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Photo must have been taken shortly after the crew arrived at Rackheath. What's interesting to note is the lack of Co Pilot's armor plate. Both this crew and 'The Prowler' arrived at Rackheath in May'44. Possible that this was the crew that ferried her from the US and this photo was taken stateside.
Standing L-R:
Carl Utah Riddle - Engineer
George Henry Schwartz - Pilot
David John Dunigan - Co Pilot
Albert Victor Rome - Navigator
Donald West Sprouse - Bombardier
Kneeling L-R:
Paul Clifford Steinhauer - Gunner
Julious Leon Koerner - Gunner
Anthony Joseph Catalano - Radio Operator
Benjamin Rogers Hatch - Gunner
Source: Anthony Catalfano (Vet) and Roger Hatch (Son of gunner Benjamin R Hatch) -
Pictured is the 3rd Section/Squadron, 1st (Lead) Flight. The photo taken from 42-95224 ‘Lonely Heart’ (flown by John T Cockrell and crew #052-R3) in a position that seems to have been started later in the war which is “high left” of the regular Section positions.
Visible in the foreground is 42-52534 ‘Witchcraft (flown by James Watson McFarland and crew #073-R1) in the #3 position.
The far left ship is 44-48820 ‘Lucky ‘Leven (Always a Winner)’ (flown by Edward Theodore Holum and crew #088-R2) in the 1st ‘Lead’ position
The ship just behind and above is 44-10552 (flown by Robert Anthony Meyers and crew #062-R3) in the #2 ‘Deputy Lead’ position
Pictured just above ‘Witchcraft’ is 44-50482 (flown by Legrand Guild Steele and crew #059-R3) in the #4 position.
Just above and behind ‘482’ is 42-110171 ‘The Prowler’ (flown by Oscar Luther Leathers and crew #074-R0) in the #5 position
Finally, just coming into view to the right is 44-10596 ‘Rheinmachen’ (flown by James Gerald Coffey and crew #056-R4) in the #6 position.
Crew on ‘Lonely Heart’ was -
John T Cockrell - Pilot
Arthur Horovitz - Co Pilot
George Albert Bunch - Navigator
Roy Ronald Christian - Toggler
Albert Neil Coppedge - Engineer
Thomas Joseph McLaughlin - Radio Operator
Crew on ‘Witchcraft’ was -
James Watson McFarland - Pilot
Steve Joseph Maznio - Co Pilot
Joseph George Dzenowagis - Navigator
Edgar Sutton Collins - Toggler
Don Clifford Fields - Engineer
Robert E Lee Held - Radio Operator
Crew on ‘Lucky ‘Leven’ was -
Edward Theodore Holum - Pilot
Morris Lee Davidson - Co Pilot
Arthur Newton Gentry - Navigator
Frank Panetta - Pilotage Navigator
Willard Joseph Overlock - Bombardier
James Joseph Kish - Mickey Operator
Richard Jerome Muffoletto - Engineer
Alexander Kaiwi - Radio Operator
Lyle Dwaine Waite - Right Waist Gunner
Raymond Alton Swanson - Tail Turret Gunner
Crew on ‘552’ was -
Robert Anthony Meyers - Pilot
Caswell Fincher Neal - Co Pilot
Henry Junior Storey - Navigator
Geoffrey Gibson Gregory - Bombardier
Leroy Wayne Reynolds - Toggler
James B Wilson - Engineer
James N Hunt - Radio Operator
Crew on ‘482’ was -
Legrand Guild Steele - Pilot
Fred Cecil Hudlow - Co Pilot
Maurice Beaty Dunn - Navigator
Kenneth Lee Orndorff - Toggler
Vernon Wayne Hibbs - Engineer
Chester A Olenik - Radio Operator
Crew on ‘The Prowler’ was -
Oscar Luther Leathers - Pilot
Lorain Darell Johns - Co Pilot
Robert Leonard Dotts - Navigator
Charles William Mohrman - Toggler
Robert Rothchild - Engineer
Paul B MacDonald - Radio Operator
Crew on ‘Rheinmachen’ was -
James Gerald Coffey - Pilot
Harmon Joseph Small - Co Pilot
Albert Anthony Muller - Navigator
Robert Leon Miller - Toggler
Horace Ellis Halpin - RCM Operator
Anthony Debiasse - Engineer
Donald Joseph Faford - Radio Operator
Source: 467th BGA Archives -
Standing L-R:
James B Crosswell - Bombardier
Matthew Terrell Nemeyer - Co Pilot
Dewey DeWayne Dunbar - Crew Chief
Geza Laszlo - Pilot
Robert M Stone - Navigator
Kneeling L-R:
Richard V Hall - Radio Operator
Carl M Peterson - Engineer
Joe Walker Peterson - Gunner
Joseph John Kerchner - Gunner
John Augustine O’Brien - Gunner
John Woodrow Dougherty - Gunner
Source: Robert Stone (Vet) -
This photo was taken from 42-95057 ‘ Angel’ (flown by George Lamar Crump and crew #065-R4) flying in the #3 position of the 1st (Lead) Flight of the 2nd Squadron.
The foremost plane on the left is 44-49513 (flown by Russell Edwin Scott and crew #090-R3) in the 1st (Lead) position of the 1st (Lead) Flight of the 2nd Squadron.
Just above her is ’42-50846 (flown by Donald Morton Rosenthal and crew #054-R4) in the 2nd (Deputy Lead) position of the 1st (Lead) Flight of the 2nd Squadron.
The wing tip at the very bottom is 42-110171 ‘The Prowler’ (flown by John Gurley Phillips and crew #063-R4) in the 4th position of the 1st (Lead) Flight of the 2nd Squadron.
Finally, just coming into frame is 41-29378 ‘Homeward Bound’ ( flown by James Gerald Coffey and crew #056-R4) in the 5th position of the 1st (Lead) Flight of the 2nd Squadron.
This photo of ‘Homeward Bound’ is very significant regarding her skin finish changing by the end of the war. One possible conclusion was that as she was the “new” 'Assembly Ship' by wars end that she was in the process of being painted. In this photo, she is shown flying combat in her new “colors”. Still a mystery as to whether she was painted or had the originally Olive Drab (OD) removed. There is a rather large gap in the missions flown between 07 Jan 45 and 03 Mar 45. Perhaps it was during this period when she “shed her skin”. Definitely more research needed.
Crew on ‘Angel’ was -
George Lamar Crump - Pilot
Manford Funsten - Co Pilot
Charles William Harter - Navigator
James Calvin Perryman - Toggler
Joseph Alfred Lomas - RCM Operator
Ralph Henkel - Engineer
Robert Lee Samuel - Radio Operator
Harry Helm Ament - Right Waist Gunner
Harry Emil Peyrot - Left Waist Gunner
Maurice Weed O’Connor - Tail Turret Gunner
Crew on ‘513’ was -
Russell Edwin Scott - Pilot
James Jerome Murphy - Co Pilot
Lawrence Harold Uebele - Navigator
John Joseph Shirk - Pilotage Navigator
Charles Arthur Schamburg - Bombardier
Wilbur Roland Pearson - Mickey Operator
Charles Warren Cox - Engineer
Floyd Rosswell Barthel - Radio Operator
Bernard Ellis Scales - Right Waist Gunner
Harold Clark Rubendall - Left Waist Gunner
Robert Thomas Charmo - Tail Turret Gunner
Crew on ‘846’ was -
Donald Morton Rosenthal - Pilot
Richard Oliff Russell - Co Pilot
Morton Guild Edwards - Navigator
Donald Joseph Schmidt - Bombardier
Lloyd Andrew Gilbertson - Engineer
Salvatore Zollo - Radio Operator
Richard Silvio Parent - Ball Turret Gunner (??? Not sure about position)
Edwin Joseph Gerbyshak - Right Waist Gunner
Raymond Joseph Comtois - Left Waist Gunner
Dale Booker Blevins - Tail Turret Gunner
Crew on ‘The Prowler’ was -
John Gurley Phillips - Pilot
Lewis William Christie - Co Pilot
David Abraham Swiss - Navigator
Julius Nelson Summa - Toggler
Reuben Bartlett Eaton - Engineer
Joseph William Appleby - Radio Operator
Jose Solorzano-Cortes - Right Waist Gunner
David Merritt Bliss - Left Waist Gunner
Manuel Alzfan - Tail Turret Gunner
Gerald Arthur Crabbe - Observer
Crew on ‘Homeward Bound’ was -
James Gerald Coffey - Pilot
Harmon Joseph Small - Co Pilot
Albert Anthony Muller - Navigator
Robert Leon Miller - Toggler
Anthony Debiasse - Engineer
Donald Joseph Faford - Radio Operator
William Thomas Hayes - Right Waist Gunner
Willam Jackson Smith - Left Waist Gunner
Carl Richard Shaun - Tail Turret Gunner
Source: James Calvin Perryman - Vet -
Picutred in front of 'The Prowler', a replacement crew who began combat operations in December 44 and finished their tour and last mission in April 45.
Standing L-R:
Joseph William Appleby - Radio Operator
Frederick Platt Walkey - Co Pilot
John Gurley Phillips - Pilot
David Abraham Swiss - Navigator
Reuben Bartlett Eaton - Engineer
Kneeling L-R:
David Merritt Bliss - Gunner
Julius Nelson Summa - Gunner
Manuel Alzfan - Gunner
Jose Joachim Solorzano-Cortes - Gunner
Source: Lori Applybe - Daughter "Joe" Appleby