Roy E. Trask B-17 Bomber Crew
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Roy E. Trask B-17 Bomber Crew L-R: Front Crew Chief: Marshall O. Johnson Middle: Emil Wilke wg, Charles Krone bt, Carl Nuessen eng, Joseph Belker ro, and Elmer Wilke tg. Back: Roy Trask P, George Kerr B, John Morere CP and Guy Lateano N. Compiled December 2017 by Randolph B. Woolley 410 W. Sunset Road Lookout Mountain, TN 37350 (423) 821-5736 [email protected] i ii Table of Contents Roy E. Trask B-17 Bomber Crew ..................................................................................... i Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iii Gratefully Dedicated To: ................................................................................................. vi Preface .............................................................................................................................. vii Introduction .................................................................................................................... viii 306th Bomb Group ............................................................................................................ ix Bombardier’s Story .......................................................................................................... 1 Basic Indoctrination Training ......................................................................................... 3 Pre-Flight Training ........................................................................................................... 4 Army Air Forces Classification Center - Nashville ....................................................... 5 Aerial Gunner’s School – Harlingen Army Air Field ................................................... 7 Flexible Gunnery Training........................................................................................... 7 West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle - Childress, Texas ............................................ 11 Bombardier Training.................................................................................................. 11 Dyersburg Army Air Base.............................................................................................. 18 The Roy E. Trask B-17 Bomber Crew .......................................................................... 18 Kearney Army Air Field ................................................................................................ 20 Bomb Bay of Blues (43-38285) ....................................................................................... 21 Roy E. Trask Crew Get Orders to Ship Overseas ....................................................... 23 Northern Route ............................................................................................................... 27 Combat Crew Replacement Unit – Bovingdon ............................................................ 27 RAF Bovingdon - USAAF Station No 112 .................................................................... 28 Example of Pre-Combat Training ................................................................................. 28 Preparation For Combat ............................................................................................ 28 Typical Raid Procedures ............................................................................................ 32 To the Target and Back .............................................................................................. 34 Assignment to 369th BS/306th BG ................................................................................... 40 1. Eisenbach, Germany September 11, 1944 ................................................................ 44 2. Ruhland, Germany September 12, 1944 ................................................................... 50 3. Volkel, Holland September 17, 1944 ......................................................................... 53 4. Frankfurt, Germany September 25, 1944................................................................. 55 5. Cologne, Germany September 27, 1944 .................................................................... 57 6. Magdeburg, Germany September 28, 1944 .............................................................. 59 7. Munster, Germany September 30, 1944 ................................................................... 62 8. Kassel, Germany October 2, 1944 ............................................................................. 64 9. Koblenz, Germany October 5, 1944 .......................................................................... 68 10. Stralsund, Germany October 6, 1944 ...................................................................... 72 11. Ruhland, Germany October 7, 1944 ....................................................................... 75 12. Cologne, Germany October 15, 1944 ...................................................................... 80 13. Cologne, Germany October 17, 1944 ...................................................................... 85 14. Mannheim, Germany October 19, 1944 .................................................................. 89 15. Hanover, Germany October 22, 1944 ..................................................................... 92 16. Hamburg, Germany October 25, 1944 .................................................................... 96 iii 17. Bielefeld, Germany October 26, 1944 ..................................................................... 99 18. Munster, Germany October 30, 1944 .................................................................... 103 19. Hamburg, Germany November 4, 1944 ................................................................ 108 20. Frankfurt, Germany November 5, 1944 ............................................................... 112 21. Hamburg, Germany November 6, 1944 ................................................................ 116 22. Merseberg, Germany November 8, 1944 .............................................................. 120 23. Metz, France November 9, 1944 ............................................................................ 124 24. Eschweiler, Germany November 16, 1944 ............................................................ 128 George S. Patton Letter of Appreciation ................................................................ 132 25. Meppen, Germany November 21, 1944................................................................. 134 26. Misburg, Germany November 29, 1944 ................................................................ 137 27. Gera, Germany November 30, 1944 ...................................................................... 142 28. Koblenz, Germany December 2, 1944 ................................................................... 145 Berlin, Germany December 5, 1944 – Aborted .......................................................... 150 29. Stuttgart, Germany December 9, 1944 ................................................................. 153 Messenger A-70 Airfield ........................................................................................... 157 30. Kassel, Germany December 15, 1944 .................................................................... 161 31. Kaiserslautern, Germany December 18, 1944 ...................................................... 164 32. Nidda, Germany December 24, 1944..................................................................... 171 33. Koblenz, Germany December 28, 1944 ................................................................. 177 34. Bingen, Germany December 29, 1944 ................................................................... 182 Hermulhelm, Germany January 3, 1944 – Aborted .................................................. 188 35. Cologne, Germany January 14, 1944 .................................................................... 190 36. Frieburg, Germany January 15, 1944 ................................................................... 195 Roy E. Trask, Pilot, Thirty Five Combat Missions .................................................... 200 Aircraft Flown By Lt. Roy E. Trask ........................................................................... 202 J. S. Belker, Radio Operator, Thirty Five Combat Missions .................................... 203 Carl H. Nuessen, Top Turret Gunner/Engineer, Thirty Five Combat Missions .... 204 C. C. Krone, Ball Turret Gunner, Thirty Five Combat Missions ............................ 205 Emil R. Wilke, Waist Gunner, Thirty Five Combat Missions .................................. 206 37. Bielefeld, Germany January 17, 1944 ................................................................... 207 George T. Kerr Jr, Bombardier, Thirty Five Combat Missions .............................. 212 Elmer R. Wilke, Tail Gunner, Thirty Five Combat Missions .................................. 214 38. Koblenz, Germany January 29, 1944 .................................................................... 215 39. Mannheim, Germany February 1, 1944 ............................................................... 220 40. Berlin, Germany February 3, 1944 ....................................................................... 224 Guy J Lateano, Navigator, Thirty One Missions ....................................................... 230 41. Hamburg, Germany February 24, 1944 ............................................................... 233 42. Berlin, Germany February 26, 1944 ..................................................................... 237 43. Leipzig, Germany February