• Joseph Leon Lyvers

    Source: Tony Bell
  • B-24's of the Lead Squadron on the mission to Munich
    B-24's of the 1st Squadron on the way to bomb the Marshaling Yards at Munich, Ger.

    Pictured in the formation photo are -

    The visible wing in the foreground (where the Photo was taken) is from 41-29393 ‘Shoo Shoo Baby’ (later named Pete the POM Inspector II) flown by David Addison Waite and crew #089-R2. They were flying in the 1st (Lead) Squadron/ 1st (Lead) Section/ 5th position.

    Pictured just below the wing is 41-29375 ‘Lil Peach’ flown by Thomas Henry Murphy and crew #081-R1. They were flying in the 1st (Lead) Squadron/ 1st (Lead) Section/ 4th position.

    Pictured just above the wing 41-29420 ‘Belle of the East’ flown by Willard Henry Sell and crew #086-R0. They were flying in the 1st (Lead) Squadron/ 1st (Lead) Section/ 3rd position.


    The Natural Metal Finish (NMF) aircraft, below and to the left, is 42-95115 ‘Topper II’ Flown by James Arthur Mikkelsen and crew # 084-R0. They were flying in the 1st (Lead) Squadron/ 3rd Section (Low Left) / 1st position.


    The Olive Drab (OD) aircraft, bottom left, is 42-52530 ‘Bugs Bunny’ flown by Charles Joesph Leyes and crew #094-R0. They were flying in the 1st (Lead) Squadron/ 3rd Section (Low Left) / 2nd position.

    Not one of the aircraft pictured survived the war and returned to the Zone of Interior (ZI)

    Crew Members on 41-29393 ‘Shoo Shoo Baby’

    David Addison Waite - Pilot
    Max C Fisher - Co Pilot
    Bruce Wilmot Owen - Navigator
    Raymond JD Beaulieu - Engineer
    S F Carr - Assistance Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Jack I Rothschild - Radio Operator
    John G Vantine - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Eugene L Crandall - Ball Turret Gunner
    Lynn Keith Meyers - Tail Turret Gunner


    Crew Members on 41-29375 ‘Lil Peach’

    Thomas Henry Murphy - Pilot
    James Vincent McGinn - Co Pilot
    Ralph Francis Brueggemann - Navigator
    Woodrow Earl Downing - Bombardier
    Charles Joseph Schmitz - Engineer
    George Walters Hellmers - Radio Operator
    Edwin Wendell Branaman - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Kenneth Ernest May - Ball Turret Gunner
    Carlton William Smith - Tail Turret Gunner
    Jean Irvin Lowe - Observer (Most likely Waist Gunner)



    Crew Members on 41-29420 ‘Belle of the East’

    Willard Henry Sell - Pilot
    Arthur Kenneth Ireland - Co Pilot
    John George Simanowith - Navigator
    Charles Carl Cochey - Toggler (Nose Gunner)
    Charles Schultz - Engineer
    Francis Michael Lavery - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Fred Joesph Enck - Radio Operator
    Francis Aloyisis McCusker - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Robert Harvey Farnsworth - Ball Turret Gunner
    Morton Ralph Schecter - Tall Turret Gunner

    *Fred Enck notes in his diary -

    "No casualties. No damage. No fighters, moderate, inaccurate tracking flak barrage. Two ships lost. “



    Crew Members on 42-95115 ‘Topper II’

    James Arthur Mikkelsen - Pilot
    John Richard Noble - Co Pilot
    Malcolm Whitney Jenkins - Navigator
    Melville Francis Mulligan - Bombardier
    Donald Phillip Cote - Engineer
    Joseph Leon Lyvers - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Anthony Vincent Bell - Radio Operator
    William Richard Bragg - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Winsel Marion Lovelace - Ball Turret Gunner
    Fay Everett Perkins - Tail Turret Gunner

    *Anthony Bell notes in his diary -

    “Plenty of flak was encountered by us over the target as was expected. We landed at 18:15. We were alerted for tomorrow’s mission. Today’s mission is no. 29 for me.”



    Crew Members on 42-52530 ‘Bugs Bunny’

    Charles Joseph Leyes - Pilot
    Myles Edward Coolidge - Co Pilot
    Howard Warren Post - Navigator
    Rufus Randall Burns - Bombardier
    Henry Joseph Worby - Engineer
    William Fredrick Wilkins - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Robert Edward Montgomery - Radio Operator
    Leo Joseph Manley - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Albert Emanuel Sakrison - Ball Turret Gunner
    Millard Clayton Steinbrenner - Tail Turret Gunner



    Crew Members on 41-29421 ‘Wallowing Wilbert’

    Baxter Winfred Hensley - Pilot
    Devere Richter Pedersen - Co Pilot
    George Edward Kern - Navigator
    Sam Eagan - Bombardier
    Henry William Ellison - Engineer
    John Hilton Biggs - Assistant Engineer (Waist Gunner)
    Raymond Tiron - Radio Operator
    James Merle Fair - Assistant Radio Operator (Waist Gunner)
    Laurence Francis McMahon - Tail Turret Gunner



    Source: 467th Archives - Myles Coolidge Memorial Collection