1999 Guestbook Entries
Looking for contact with anyone who flew with Victor S. Rutkowski 569 Squadron, Aircrew
#34. Especially interested in any info or photos of him or his planes. Vic was my uncle, I
would like to know more about him.....Vic was shot down on Mission 204 in 1944, and never
found. Thanks! Seriously looking for a picture of Aircraft serial #237906, which carried the names
Wild Children II/ Angel in Di Skies/Angel in Disguise! Would also like to have contact
from, or addresses of William L. McAllister,Pilot; Jack H. Marsh,B; Harry W.
Rapp,B; John
F. Nelson,BTG; Robert M. Hayley,LWG; Ernest P. Eddy,TG. A note of special interest to 390th Veterans and their descendents. At the reunion in
Charleston, S.C., in September 1999, the 390th Veterans Association Board approved a
proposed tour to Holland and England. Interest in organizing this tour peaked with
invitations from the town of Hoorn (Comite 40/45) and the Food and Freedom Foundation (May
1945 Manna/Chowhound food drops) to participate in the celebrations as their guests. The
390th Memorial Museum in Framlingham has also extended a welcome to Veterans and
descendents to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of VE Day at the Base, Station 153. For
Veterans, being practical, this may be the last opportunity to visit the Continent and the
Base with a 390th Board approved conducted tour. For the descendents, this tour provides
the opportunity to visit the places your Grandfather, Dad or Uncle may have talked about.
It will also provide the opportunity to share the experiences of the Veterans
participating on the tour. We will be in the town of Hoorn at the Keiserkroon Hotel 5
nights and in Ipswich at the Colony Hotel for 6 nights. The itinerary provides for not
only group conducted tours but also optional side trips. The tour is scheduled to leave
from JFK via KLM to Amsterdam on April 30 and return May 12, 2000. For further details
refer to the article in the Fall edition of the Newsletter or send us an E. Donald Frank Morris passed away on 12-18-99. We'll miss him. He was a good man and our
father. Many of you in the 390th knew him... Please visit his memorial page.
http://www.cybergoat.com/Dad/ Daughter of Jerald McFadden 568th Squadron, radio operator & gunner. Angel in
Disguise #237906. Known as Mac or Jerry by his army buddies. Square J. This is a great web
site! I grew up in England surrounded by B-17 bases --
Polebrook, Molesworth, Grafton
Underwood, etc. -- but my good friend Chuck Baker flew out of Framlingham with the 390th,
thus I have a "live" contact with those magnificent machines. I enjoy this
website. Jerry McFadden, daughter of Jerald (Jerry) E. McFadden who was a member of the WWII
390th. Requesting all that flew with Daddy or their children to contact us. Thanks! My father was Armament Sgt.Robert C. Leidel of 390th.BG 570th
sqd. He passed away June
29, 1999 due to medical complications. I am very proud to be a son of a veteran who served
in WWII. My brothers and I have a great interest in the history of our fathers unit. We
are very excited to have found this web page. Keep up the great work. Very nice web-site! Well done! Just surfing by! My
URL:http://www.angelfire.com/zine/hooyah/index.html glad to see this web site is operating again. if you have not visited the Farmlington
base, make it a point to do so. the job our English friends have done is super. Over the past few years I have slowly been discovering information on the 390th. You
see my grandfather was a waist gunner on one of the B-17's in Framlingham, England. He was
never forthcoming with his experience in the war. I have had only a couple of stories to
carry with me over the years. I have to admit much of my interest has been spurred by the
release of "Saving Private Ryan". This more than anything made me realize that
my grandfather was a hero. It brought to light for myself the personal horrors of the men
who where "there". My grandfather is Ivan O. Douglass (Dee)from
Sedgewick, Maine
USA and he is still alive. He is 82 and I won't have to many more opportunities to express
my feelings to him. So this Christmas of 99 I plan to honor him by telling him he is my
hero in the presence of his family. He vowed that when he came home he would never leave
his house for another night. He never has. In over 50 years. He remained with his family.
I would appreciate anyone who may know him and any experiences with him during the war to
contact me via e-mail. This is so important to me. I can't describe the emotion that just
viewing this site brings. It brings me closer to understanding a man that I realize now I
have known so little about. He was there in 1945. Mike My father, Joseph Obermaier was with the 569th group. He was a pilot for the SKY QUEEN.
I, his son (JOE) would love to hear any stories about flying with my father and/or about
the SKY QUEEN. My dad never talked about the war. I never even knew the name of the plane
he flew until I found this web site (BIG THANKS !!!). Any crew members and/or their
families who wish to share their stories about the SKY QUEEN, please e-mail me at
jwo61@yahoo.com Many, many thanks. My Grand-Uncle Robert(Teddy)Wedemeyer was with the 390th in England in early 1944. He
was shot down and killed April 20th 1944 over Cherbourg, France. I have located all crew
members for family biography except for Ballturret gunner E.J Perog. The plane I am told
went by the name Southern Comfort and was Piloted by A.D Tuck,(deceased) Co-piloted by
John Vaugn(KIA). Other crewmembers include Howard Menadier. Cameron McKinnon (KIA) Jesse
Roberts, Robert Patnode, E,Gidcomb, Mathew Kochan, If anyone would like information on
this crew feel free to e-mail me. The fellows who were killed in action were part of a
sub-crew flying with a pool of aviators for that mission. The rest of the crew went on to
complete their alotted missions. Jesse Roberts was the only member of the crew who
survived from the crew who were shot down and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. I
have visited the Pima site and am proud to say I was able to give them a copy of the
original crew photo I have for display. My Uncle was (Barny Anderson) The Radio Gunner aboard BIG FRIEND, he went down with it
on mission 89. I have found that there was one surviving crew member, Jesse W. Roberts. My
Uncle (Barny's Brother) would very much like to know if Staff Sgt Roberts is still living,
and if so where he could be contacted. If anybody has any info regarding his email, phone
# or other such, My Uncle and I would be very grateful. Thank you Request information on Henry M.O'Connor serial number 0442814.Was our pilot in 571
squadron,reenlisted and then passed away in service,we believe. Thank you for coming to my school. You guys were great. Thanks to everyone who fought
for our nation and our flag. I hope you guys come back soon. sincerely, Norma Mozingo I am happy to announce that the Guestbook is back in operation with the help of the IMC
Online Technical Support Staff. Please continue to post your comments and thanks for your
patience. Dan Rohr dlr57@zoomtown.com wrote: My uncle was Grady Dover, pilot in the 570, KIA 2/10/44. My father died when I was 14
and I never found out any of the history behind this. After my aunt died this year, I
received a stack of stuff from family. Included was a letter from John Quinn, with the
crew list. I would love to hear from anyone who flew on the mission on 2/10/44, serial
number 230337, 8 Ball/Flak Hack. The EAA B17 is here in Charlotte now and my first real
look at the B17 confirms my theory that this is a fabulous airplane. And this is a
wonderful website (I have learned more here in 1 hour that from the rest of my family in
42 years). Thanks for all the work, hope to visit later this summer. Gratefully, Steve
Dover, Charlotte NC. PS. Anyone learned in the art of military historical searching, I had
another uncle Loris Dover, also a B17 pilot (I think) who died in a crash somewhere near
Portsmouth on the way to England. I know nothing about him, can anyone tell me how to
search for info on him. I did not find him in the crewlist for 390. Very nice website. Happened to see a video on the missions of a 390th B-17 called
"Betty Boop." A very moving doc that brings tears to my eyes every time I watch
it. An outfit called Scimitar, I think, up in Minnesota puts it out as part of the Men at
War series. If you're a 390th fan, you must have it. Hello i visited you in March 99,i felt very humble in such a fine place,my thanks to
everyone we were made to feel very welcome.Making a return visit in October 99. My
thoughts are with those very brave men. Best wishes,god bless you all. Thank you for preserving the great planes of our past! I really enjoy reading about
historical aircraft and hearing stories from those who lived it. Nice website about the 390th Bomb Group! As a writer, I am especially grateful for
pages like yours. While writing about the 8th Airforce in my WWII novel, The Triumph and
the Glory, I relied often upon the wealth of firsthand information available over the
internet. I would like to thank the webmasters, and everyone who has contributed to the
preservation of our military heritage by visiting the veteran's websites and generously
offering their thoughts, comments, and words of remembrance. The page is very cool, please visit my home page about B-17, the only in Argentina
http://pagina.de/b17 Nephew of 390th Bomb group member John Vance who was a top turret gunner/flight
engineer on the "El Lobo" from 43 to 45. His stories of flying in WWII was the
reason I became a pilot. Great web sight. Hope to visit the 390th museum soon. Hi - Thought this would be a good chance for me to correct a mistake in my address that
was made in the first Blue Book and in the new Blue Book Just in case there's someone out
there looking for me. My address in both books was given as follows: Henry
Balmut, St.
Paris, Mo. My correct address is Henry Balmut, 421 E. Main, St. Paris, OH 43072. I was
Shop Chief at the 458th Sub Depot and I had a monkey there for a while. Anyone remember
the monkey? Also, is there anyone still interested in more info about Clark Gable's visit
to the 390th and the B-17 he flew in called "The Bad Egg?" If so, email me and I
can fill you in with a few details. Keep writing the emails. Nice to find you on the internet, plan to visit Pima in the very near future. I am a
Viet Nam Vet with a very big interest in WW II aviation. You guys are my heros, each and
every one of you - as are all American service men and women - past, present, and future.
God bless all of you!!! My father in law, Macken Owen Trusler,was a member of your squad.My wife and I visited
your museum with him.It was both educational and emotional. A message for Douglas Gordan Forbes who was bombardier on the B-17 CABIN IN THE SKY
with the 571st bomb squadron. Do you remember me we use to write to each other but
unfortunatley we have lost contact with each other, due to my own fault for reasons I will
not go into. If any 390th veteran knows Doug please can you ask him to write to his old
english buddy andy in southend at my new address. keep up the good work at the museum.
english buddy Andy in southend at my new address. To all surviving crews: greetings. To those passed on back in the war and since:
Gentlemen..a full glass is set at the table in your names. As a soon to retire officer and
aviator I will pledge to you all that I will continue to tell the great tale of all the
men of the mighty 8th Air Force and its exploits. One day I hope to visit the museum and
see the history of the 390th for myself. Thank you all for the work, dedication, and the
sacrifice to keep our country free. Early one morning, about 3 am, I lay on my bunk in
northern Saudi Arabia. Thoughts of my very possible death kept me awake. I heard the sound
of footsteps in the sand getting closer...I prayed "Lord..let him pass this tent
by". The sound stopped and the flap moved aside...a hand tapped my foot, a voice
whispered "sir...mission on..brief in 30 minutes". Cold fear gripped my heart
and I suddenly thought.. "so this is how they felt..in England..so long ago...Dear
God..how did they do it?" I visited your Museum in the later part of Feb 99 What a very nice museum keep up the
good work. Your website is great! My uncle was Richard Perry who was with the 390th. He and his
wife are both deceased now. My mother loved her 'big' brother, so if anyone who knew Uncle
Dick could share their memories, I'd be grateful. I plan to compile them for her. Also,
I'd love to take her to Framlingham. Any suggestions for a successful trip, to novice
travelers? Thanks! Would like to hear from anyone in crew of either "Bad Penny" or
"Geronimo", or anyone else in 390th between Dec '43 and April '44 who might
recognize my name. I have grown up at Praham since a young child when i helped my father restore the old
tower. I am now 31 and have a great admiration for all the men who served there..I gained
my pilots licence 7 yrs ago and now fly out of Fm myself off the old peri track by the
Machine gun testing butts.....before my father died he gave me an old
"almanac/yearbook" of the 390th withall the old pictures/mission etc etc.if
anyone needs any info i'm sure it will be in there...similarly if there are any Vets who
are visiting I would be honoured to take them for a fly round the area.. i would love to
hear from anyone with a similar interest. Recently my dad, 1st Lt. Jerome H. Hoffman, navigator,568th, visited with me here in
Baltimore. We visited the web site for the 390th while he was here. What a treat. Last
summer we made a trip to England and visited Parham and Framlingham. The old castle which
he used as a landmark when returning to base is a site to behold. More impressive though
is the restored Tower, museum and Nissen hut at the site of the 390ths base. The
restoration of the Tower is truely amazing. The "keeper" as he is known gave us
a tour of the place. Your imagination will transport you back to the days when the 390th,
8th Air Force and allied airmen fought to keep the world free. This is a must take in for
an who have the good fortune to be able to visit England. Thank you for this great site. I
will visit often. Shepard A. Hoffman, Grateful son of 1st Lt. Jerome H. Hoffman of the
568th. MY FATHER, TSGT NORMAN BANKS, FLEW 32 MISSIONS WITH THE 570TH, ENDING HIS TOUR IN LATE
1944. FOR THE THE LAST 42 ODD YEARS HE HAS TOLD ME SOME AMAZING STORIES OF HIS EXPERIENCES
WITH THE 390TH, LIFE IN FRAMLINGHAM, THE "BIG J'S". I FEEL AS IF I KNOW ALL OF
HIS CREW AND WARTIME FRIENDS PERSONALLY. THIS WEBSIGHT IS FANTASTIC! IT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN
LOOKING FOR TO TRY TO MAKE SOME CONNECTIONS ON MY FATHER'S BEHALF. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY INFO
TO SHARE WITH ME ABOUT MY FATHER OR HIS PLANE "THE BAD EGG", PLEASE CONTACT ME
AT DBANKS6171@AOL.COM i enjoyed your website very much, my dad was in the 568th squadron and was shot down in
nov of 1943,i'm trying to get him to go to tucson with me some day to see the museum. My father (2nd Lt John Mockus)also gave his life in a B17. 15 Dec 44. 368th-306th
BGH.
What a special tribute you have made to the 390th. Major/USAF/Retired. Former KC-135/T-39 Pilot who links with past. My father was part of
this "Greatest Generation" and gave his life during the Battle of the Bulge, in
Belgium, in January 1945. I salute your membership and the wonderful content of your web
site. I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters 1961-1964. Parham hanger was used as a supply
warehouse. I became interseted in the 390th. I would like to be added to any mailing list.
It has been some time since I received any material. I was a visitor to your museum in
1984 and hope to return this November. Thank you for making this site it helped my report for school very much My father served with the 390th, 568th Bomb Group. Does anyone know how to obtain the
8th Air Force patch and the wings pin. I'd like to get them for my father... Thanks...John
DiSpirito You did a very god Job with your web site One b-17 crashed in Diekirch on 25 of
December 1944 it belonged to the 390 BG 570 BS name Blonde Bombshell serialN° 43-8323 Dear 390th, My father, Edison Kenneth Maxwell, piloted a B-17 in the 390th BG (I
think). I would like to verify this if possible. His bombardier was Cy McGowan, if this
helps. I know Cy was a good freind to my dad until dad's death in 1997. If anyone can help
me locate Cy, I would appreciate it. Dear 390th BG, My Great Uncle Glen Hale flew with the 570th from 44-45. I know he is
active with the group to this day. I'm a first year veterinary student at Ross University
in the West Indies and am very interested in hearing from anybody who knows Glen. I've
always been a aviation buff especially dealing with the history of the Mighty
Eigith. I
would be interested in finding any copies of pitures that my Great Uncle might be in from
his time in England. Look forwar to hearing from you. Sincerely, David M. Hale *** Search of information on crashed B-17 near Perle, Luxembourg, in November 1944***
On 9 November 1944, a B-17 crashed near the village of Perle, Luxembourg. Most of the
crewmen were able to bail out. One member of the crew died as his parachute was caught up
in the bomber tail. The other men were secured by US ground forces (might have been 28th
Infantry Division) stationed in Perle. We have no other information regarding this B-17.
If there is someone out there, maybe a former member of this crew, we would appreciate any
help or support you might want to give us. Best Regards Guy Ries Our Site at:
http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/8814/ My grandfather, Ron Nash, was a pilot for the 568th on the aircraft, "Free
Delivery." On December 31, 1944, the plane was shot down and my grandfather, along
with other crew members, were taken as POW's. He finally returned home at the end of the
war. If you know Ron Nash and are interested in communicating with him, please contact us!
My grandfather was a tail gunner in the 390th and was shot down on 5/28/44 over
Augsberg. He spent the remainder of WWII as a POW. His name was Leon C. Walker and I'm
curious as to where he was held, name of plane, etc. If anyone knew him or flew with him
I'd appreciate any info. He passed on in April of 1985. This site is a wonderful resource
and I thank the organizers. Troy Hinrichs 390TH, 571ST. From July 1944 to March 1945. I just want to add a line to what most of
your readers have said about the crews and people of the 8th Air Force. It was
representative of many Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, and related service peoples of
that time. They are and always will be, in my estimation, the greatest. They were all so
young too. And they were so grateful for the chance to do what needed to be done. When we
flew to England from Nebraska in 1944, we were like so many other crews. All crew members
under 22 years of age. All limited in experience, education, travel, and money. Flying to
England via Pease NH, Goose bay Labrador, Iceland and Valley Wales was an adventure in its
own right. We got there and then a new leaf was turned. It was, as they all know, not
really much fun. Memorable yes, exciting ?? You might call it that. Well at times it was
just about the all the shot up crews could take. Going on -- no question. No one asked but
my all time NON-Favorite target was "Merseberg." So many planes went down and
the smoke screens were so effective. Enough of that. Really enjoy visiting your site here.
Sorry I havn't been out to see the museum, but someday? Thanks for all the good work you
have put into this site. Chuck Found this site after running through the 381st for ages. We are looking for crew
members or their kin of the Princess Pat shot down 8/17/43 crew taken prisoner. My father
was the pilot. Cool page! Would like to see more pictures. Great Info. I have visited the museum several times. I am a member of the 100th Bomb Group
Assn. Please contact me on tjis E mail number. Hi Guys, A great New Year to all WWII vets in the States, What a great museum at
Framlingham. Les Dear 398th BG Historian UK |
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