The crew arrived at Harrington on orders from 8th AF Composite Command dated 7 July 1944. A replacement crew, they were trained for a month as all other crews were in the OTU then began flying combat missions in mid-August 1944. They are pictured above at a stateside base, Chatham Field, Georgia. Names provided by Ron Maassen, son of Ralph Maassen.
Standing, L-R:
Alfred L. Frank -
Copilot ASN 0823555
Robert G. Sheetz - Bombardier
ASN 0768901
Noel O.
Willis - Navigator
ASN 0713264
Donald W. Kelley - Pilot
ASN 0820029
Kneeling, L-R:
Ralph L.
Maassen - Gunner
ASN
36209791
Arthur J. Jenness - Gunner
ASN
31398860
Henry A. Walker,Jr. - Engineer
ASN
39200692
Jack W. Evans - Gunner
ASN
?
(Orphaned)
Sitting, L-R:
George M. Barlow,Sr. - Gunner
ASN ?
(Orphaned)
Worden F. Day
- R.O. ASN
31341696 *
* Day's Nara card data is corrupted.
ASNs so-colored for EMs link to their NARA Enlistment Records.
Evans and Barlow were released when the crew was downsized to eight at Harrington. Maassen became the Dispatcher for the crew. Later in the war, Maassen ended up with the Keeney crew and was shot down over Norway, but fortunately survived.
Completing five
of their first seven missions to targets all in France, the crew did well for
beginners. They flew another eight missions in September, and then had to await
further missions
for most of 1944 on into early 1945. The aircraft they
flew most often during this period was
B24H 42-95036, known as "Heaven's
Devils". On the night of 18/19 March 1945, it would crash into a mountain in
Wales, killing four members of the Sheppard crew (856th BS).
Trying to finish his
tour, Ralph Maassen flew with the Keeney crew in April of 1945, and on the night
of 20/21 April 1945, the crew was shot down by a German ME-110. Only one crewman
was killed (Marangas). For a few brief days Ralph experienced the escapee's
life, and found himself in Sweden, courtesy of the Norwegian Resistance, by the
24th day of the month, returning by early May with a Swedish Identification card to the US.
Agent Insertions:
MR 2202 DZ
Bob 279 (3)
SOE-F
Part of the Cut-Throat Mission
Members inserted were W. Hasting,Choremi and Benstead
Leaflets Dropped:
USF-078
USF-131
USF-133
Additional Crew Data sources:
Donald Kelley Crew Personnel Files
Donald Kelley Crew Mission
Reports
Group-Related Downloads:
AAFRH-21 "AAF Aid to European
Resistance"
Allied
Leaflets Index
"Carpetbaggers" by Parnell
"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)
