• Richard Benjamin "Dick" Hirsch

    Source: William "Bill" Hirsch - Son
  • Mission #098 - Second Section of the Lead Squadron
    The target was “Transportation Choke Points” (bridges, railroad junctions and ferry crossings) on the west side of the Seine river. The 467th was formed into four Squadrons and flew third in the Division. Seen here is the 2nd Section of the 1st (Lead) Squadron. Unsure which ship this photo was taken from. It was either 41-29397 ‘Slugger Jr’ (flown by Boyd Lee Woodis and crew #072-R1) in the 3rd position of the 1st Section, or from 41-29375 (flown by Robert Edgar Feldtkeller and crew #086-R1) in the 6th position of the 1st Section.


    The lead aircraft on the right in 42-52571 ‘Snooper’ (flown by Kenneth Grant Ford and crew #052-R1) in the 1st (Lead) position.

    The Natural Metal Finish (NMF) aircraft just above is 42-51354 (flown by Glen D Young and crew #055-R1) in the 3rd position of this 2nd Section.

    The other ‘NMF’ aircraft at the bottom is 42-95187 (flown by Ralph Marvin Krupp and crew #044-R0) in the 2nd (Deputy Lead) position.

    Following are two Olive Drab (OD) aircraft. The one on the top is 42-52590 ‘E Pluribus Aluminum’ (flown by Delbert Martin Mann and crew # 042-R0) in the 6th position.

    The OD aircraft just below her is 42-52556 (flown by S. T. Gray and crew #064-R1) in the 4th position. Off the top of my head, this is the first photo I’ve seen on ‘556’.

    42-52507 ‘Miss Judy’ is just visible on the lower left below the cloud. She is flown by Donald Jerome Hudson and crew # 040-R2 in the 5th position.


    The crew on ‘Snooper’ was -

    Charles Horne Brandon - Command Pilot
    Kenneth Grant Ford - Pilot
    Louis Harold Greiner - Navigator
    Richard Benjamin Hirsch - Navigator
    Milton Charles Kinnaugh - Bombardier
    Eugene Hartsel Long - Engineer
    Tommy Gordon Gentry - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Dennis Fredrick Hock - Radio Operator
    Isadore Kopcho - Ball Turret Gunner
    James Wilfred O’Donnell


    The crew on ‘354’ was -

    Glen D Young - Pilot
    Raymond Matthew McTyre - Co Pilot
    Jonathan Ray Bickel - Navigator
    Garder Harold Gilmore - Engineer
    John Peter Bosko - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    William Augustus Cassidy - Radio Operator
    Bernard Joseph Farrell - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Michael Francis Dollar - Ball Turret Gunner
    Harold Daniel Meintz - Tail Turret Gunner


    The crew on ‘187’ was -

    Ralph Marvin Krupp - Pilot
    John W Schulz - Co Pilot
    Elmo Loren Carmichael - Navigator
    Charles Floyd Forsyth - Bombardier
    Clarence D Johnson - Engineer
    Arthur Barnes Turner - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Paul Thomas Kirby - Radio Operator
    Edgar Marion Rutter - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Ervin Walter Bruckner - Ball Turret Gunner
    Howard Lester Pillow - Tail Turret Gunner


    The crew on ‘E Pluribus Aluminum’ was -

    Delbert Martin Mann - Pilot
    William Reynolds Chapman - Co Pilot
    Joseph Junior Ginzl - Navigator
    Kenneth F Tritchler - Bombardier
    Willard R Richards - Engineer
    Randolph Nathan Franklin - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Darrell Lee Parks - Radio Operator
    George Francis Shue - Ball Turret Gunner
    John R Miller - Tail Turret Gunner
    Robert Donald Hartman - Observer


    The crew on ‘556’ was -

    S. T. Gray - Pilot
    Henry Ernest Meyer - Co Pilot
    James Gladden Buck - Navigator
    Charles Timmons Roundtree - Bombardier
    Stephen H Arnold - Engineer
    Warren Carmelio O’Neal - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Clarence Tognarini - Radio Operator
    James Haven Eberline - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Allan Louis Francis - Tail Turret Gunner


    The crew on ‘Miss Judy’ was -

    Donald Jerome Hudson - Pilot
    David Hallock Nash - Co Pilot
    Beri Ami Bereskin - Navigator
    Edward Henry Soltau - Bombardier
    Frank Carl Buettner - Engineer
    Gerald Louis Pucillo - Radio Operator
    John Anthony Potsklan - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Dominick John Cerrito - Ball Turret Gunner
    Lester Eugene Hix - Tail Turret Gunner



    Source: 467th BGA Archives