The Northrop crew was assigned to the 754th Squadron at the end of May 1944.  Their time with the 458th was short lived.  They flew their first combat mission to bomb the airfield at Evreux/Fauville in France on June 12th.  Their second mission was flown two days later on the 14th.  Their target was the rocket emplacement (No Ball site) in Domleger, France.  On this mission Sgt Joseph Risko suffered frostbite and was hospitalized for several days, as Risko recalled later, "My heated suit went out on me and I froze both my ears, right hand, and my left shoe had a short which slightly burned my foot.  I was put in a hospital ward and grounded for six days.".  On June 17th, Northrop’s crew was scheduled to hit the airfield at Bourges, but the mission was scrubbed.

On June 18th the crew took off in Rhapsody In Junk to hit the airfield at Fassberg, Germany.  On this flight, the 754th’s Armament Officer, 1Lt William J. Brodek, assigned himself as a waist gunner on Northrop’s crew.  The Continent was overcast that day which prevented the lead aircraft from locating the target.  Passing Hamburg, the 458th started taking heavy anti aircraft fire.  Rhapsody In Junk  took hits in the number one and number four engines which soon became useless.   Flying on only two engines, there was no way to maintain their position in formation and they were forced to drop out and head for home.  Orders were given to jettison all excess weight and the bombs were jettisoned.  One of the bombs, which had been armed, still hung in the bomb bay.  Co-pilot Dee Butler, with the use of a length of rope, lowered Thomas Jeffers, the bombardier and Jeffers was able to kick the bomb out.

After a short time number three engine failed and the crew realized they wouldn’t be able to stay in the air much longer.  Nearing Kiel the crew came under intense anti aircraft fire again which put additional holes in the aircraft.  Miraculously none of the crew had been wounded.  Northrop hit the bail out bell and the crew began to depart.  S/Sgt Harold Flaugher, a tall man, was terrified of jumping, fearing that his parachute would not hold him.  Butler, realizing that time was growing short, pushed Flaugher out the open bomb bays and then followed him out. 

All ten men left the plane and all ten chutes opened.  The officers were quickly rounded up by the Germans and loaded into a truck which contained a black wooden coffin. They were taken to a nearby warehouse where they were directed to a covered body laying on the floor.  Even though S/Sgt Flaugher’s chute had opened, he did not survive the jump.  The four officers noted that he had a heavy bruise on his right temple and his chest was crushed.  Since Butler had seen Flaugher’s open chute, they believed that he had been killed either by striking some structure in his decent to the ground or by incensed German civilians after he had landed.  Their belief in the latter was strong enough to initiate a war crimes investigation after the war into Flaugher’s death, but no one was ever brought to trial. 

With Flaugher being so fearful of jumping, it is most likely that he pulled the ripcord immediately upon laving the ship, causing the chute to open prematurely and propel him into one of the B-24’s low twin rudders.  The blow to his head and chest would have killed him instantly, but if this is what truly happened is not known.  The four officers were directed to remove Flaugher’s personal effects and place his body in the coffin.  The rest of the crew along with Lt. Brodek was soon brought in and they all climbed aboard the truck and took Flaugher’s body to a nearby German military cemetery where they were told to leave their friend for burial. 

The officers and enlisted were eventually split up with the officers sent to Stalag Luft III and the enlisted to Stalag Luft IV, there to spend the next ten months as prisoners of war.

Sgt Joseph Risko, still recovering from frostbite, did not accompany the crew on the June 18th mission.  He flew the remainder of his missions with several other crews, completing his tour on November 5, 1944.

MACR 5908:  Six crews report LT NORTHROP left formation in vicinity or NEUMINSTER, GERMANY at approximately 1020 hours.  He made a 180 degree turn and headed east.  Only visible reason for action was smoke from #1 engine.  He was last seen under control entering undercast.  One crew reported hearing A/C believed to be #733 calling for Air Sea Rescue about 1100 hours over North Sea.  This report was checked and discounted -- as it was another A/C with similar call sign.  Last report is that A/C #733 is believed to have made Sweden.

2Lt Thomas F. Jeffers, bombardier:  On the 17th our crew was assigned to fly in our new plane (#106) to France on a morning mission.  The flight was "scrubbed" because of bad weather while we were taxiing out.  We had the Squadron Armaments Officer riding with us because one of our gunners had received a bad case of frostbite, and he wanted to ride along as gunner.  Unfortunately, when the mission was called again in the afternoon, Lt. Brodek decided that he didn't want to go, and as a consequence, Lt. Morley's crew was sent out in #106 in our place.  Morley was lost in #106 and we were lost the next day flying the oldest and most war weary #733, Rhapsody In Junk.  Two of our engines quit at once near Hamburg, we lost altitude, were hit by flak at low altitude, lost a third engine and finally had to bail out.  Our flight engineer was killed and the rest of our crew spent the rest of the war in POW camps.  Some of the enlisted men walked across Northern Germany from 5 February until 8 May 1945 when met by British troops.

                                                                                              Mission list compiled from 458th records

Northrop's crew flew this aircraft on their last mission

Photo: George Reynolds

World War II Diary of Thomas F. Jeffers

Thomas F. Jeffers
2nd Lt. A.C in England
Started June 4, 1944

Left the United States on April 27th, 1944 flying as bombardier on crew in B-24 H airplane.

Pilot- Henry H. Northrop
Batavia, N.Y.

Co-pilot – Dee J. Butler
Ogden, Utah

Navigator – Frank Deimel
Chicago, IL

Engineer Harold J. Flaugher
Bloomdale, Ohio

Radio Operator – Lawrence E. Dean
Kingsport, TN

Armorer Gunner - Joseph Risko
Detroit, MI

Nose Turret Gunner – Alexander Caidenas
Corpus Christi, TX

Ball Turret Gunner – Jack Gonzoles
Sacramento, CA

Tail Turret Gunner
Charles E. Clifford
Los Angeles, CA

We left Topeka, Kansas the morning of April 27th arriving in Manchester, New Hampshire at Grenier Field that night. Visited Brockton next night and then flew out of Grenier the morning of the twenty-ninth arriving at Goose Bay, Labrador that afternoon.  Stayed overnight at Goose Bay and left next night for Meeks Field, Iceland.  Had a nice trip flying over an overcast almost all the way. Had to stay in Iceland for two and one half days due to weather but managed to leave finally & again flew over an overcast most of the way landing in Nutts Corner on Lough Neagh in Northern Iceland on May 3, 1944.

It was on this leg of our trip that a crew went down and I lost one of friends from Big Spring.  Bill Carpenter of Marshall, Texas.  He went down just short of our goal & within sight of Scotland.

It seemed strange in Iceland to have daylight up until about one o’clock in the morning and darkness for only a few hours.  One loses all semblance of time in such a place.

We stayed overnight in Nutts Corner and were robbed blind losing even our airplane among many other things.  Went to Lorne above Belfast & the next day spent the night in a British camp & took the ferry across the Irish Sea to Strausoer, Scotland and then took a train to Stowe, England just North of Birmingham & Coventry.

We stayed about a week in Stowe in which time I managed to go flat broke shooting crap & playing Black Jack.  I have now given up gambling.

After getting a shot of tetanus at Stove we made the same trip back through Strauroer & Lorne back to Northern Ireland.  Seemed pretty damn silly to us.

We went to a combat crew replacement center on the other side of Lough Neagh only a few miles from Nutts Corner.  Tried to visit Tom’s sister in Londonderry while I was there but could get no farther than Cookstown, so I had to give up & call her from there.  We had quite a pleasant conversation on the phone & I promised to write to her.

After taking a training course in Northern Ireland we were flown back to England & are now assigned to the 754th Bomb Squadron of the 458th Group 96th wing and second Division of the A.A.F in the European Theatre of Operations.

We are now stationed at Horsham-St. Faith, a former R.A.F. base just outside of Norwich England.

We haven’t been assigned to an operational mission for some reason or other as yet.  We have been here nine days now.  I hope I can soon get started so I may be home before my baby is born.

June 4th

I received fourteen letters today mostly from Phil which made me very happy.  She claims she is feeling  fine for which I am very glad.

Also had several letter5s from mom, Lorraine, Bob Glaudino & Gene also one from Donald which amused me very much.  We had a practice mission scheduled this afternoon, but it was scrubbed due to an operational coming up.  That made me very happy as I don’t have a lot to do on these practice missions but go along for the ride.  Wrote several letters tonight.  Wrote up my log * played checkers with Dee for awhile & am now going to hit the sack.  Hope my wife is feeling okay tonight.  I sure miss her.

June 5th

Not much doing today.  W weren’t even scheduled for a practice mission.  Went to ground school for awhile & had the enlisted men a little sore because I didn’t show up to take them out to shoot skeet.  I’m not the only officer on the crew, and I needed a haircut badly.  First one since Iceland.  Went to a movie tonight and there are all kinds of rumors that tomorrow will be D Day.  May be, who knows.  Had to wash some long handles last night (by hand) and they aren’t dry yet.  It’s a rough life.  Wrote my honey, Lorraine & Don & so to bed.

June 6, 1944

It looks like the rumors were true.  Today was D Day after all and for some unexplained reason our crew and a couple of the other crews in our squadron, Red Morley’s and Hank Newell’s spent the day on the ground.  In the years to come,  we can tell our children that we spent D Day sitting on our butts getting fat while other men were out fighting and dying.  The weather has set in now and if it doesn’t clear up over night, the boys in France are going to have a rough time tomorrow without any heavy bomber air support.  Jerry has been sending over all kinds of propaganda all day and it is really good.  I guess it is designed to get on our nerves.  They have beyond a doubt the best program over here.  Hank spent the day on his hands & knees begging for a ship, without results.  We have lots of rumors today, chiefly that the 30 mission tour is canceled & we are all indefinitely restricted.  It is hard to believe but is okay with us if we can attain some results that way.  J.P., L.R. Dee & I went to the movies tonight. Spring Fever. Very Good.

June 7, 1944

No mail from my honey today, but then no one on the crew got any.  I read in the paper that Major Clark Gable as completed his military mission and is to return to civilian life.  Wonder how that was arranged.  Dee & I went into Norwich tonight & went to a British Vaudeville Theatre.  Boy, it was strictly corn.  The chorus is the original beef trust, also went to a dance at the Lido & stayed maybe fifteen minutes.  Didn’t even bother to dance, & left fast.  Probably this was our first & last visit to town.

June 8, 1944

No mission again today but Hank is scheduled for one tomorrow so maybe we’ll get something soon. Heard on the news that the Luftwaffe is getting a little more active over France, so may be we’ll begin to get some rough opposition soon.  Seems like they are getting mad about the invasion now.  Have to hit the sack soon as I‘m keeping everyone awake with the light on.  I sure miss my honey tonight. Love, I guess. G’nite honey.

June 9, 1944

Not a damn thing today & nothing scheduled for tomorrow either.  I’m getting pretty tired of sitting on the ground.  I guess it would make Phil happy if she knew.  Hank Hier bought a bike yesterday.  It was stolen today. Nice fellas here.

June 10

Not a damn thing today.  Didn’t even go to a movie. Saturday night too.  I can’t see these English towns, no entertainment possibilities at all.  Just dry as hell.

June 11

Scheduled for a mission today but were scrubbed.  I expect we’ll get off tomorrow okay though and it’s about time  J.P. and Les went yesterday & passed the outskirts of Paris on the way back.  They could have landed on the Flak.  Going down to the Pub with Frank tonight & throw darts.  Oh joy, what fun.  No movie again today.

June 12, 1944

Went on our first mission today to Eureux-Fauville, France, just west of Paris.  We were unable to find our group at assembly point so went over with the 466th.  After hitting the target, our own group went over just below us so we peeled off & joined them for the trip back.  We dropped 24 250 lb. Demolition bombs and the three groups really plastered that field.  Flak was pretty rough & had us jumping around a little on the way back.  The lads that aim those guns are pretty sharp.  We were low on gas coming back & I sweated out the landing more than the mission.

June 13

Scheduled for a mission today but it was scrubbed.

Just as well too because it was a hell of a long one. Scheduled tomorrow too so am hitting the old bed a little early.  Did my laundry, took a bath & talked about Ohio with Red Morley the rest of the evening.  Rumor has us flying close to Berlin tomorrow.

June 14

Didn’t go to Berlin today but hit the Rocket coast.  Dropped 500 lb (?) on a supply dump for the New Rockets at the Village of Damleger near Abbeville.  The flak was terrific on  the bomb run & it seemed Jerry didn’t want us to pound that dump.  The Germans fired one rocket last night across the channel, and as a result the whole second division hit them today.  I’ll bet they are sorry.  Colonel said the projectile fired weighed 12,000 pounds.  That’s as big as one of our railway tank cars. & it is claimed it left a crater 200 feet across where it hit.  We were scheduled for another mission this afternoon but it was scrubbed while we were being briefed.  I was very happy about that too, as it was to a Paris airfield and the Flak would have been terrific.  Also Jerry is known to have 350 fighters in that area.  We got a little dent in the nose from Flak today, but it was Newell’s first mission & he got seven holes.  Risko got frostbitten today when he lost his right glove.  I fixed him up as best I could with Sulfa-diozene ointment & it did pretty good I guess , because he’ll only be in the hospital for a couple of days.  We went over to see him & he calls me ”Mr Hero.” Gee.   Dee to go on a big one tomorrow. France again I guess.

June 15

Went to see Risko today & his hand is okay.  He’ll be out tomorrow. Had another mission scheduled but it was scrubbed again. Not much today.

June 16

Scheduled and scrubbed again today.  Sure having a rough job getting some missions in.  Risko is out of the hospital today and will be ready to fly tomorrow.  Red’s plane got a hole in the wing over Paris yesterday & did he  scream.  All we’ve had so far is a dent in the nose turret and that’s enough for me.  Flak is pretty accurate in France.  Luckily there isn’t much of it.  Got a mission scheduled tomorrow hope it’s not scrubbed.

June 17

Supposed to go to airfield at Bourges with some 500 (?) but as usual it was scrubbed.  This time just as we started to taxi.  Going to try again tomorrow.  Red & the rest of the boys went somewhere this afternoon & aren’t back yet.  We weren’t scheduled for that one.  All we get are those that are to be scrubbed I guess.  Maybe we’ll get off tomorrow.  Oh yes, we can now wear a bronze star on  our ETO ribbon.

22 June, 2001

We did fly a mission the next day, June 18, 1944 & unfortunately got shot down over the Kiel Navy yard in Germany.  All bailed out and spent the rest of the war in a German prison camp.

                                                                      T.F. Jeffers

Harold Flaugher was killed on this last mission.  I visited his family in Ohio upon my return.

                                                                        T.F.J.

Undated photo showing Liberators over Kiel, Germany

Lt Northrop's German POW Identity Card

Courtesy: Marilyn Walton

Courtesy Marilyn Walton

Lt Butler's sketch from Stalag Luft III of the moment when he found out he was a father

Courtesy: Marilyn Walton

Sgt Risko completed his tour in November 1944

Photo: Marilyn Walton

Killed in action, June 18, 1944

Photo: Marilyn Walton

It was a Sunday morning when my sister heard the flak and shortly thereafter an airplane approached with a lot of noise.  We stood at the back door of our house and looked with fear at the burning airplane.  Directly above us the door of the airplane opened, and a man jumped out.  The parachute opened, and he sailed above the big house in the direction of Braupholz. We could hear as the airplane dove and hit the ground nearby, and then it was dead quiet.  Our mother was not at home.  She was at church as were many of our neighbors, because it was Sunday, and there was a funeral service for Karl Hans Grot,  whose airplane had crashed in Lithuania on May 14, 1944 during a training exercise. His brother Theodore had died in Russia in Aug. 1943.  Three confirmed, Helmet Nissen, George Jensen and Kathi Hansen still remember the approaching crashing airplane.  They thought it would hit the church.  The man who jumped from the airplane with his parachute was unhurt and landed on Shlon-kjee Kier, which belonged to the farmer, Peter Trahn.  The meadow next to that belonged to Nikolaus Claussen, and he was mowing. He approached the soldier and took him to his house and gave him some coffee to drink. Police officer Wittenburg from Norderbraup came and took the soldier prisoner.  The prisoner was taken to Suderbraup, and then he was fetched by German soldiers. The plane crashed in a wood near Blick/Braupholz. It almost crashed onto the house of the family Ericksen who lived in Blick. The mother shrieked, “Get out, get out,” and they all threw themselves onto the ground. Her cows that were grazing on a meadow near the woods stampeded and disappeared in panic. They were seriously injured in the barbed wire fence.

Our grandfather who was draining a meadow had to throw himself down to the ground. The burning airplane flew over his head. Grandfather Dietz was a master baker in Wagerschrott. As soon as he had time, he worked on our farm, as our father was a soldier in Norway. The burning 4-engine plane drilled itself deep into the floor of the forest. For quite awhile, we could hear explosions and saw smoke.

My sister and I saw this later on too when we went to the crash site.  It was a veritable migration to the crash site. Everything was picked up that was lying around—tin, aluminum and plexiglass. The crash site was secured and watched over by police and soldiers. A tent was erected where the guards slept. (This was reported by Eliza Ericksen.) The wreck of the airplane was totally dismantled. The four engines were dug out of the ground. When the guards left everything was gathered lying around aluminum strips. etc.

The plexiglass of the pilot’s cabin was used for jewelry and for magnifying glasses. The father of the refugee family living on the Ericksen farm used the plexiglass to make bowls and other kitchen gear. The planes that flew attacks on German cities (Kiel) originated in England.  Our area was transversed on the way back to North England. That’s why several planes crashed here. The plane which crashed in Blick was shot down by flak in Barklesbee. There are crash sites in Blick and other cities. On the north grave yard in Kiel are many solider (military graves partly with name and date of death).  The crash site in Blick you can still see today. You can see the four indentations which the engines left. Ernst Hansen showed us the crash site. It is the forest that belongs to Thiesen Rugge. At the one end of the forest is the Bruckner house. Still many people left today can talk about the crash. There are those who are 70 years old, FO Jahninge, Ernst Hanse, Hans-Ludierg Peterson, and our current mayor, George Hansen.

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Photos: Marilyn Walton

Lt Col Stephen Hogan's Humvee in Iraq

Photos: Marilyn Walton