The 755th Squadron was activated on July 28, 1943 at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho.  Crew 65 was the second crew to be assigned on July 29, 1943.  Squadron records show 1Lt Robert H. Hannaman as pilot, but at some point shortly after arriving at Horsham St. Faith, the crew was turned over to 2Lt Robert V. Whitlow.  Whitlow is shown as pilot on some early movement orders, but when the crews flew overseas in January 1944, he is listed as an Operations Officer and flew as a passenger with another crew.  Whitlow is credited with 30 combat missions flown, the first on March 2, 1944 to Frankfurt, Germany (the group's first mission) and the last on August 1, 1944 when the 755th Squadron hit targets of opportunity in France.  1Lt Hannaman had been shot down a little over a month before while flying with the Perkinson Crew on their second mission.

Nothing is known of Sgt Austin R. Stirrat.  It is very probable that he was replaced shortly after the group arrived in the European Theater, as his name shows on movement orders dated January 12, 1944, but he is not mentioned further in the 458th records.  Of the available loading lists, there are two different gunners listed in place of Stirrat - S/Sgt Oscar J. Crowley (from Crew 61) on the March 6, 1944 raid on Berlin; and S/Sgt Clarence Leonard on the April 22, 1944 mission to the marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany.

After his tour was complete, Captain Whitlow volunteered for a stint with the 2nd Scouting Force.  He flew a P-51 Mustang ahead of the bomber formations and reported weather conditions over the planned route. 

DATE

TARGET

PILOT

458th Msn #

Pilot Msn#

Cmd Pilot

LD

Serial

RCL

Sqdn

A/C Msn #

A/C Name

MIA

Notes

02-Mar-44

FRANKFURT

WHITLOW

1

1

41-28720

N

J3

1

UNKNOWN 004

05-Mar-44

BORDEAUX/MERIGNAC

WHITLOW

3

2

SULLIVAN

D2

42-100366

B

Z5

3

MIZPAH

06-Mar-44

BERLIN/ERKNER

WHITLOW

4

3

OLLUM

D2

42-100311

A

7V

3

YOKUM BOY

15-Mar-44

BRUNSWICK

WHITLOW

7

4

OLLUM

D2

42-100425

D

J3

2

THE BIRD

16-Mar-44

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN

WHITLOW

8

5

JAMISON

L2

42-100433

B

J3

4

BIG DICK HARD TO HIT

21-Mar-44

WATTEN, near ST. OMER

WHITLOW

10

6

WRIGHT

D1

42-100425

D

J3

3

THE BIRD

26-Mar-44

BONNIERES

WHITLOW

14

7

42-100407

A

J3

4

LITTLE LAMBSY DIVEY

27-Mar-44

BIARRITZ

WHITLOW

15

8

HINCKLEY

D2

42-100407

J3

5

LITTLE LAMBSY DIVEY

08-Apr-44

BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM

WHITLOW

17

9

42-100425

D

J3

6

THE BIRD

10-Apr-44

BOURGES A/F

WHITLOW

19

10

JAMISON

L2

42-100365

B

7V

11

WOLFGANG

22-Apr-44

HAMM M/Y

WHITLOW

25

11

42-100433

B

J3

11

BIG DICK HARD TO HIT

26-Apr-44

PADERBORN A/F

WHITLOW

28

12

FEILING

L1

42-100407

A

J3

9

LITTLE LAMBSY DIVEY

HANDWRITTEN

01-May-44

MARQUISE/MIMOYECQUES

WHITLOW

32

13

HINCKLEY

D1

42-110172

D

Z5

3

UNKNOWN 017

NIXON - LEAD NAV

07-May-44

OSNABRUCK

WHITLOW

36

14

42-110059

E

J3

11

PAPPY YOKUM

09-May-44

ST. TROND

WHITLOW

38

15

OLLUM

L

42-110059

E

J3

12

PAPPY YOKUM

FARMER - LEAD NAV

11-May-44

EPINAL

WHITLOW

39

16

42-110059

E

J3

13

PAPPY YOKUM

EARLY RETURN ATTACKED TGT OPP

12-May-44

BOHLEN

WHITLOW

40

17

OLLUM

L

42-100433

B

J3

20

BIG DICK HARD TO HIT

24-May-44

VILLEROCHE, near MELUN

WHITLOW

46

18

FEILING

L1

42-110059

E

J3

14

PAPPY YOKUM

KING - LEAD NAV

28-May-44

ZEITZ

WHITLOW

49

19

42-100407

A

J3

19

LITTLE LAMBSY DIVEY

GRIBI - LEAD NAV

02-Jun-44

STELLA/PLAGE

WHITLOW

53

20

42-110059

E

J3

16

PAPPY YOKUM

06-Jun-44

COASTAL AREAS

WHITLOW

56

21

42-110059

E

J3

17

PAPPY YOKUM

MISSION #1

11-Jun-44

BLOIS

WHITLOW

62

22

42-110059

E

J3

18

PAPPY YOKUM

14-Jun-44

DOMLEGER

WHITLOW

65

ABT

WILLIAMSON

L

42-110059

E

J3

--

PAPPY YOKUM

ABORT - OIL LEAK #1 ENG

17-Jun-44

TOURS

WHITLOW

68

23

JAMISON

L1

42-110059

E

J3

19

PAPPY YOKUM

19-Jun-44

REGNAUVILLE

WHITLOW

71

24

42-110059

E

J3

20

PAPPY YOKUM

MISSION #1

21-Jun-44

BERLIN

WHITLOW

75

25

FEILING

L1

42-110059

E

J3

21

PAPPY YOKUM

24-Jun-44

ST OMER

WHITLOW

79

26

BOOTH

L1

42-110059

E

J3

23

PAPPY YOKUM

MISSION #3

05-Jul-44

LE COULET, BEL A/F

WHITLOW

84

27

42-100433

B

J3

31

BIG DICK HARD TO HIT

12-Jul-44

MUNICH

WHITLOW

89

28

42-110059

E

J3

25

PAPPY YOKUM

17-Jul-44

3 NO BALLS

WHITLOW

92

29

JAMISON

L1

42-110059

E

J3

26

PAPPY YOKUM

25-Jul-44

ST. LO AREA "B"

WHITLOW

98

30

LaROCHE

L1

42-110059

E

J3

30

PAPPY YOKUM

01-Aug-44

T.O.s FRANCE

WHITLOW

100

31

OLLUM

L1

42-110059

E

J3

31

PAPPY YOKUM

                                                                                                    Mission lists compiled from 458th records

               Capt Robert V. Whitlow - Pilot                             1Lt William C. Rowland - Co-Pilot

    T/Sgt James R. Holman - Flight Engineer                 T/Sgt Ernest J. Hutchins - Radio Operator

    2Lt William C. Lawrence- Bombardier                 S/Sgt Walter R. Newbury - Top Turret Gunner

1Lt Robert D. MacGeorge - Navigator                 S/Sgt Edward J. Mickey - Nose Turret Gunner

The following information and photos reproduced here is from Fighting Scouts of the Eighth Air Force 1944-1945 by E. Richard Atkins with his very kind permission.

The 2nd Scouting Force, under the command of Lt Col John A.  Brooks III, was formed in August 1944.  As a seasoned bomber leader, Lt Col Brooks had long been aware of the problems associated with assembling a bomber stream and getting it to the target and back, even under the best of conditions.  He was all too familiar with the havoc that weather wrought in every aspect of the operation and had often spoken of using fighters as Scouts.  Early in 1944 he had the opportunity to assist in assembling Wings and an entier Air Division, using the P-47 as his platform, and became convinced that Scouting was a must.  He began to lobby 2nd Air Division headquarters for such a force.  About that time, Bud Peaslee opened the door with General Doolittle and Col Brooks wasted no time in assuring that the 2nd Scouting Force would exist and that he would lead.

When Captain Whitlow completed his tour with the 458th he joined the 2nd Scouting Force as its Operations Officer.

Captain Robert V. Whitlow with his P-51D "Hi Nell"

26 NOVEMBER MISSION

On 26 November 1944, the 2nd Scouting Force. led by Captain Bob Whitlow, was engaged in one of the fiercest air battles ever encountered by the 8th Air Force.  The battle is described from the viewpoint of the Scouts.  The official log for 26 November 1944 summarizes this deadly mission with the following words: 

Mission 37  26 November 1944  2AD F.O. 529 Target: Bielefeld, Misburg

Captain Moore led twelve ship force.  Captain Moore's radio went out and Captain Whitlow assumed lead.  Advised Misburg 1/10 covered plus very effective smoke screen.  Bielefeld 10/10 covered.  Bombing fair to good to unobserved.  A large gaggle of FW 190's (200 plus) observed N of IP.  E/A split into two sections; fighter escort appeared to go after one section of 75 to 100.  The remainder of E/A attacked the last box of B-24's in waves, line abreast from 10-11 o'clock high.  Scouts top flight intercepted 2nd wave of E/A and lead flight intercepted 3rd wave.  Encounter lasted approximately thirty-five minutes.  Claims were 6-1-2.  Lt Whalen accounting for three [destroyed], Lieutenant Ceglarski for one, and Captain Whitlow two.  Lt Miller got one probable and one damaged.  And Lt Marmon [is credited with] one damaged.  It is believed that [the] Scouts prevented more serious bomber losses.  In [a] commendation received at 2206, Gen Kepner, CG 2AD, said "My personal commendation for your excellent results on today's mission."

AS BOB WHITLOW REMEMBERS THE MISSION

"On the 26 Nov 44 mission I remember so very vividly, we (the Scouts) had just finished watching the bomb impacts on the target and we were taking up a generally parallel course to the B-24's, as they had swung away from the target toward the west and generally homeward from their bombing run.  We were maybe 2,000 feet above and perhaps one-half mile to the south and east, a little behind the stream.  We had been going along routinely for a short while when a frantic distress call from the last group of B-24's was received.  Backing up maybe 20 minutes, the B-24's had been under fighter attack just before they entered the flak zone, which always surrounded a prime target and always accompanied any bombing run.

"The assigned Fighter Escort Squadrons had intercepted the FW-190's and were scattered all over the sky on the pre-strike side of the target in pursuit to destroy the attacking FW-190's, leaving the post-strike bombers naked.  Because of our mission, we stayed with the bombers to observe the strike impacts, which is why we were the only fighters in the area when a follow-up and major FW-190 attack of around 100+ aircraft began.  We turned roughly perpendicular to the stream, but didn't reach it before the first of the 190's came through.  I'll never forget the sight of those 10-12 bombers and 5-6 FW-190's aflame and falling out of the formation, just like hits in a covey of quail.  We met the 190's coming off their attack run, and it broke up their re-grouping pattern, causing a couple of circles with those 190's.  We went up, over and across the bombers and met the second wave of attackers just before they got to the stream.

"Again we created chaos in their attack, and the whole thing degenerated into individual battles.  The Scouts had eight P-51's there, manned by six fighter pilots and two ex-bomber types.  We were hardly a match for the 100+ FW-190's, but I always thought our being there and on the offensive was the decisive factor, as we took them totally by surprise and they panicked.  I had punched my stop watch when we turned into the 190's.  My recollection is a couple of whirls with the first wave as they came off the bombers, then up and across the stream into the second wave of attack, breaking that up with maybe a few follow-up swirls, then individual pursuit.  When it all cleared, I repunched the timer and 36 minutes had transpired with only my wing man now visible and alonside in my sky.

"Obviously a lot happened I don't recall.  Today I think of it as maybe a 10-minute episode.  Later, gun camera film confirmed six kills for the Scouts including two air-to-air victories for me; but at the time I was just happy to turn for home, buzz the water at Framlingham as was my custom, and just get home."

Captain Whitlow displays his two victories from November 26, 1944