The 44th Bomb
Group was to fly in support of the airborne
forces. It was imperative that the ground forces
gained a crossing of the Rhine and the support
to them came in the form of supplies that were
dropped in an area WNW of Wesel, on the east
bank of the Rhine. To assure accuracy, this drop
was made at rooftop height and without machine
guns for protection. The decision was made not
to shoot at opposition on the ground as we might
hit friendly troops.
Sgt Cordes his
crew was made up of:
2Lt Max E.
Chandler, Pilot from Monticello, Indiana
F/O Hugh X. O’Donnell, Co-pilot from
Brooklyn, New York
2Lt Robert T. Dantzler, Navigator from
Birmingham, Alabama
Sgt Thomas H. Cordes, Nose Turret from Oradell,
New Jersey
Sgt Sarkice T. Nedder, Engineer from Hyde Park,
Massachusetts
Sgt Eugene L. Elliott, Radio Operator from
Hartford, Connecticut
Sgt Louis J. DeBlasio, RW Gunner from Brooklyn,
New York
Sgt Thomas W. Clark, LW Gunner from Hutley, New
Jersey
Sgt Robert D. Vance, Tail Turret from Empire,
Ohio
Their aircraft, B24 #42-50896 nicknamed,
SOUTHERN COMFORT III, was flying as number three
in second squadron of a force, re-supplying
paratroopers at very low altitude The drop zone
was in an area over 2 miles WNW of Wesel. At
1314 hours the aircraft was observed to lose
control momentarily, struck the ground and came
back up to about 100 feet, under control. It
flew along for about 90 seconds, then the right
wing dipped and struck the ground, causing it to
pinwheel, hit the ground again and disintegrated
as it started to burn.”
Sgt. Richard V.
Lynch stated later to the intelligence officers:
“I was flying nose gunner on Lt. Lee’s aircraft,
I-Bar 193. We were flying at approximately 300
feet and dropped our supplies at 1314 hours.
Immediately after this, I noticed number four
engine on R-Bar 896, Lt. Chandler’s ship, begin
to smoke and then noticed the plane hit the
ground with its belly and bottom part of the
rudders, then bounce up into the air and
maintain level, controlled flight at
approximately 100 feet – for about a minute and
a half.
The plane, then
apparently out of control, banked sharply to the
right with the right wing hitting
the ground and continued to revolve to the right
in a clockwise direction, pivoting on the right
wing tip and ending up skidding along on its
belly, 180 degrees to our path of flight. The
plane
started to burn immediately as it hit the ground
and I was unable to determine whether or not
there were any survivors.”
Incredibly, two
of the crew survived this crash.
Sgt. Vance
stated in his interrogation later: “Immediately
after dropping our supplies, we were under
intense small arms fire. Sgt. DeBlasio, Sgt.
Clark and myself were in the waist section. Sgt.
Clark was standing between the ball turret well
and the bomb bay, while DeBlasio and myself were
standing at the waist windows. Shortly after
this, we heard a rather large explosion and
right after that, we noticed flames in the bomb
bay. We heard nothing over the interphone nor
did we call the pilot. Sgt. DeBlasio and myself
laid down on the flak suits lying on the floor
in the waist of the ship. I don’t remember
anything after this until I woke up some time
later. (It was determined the time to be several
hours later near 1730 hours) We were lying on
some straw beneath a wagon. There were German
civilians all around us and they had bandaged my
head and also DeBlasio’s head. He had a deep cut
over his right eye, a badly bruised arm, etc.
The people seemed friendly and did not show any
signs of wishing to do us harm.”
DeBlasio stated
that he had a broken arm and eventually lost his
left eye. He had his pistol hidden
under his chest pack but it was found and taken
by the civilians who discovered them. They
treated the wounds of both of these men before
loading them onto a wagon and taking them to a
German hospital in a nearby town.
After eight
days of being a POW, the two men were liberated
by the 2nd U.S. Armored Division.
DeBlasio remained at the hospital on the
continent for treatment, while Vance, who had
received
head wounds and a fractured arm, was soon
returned to Shipdham.
The 44th Bomb
Group lost another plane today. B24 #42-100314
of the 67th Squadron crashed around the same
time as the Southern Comfort III. This plane was
flown by 1Lt Leonard J. Crandell.
Sgt Thomas
Cordes
is buried at Margraten American Military
Cemetery, Plot K Row 7 Grave 15.
In 1975, the
town of Oradell build a VFW Hall and named it
after Thomas H. Cordes. The town also named a
street after him; Cordes Court.
Thomas Cordes
commemorated in Cordes Court in Oradell, New
Jersey. (Picture courtesy of
Mr. George Carter)
In September
2001, Sgt DeBlasio and family members of the
crews that were shot down on March 24, 1944
visited the crash site. At that occasion this
plaque was unveiled at the town of Hamminkeln.
(picture courtesy
of Mrs. Susan Alexander)
