To Mark Kirschner:
I was intrigued by your question, because I had seen the name “Stark’s Ark” in a book that deals with the 8th Airforce Mission on the 28th of May 1944: “Mission 376, Battle over the Reich: 28 May 1944″, by Ivo de Jong, a Dutch Airforce researcher of the WWII Airwar. It details meticulously every action taken that day by all groups and fighters, harbors rare pictures and accounts by the men that were involved; and because I have a special interest what happened that day to a/c 231985 “Devil’s Aces”, I came across the name of Stark’s Ark in the chapter that covered the 390th losses of that day. So I went back to that page to see what was said, and there were three pictures connected to the crew and the ship’s name. Now his “Ark” refers to a/c 237806 that was shot down on the 28th of May 1944, and your uncle flew his final mission with a/c 231935 that was shot down on the 6th of March. As far as I can see in the records this was the first and last time he flew on this ship, that was on it’s 4th mission. One picture taken 20 Jan. 1944, shows the nose art on the 237806, in the background of Lt.Stark’s crew that supposedly is that of your uncle (no names to the picture, as the focus was on the crew that flew on May 28th) to explain and illustrate the name “Stark’s Ark”. The caption mentions the fact that both a/c 237806 and a/c 231935 carried on their day of downing a crew that was on their 25th and final mission of their combat tour operations. Weird coincidence!
Also, it says that “They were flying another B17 on the first major Berlin raid, on 6 March, when they were shot down” – so, given the short lifetime of a/c 231935,it is thinkable that the ship didn’t yet have a name at the time it was downed, and got that afterwards for reasons unknown. Otherwise the author might have named the ship instead of writing “another B17″. It doesn’t seem likely that it had the name of a pilot who flew the ship for the first time and what’s more, already piloted a ship that was named after him. I am curious if your uncle can recall if his last ship actually had the name or that this is knowledge of later date.
If you wish I can send you a digital copy of the pages, you’ll find my email address in the guestbook at March 3, 2011.
Please convey my respect and gratitude to your uncle, as we live in freedom already for 67 years because of his and his brothers in arms’ sacrifices. We are eternally indebted.
Lili Pasteur
Maurice Bjorkstrom, Co-Pilot, Asterisk, was my great uncle. I am looking for any photos or information regarding his time in the 390th/571st. My grandmother and father are both deceased and though I have been to his grave in Arlington, little came back from Germany except the wings from his collar.
Hi Mark, my father Vern Montrose was on cabin in the sky for only one mission 5-7-1944 his crew #33,then back to his plane Yankee Doodle Dandy, may God Bless.
I am sad to announce the death of another 390th veteran: Robert T. Hanrahan of the 568th Squadron, navigator on the Norby crew, which was shot down over Merseburg on 7/29/44.
For those of you who are Descendants, please stop by the Facebook page I have created. It’s called:
Descendants of the 390th bomb group
If you are not a member of Facebook and would like to contact me regarding information you would like to share with fellow Descendants, please feel free to email me at laurieannebryan@gmail.com.
I was looking for a certain picture on the Bomboogie B17 plane but somehow it is gone. But anyway like the page. Hope to see some pictures of the plane in thenear future.
I have a question I’m hoping someone can help me with.My Uncle,1st Lt.Edwin Kirschner 390thBG 571stBS crew 41 and 64 was the co-pilot on a plane named” Starks Arc”.While researching his career I have found that there were in fact two planes named “Starks Arc” 237806 and 231935,and both seem to have been in service together.I have found that my Uncle flew on both.But he doesn’t recall why there would be two of them.He and his crew were shot down on their way to Berlin on March 6 44 while aboard 231935.My Uncle survived and spent the remainder of the war at Stalagluft 1 in Barth Germany.Unfortunatly Capt Starks and two other crew members did not survive.It seems that the other” Starks Ark”237806 kept the name and continued flying it was shot down in May the same year.My question is was it very uncommon for there to be two planes with the same name flying at the same time?I see he also flew on two planes named”Cabin in the sky” 230338 and 231041. By the way I am happy to say my Uncle is still very much alive and has passed along many wartime experiences to me.I have found this site to be very helpful as He remembers alot but has forgotten details until I bring up some random fact that I have found on your site.Thank you.God bless all those that served and continue to serve our great country you are all heroes in my eyes.But a special thank you to my Uncle Ed, the greatest hero I know.
My father Johnny L. Moore flew several weather missions and was assigned to the weather station. He passed away in 2003 however living me hundreds of photos taken while serving. I want to get these scanned and placed on a CD to give away.
I was visiting a local cemetery in Taylor Tx. today to put some flags on veterans grave sites and found a member of the 571st Bomb Sq. SSgt. Albert A Spacil. KIA Sept 1944. Anyone now where I might find out more about SSgt. Spacil and what mission he was on when KIA. Thanks for any help.
Best-
read more…
[...]just below, are some totally unrelated sites to ours, however, they are definitely worth checking out[...]…
To Mark Kirschner:
I was intrigued by your question, because I had seen the name “Stark’s Ark” in a book that deals with the 8th Airforce Mission on the 28th of May 1944: “Mission 376, Battle over the Reich: 28 May 1944″, by Ivo de Jong, a Dutch Airforce researcher of the WWII Airwar. It details meticulously every action taken that day by all groups and fighters, harbors rare pictures and accounts by the men that were involved; and because I have a special interest what happened that day to a/c 231985 “Devil’s Aces”, I came across the name of Stark’s Ark in the chapter that covered the 390th losses of that day. So I went back to that page to see what was said, and there were three pictures connected to the crew and the ship’s name. Now his “Ark” refers to a/c 237806 that was shot down on the 28th of May 1944, and your uncle flew his final mission with a/c 231935 that was shot down on the 6th of March. As far as I can see in the records this was the first and last time he flew on this ship, that was on it’s 4th mission. One picture taken 20 Jan. 1944, shows the nose art on the 237806, in the background of Lt.Stark’s crew that supposedly is that of your uncle (no names to the picture, as the focus was on the crew that flew on May 28th) to explain and illustrate the name “Stark’s Ark”. The caption mentions the fact that both a/c 237806 and a/c 231935 carried on their day of downing a crew that was on their 25th and final mission of their combat tour operations. Weird coincidence!
Also, it says that “They were flying another B17 on the first major Berlin raid, on 6 March, when they were shot down” – so, given the short lifetime of a/c 231935,it is thinkable that the ship didn’t yet have a name at the time it was downed, and got that afterwards for reasons unknown. Otherwise the author might have named the ship instead of writing “another B17″. It doesn’t seem likely that it had the name of a pilot who flew the ship for the first time and what’s more, already piloted a ship that was named after him. I am curious if your uncle can recall if his last ship actually had the name or that this is knowledge of later date.
If you wish I can send you a digital copy of the pages, you’ll find my email address in the guestbook at March 3, 2011.
Please convey my respect and gratitude to your uncle, as we live in freedom already for 67 years because of his and his brothers in arms’ sacrifices. We are eternally indebted.
Lili Pasteur
Maurice Bjorkstrom, Co-Pilot, Asterisk, was my great uncle. I am looking for any photos or information regarding his time in the 390th/571st. My grandmother and father are both deceased and though I have been to his grave in Arlington, little came back from Germany except the wings from his collar.
Thanks in advance,
Heather
My grandfather, Lt. James A. Bonner, was a pilot on both the Liberty Belle and the Sequatchiee. He passed away on April 1, 2012 at 94yrs old.
Hi Mark, my father Vern Montrose was on cabin in the sky for only one mission 5-7-1944 his crew #33,then back to his plane Yankee Doodle Dandy, may God Bless.
I am sad to announce the death of another 390th veteran: Robert T. Hanrahan of the 568th Squadron, navigator on the Norby crew, which was shot down over Merseburg on 7/29/44.
The obituary:
http://hosting-4671.tributes.com/show/Robert-T.-Hanrahan-93477502
For those of you who are Descendants, please stop by the Facebook page I have created. It’s called:
Descendants of the 390th bomb group
If you are not a member of Facebook and would like to contact me regarding information you would like to share with fellow Descendants, please feel free to email me at laurieannebryan@gmail.com.
Have a good day!
I was looking for a certain picture on the Bomboogie B17 plane but somehow it is gone. But anyway like the page. Hope to see some pictures of the plane in thenear future.
I have a question I’m hoping someone can help me with.My Uncle,1st Lt.Edwin Kirschner 390thBG 571stBS crew 41 and 64 was the co-pilot on a plane named” Starks Arc”.While researching his career I have found that there were in fact two planes named “Starks Arc” 237806 and 231935,and both seem to have been in service together.I have found that my Uncle flew on both.But he doesn’t recall why there would be two of them.He and his crew were shot down on their way to Berlin on March 6 44 while aboard 231935.My Uncle survived and spent the remainder of the war at Stalagluft 1 in Barth Germany.Unfortunatly Capt Starks and two other crew members did not survive.It seems that the other” Starks Ark”237806 kept the name and continued flying it was shot down in May the same year.My question is was it very uncommon for there to be two planes with the same name flying at the same time?I see he also flew on two planes named”Cabin in the sky” 230338 and 231041. By the way I am happy to say my Uncle is still very much alive and has passed along many wartime experiences to me.I have found this site to be very helpful as He remembers alot but has forgotten details until I bring up some random fact that I have found on your site.Thank you.God bless all those that served and continue to serve our great country you are all heroes in my eyes.But a special thank you to my Uncle Ed, the greatest hero I know.
My father Johnny L. Moore flew several weather missions and was assigned to the weather station. He passed away in 2003 however living me hundreds of photos taken while serving. I want to get these scanned and placed on a CD to give away.
Does anyone remember him?
Thanks
His Son Scott
I was visiting a local cemetery in Taylor Tx. today to put some flags on veterans grave sites and found a member of the 571st Bomb Sq. SSgt. Albert A Spacil. KIA Sept 1944. Anyone now where I might find out more about SSgt. Spacil and what mission he was on when KIA. Thanks for any help.
Best-