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Crew 52 - Assigned 754th Squadron - October 1943 |
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2Lt B.E. Ballard Crew (L-R) |
Standing: Roland Johnson - B, Harry Bengry - CP, B.E. Ballard - P, Eugene Singer - N, James Lewis - TG.
Kneeling: Raymond Rice NTG (3/E), Victor Krueger - BTG, Ralph Kracker - WG, James Nemeth RO, Edwin Sowles - TTG/E
(Photo: B.E. Ballard)
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Crew 52 - Shot down March 6, 1944 (MACR #3350) |
| Name |
Pos |
Status |
Date |
Notes |
|
2Lt Beverly E. Ballard, Jr. |
P |
POW |
6 Mar 1944 |
Stalag Luft I |
|
2Lt Harry S. Bengry, Jr. |
CP |
KIA |
6 Mar 1944 |
Buried U.S. |
|
F/O Eugene J. Singer |
N |
POW |
6 Mar 1944 |
Stalag Luft III |
|
2Lt Roland W. Johnson |
B |
POW |
6 Mar 1944 |
Stalag Luft I |
|
S/Sgt Edwin E. Sowles |
TT/E |
KIA |
6 Mar 1944 |
Buried U.S. |
|
S/Sgt James Nemeth |
RO |
KIA |
6 Mar 1944 |
Margraten |
|
Sgt Raymond D. Rice |
NTG |
POW |
6 Mar 1944 |
Stalag Luft IV |
|
Sgt Ralph C. Kracker |
WG |
POW |
6 Mar 1944 |
Stalag Luft IV |
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Sgt Victor W. Krueger |
BTG |
EVD |
6 Mar 1944 |
Evaded capture |
|
Sgt James N. Lewis |
TG |
POW |
6 Mar 1944 |
Stalag Luft IV |
This was the first combat mission for the Ballard crew. They also flew on the February 25, 1944 diversionary mission towards the coast of Holland in support of Big Week.
MACR 3350: Interrogation of crew of Burton M. Bush, pilot, on 6 March 1944 revealed: "Saw one of our ships feather No. 3 engine over target. Dropped down to about 10000 last we saw of him. Under "K" was a "G" - fuselage J-4 (Think)." Lt. Ballard was flying on that day in A/C 450 [42-52450] with a letter "G".
Sgt Victor Krueger: "The pilot had set the autopilot, but it must have clicked out for some reason because the bomber went out of control and started to spin. With the other gunners in the rear, I was thrown about and it was a terrible struggle to get to the hatch. In the end I managed to reach it. But I think I must have struck my head against the side because the next thing I knew I was coming to as the parachute was opening. I don't remember pulling the ripcord. Excerpt: Target Berlin Mission 250: March 6, 1944
Sgt Krueger evaded capture for the next 14 months with help from the Dutch underground.
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Crew 52 Missions |
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Date |
Target |
A/C Serial |
RCL |
SQDN |
A/C Name |
458th Sortie # |
Pilot Msn # |
Notes |
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25-Feb-1944 |
DUTCH COAST |
42-52450 |
-- |
Z5 |
UNKNOWN (if any) |
D2 |
-- |
DIVERSION |
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6-Mar-1944 |
BERLIN/ERKNER |
42-52450 |
G |
Z5 |
UNKNOWN (if any) |
4 |
1 |
SHOT DOWN |
Compiled from 458th formation plans
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Memorial in Holland |
A memorial to this crew and two RAF crews has been erected [for some time] on the Kanaaldijk, near Purmerend, Noord-Holland, on the initiative of Mr. Just Kroon from Purmerend, who has had contact with some of the families of the three crews of the aircraft which crashed within 1 km of it. The Ballard Crew plaque from this memorial is shown below.
The page can be seen at this link:
207 Squadron Royal Air Force Association - Lancaster ED554 EM-Q The Healey Crew.
Note: B-24 shown is not from the 458th BG |
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