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Wells L. Wescott's World War 2 Mission Diary |
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Mission Diary
No. 42-52530 Name - Bugs Bunny Er. "What's up Doc
Station #145 Rackheath
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Mission No. 1
Apr 10, 1944 Place - Bourges, France Bomb load - 6 X 1000# GP
Target - Airplane Engine Plant Crew - Normal Pos. in form - #4 Low - 2nd Sec. Time -7 1/2 hrs. Remarks - Milk run - but a long way to go for milk. Hit coast at LeHavre, Blois Issodun (IP) (Initial Point) to Target. 170 B-24s + Fighter cover Bombing results - Excellent No losses or casualties |
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Mission #2 Apr. 17th, 1944
Place - Wizerness, France Bomb load - 8 X 1000# G.P Target - No ball - construction works. Crew - Normal Pos in form. #3 lead Time - 4 1/2 hrs. Remarks - P.F.F. (Path Finding flight) on secret construction works exact nature unknown. Heavy turbulance over target. Light flak no Fighters Bombing results - unobserved 10/10 clouds |
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Mission #3 Apr. 19, 1944
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Mission #4 Apr. 22
Place - Hamm, Germany Bomb load - 10 X 500# G.P. Target - RR. Marshalling yds. Crew - Normal Position - #4 high - lead Time - 7 hrs. Remarks - Max effort - Flak at coast & Target in. 4 holes in Right Rudder. More Flak on way out over Holland. New type confetti flak. Mix up in Eng. Flak & Enemy fighters ruff. landed at Seething returned next day |
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Home base bombed & strafed. Came back after dark cause of all our trouble. Losses - 2 Crews Roden - 740
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Mission #5 Apr. 26, 1944
Place - Paderborn, Germany Bomb load - 10 X 500# G.P. Target - Airfield Sub depot Crew -Normal Pos. - #3 lead 2nd Sec. Time - 5 1/2 hrs. Remarks - Bad weather bombed through clouds on flak - Hit Osnabrak - Ger. claims we have a new secret weapon. Kohl gets flak riddled also plane. No losses. |
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Mission #6 May 1, 1944
Place - Leige, Belgium Bomb load - 8 X 1000 GP Target - Locomotive sheds & Marshalling yds. Crew - Normal Pos. - Started #6 in lead & #4 over Time - 5 1/2 hrs Remarks - Heavy flak but only accurate in spots Heavy ground haze but bombing good. No losses. |
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Mission #7 May 4, 1944
Place - Brunswick, Ger. Bomb load - 6 X 1000 (returned) Target - Airfield Crew - Normal Pos - lead low left Time - 4 3/4 hrs Remarks - mission recalled & a good thing because we couldn't get in formation due to weather. No losses. |
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Mission #7A May 5, 1944
Place - Cherbourg, France Bomb load - 8 X 1000 (returned) Target - no ball - Secret construction works. Crew - Normal Position - lead, high flight Time - 5 1/2 hrs. Remarks - Bad weather again - no mission credit - flew at 24000 ft. but clouds & contrails up to 28,000 - couldn't top them - B-24 you know No losses. |
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Mission #8 May 8, 1944
Place - Brunswick, Ger. Bomb load - 52 M-47 incen Target - Airfield (PFF on city) Crew - Normal Pos - #4 lead (thank heaven) Time - 6 1/2 hrs. Remarks - Enemy fighter attacks ruff. nose & tail attacks. Many B-24 & B-17s went down. Group lost one ship Swearingtn lost a gunner Murphys crew bailed out over field, & ship was crash landed. |
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Mission #9 May 9, 1944
Place - Florennes, Belgium Bomb load - 40 - 100# G.P. Target - airfield Crew - Kohl flew with Stephens Pos. #2 high 1st sec. Time - 6 hrs. Remarks - Not much action after yesterday Flak over target. No Losses. Stephens went down on 2nd Tutow raid just off Swedish coast. no chutes. |
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Mission #10 May 11, 1944
Place - Epinal, France Bomb load - 5 X 1000 Target - RR Marshalling yds. Crew - Kohl flew as Nav. with Stevens Pos. - lead high flight Time - 8 3/4 hrs. Remarks - long 2700 gal haul - accurate flak rattled off plane all day. Shoup goes to Switzerland due to gasoline loose. No casualties (Stevens transferred to Italy) |
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Mission #11 May 13, 1944
Place - Tutow, Germany Bomb load - 10 X 500# G.P. Target - F.W. Assembly plant Crew - Normal Pos. - #2 high Time - 9 1/4 hrs. Remarks - hell of a long flight - fighter attack over Denmark - B-24s from 466 lost cloud coverage dropped on smoke from lead group. No losses |
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Mission #12 May 23,1944
Place - Bourges, France Bomb load - 18 X 250# G.P. Target - Aircraft dispersal area Crew - Normal Pos. - #3 low Time - 7 1/2 hr. Remarks - B-24 & B-17 collided on assembly over England. Spoiled mission & me for a week. Tail of 24 hit Bugs & damaged him - 4 empty parachutes. Bombing results - good. No group casualties |
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Mission #12B(13) (Sweat, Sweat)
May 24, 1944 Place, Melon, France Bomb load - 12 - 500# G.P. Target - Airfield Crew - Normal Pos - lead - high flight Time - 6 hrs Remarks - Hit target - 2nd 9gd(?) dropped on leaders malfunction of racks. No Casualties |
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Mission #14 May 25, 1944
Place - Mulhouse, France Bomb load - 10 X 500 Target - RR Marshalling yds. Crew - Normal Pos - #3 lead Time - 8 hrs. Remarks - Tired today 4 missions in a row - a long way to go for milk. Excellent bombing. Third day with 100% ships over target Commendation by Gen. Peck No casualties |
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Mission #15 May 27, 1944
Place - Neankircher, Ger. Bomb load - 10 X 500 SAP Target - RR - Roundhouse Crew - Normal Position - #1 low 2nd Time - 9 hrs. Remarks - long haul. groups ahead hit fighters - heavy flak on left - another mid air collision on assembly tail off one ship 6' of wing bent down on another one landed safely. 2 chutes - lost in North Sea. |
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Another mid air over target.
No losses. |
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Mission #16 May 28, 1944
Place - Zeitz, Germany Bomb load - 10 X 500 Target - Oil refinery Crew - Normal Position - #6 lead Time - 5 1/2 hrs Remarks - Wing colonel supposed to ride with us to observe formation - guess he got scared. Left formation over Germany - lost turbo bombed air field in Holland 5 mi No of Meppol |
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Mission #17 May 30, 1944
Place - Zwischenahn, Germany Bomb load - 12 X 500 Target - Airfield hangers Crew - Had command pilot formation observer Pirt rode in waist Pos - #2 low left Time - 7 hrs. Remarks - Rough flak over target Joe wins D.F.C. (Distinguished Flying Cross) by coming home from target on 2 engines & landing with ball turret down. No losses. |
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Mission #18 May 31, 1944
Place - Brussels, Belgium Bomb Load - 3 X 2000 Target - Airfield Crew - Normal Pos - # 3 high flight Time - 6 hrs. Remarks - Mission re-called cumulus clouds up to 25,000' got into France only 75 mi. No losses but lost 6 engines in the group due to high power setting attempting to get over clouds. - No flak - (Dunkirk) |
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Mission #19 June 2, 1944
Place - Stella Plage, France Bomb Load - 4 X 2000# Target - Coastal Defense (Concrete pill boxes & Flak guns) Crew - Normal Pos - #3 high 2nd Time - 6 hrs Remarks: Saw a lot of boats off Selsey Bill & Beasley Head - might be the start of invation missions No losses. |
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Mission #20 June 6
Place - Arranches, France Bomb Load - 12 X 500 lb Target - RR Bridge Crew - One gunner on guard - new gunner Position #4 lead Time - 7 1/4 hrs. Remarks - Invasion day - This was the third mission of day. Could walk across the channel today so many boats. Missed the bridge (PFF) (Path Finding Flight) . Came back after dark with a 200' ceiling - lucky |
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fourth to peel off & first to find the field & land. rough this E.T.O. (European Theater of Operations) |
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Mission #21 June 8
Place - Arranches, France or the battle of bridge Bomb Load - 6 X 1000 Target - R.R. Bridge (again) Crew - Guard duty Pos - #3 Low 1st Time - 7 hrs. Remarks - Climbed to 25000' over Spl #5 trying to get above overcast to assembly but finally gave up to go so. of London & assemble - miracle - we got assembled (some of us). Came back at 250' & nearly aided |
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the nazis in destroying some radar towers. Weather over home is rougher than Jerry. |
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Mission #22 June 11, 1944 Place - Beavais, France Bomb Load - 40 X 100 Target - Airfield Crew - Normal Pos - #3 Lead Time - 5 hrs. Remarks - Best pattern ever laid down. Milk run no flak or fighters - Hensley made 3 runs to get rid of his bombs & still brought them back. |
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Mission #23 June 13
Place - Eurvaux, France Bomb Load - 140 Frags Target - Airfield Dispersal Crew - Normal Pos - #1 high lead Time - 7 1/2 hrs
Remarks - Could see invasion coast today got flak over Caen so we knew Jerry was still there. Flak hit Grace's bombs as they left the ship & exploded the lot which |
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#3 & 4 engines - cut the gas line to #2 & the oil line to #1 pulled 65" & 2700 RPM on #1 & babied #2 feather #3 & #4 just barely made the beach head - bailed crew out in the drink so they wouldn't drift over to Jerry. Engineer must have joined the ground troops or else stumbled over a mine.
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Mission #24 June 17 Place - Guyancourt, France Bombs - 12 X 500 Target - Airfield, Dispersal Crew - Normal Position - #1 Low Time - 7 3/4 hrs. Remarks - PFF (Path Finding Flight) not to bad though. Uneventful No Losses |
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Mission #25 June 18
Place - Fossburg, Germany Bombs - 40 incend Target - Airfield Crew - Normal Position - #4 lead Time - 7 hrs. Remarks - One of the roughest yet from all points of view - weather flak etc. Sky over Hamburg was black & we waded through it few holes & dents in old bugsie- he's getting tired now kind of |
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sweating him out on these last few missions #1 & #2 are not working too well but check out ok |
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Mission #26 June 20
Place - Ostermoor, Germany Bombs - 12 X 500 Target - Oil Refinery Crew - Gr. Bomb Position - #3 lead Time - 6 1/2 hrs. Remarks - Same area as yesterday - flak over target scared hell out of Geringer Forts bombed Hamburg again. Beautiful day & swell mission everything went swell- Graf lost engine over target & had to sweat him in through - My anniversary so should be a good mission |
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Mission #26A (Wow) June 21
Place - Berlin Bombs - 52 Incend Target - City Crew - Normal Pos - #3 lead - lead 8th Air force today. Time -6 hrs Remarks - Lost #1 engine at about the Danish coast & had to abort. (Not too Sorry) Nav got us lost over England & the ceiling was 200' so we buzzed all over England. |
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with #1 feathered finally found the base & landed Group lost 2 crews today - Helton & Radowski. Radowski may have made Sweden - Helton unreported. last report over Big B with 3 engines left.
7-12-44 |
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Mission #27 June 23 Place - Fressin, France Bombs - 20 X 250 Target - Pilotless plane install- Position - #1 high Time - 5 hrs. Crew - Normal Remarks - Bombed PFF (Path Finding Flight) good mission - light flak over target. Really Sweating out these next ones. |
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Mission #28 June 24, 1944 Place - St. Omer, France Bombs - 20 X 250 Target - Pilotless planes Pos - #1 high flight Time - 5 hrs. Crew - Normal Remarks - never worked so hard in my life been in the sac ever since. Rough flak at Calais on way out. |
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Mission #29 June 25, 1944 Place - Bathone, France Bombs - 12 X 500 Target - ? Crew - Normal Post - #4 Low Time - 4 1/2 hrs. Remarks - Assembly snafu - finally found a group (453) and flew with them easy mission but that dope that thru his P can out the Bomb bays aut to be shot. 1 more to go. X |
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Pirt & Brinkman finished up today
Oh me.
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Mission #30 June 28 Place Saarbrucken, Ger Bomb - 12 X 500 Target - RR Marshalling yds. Crew - Normal Post - #1 high Time - 6 1/2 hrs. Remarks - Lost #2 about 15 min from target and had to drop out of formation before we got bombs on target had lost 5000' & was meat for flak guns. |
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Had swell fighter escort.
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Sheldon Kohl 86 - W - 179 St Bronx New York City
Wendell D. Pirtle
Theodore Madden
Merle J. Brinkman |
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Wayne M. Egner Mounds, Ill.
Harold P. Goldman Jack F. Bush
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Robert E. Kremer
Floyd J. Pugh
Wm. R. Graf
Larry Maddock
Vernon Rigsbee |
This Page was last updated on June 8, 2000 |