850th/857th BSs
Pitsenbarger Crew

The crew are shown above at Topeka on 28 May 1944 with their flyover plane "Lucky Strike" (B24J 95911). They reported to North Pickenham for duty with the daylight 492nd BG but were soon transferred to Harrington following the consolidation of the two Bombardment Groups. McQuade and Stec were orphaned in place at Harrington, condemned to finish their tour as best they could. Stec was involved in the James McLoughlin friendly-fire incident in September of 1944, but survived and returned to Harrington in January of 1945, only to find that most of the original Pitsenbarger crew had been killed in October (he was in-hospital on the Continent).

Back Row, L-R:
Jack       Bliss         - Navigator       ASN T-125474  (DNB)
Frank      Cser          - Bombardier      ASN T-125564
Elmer D.   Pitsenbarger  - Pilot           ASN 0699724   (DNB)
James      Nendel        - Copilot         ASN 0553334   (DNB)

Front Row, L-R:
Joseph W.  Zwinge        - R.O.            ASN 39412668  (DNB)
Presley E. Farris        - Engineer        ASN 35128655  (DNB)
Curtis     Anderson,Jr.  - Gunner          ASN 39138297
Cyril      Mc Quade      - Gunner          ASN 33282314
Frank      Villelli      - Gunner          ASN 37563633  (DNB)
Henry      Stec          - Gunner          ASN 32832390  (WIA)

Also killed in the October incident were:

Kay E.      Lowblad   - Aircraft Mechanic  ASN 29369860  (DNB)
Clarence S. Watson    - Radio Mechanic     ASN 39406449  (DNB)

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

The incident aircraft was "Sack Time" B24H 42-94841, flown to the UK earlier in the year by the 849th BS of the 490th BG. It had done it's service in the daylight bombings and was being refitted when the incident occurred. The crash site pictures tell a by-then familiar story in the Bomb Group - aircraft hit high ground.

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)

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