856th BS
Hudson Crew

The crew are pictured above in the USA just prior to overseas departure. Their time of arrival on-base is uncertain, but most probably early in 1945. They first appear in the Ops Log on the night of 20/21 Feb '45. Their 17th and final mission occurred on the night of 6/7 Apr '45 when they crashed in a mountain in Norway. All eight crewmen and four OSS agents were killed. Members of the OSS Mission RYPE were led to the crash site by Norwegians and gave the deceased a crude burial beneath stones on-site. William Colby identified the crew in a letter to OSS Hq in May of 1945. Names have NOT been matched to faces in the above picture. Dibble had arrived at Harrington with the 850th BS, in May '44 as the Assistant Operations Officer. He had flown overseas with the Melinat Crew.

Os:
William H. Hudson        - Pilot        ASN 0829029    (KIA)
Leon G.    Dibble        - Copilot      ASN 0467431    (KIA)
Arthur H.  Barbknecht    - Navigator    ASN T-131697   (KIA)
Richard A. Bosch         - Bombardier   ASN 0783238    (KIA)

EMs:
Gilbert L. Magruder      - R.O.         ASN 37615907   (KIA)
Angelo     Santini       - Engineer     ASN 42003373   (KIA)
Fayette W. Shelledy      - Gunner       ASN 39144844   (KIA)
Jack H.    Spyker        - Gunner       ASN 36453523   (KIA)

OSS:
Robert N.  Anderson      ASN 32580618   (KIA)
Knut J.    Falck         ASN 32421335   (KIA)
Bernard N. Iverson       ASN 36289300   (KIA)
Blaine F.  Jones         ASN 01645703   (KIA)

Not Pictured:     
Arnold Axel              - Gunner        ASN 32994954 not on incident flight 

ASNs so-colored for EMs link to their NARA Enlistment Records.


Supplementary photos, undated:






From the left,clockwise:
Richard A. Bosch
Enlisted of the crew
Officers of the crew

Additional Crew Sources:
Hudson & OSS Personnel files
MACR 13740
William Colby's Report
Monument Picture
Hudson Crew Crash Map
"The White War in Norway by Thomas Henry

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