Co Pilot 2nd/Lt. Charlie A Stanley POW
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Squadron: 577th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Davis POW
Target:BINGEN Germany
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #11141
Date Lost: 2-Dec-44
Serial Number: #42-94961
Aircraft Model B-24
Aircraft Letter: "Z-Plus"
Aircraft Name: "ALFRED IV" 43rd Mission
Location: (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen
Cause: German fighters Crew of 9 2KIA 7POW
This day would go down in the 392nd's history as one of the roughest missions ever flown in terms of aircraft and aircrew casualties. It would be the highest attrition the Group would ever suffer through the remaining missions of World War II. It was also ironic that the evening of this date, the 200th mission party celebration for all Enlisted Men of the 392nd was planned. At 0515 and 0640 hours, (18) aircrews were briefed on the target and at 0930, all began their take-offs. Two squadrons were put up this day, flying high and low formations off of the 44th Bomb Group at Shipdham. The mission went orderly until the IP where heavy clouds were encountered for start of the bomb run.
MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: German Report #KU3468, Hqs Mainz-Finthen, reported the crash of this plane near the village of Stipshausen, (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen around 1300 hours, 2 December, and prisoners taken in the same area. The prisoners were transferred to Dulag-Luft West at Oberursel on 4 December for processing.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: Sgt. Miller, one of the surviving members gave a brief report on this loss, accounting that the plane was hit by enemy fighters with the Flight Engineer being killed then and the remaining crew men including Lt. Astleford (later found dead), bailing out of the stricken plane without much difficulty with the ship then afire. Sgt. Miller stated also that Lt. Astleford was alive when exiting the ship, but later the Germans showed the survivors this Officer's jacket and said he was dead in the plane from wounds. Another survivor, Lt. Hamann, also confirmed that the only crew member who did not bail out successfully was the Flight Engineer, Sgt. Crabbe, who was killed in-flight about ten minutes after the target when their plane came under attack and they left formation. Lt. Hamann also related that German guards told the survivors that one of our crew had been killed by civilians, and that a German boy had showed him personally a parachute which was that of Lt. Astleford. It was Hamann's supposition that the Navigator had been shot after bail out landing as he tried to escape capture.
BURIAL RECORDS: No MACR record indicates burial of the two deceased crew men in German plots. U.S. National Overseas Cemetery records indicate the following: Astleford (Grave B-28-l9) in the ARDENNES Cemetery near Liege, awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and Purple Heart; Crabbe (Grave A-10-10) also at the ARDENNES plot,awarded an Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. There is no notation in this U.S. burial record that Sgt. Crabbe was awarded the Purple Heart.
The "ALFRED IV" crew
1st/Lt. William F. Davis Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charlie A Stanley Co Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charles E. Astleford Navigator KIA
2nd/Lt. Lloyd A. Hamann Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. William J. Carroll Radio Op. POW
T/Sgt. Charles W. Crabbe Engineer
KIA
S/Sgt. Robert R. Jones Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Gordon D. Joslin Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Joseph R. Miller Gunner POW
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Squadron: 577th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Davis POW
Target:BINGEN Germany
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #11141
Date Lost: 2-Dec-44
Serial Number: #42-94961
Aircraft Model B-24
Aircraft Letter: "Z-Plus"
Aircraft Name: "ALFRED IV" 43rd Mission
Location: (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen
Cause: German fighters Crew of 9 2KIA 7POW
This day would go down in the 392nd's history as one of the roughest missions ever flown in terms of aircraft and aircrew casualties. It would be the highest attrition the Group would ever suffer through the remaining missions of World War II. It was also ironic that the evening of this date, the 200th mission party celebration for all Enlisted Men of the 392nd was planned. At 0515 and 0640 hours, (18) aircrews were briefed on the target and at 0930, all began their take-offs. Two squadrons were put up this day, flying high and low formations off of the 44th Bomb Group at Shipdham. The mission went orderly until the IP where heavy clouds were encountered for start of the bomb run.
MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: German Report #KU3468, Hqs Mainz-Finthen, reported the crash of this plane near the village of Stipshausen, (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen around 1300 hours, 2 December, and prisoners taken in the same area. The prisoners were transferred to Dulag-Luft West at Oberursel on 4 December for processing.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: Sgt. Miller, one of the surviving members gave a brief report on this loss, accounting that the plane was hit by enemy fighters with the Flight Engineer being killed then and the remaining crew men including Lt. Astleford (later found dead), bailing out of the stricken plane without much difficulty with the ship then afire. Sgt. Miller stated also that Lt. Astleford was alive when exiting the ship, but later the Germans showed the survivors this Officer's jacket and said he was dead in the plane from wounds. Another survivor, Lt. Hamann, also confirmed that the only crew member who did not bail out successfully was the Flight Engineer, Sgt. Crabbe, who was killed in-flight about ten minutes after the target when their plane came under attack and they left formation. Lt. Hamann also related that German guards told the survivors that one of our crew had been killed by civilians, and that a German boy had showed him personally a parachute which was that of Lt. Astleford. It was Hamann's supposition that the Navigator had been shot after bail out landing as he tried to escape capture.
BURIAL RECORDS: No MACR record indicates burial of the two deceased crew men in German plots. U.S. National Overseas Cemetery records indicate the following: Astleford (Grave B-28-l9) in the ARDENNES Cemetery near Liege, awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and Purple Heart; Crabbe (Grave A-10-10) also at the ARDENNES plot,awarded an Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. There is no notation in this U.S. burial record that Sgt. Crabbe was awarded the Purple Heart.
The "ALFRED IV" crew
1st/Lt. William F. Davis Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charlie A Stanley Co Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charles E. Astleford Navigator KIA
2nd/Lt. Lloyd A. Hamann Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. William J. Carroll Radio Op. POW
T/Sgt. Charles W. Crabbe Engineer
KIA
S/Sgt. Robert R. Jones Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Gordon D. Joslin Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Joseph R. Miller Gunner POW
Co Pilot 2nd/Lt. Charlie A Stanley POW
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Squadron: 577th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Davis POW
Target:BINGEN Germany
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #11141
Date Lost: 2-Dec-44
Serial Number: #42-94961
Aircraft Model B-24
Aircraft Letter: "Z-Plus"
Aircraft Name: "ALFRED IV" 43rd Mission
Location: (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen
Cause: German fighters Crew of 9 2KIA 7POW
This day would go down in the 392nd's history as one of the roughest missions ever flown in terms of aircraft and aircrew casualties. It would be the highest attrition the Group would ever suffer through the remaining missions of World War II. It was also ironic that the evening of this date, the 200th mission party celebration for all Enlisted Men of the 392nd was planned. At 0515 and 0640 hours, (18) aircrews were briefed on the target and at 0930, all began their take-offs. Two squadrons were put up this day, flying high and low formations off of the 44th Bomb Group at Shipdham. The mission went orderly until the IP where heavy clouds were encountered for start of the bomb run.
MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: German Report #KU3468, Hqs Mainz-Finthen, reported the crash of this plane near the village of Stipshausen, (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen around 1300 hours, 2 December, and prisoners taken in the same area. The prisoners were transferred to Dulag-Luft West at Oberursel on 4 December for processing.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: Sgt. Miller, one of the surviving members gave a brief report on this loss, accounting that the plane was hit by enemy fighters with the Flight Engineer being killed then and the remaining crew men including Lt. Astleford (later found dead), bailing out of the stricken plane without much difficulty with the ship then afire. Sgt. Miller stated also that Lt. Astleford was alive when exiting the ship, but later the Germans showed the survivors this Officer's jacket and said he was dead in the plane from wounds. Another survivor, Lt. Hamann, also confirmed that the only crew member who did not bail out successfully was the Flight Engineer, Sgt. Crabbe, who was killed in-flight about ten minutes after the target when their plane came under attack and they left formation. Lt. Hamann also related that German guards told the survivors that one of our crew had been killed by civilians, and that a German boy had showed him personally a parachute which was that of Lt. Astleford. It was Hamann's supposition that the Navigator had been shot after bail out landing as he tried to escape capture.
BURIAL RECORDS: No MACR record indicates burial of the two deceased crew men in German plots. U.S. National Overseas Cemetery records indicate the following: Astleford (Grave B-28-l9) in the ARDENNES Cemetery near Liege, awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and Purple Heart; Crabbe (Grave A-10-10) also at the ARDENNES plot,awarded an Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. There is no notation in this U.S. burial record that Sgt. Crabbe was awarded the Purple Heart.
The "ALFRED IV" crew
1st/Lt. William F. Davis Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charlie A Stanley Co Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charles E. Astleford Navigator KIA
2nd/Lt. Lloyd A. Hamann Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. William J. Carroll Radio Op. POW
T/Sgt. Charles W. Crabbe Engineer
KIA
S/Sgt. Robert R. Jones Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Gordon D. Joslin Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Joseph R. Miller Gunner POW
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Squadron: 577th BS 392th Bomb Group
Service #
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot 1st/Lt. William F. Davis POW
Target:BINGEN Germany
MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #11141
Date Lost: 2-Dec-44
Serial Number: #42-94961
Aircraft Model B-24
Aircraft Letter: "Z-Plus"
Aircraft Name: "ALFRED IV" 43rd Mission
Location: (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen
Cause: German fighters Crew of 9 2KIA 7POW
This day would go down in the 392nd's history as one of the roughest missions ever flown in terms of aircraft and aircrew casualties. It would be the highest attrition the Group would ever suffer through the remaining missions of World War II. It was also ironic that the evening of this date, the 200th mission party celebration for all Enlisted Men of the 392nd was planned. At 0515 and 0640 hours, (18) aircrews were briefed on the target and at 0930, all began their take-offs. Two squadrons were put up this day, flying high and low formations off of the 44th Bomb Group at Shipdham. The mission went orderly until the IP where heavy clouds were encountered for start of the bomb run.
MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: German Report #KU3468, Hqs Mainz-Finthen, reported the crash of this plane near the village of Stipshausen, (5) kilometers southwest of Rhaunen around 1300 hours, 2 December, and prisoners taken in the same area. The prisoners were transferred to Dulag-Luft West at Oberursel on 4 December for processing.
INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES: Sgt. Miller, one of the surviving members gave a brief report on this loss, accounting that the plane was hit by enemy fighters with the Flight Engineer being killed then and the remaining crew men including Lt. Astleford (later found dead), bailing out of the stricken plane without much difficulty with the ship then afire. Sgt. Miller stated also that Lt. Astleford was alive when exiting the ship, but later the Germans showed the survivors this Officer's jacket and said he was dead in the plane from wounds. Another survivor, Lt. Hamann, also confirmed that the only crew member who did not bail out successfully was the Flight Engineer, Sgt. Crabbe, who was killed in-flight about ten minutes after the target when their plane came under attack and they left formation. Lt. Hamann also related that German guards told the survivors that one of our crew had been killed by civilians, and that a German boy had showed him personally a parachute which was that of Lt. Astleford. It was Hamann's supposition that the Navigator had been shot after bail out landing as he tried to escape capture.
BURIAL RECORDS: No MACR record indicates burial of the two deceased crew men in German plots. U.S. National Overseas Cemetery records indicate the following: Astleford (Grave B-28-l9) in the ARDENNES Cemetery near Liege, awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and Purple Heart; Crabbe (Grave A-10-10) also at the ARDENNES plot,awarded an Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. There is no notation in this U.S. burial record that Sgt. Crabbe was awarded the Purple Heart.
The "ALFRED IV" crew
1st/Lt. William F. Davis Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charlie A Stanley Co Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charles E. Astleford Navigator KIA
2nd/Lt. Lloyd A. Hamann Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. William J. Carroll Radio Op. POW
T/Sgt. Charles W. Crabbe Engineer
KIA
S/Sgt. Robert R. Jones Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Gordon D. Joslin Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Joseph R. Miller Gunner POW
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