Mentzer's Crew

 

we got to sudbury on 12/24/44 and i recall watching the b17's coming in for landings all over the sky which was all colors of the rainbow. went to mess hall to talk to the verterand fliers on that mission.......they had one or two missions under thier belt.....

during our 30 missions, we hade to contend with flak and me 163 and 262's. i recall our briefing officer saying ifv germany had had the jets 6 months earlier, they could have altered the course of the war......

i received air medal with four clusters....what i really wanted was a raise in my salary.....

- SGT Aaron Fulmer

LT Mentzer's crew left Savannah, GA and arrived in Sudbury via Wales. Aaron Fulmer recalls watching the B17's coming in for landing all over the sky, which he said had all the colors of the rainbow. In the mess hall he talked with the veteran fliers on that particular mission.

On their first mission, LT Mentzer flew as the copilot, while a veteran pilot (2 or 3 mission credited) flew as pilot. LT Morrow would fly on the next mission. The crew was awarded the Air Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters. Keith Morrow suffered flak wounds on the 24th mission (his 23rd) and was awarded the Purple Heart. Aaron Fulmer wrote the song "One Flak Gun" which was printed in "The Stars & Stripes." After LT Hobson, bombardier, was transferred to the PTO, SGT Fulmer assumed duties as the togglier.

During the crews 30 missions they encountered german flak, Me-163s (Komet) and Me-262s (Schwalbe). Aaron Fulmer recalls the briefing officer saying, "if Germany had had the jets 6 months earlier, they could have altered the course of the war."

The crews return trip, 9 months later after they arrived, was by way of the Queen Elizabeth. That cruise broke the speed record of the day, covering the distance in 4 days.
CREW INFO
Name Rank Position First Mission Last Mission Status
Robert Mentzer LT Pilot / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
Keith Morrow LT Copilot 01/18/45 04/21/45 WIA. Completed Tour
James "Hoot" Gibson LT Navigator / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
Aaron Fulmer   Nose Gunner/Togglier / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
Ward Miller   Radio Operator / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
Paul Haney   Flight Engineer / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
William Phelps   Ball Gunner / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
John B. Mouton   Waist Gunner / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
Theodore Kojak   Tail Gunner / /45 04/21/45 Completed Tour
 
MISSION INFO
Mission Date Name ID S/N Type
Arr. Sudbury 12/24/44        
134 01/18/45 Lil' Butch NP 43-38142 B17G
137 01/28/45   DK 43-37945 B17G
141 02/06/45 Goin' Jesse NC 43-37954 B17G
143 02/14/45 Batchelor's Delight TR 43-38027 B17G
145 02/16/45 The Fertile Turtle PG 43-37943 B17G
147 02/19/45 King Kong TC 44-39178 B17G
150 02/23/45 Easy Movement NL 43-38041 B17G
151 02/24/45   TS 43-37928 B17G
153 02/26/45   PM 44-8595 B17G
154 02/27/45 Goin' Jesse NC 43-37954 B17G
155 02/28/45 Blue Grass Girl II TV 44-8477 B17G
156 03/02/45 The Chariot DV 43-38034 B17G
157 03/03/45   PC 43-37867 B17G
158 03/04/45 King Kong TC 44-39178 B17G
160 03/08/45 Oh! Miss Agnes NB 43-38001 B17G
161 03/09/45 American Beauty DG 42-92008 B17G
162 03/10/45 Lady V DR 43-37856 B17G
163 03/11/45   NV 42-97968 B17G
164 03/12/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
166 03/16/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
170 03/21/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
171 03/22/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
172 03/23/45 Red Raider NK 43-37787 B17G
173 03/24/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
180 04/07/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
181 04/08/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
182 04/09/45 The Short Arm NA 44-6616 B17G
184 04/11/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
185 04/14/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
191 04/21/45   PH 43-38163 B17G
Completed 30 Missions
 
Created 08/20/99 Modified 12/04/19

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