850th/857th BSs
Sandberg Crew
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The crew are shown above at Mountain Home AAF, Idaho in the spring of 1944. The negative on file at NARA is flawed and is covered with fingerprints, deteriorating greatly the quality of the picture. The men above have been identified by John Carey as:
Back Row, L-R:
Leroy D. Neely - Gunner
ASN 37519388
Bernard A. Sandberg - Pilot
ASN 0693069
Elmer B. Hall - Copilot
ASN
Unknown
Ralph Markworth - Copilot
ASN 0758710
Ralph P. White - Bombardier
ASN 0697751
John L. Carey,Jr. - Navigator
ASN 0703604
Floyd E. Blansfield - Gunner
ASN
31343484 Orphaned
at Eye,849th BS
Front/font>
Row, L-R:
Michael E. Nederostek - Gunner
ASN
33188395 Orphaned at Eye,849th BS
Phillip H. Brader - Gunner
ASN
19055952
Arthur F. Redel - R.O.
ASN
17034362
Eugene L. Johnson - Engineer
ASN
34682470
ASNs
so-colored for EMs link to their NARA
Enlistment Record.
One of
the lucky crews from the 850th, completing their tour in a little over
three months and without any casualties. The eight-man picture courtesy
of the 801st/492nd BG.
Ralph "Bob" White, third from the left, back row, is the all time winner for donations to the web site of a material nature. His personal collection resulted in several hundred scans which greatly illuminated the experience at Harrington, the cross-Atlantic trip on the Southern Route, and travels on leave around the UK in the summer of 1944. Additionally, he contributed his entire collection of combat maps, which have been scanned by John Rado and are online on the FTP Site.
The crew does not seem to have favored any particular plane, and at any rate no amount of superstition or different equipment could improve theirr 100% success record for August 1944,shown below.
Below: Sandberg crew at Harrington,summer 1944.
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Names have not been matched with faces in the above.
Below: On the way to the UK - Sandberg crew members at the Cafe de Atlas in Marrakesch.
Seated,L-R:
Sandberg,White,Carey
Cameos,L-R:
(prepare to scroll right)
Sandberg,White,Johnson,Carey,Nederostek
Agent insertions/attempted:
MR 0927
DZ Donald 51B (2) No drop
MR 1565
DZ Digger 67 (4)
Part of OSS OG Percy Pink
MR 1615
DZ Fireman 15B (1)
William J. Morgan (USA OSS)
MR 1894
DZ Bob 172 (5)
Part of OSS OG
Christopher
MR 2036
DZ Messenger 37B
(4) Unidentified
MR 2058
DZ Bob 188
(3) No drop
Leaflets:
USF-77
USF-78
USF-128
USF-131
Additional Crew Data Sources:
Sandberg
Crew Personnel
Files
Sandberg 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)
