Pilot 2nd Lt.
James J. Brodie,
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Lloyd O. Vevle
Navigator 2nd Lt. George M. Hawkins
Toggelier S/Sgt. Byron L. Atkins
Top Turret Gunner S/Sgt. Robert D. Crumpton
Radio Operator T/Sgt. Donald W. Dooley
Ball Turret Gunner Sgt. Gordon E. Hetu
Waist Gunner Sgt. Harry A. Liniger
Tail Gunner Sgt. Wilfred F. Miller
Nothing is known
about this crew until their final mission on 28
September 1944. The 384th Bomb Group flew their
mission #201 to the Oil Plant at Magdeburg,
Germany. The Brodie crew flew B-17 42-31222
“Lazy Daisy” BK-D. What was unusual is that the
crews of the 384th only flew with one waist
gunner, a situation that would be adopted by
other bomb groups only late in the war, when the
superiority of the Allies had been firmly
established and the German luftwaffe no longer
posed the threat it once did. The CO of the
384th, General Dale O. Smith, tried out several
new tactics to improve the group's performance
and one of the measures he took was the removal
of one of the waist gunners. As this did not
work out the way he intended, he reversed the
other later.
The 1st
Bombardment Division, of which the 384th was
part, sent 417 B-17’s to the Primary target, an
oil plant. Due to the weather, only 23 aircraft
found the target, while 359 bombed the city
itself, and 35 attacked targets of opportunity.
The 1st Division lost 23 B-17’s over or near the
city to enemy fighters. Seven escort fighters
are also lost.
From the account written by Lt. Wallace Storey
we have learned the following: “Being the third
Group in the Wing we were fortunate not to be as
heavily attacked as the other two Groups, but
what happened led to confusion as we bombed the
target. Flak was extremely heavy that day and
the Wing had been somewhat disrupted by the
heavy opposition. We found ourselves on a
crossing course with another Group and just
after “bombs away” the lead ship made a sharp
descending right turn.
Our high element,
being on the inside of this steep turn, had to
move quickly by reducing power while climbing
slightly. Glancing to my right, I saw “Lazy
Daisy” was sliding toward me. I pulled back on
the control column to climb out of her path
while keeping my eye on the # 2 ship of the lead
element, Lt. Buslee in #378 (43-37822), on whose
wing our element was flying. I yelled for Gross
to watch out for him to come out on the other
side and, sure enough, he slid under us and
right into Buslee in the lead element. I watched
the two planes as they collided. It cut #378 in
half and the wings on #222 folded up and both
planes fell in a fireball. There were 18 men
lost in those two ships.”
Sgt Miller, the tail gunner, Sgt Liniger, waist
gunner and Navigator 2Lt George Hawkins managed
to get out of the stricken plane. The rest of
the crew died.
S/Sgt Crumpton
and 2Lt Brodie are buried at Margraten. 2Lt
Velve is buried at Ardennes American Cemetery in
Belgium. S/Sgt Atkins, T/Sgt Dooley, Sgt Hetu
were all returned to the United States for
burial there.
S/Sgt Robert Crumpton is listed on the Ennis
Monument. he is listed under Gold Star on
Tabernacle Baptist Church Honor Roll in Ennis;
S/Sgt Robert Crumpton is buried at Margraten
American Military Cemetery, Plot E Row 19 Grave
22.
(picture used by
permission from
www.jacklummus.com)
Staff
Sergeant