- P . .

: .

. . . - , . .,

- A s p i l c t i d id r . o t pee t k e n e o l g s t o r b s i l out . Lt t k : tint we

were aLout one hcnlred a r d taelv- z i i z s fro?., tiit ??.gXsr? Cans%. 3 e eiiSice blew oce c:rlincpr which b l e w t h e cowl i rg o f f and s t a r t e d a vcrg . ,rtcnse f i r e . 7% brought tnt p i u e as frst as ?oss ib ie d m t o t'k m t e r and t i t c h e d it. ' 3 5 l ackg w a s sot too baa, b u t the t a i l d i d break oi'f. ??-en I cXc.5:C: o u t 3f tlt ~ 1 - a ~ 5 T Z ~ S a l r c n c y nalf way w d c r t h e r a t e r s z k si&.ir?k fast. -4 secoz: o r two later ii YE&. I d i e ~ o t a t e the waist S*J"rer >a+ The co-$lot d i d . 3.Z ;me distauce froa. th- l i f e ra3. The s i x crewmnbers i n raft C,r ic i t o ?addle mer t o h h b u t The wind acd naves kept us apart. e.boutf&l'Zeer: o r m e n 3 minutes we d i d ~ " k . see h i m 3r hear hin c n l i i n g .&&in.

The tail ,Wncr v p a

e t e r

EOFA?D M PIl?YER E, O-SfiSlZ 2nd it, Air C o r y P i l o t , 3i7s 46-33895

S t a t e x e r t c o n c t m i r g Fi:jsing Aircraft 317G 43-38895, P i l o t , 2 ~ d . Lt ? m d ?F F i n r e r Jr, 0-826512, SQSrd. Bomb Sq, 39€ck Bomb Giou? riv on Zcmbnt l l s s i o n t o Eassel, Gemmy 1 .'muary 1945.

'VTe were about one hundred u d twelve mi.los o c t c)n t h f Xorth Sea Then zmbcr one e-gire expioded acc caught f f re . 12 =he exci tement ?hat fc..lov.zd the navi-,<ci',or b a i l - ? o u t before we bad d i tched tS.e ship. After k i ty ing *.e wa .:r arc? g e t t i z g t o Lhe l i f e r a f t I sew J o h .hriorr swi!rni--; tovrarii m e . Tho '&!ail of the p l a m startee d o n and af ter I went I :od.dL1t see Furrow. The l i f e r a t s had blocked ny visi.05 so : d o n ' t : b o w xhat hapyenea.

I t h i n k t'nc tail g m e r , Glen Cline, whs the n m who d r i f t e d away from us. Tie t r i e d t o p u d l b the boa t t o him b u t he < r i f t e d amy f rom us. called t o us sFveral t i m e ; o u t we f ina l ly last tra;k of h i s .

-- -.e

,- I , ,- -.

/ S C S - 2 2 & .;-" YL.:>& IACNA.?.? P m B S , 0-780076

Co-Pilot , 9l7G 43-38695 2nd. Lt, A i r co*-ps

Statement concerning Ec-ssiq Aircraft 3175 45-38595, F i l c ;, 2nd L t Eo-uard K Firmer Jr, 0-826512, 603rd 3omb So, 365th 3omb Group 7v on SDmbat T:is.ciozl t o Kassel , Genzany 1 cTanuary i 3 5 .

-:.bout 101C on the Xor th Ees oo+ hundred mci twenty miles from 3ilglaza,

That 'KPS betweer m r e e thaufiand nza t i r o thousand f i v e h m d r e c r*mber one engine b l e r up and crughz f i r e . h . e d i a t e l y . feet. I s t a r t e d t o bail o u t b u t t h e co-silo: motioned m e t o d i t c h i n g s t a t i o n s I l i d n o t see S,/Lp,t Furrow, '&e w a i s t . p x i e r . when we got- i n <t. 3e shouted t.3 v s i n his lm husky v c i c e h ~ d v? s ' n ~ u t s d Lack. c l o s e r ; f i z e l l y he disap:eered from s i g h t . About h e l v e oclock, 3 P-47'8 found. us. iz as soon as poss ib l e . About Zive oclock a Bel14..gtoc ciroppea a ?iying ktcfrmnn" rescue boht , wnich broke vnon impact. l a te r t h e y drc?ped a c o t h e r which r e eveo'tuaily g o t i n t o . t h i r t y o r e i g h t oclock re were picked up by 3.Y.L. #515 and brought t o shore. '*

I sew the nav5;"tor b a i l ou t

7;e h i t acd everyone c l e a r e d t h e ship . S/lSgt Cline Xas f i f t y y a r d s from the dinghy

r e paddled f v r a t l e a s t one h a l t h o w b x t coV&i geh 20

A3oat one oclock .they dropped a Li~ .dhol -~ d i q h y which r e g o t

hbout one half hour Absut seven

+:

XLJJAJ' F JO&Y, 0-1317594 Bombard ie r , B>7G 4 3 4 8 8 9 5

2nd L,, A i r ':orLs

Statm.e:t concerning E'issLrg a r c r a f t 21 ' G 43-38895, F"-lot, 3p.d Lt 9 m r d !I -%mer Jr, 0-828512, 603ru Rorc') Squadron, 392th %nub Group Fv on Combat f ' issior? to Kassel, Senmny 1 January 1945.

8

Statemect c o x e r n i n g !?i36ing I L r c r e f t 517C- 43-33655, Tilot, 2nd 5t P m r d Y ?inner Jr, C-823511, 603rd 3on3 Squadron, 598th 3 m b Sro:y? ?v 02 Cambat Y i s s i o n t o Knssel, Senany 1 JEX;"I-Y iC45.

.?ftcr t h e o rde r f a r c i t c h i . r g the Ball y g r r r t C-cnner a n d I basar, renom:?-z t h e r ? . ? i o roon: hbtch. Xe %ere assisted 5.7 t h o eEziEeer. d s vie y~ercl t a . k i r : our ? l aces f o r &itchir .g - s e . ~ tbi- 2iZi.t , r a i F t G,mer iz t h e ' r d i o r o m a?.? t h e Tail-3-lnrsr star.Glr,g behin? the 3 a l l Tw-i.et PS w e f e l t t k5 i m p a c t . I was t h e f j r s t ou t o!' t h e racirJ hatch. A s I fell o r e r t h e s i d e I sank i c t c 'he v a t o r . As T cm.e t o t h e surface t h e r e x e r e five xrr around t l ic c'izzhy. I whs the l a s t t o be t aken isto the dinghy. -4s we s e t t i e d in t h e re.ft I h e a r d a voice and SRW a lcac f l o a t i n g i n the d i s t ance . OP a?a w e becan -Lo prtadle i t ?is Zirec5ior . b u t we could n o t make ar.y heacbray due t o our c o s a i t i o n s?-d h a X ~ Y c V o c lost -?rm our view. ?-47's l oca t ed us abou t t h r e e hours l a t e r - - o w first reL:ue S o o t a r r i v e d abo1Lt two b o w s a f t e r t h k .

,..

.If1 of u s i r ? the rhft c a l l e d t o bin? t o haPC

.

Source :

. AFPPA- 11

4

Nqoe cf crew menber: XXmB mi. : mum

Serial number: f-J=a Position: Crea (Boxber) CY 1 : p$l.. . -

Did he b a i l c u t ?

If n o t , why no t? -

Where? -- If not, uhy not? / fa r4 d i- ,/e t-5 N O f G k p , / n u t .

c

Last con tac t or converse ion j u s t ?Tior to or a t time of lose of plane: abou T

h a / / = aN A v C De. FOP h s . s PF o/g,ve - I

Was he injuz-ed? -0, A/* r- kN0 (Y. - -

- I

Whei-e uas he uhen last seed? H&,<,T /?,p /e u 2 Raw /Tz 6 &a/?- / /

h y hearsay i n r ' o m t ion:

Source : - Any expl3nat io; l of h t s f s t e based i n nqrt or w h o l l y 02 suppos i t i on :

Dates and d e s t i n a t i o n s i f 2oss:Sle: D-dT kr.c*-

-

6-3861,AF

Source : C"_ P, 4 r kzy e x p l a m t i o n of h i s fate based i n p a r t o r wholly 3 n suppos i t icx :

/ L A - p _ r

d # // Tota l n m b e ? o f .nissioAs of above crew member:

Dn?es and d e s t i n a t i o 3 9 i f p o s s i b l e :

aho 6in7- k/v, GJ C a r 2 . s - d

NO ,, p pa-

----

Did I-& b a i l ou t? T - 3/w?,'rc/. L A * Where? a,, T <AJ c r

/. c -

If no t , why not? - - - Last ccntact o r conve r sa t ion j u s t p r i o r t o o r a t t im of l o s s of plane: -Te,Fh

Source : -

Any explana t ion of his fate ha.;ad i n p a r t or wholly on suppos i t ion : f l fo e

T o t a l number of miss ions of above crew member:

Dazes ecd d e s t i n a t i o n s i f poss ib l e :

fl hau 7- -&

6-3861, AF