwight Davies PS I will have to send the remaining crew's names at a later date.

***

Hi Dwight,

Thank you for sharing details of your father and the aircraft "Bloody Mary".

The aircraft 42-96272 also flew 65 missions according to my records. Here is what I have on this aircraft:

"The aircraft was received from the 320th service squadron on 6th June 1944. It entered service with the 394th BG / 587th BS coded 5W-J, and flew its first mission on 8th June 1944.

Crash landed at A-74, Cambrai, on the 2nd February 1945 mission to the Ober-Vilkerath RR bridge, Germany. The aircraft flown by 1st Lt. Robert W Phinney had joined up with the formation at 1,200-1,500 feet about 10-15 miles NW of the airfield when the left engine began vibrating badly and cutting out. The pilot aborted the mission, leaving the formation, feathering the engine and calling the tower letting them know he was coming back. The bombs were not salvoed as they were over the town of Cambrai. The pilot did not lower the wheels until the aircraft was about 100 feet short of the runway thresh hold. The aircraft made a single engine landing with the left prop feathered, but the wheels were not locked down when the aircraft touched down on runway 15 at 1007 hours, and the main undercarriage collapsed. The pilot managed to maintain control of the aircraft with just the nose wheel down and locked, and the crew of six escaped without injury. The aircraft which had flown 60 combat missions, suffered Cat.3 damage (left wing tip, left prop, left main landing gear and nacelle), and was sent to the 320th service squadron for repairs. The official accident report confirms the aircraft was coded "J" and was assigned to the 587th BS, confirmed in the Squadron & Group records. It was returned to the 587th BS following repairs, and was then recoded 5W-B. It flew 5 additional combat missions from 15th April 1945 till the end of the war."

The crew, all uninjured were:

1st Lt. Robert W Phinney (pilot)
1st Lt. Theodore R Pope (co-pilot)
S/Sgt. Brian Davis (bombardier)
S/Sgt. Michael Mungioli, Jr. (radio operator/gunner)
Sgt. Melvin A Edwards (engineer/gunner)
S/Sgt. Curtis I Crenshaw (tail gunner/armourer)

Best regards,

Paul Clouting (B-26 Historian)

Date:: 5/25/2025
Time:: 2:38 PM

Hello B26.com, I am looking for information about my uncle, Paul J. Kennedy. He married in the 1950s but had no children. He and his wife Mary are now gone. I understand that he was a pilot and flew 76 missions. He worked for the FAA after the war. I am attaching two photos; the second informal shot was take about 1939. The first was his military portrait. My Uncle Paul never talked about his service in the Army Air Force. Paul was a pilot on a B-26 (the "Boomerang") and flew 76 missions over France and other western European countries during WWII. At the time he entered the service, Paul was unmarried and had no children. His missions included supporting the attacking Allied ground forces and also strategic bombing. When the war ended, Paul went to work with Federal Aviation Administration and worked first in the tower at Logan airport in Boston. He moved to Nashua, New Hampshire, when the control center was built there. Paul married in 1955, but he and his wife Mary (Flynn) never had children. Paul was born 20 January 1919 in Somerville MA; he died 3 November 2001 in Nashua NH; he was buried at the National Cemetery in Bourne, Barstable, MA. Thanks again for your help. Any information you might have regarding his group, station, missions, etc., would be appreciated. Also, there are several references to "NOBALL". What does this mean? Same for the second question; what does "pathfinder" mean? Thank you, J. Kennedy

Hi John, I'm a UK-based historian working with B26.com have successfully identified your uncle Paul as a 1st Lieutenant with the 386th Bomb Group, 554th Bomb Squadron, flying a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Boomerang" (serial 41-31631, code RU-G). Having both the pilot's name and aircraft name made the search much easier. The attached photos include one of the "Boomerang" crew at Boxted Airfield, where the 386th BG was first based in the UK before transferring from the 8th to the 9th Air Force in late 1943. The historian notes that the pilot in the crew photo likely resembles Paul. They will continue researching to find more details about his missions and recommend the book "The Story Of The Crusaders � The 386th Bomb Group (M) In World War 2" for further reading. "NOBALL" was the Allied codename for operational use of any German Vengeance Weapon ("V-weapon", German Vergeltungswaffe). Two of the primary V-weapons were the V1 Flying Bomb or pilotless aircraft (Allied codename "Diver"), and which we knew as the "Doodlebug" and the V2 long range rocket (codename "Big Ben"). The more numerous V1 launching sites were located all along the coast from Holland down through Belgium and France. These consisted of a long angled launch ramp (or ski-site) which were pointed mostly towards London and the south coast of England. They were not steerable, but maintained their course through a gyroscopic autopilot system, and were loaded with just enough fuel to reach the target. Once this was exhausted the projectile then nosed over, crashed and exploded. Militarily they were not significant, but had a huge effect on the moral of the English people, so were deemed a high priority for allied aircraft attacks. The RAF and USAAF 8th & 9th Air Forces flew a huge amount of missions on attacking these sites, but they were extremely difficult to locate and hit. The V2 was potentially a more formidable weapon, as it was basically the forerunner to the intercontinental ballistic missile. It fired up like a space rocket high into the stratosphere then dived down onto the target at supersonic speed. The weapon could be fired from a small concrete platform, but the fuelling and arming was much more complex and required specialist infrastructure which could be attacked. Luckily for the allied forces, these never came to be used in anything like the numbers as the V1. The allied photo reconnaissance assets became adept at locating the sites as they were being constructed, and they were often targeted before they could be used. The last of Hitler's V-Weapons was the V3 which a large multi barrelled supergun buried underground and firing through ports on the surface. As far as I know only one of these was ever constructed, but allied bombing killed this project before it was ever used in anger. The colossal amount of effort involved in constructing the site made this weapon system untenable. "Pathfinders" were specialist aircraft who would could identify targets using an early form of ground reflecting radar. Bombing during WW2 mainly involved being able to see a target through the bombsight, thus the target had to be located and identified before the bomb aimer could release his bombs onto the target. From early 1944, numerous targets could not be attacked due to cloud cover completely obscuring the target area. The choices then were to either attack a secondary target designated by Bomber Command, attack a target of opportunity if one was available, jettison the bombs, or return the bombs to base. On bad days when cloud cover was extensive, none of the attacking options were available. All of the planning, co-ordination, fighter escorts, etc, were wasteful, and in the softening up period leading to D-Day this was not acceptable. It was therefore decided to adopt the British system of installing radar sets (known as OBOE) into American aircraft and which would be able to identify targets through cloud. To cut a long story short, the American 9th AF formed its own specialist "Pathfinder" unit, the 1st Pathfinder SQN which was activated in mid-February 1944. This unit provided pathfinder assistance to all the Bomb Groups of the 9th AF. If a so called "Pathfinder mission was called for then mission planning would adopt a different formation of aircraft. The standard box formation of 18 aircraft would be adjusted to 16 aircraft to allow for a "Pathfinder" aircraft to lead that box. On a two box formation (which was normal practice), this would consist of 32 aircraft + 2 Pathfinder aircraft. The rest of the box formation would release their bombs when they spotted the "Pathfinder" leading that box releasing his bombs. I have hopefully answered both these questions with one paragraph each, but both topics are extensive, and fascinating. If you want to learn more about these there are lots of info about both topics on the internet and in book form. Best regards, Paul Clouting (B-26 Historian)
Date:: 5/3/2025
Time:: 10:03 PM

Hi My uncle, my mom's brother, Terence George Montague and was a member of 24 Sq SAAF in 1944/1045. [saairforce.co.za/the-airforce/saaf-association] I have his flight book and it lists the marauder B26 as one of his planes. he was qualified as an air gunner. I don't have much information about him, and if you have any info I would be really appreciative. From what you have supplied so far I can add: 64 Air School was based at Bloemfontain, Free State, South Africa. This unit was an Electrical & Wireless Operator training school. 43 Air School was based at Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa. This unit was a bombing & gunnery school. Your uncles 4th mission was on the 14th June 1944 to attack enemy shipping in Candia harbour, Crete. The principle aiming target was the 2,000 ton German freighter "Girda Toft". The aircraft (RAF serial FB422/L, classified by the RAF as a Marauder Mk.II aircraft) flown by Lt. H R Dyer was seriously damaged by flak and dropped out of formation, then was pounced on by 3 x German Me-109 fighters which were subsequently driven off by the RAF Spitfire fighter escort. The gunners on the bomber were unable to return fire as they were wounded. The aircraft was flown back to Gambut airfield with 2 seriously wounded crew on board. One of them, W/O. V M Tedder later died of his injuries in a field hospital. The aircraft was landed on trim tabs, and was riddled with over 300 holes. The aircraft was listed as Cat.E (a write-off) and salvaged the following day. In most of the RAF & SAAF crew diaries I have seen to date, the aircraft flown is only identified with the squadron code (in the above report this is listed as "L"). During the course of my research I have managed to identify most, if not all the aircraft serving with their allocated RAF serial number as well. This involves a lot of cross referencing from other documentation such as maintenance reports, etc. I am pretty certain we can pin down the allocated serial numbers of all the B-26 Marauder aircraft that your uncle flew. More to follow... Kind Regards, Terry Lewis
Date:: 4/16/2025
Time:: 8:25 AM

From Henk Marinus. Dossier Edward James Norton "The Norton Brothers" > overview - Margraten Memorial (translated) (archived)
Date:: 4/2/2025
Time:: 2:38 PM

Hello Mr. Allen, My grandfather was a pilot in WWII and was assigned to a Marauder unit initially. While I have some information, he passed away years ago and there is a lot we don't know. I recently requested his military records only to find out that they were among those lost in a fire in 1973. I've read your entries on B26.com and am hoping you may be able to help me with some information. I would be happy to share scans of what I have with you as well. My grandfather was in the 323rd Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Squadron and was at Earl Colne for part of the war. He was part of the original crew of the Goatee Hell. His name was Robert Kenneth Brown. At some point after he completed 25 missions he was transferred to a different unit and towards the end of the war flew high-ranking officials around to meetings (and after the war ended to witness Dachau.) Please let me know if you can help shed some light on what he did during the War. Thank you, Stephanie Scales

Hi Stephanie, I am one of the UK based B-26 historians, and would love to help uncover some of your you Grandfathers wartime service history. You are correct that a lot of individual service records were destroyed in that fire, but fortunately for us the 323rd BG and its associated squadron records do survive, so we can begin to piece together some of your grandfathers service details, at least whilst he was serving with that unit. This will take a while, so please be patient as this will involve going through many pages of microfilm records, but I am confident that we can build up a timeline for you. From my initial search I can see you grandfather flying as a co-pilot along with 2Lt. Robert H Adams as pilot. The first combat mission I can see him flying on is on 28th July 1943, the target was a coke ovens facility at Zeebrugge, Belgium. The aircraft was 41-34871, coded VT-U and named "Goatee Hell". I can also see he was awarded the DFC in March 1944, and promoted from F/O (Flight Officer) to 2Lt on 3rd May 1944. According to the 453rd BS records, he returned from operational leave in the USA in July 1944 then was transferred to the IX Bomber Command HQ. More to follow. Please find attached a document which contains all the relevant information I could find in the 323rd BG and 453rd BS records which were relevant to your grandfathers service with the 323rd BG / 453rd BS. I hope this is what you were looking for and gives some insight into his wartime record. Best wishes Paul Clouting
Date:: 3/09/2025
Time:: 8:27 AM

319th Bomb Group, 437th Bomb Squadron B-26 41-31603 Shot down during a bombing run over Olbia Harbor, Sardinia on June 18th 1943 Crew: Pilot - 1st Lt. Roger L. Zeller Co-Pilot - 1st Lt. Albert G. Irish Bombardier/Navigator - 2nd Lt. Sam D. White Engineer/Turret Gunner S/Sgt. Russel E. McClintock Radio Op/Waist Gunner T/Sgt. Carl D. Piper Tailgunner - Cpl. Frank A. Raitto (KIA) Shot down by Italian Reggiane (Raitto K.I.A. chute never fully deployed) Captured by Italian soldiers and transferred to German hands in Rome on June 23rd and kept at Poggio Mirteto. Irish, Piper, McClintock and White transferred out to PoW "Luft" camps in German territory. Irish and White to Stalag Luft III. Irish then to Hospital Camp then prisoner traded with the Germans and finally back to the states. White stayed at Luft III until force marched at the end of the war. Piper and McClintock transferred to Stalag Luft VII-A and then to XVII-B before force marched at the end of the war as well. Pilot Zeller transferred to Prigione di Guerra (Camp) P.G. 21 concentration camp in Casoli, Italy then to Sulmona where he escaped with 2nd Lt. Van Epps of the 438th BS just before being shipped to Germany by train. Zeller and Van Epps spent 24 days behind enemy lines before making it back to their unit on October 22nd. Please visit http://www.june18th1943.com for more of their story. Russel "Rusty" E. McClintock III Grandson of then S/Sgt Russel E. McClintock
Date:: 2/18/2025
Time:: 11:41 PM

Good afternoon, I am reaching out to find any information on these gentlemen, Thank you for your time Boone, Francis A. Wolf, Edgar B. McMillan, Claude C. West, Jim E. Dyke, Glen L.
Hi Geoff,

The names you mentioned were all part of the crew of a B-26 Marauder, serial 42-96025 of the 319th BG / 438th BS which was abandoned off the coast of Corsica on 19th August 1944. The aircraft flown by Lt. Wolf was returning from a combat mission to attack coastal gun positions at Toulon, France when they ran dangerously low on fuel. It was reported that the aircraft was experiencing excessive gasoline consumption. The pilot ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft after the gas was just about exhausted. All the crew bailed out safely, coming down in the water and were rescued by Catalina flying boats. The aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed very shortly after the last crew member jumped. The crew were: 1Lt. Edgar B Wolf (pilot) 2Lt. Claude C McMillan (co-pilot) 1Lt. Francis A Boone (bombardier) S/Sgt. Glen A Dyke (engineer/gunner) S/Sgt. Harold R Deyoe (radio operator/gunner) S/Sgt. Jim E West (tail gunner) Best wishes, Paul Clouting (B-26 historian)
Date:: 2/23/2025
Time:: 3:16 PM

WWII Deceased 320th Bomb Group Buried in Europe & North Africa Index of Names for Accident Reports and Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR) Compiled by Dave Kuhl

New material has been added to the site, created and compiled by Mr. Dave Kuhl. A big thank you to Dave for your valuable help!
Date:: 2/23/2025
Time:: 3:16 PM

I am seeking information on 2Lt. Lawrence T. Scates. I have come into possession of his flight jacket showing 12 bomb stencils along with other memorabilia. I am trying to gather as much information as possible with the intent of getting this to our local Military Museum. I have read a 2008 Guest Book entry to "Mr. Allen" from a Thomas Hammerberg dated 2/24/08 referencing "Larry Scates" in a photo of "Wounded Marauder", B-26 42-107751. I have not been able to find this photo on the B-26 website. If this the same "Scates", I would like to get a copy of the photo for the museum. Lt Col Scates retired from the USAF August 1967. His retirement announcement indicates that he completed 43 missions from July 1943 to September 1944 and was wounded twice.

Thank you in advance. Gene Wobbe
Date:: 2/21/2025
Time:: 7:13 PM

I would like to post a dedication page to my uncle Michael J. Weiss.

Thanks, Jf Weiss
Date:: 2/15/2025
Time:: 6:20 AM

From my initial search, S/Sgt. Dawson U Kershaw (Army serial 32457359) was a tail gunner/armourer with the 1st Pathfinder SQN. It looks like he was assigned to 1Lt, later Capt. Charles Glenn Aldous crew and was most probably transferred on detached service with the same crew from the 391st BG/574th BS in Feb 1944. Best wishes, Paul Clouting
Date:: 2/12/2025
Time:: 2:59 PM

Hello Trevor,

My father is Lt. William H. Carls and I have been researching my father's service in WW II for the past couple of months. He trained as a navigator, and was originally assigned to flying C-47s from completion of Navigation School through July 1944. His unit was434th Troop Carrier Group. In July, 1944 he was assigned to a bomber group, (9th Air force, 98th Wing, 387th Group, 557th/1st Pathfinder Squadron. A few months later he was assigned to the 386th Group. From July '44 through Feb '45 he navigated B-26s, and was a Pathfinder. I contacted NARA for his records, and his were destroyed in the 1973 fire. I have the sheets with his missions and some assignments, several photos and his journal. I would like to understand who he flew with on the C-47s, how he transferred to a Bombing Group, and how he became a Pathfinder. I am also interested in learning more about the individual missions he was on, especially what planes he flew on and who the crews were for both the C-47s and B-26s. Thank you for any help you might have for those interests. Thank you for your website, it is the first place I landed when starting my research and has been very helpful!! Just yesterday evening I found his name on the 557th Bombardment Squadron (M) Roster, William H. Carls! That was exciting to see. Thank you, Nancy Rynowecer
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
Date:: 2/12/2025
Time:: 12:54 PM

Subject: Seeking Information about Joseph D. Weaver (XXXX0971) - Ackerman, MS I am seeking information about my father, Joseph D. Weaver of Ackerman, MS (XXXX0971), and would appreciate any assistance or guidance you can offer. Below are the details I have gathered and the specific information I am hoping to find. I have the following information: - MACR reports: 7875 - Details of his 52nd mission: His plane, 42-96184, was hit by flak, and the crew bailed out near Trouville Sur Mer, Normandy. - Missions for the 386th Bombardment Group in May 1944. - My father was injured by flak during May 1944 and was hospitalized for 38 days, causing him to miss the D-Day mission. What I am trying to find is as follows: First, I am looking for more missions that my father flew on. I do not have a photo of him with any crew. He seemed to be a substitute, but was he in this position for all 52 missions? Second, I am trying to understand where my father was taken after he was shot down. The MACR states that he met up with the pilots in Chalon, France. I also have a German record stating that he was in Stalag 11A in Limburg, Germany, and later sent to Stalag Luft IV. However, I need more details about where he was immediately after he landed following his bailout. Was he in any other POW camps, or did he go directly from Chalon to Dulag Luft for interrogation, then to 11A? When was he transferred to Stalag Luft IV? Lastly, I am looking for health records. I believe my father was injured by flak twice. He, along with 6,000 other airmen, was forced to march 500 miles over 86 days from February 6 to May 2, 1945, without provisions for food, water, or shelter. He was 90 pounds when he returned home. He also broke his ankle during the march, and a buddy from Louisiana carried him until he was able to walk again. Are there records regarding his second flak injury and the broken ankle? I have already contacted the VA with no results. If you do not have access to these records, could you kindly advise me on where I might look for them? Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. Please see the blog post link below and the link to the documentary. Attached are two photos: John G Latiloais from Louisiana, Vernon Hedges and Joe Weave, my father. Second photo is after a training accident with Capt. Robert Fry. Joe Weaver is back row to the right. Five of us Kriegie Kids planned a trip in May of 2024 to follow in our fathers' footsteps as POWs at Stalag Luft IV in Poland and to retrace our fathers' routes on the Death March - 500 miles over 86 days from Feb. 6 to May 2, 1945, with no provisions for food, water, or shelter. It is an atrocity of WWII that most history books nor museums showcase. More than 6,000 airmen were on this march. ARTE TV, a major network similar to CNN, asked if they could go with us, extending the trip by 20 days, set up meetings with mayors, historians, archivists and even eyewitnesses who prepared presentations for us, recognized us at media events and thanked us for liberating Germany from Nazi control. Everywhere we went, media did advance and onsite stories about our fathers and our trip. The biggest surprise of the trip was when eyewitnesses took us to a garage in a small German town where Rich's Dad's engine is housed. Below is the link to the documentary produced by ARTE TV and a blog post of our trip day by day following the route of the Death March. https://thearrowheadclub.com/2024/11/27/kriegie-kids-journey-to-discover-and-document-the-trail-of-their-pow-fathers-in-wwii https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXe2f6kMBJ4 Sincerely, EW Hartman
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
Date:: 2/4/2025
Time:: 10:43 AM

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

Date:: 2/4/2025
Time:: 10:43 AM

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
Date:: 1/23/2025
Time:: 9:43 AM

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

Date:: 1/4/2025
Time:: 9:18 AM

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.

Date:: 1/1/2025
Time:: 12:01 AM

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.

Home > Guest Book > Historians > Pages & Links > About Us > B26 Site Index

24 hours later-no magic, just a lifetime of relentless research and dedication.