857th/856th BSs
Sheppard Crew
A picture would be most appreciated!
The Sheppard crew arrived on base and first appear in Special Orders #46,dtd 28Feb45. Special Orders #53,dtd 09Mar45 transferred them to the 856th BS. On the night of 18Mar45, while on a cross-country flight, their craft slammed into a mountain in Wales. There are two accounts, both of which have minor inconsistencies and spelling errors but are essentially correct. Bradbury, Blanton and Mattingly received minor injuries, Sheppard and Green were evacuated to hospital. Cohen is not mentioned in either account and so may not have been on the flight.
Incident Aircraft: B24H 42-95036
Os:
Randolph J. Sheppard - Pilot
ASN 0822180 (WNB)
Julian W. Bradbury - Copilot
ASN 0822924
John A. Rogers
- Navigator ASN T-135809 (DNB)
Val D. Scheafer
- Bombardier ASN 0718030 (DNB)
EMs:
James R. Green
- Engineer ASN
38152079 (WNB)
Willie G. Houser -
Gunner ASN
38040770 (DNB)
David V. Blanton -
Gunner ASN
34932453
Harold J. Cohen
- Gunner ASN 38493254
John W. Mattingly - R.O.
ASN
35687862
Whitney Holata
- Gunner ASN
38271724 (DNB)
EM ASNs so-colored link to their NARA Enlistment Record.
Additional Crew Data Sources:
Sheppard
Crew Personnel Files
Sheppard Crew
Honor Roll cards
BG Newsletter Account of Sheppard Incident
Group History Account of
Sheppard Incident
Excerpt from "Fallen Eagles"
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)