He was also stationed at
Salt Lake City, Utah, Ephrata, Washington and
Gieger Field, Washington.
He was sent overseas on
October 26, 1943. He served as a radio operator
and gunner with the 527th Bomb Squadron, 379th
Bomb Group.
Not much is known about his time with the 379th
BG.
On January 30, 1944, the crew participated in a
mission to bomb an aircraft factory in
Braunschweig, Germany.
His crew consisted of:
1Lt Donald E. Winter, pilot
2Lt Joseph W. Wiley, co-pilot
2Lt George H. Anderson, Navigator
2Lt Edmund J. Torpey, Bombardier
S/Sgt Richard C. Kausch, Radio operator
Sgt John R. Fitzgearl, Top Turret Gunner
S/Sgt George A. Gardner, Ball Turret Gunner
Sgt Alfred R. Falls, Right Waist Gunner
S/Sgt James C. Underwood, Left Waist Gunner
S/Sgt Floyd E. Hart, Tail Gunner
Lt
Winter's crew: Back row (L to R): George A.
Gardner (Ball Turret Gunner), James C. Underwood
(Waist Gunner), Hubert L. Crook (Waist Gunner -
Did not fly with this crew on the 30 January
mission. He flew with another crew but was also
shot down and killed), Richard C. Kausch (Radio
Operator), Paul Melcom (Flight Engineer/ Top
Turret - Paul did not fly on this mission due to
illness. He went on to complete his tour with
another crew and returned to the US), Floyd E.
Hart (asst Engineer).
Kneeling (L to R); Donald E. WInter (Pilot),
Kenny Thomas (Co-pilot), George Anderson
(Navigator), Edmund Torpey (Bombardier). Picture
Courtesy of Gene.
On the way back, the
bombers were attacked by German fighters who
were sent up to intercept them. One source
states that Unteroffizier Franz Schilling, of
7./JG26, attacked a straggling bomber which he
shot down. It was his first shoot down. The
plane crashed north of Bergen aan Zee.
This was Richard's B17. It
crashed near the town of Schoorl, on the Dutch
coast, near the Pirolavlakte. The whole crew was
killed in the crash.
Richard is buried at the
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Plot B
Row 4 Grave 19.
