Standing L-R: Jennings, Robert W. (CP); Connor, Cleone (Tinker) C. Jr. (P); Johnson, William F. (B); Meng, Richard J. (N)

Squatting L-R: Bradfield, Everett (NG); Purvis, Bobbie (TTG); Nelson, Raymond J. (E/WG); Black, Richard W. (TG); Stanisezewski, John D. (BTG); Bevilqua, Donald A. (RO/WH)

Courtesy of Ruth Walters

This well start mid October 1944. The writer was assigned to crew #A-568 at Westover Field, Mass. That was special orders #290, 17 October 1944. We were released from Westover Field on 19 October1944 and proceeded to Chatham Field at Savannah, GA by rail to Savannah, GA. There were 28 crews transferred of 9 men per crew. The navigator was not assigned to the listed crews at first. Crew #A-568 had the following personnel:

Pilot 2^nd Lt. Cleone C. Connor, Jr. 0-2058109

Co-pilot 2^nd Lt. Robert W. Jennings 0-836468

Bombardier 2^nd Lt. William F. Johnson 0-2073386

Engineer/Gunner Cpl. Raymond J. Nelson 17181224

Radio Operator/Gunner Cpl. Donald A. Bevilaqua 33679767

Armorer/Gunner Cpl. John D. Staniszewski 33799303

Gunner Pfc. Everette E. Bradfield 34989251

Gunner Pfc. Bobbie J. Purvis 38608835

Gunner Pfc. Richard W. Black 15125647

After we arrived at Savannah we were assigned our navigator. That was:

Navigator F/O Richard J Meng T-134730

I would make a comment at this point. Bradfield is not listed as a crew member of crew #2/11.

There is a Milford J Rogers, 13194282, listed as a member crew #2/11. To date, I have not found Bradfield in any records.

Crew #A-568 trained for the next 2 ½ months doing all the things that everyone remembers so I will not go into that further. Statistically speaking we flew 34 missions out of Chatham Field.

Crew #A-568 left Chatham Field without me on 31 December 1944. I left by train for Mitchell Field.

I did not hear from them again. When I was in Lincoln Air Base after VE day a radio gunner who flew with us in Chatham came up to me and recognized me. He said my crew didn't survive a mission over Vienna. This is what I found out by searching the Internet from Hughes Glantzberg.

You can contact me at:

will2johnson@aol.com.

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