Arriving at Harrington probably toward the end of June 1944, Harry Kuhns has identified the men in this picture as stated below.
Back Row, L-R:
Joseph F. Merrill - Tail Gunner
ASN
36460136
Joseph M. Halpern - Engineer
ASN 12120813
Gerald Dray - Dispatcher
ASN
11049256
James L. Carey - R.O.
ASN
35546671
Front Row,
L-R:
Parker Curry - Copilot
ASN 0886673
Arnold E. Stamler - Pilot
ASN 0697690
Mario Merola - Navigator
ASN 0886654
Harry E. Kuhns - Bombardier
ASN 0703144
Click here for Stamler Crew Portrait Photos.
Flying their first combat mission as a crew in late July of 1944, they managed to get in 20 more by the end of September 1944, but it was not enough and at the end of the year they flew B24H 42-50377 to Brindisi, Italy on the 17th of December 1944 where they finished out the war. Six passengers were on board that day, they were:
Wayne Bishop MOS 747
ASN
34496174
Patrick J. Lamato MOS 747
ASN
32792171
*
David Gwaroff MOS 750
ASN
6690369
*
Raymond W. Fritz MOS 750
ASN
32144685
John D. Gentry MOS 060
ASN
34336949
Emil L. Nelson MOS 060
ASN
36352832
* Documents in stock for these EMs do not concur with NARA Enlistment records of surnames.
Combat
Period: Jul-Dec
1944 (at Harrington)
Status:
Replacement crew, finished the war in
Italy.
Preferred Aircraft: B24H 42-50377
Data for September 1944, all targets were in France.
| Pilot | MR# | Date | Target | Aircraft |
| Stamler | 1859 | 2 | Heckler 6 | B24H 42-50377 A |
| Stamler | 1917 | 5 | Hugh 1B | B24H 42-50377 A |
| Stamler | 1958 | 6 | Peter 17D | B24H 42-50377 A |
| Stamler | 1972 | 8 | Actor 21 | B24H 42-50377 A |
| Stamler | 2021 | 9 | Bob 296 | B24H 42-50377 A |
| Stamler | 2052 | 10 | Bob 172 | B24H 42-50377 A |
| Stamler | 2149 | 13 | Acolyte 1 |
B24H 42-50377 A |
| Stamler | 2209 | 16 | Bob 350 | B24H 42-50377 A |
Agents Inserted/Attempted:
MR 1733 DZ
Bob 188a (3)
Jedburgh Team ALASTAIR
MR 2052 DZ Bob 172
(4) Part of
OG OSS Team ADRIAN
Gas Hauls:
Seven (one scrubbed)
Below:
Joseph Halpern, James Carey
Additional Data Sources:
Stamler Crew Personnel Files
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)
