788th/859th BSs
Goldsmith Crew

Shown above with 9 of a 10-man crew at Wendover, the men have been identified as:

Standing, L-R:
Samuel  Goldsmith        -  Pilot         ASN 0752403
Earl    Bitzer           -  Copilot       ASN 0802701
Carmen  Vozzella         -  Navigator     ASN 0814455  (Evader)
George  Procuniar        -  Bombardier    ASN 0748099

Kneeling, L-R:
Horace  Mason            -  Gunner        ASN 18132565 (Orphaned)
Arthur  Cook             -  Engineer      ASN 11096205
Robert  Hassler          -  Gunner        ASN 17127412
Nelson  Covey            -  Gunner        ASN 32851035
Hampton Jackson          -  R.O.          ASN 14158018

Not in the picture:
 Frank T. Desmond,Jr.     -  Engineer      ASN 12151639 (Orphaned)

Hyperlinked ASNs for EMs displays their enlistment records at the National Archives (NARA).

Picture Credit: Arthur Cook  

Errata: Vozzella went down with the Wolcott crew in late May of 1944, he successfully evaded and returned to duty in the fall of 1944, hiding out with the Belgian Arme Secrete. Edgar Townsend (ASN 0689694) replaced him and is pictured with the crew below. Of the paper MRs on record at NARA only Goldsmith's MR 0784 is missing.

The crew is pictured above at Harrington with B24 42-52711 'Screwball'. Arthur Cook identified those in the picture as:

Back Row,L-R:
 Edgar      Townsend           
Samuel     Goldsmith           
George A.  Procuniar   
Earl E.    Bitzer             

Front Row,L-R:
 Arthur A.  Cook             
Robert O.  Hassler             
Hampton M. Jackson            
Nelson L.  Covey,Jr.    

Goldsmith and crew completed their tour, but Goldsmith came back while awaiting return to the ZI and flew gas-haul missions during the 17-30Sep 44 period.

Combat Period: Jul-Dec 1944 at Harrington.

Agents Carried/Delivered:
 MR 0952    (3) Jedburgh Team GILES
MR 2068    (2) A. Sybille (Sanche) & L. Feldman (SOE)
Leaflets Carried/Delivered: Leaflets were carried on many missions but were not annotated, or were annotated incorrectly. Those below are the only verified ones known at this time.

 USF  77
USF 133

 Additional data sources:
 Goldsmith Crew personnel files
 Goldsmith Crew Mission Reports

Group-Related Downloads:
 AAFRH-21 "AAF Aid to European Resistance"
 Allied Leaflets Index
 "Carpetbaggers" by Parnell
 Carpetbagger C47 Missions (Jul-Sep 44)
 "They Flew by Night" editor Robert Fish
 Serial Number Index of B24s
Station 179 Operations Log (handwritten Apr44-Jul45)
Station 179 Operations Log (transcribed Sep44-Jul45)
Available on Request:
 Group Mission Reports Jan-Sep44 (On disk $12ea - $10ea via Paypal)
 "Chronology of SOE Operations with the Resistance In France During WWII" by Foot & Boxhall
"Spies,Supplies & Moonlit Skies Vols 1&2" by Ensminger (On disk $12ea - $10ea via Paypal)

Redirect to: Crews  Main  Agents  Gas Hauls