Crew 2 - Assigned 752nd Squadron - October 14, 1943

(Photo: AFHRA)
Crew 2 - Completed Tour
Rank | Name | Serial # | Pos | Date | Status | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capt | Elwood T Claggett | 024997 | Pilot / Cmd Pilot | Dec-44 | CT | Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross |
F/O | Gunnar H Stromsborg | T1906 | Co-pilot | Aug-44 | CT | Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross |
2Lt | Shepherd L Shelton | 0800779 | Navigator | 30-Jul-44 | TRSF | TD AAF 143 - 2BD Inst School |
2Lt | Richard R Biegel | 0682414 | Bombardier | 18-Apr-44 | TRSF | Trsf to 93BG w/Crew 14 |
T/Sgt | David E Wilkinson | 38113973 | Radio Operator | 17-Aug-44 | UNK | Mission Load List AZON11 |
T/Sgt | Edward J Murphy | 32373228 | Flight Engineer | 12-Jul-44 | UNK | Mission Load List #89 |
Pvt | William R Proteau | 20135410 | Duty Soldier III | 08-Apr-45 | RFS | USSAF MF6158 trsf EM Inf Reinf Trng |
S/Sgt | George Mack | 34035595 | Aerial Gunner, 2/E | Aug-44 | CT | Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross |
S/Sgt | David C Hunter | 11049104 | Armorer-Gunner | Aug-44 | CT | Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross |
S/Sgt | James J Fitzpatrick | 31181504 | Armorer-Gunner | 12-Jul-44 | UNK | Mission Load List #89 |
Crew 2 under 1Lt Elwood Claggett trained
in the fall/winter of 1943 with the 752nd Squadron in Tonopah, NV. In
early January 1944 they flew B-24H-15-FO 42-52364 via the Southern Route to
England and to the 458th's base at Horsham St. Faith. The aircraft they brought over went
on to the 445th Bomb Group and was lost on February 24, 1944 on the mission to Gotha, Germany during "Big Week".
Crew 2 flew eleven missions including seven lead missions, with Claggett as their pilot. He then became a command pilot, flying with various pilots in the group. It is not known who took over Crew 2, but a likely candidate was 1Lt Kenneth N. Gorrell, the pilot of Crew 15. On the first combat mission the 458th flew on March 2, 1944, Gorrell crashed on takeoff. Seven of the crew were killed. Of the three remaining crew, the engineer became a ground crewman, the radio operator was interned in Switzerland in May, and Gorrell completed a number of additional missions before being transferred to HQ 458th.
On June 29, 1944 four of the enlisted men, Edward Murphy, George Mack, David Hunter, and James Fitzpatrick flew a mission to Aschersleben, Germany with Gorrell as the pilot. Their aircraft took a flak hit and smoke filled the cockpit. The navigator and nose turret gunner bailed out before the fire was put out. The rest of the crew made it safely back to base. The navigator was captured and the nose gunner was murdered by a German official.
It is assumed that most of the crew completed their tour of 30 missions at some time in July 1944, but records are incomplete.
Capt Elwood T. Claggett completed 30 missions and stayed with the 752nd Squadron through October 1944.
F/O Gunnar H. Stromsborg, co-pilot, and S/Sgt George Mack, top turret gunner, both received the DFC in August 1944.
2Lt Shepherd L. Shelton, navigator, was sent to AAF 143 and the 2nd Bomb Division's Inst School.
2Lt Richard R. Biegel, bombardier, was transferred to the 93rd Bomb Group with 1Lt Burton O. Bush and Crew 14.
Sgt William R. Proteau, tail gunner, was reclassified as an Airplane Armorer (MOS 911) in June 1944 and reduced to the grade of Private. He stayed with the group until April 1945, when he was transferred for training in the infantry.
Capt Elwood Claggett Missions
Date | Target | Pilot | 458th Msn | Pilot Msn | Cmd Pilot | Ld | Serial | RCL | Sqdn | A/C Msn | A/C Name | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10-Feb-44 | Non-Ops Mission | Claggett | -- | ACC | 42-100431 | B | J4 | -- | Bomb-Ah-Dear | Taxiing Accident Sta 123 | ||
24-Feb-44 | DUTCH COAST | CLAGGETT | D1 | -- | 41-28706 | -- | J4 | D1 | DREAM BOAT/SPARE PARTS | Diversion Mission | ||
25-Feb-44 | DUTCH COAST | CLAGGETT | D2 | -- | FEILING | L1 | 42-100311 | -- | 7V | D2 | YOKUM BOY | Diversion Mission |
02-Mar-44 | FRANKFURT | CLAGGETT | 1 | 1 | LaROCHE | L2 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 1 | YOKUM BOY | |
08-Mar-44 | BERLIN/ERKNER | CLAGGETT | 5 | 2 | LaROCHE | L2 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 4 | YOKUM BOY | |
16-Mar-44 | FRIEDRICHSHAFEN | CLAGGETT | 8 | 3 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 5 | YOKUM BOY | |||
23-Mar-44 | OSNABRUCK | CLAGGETT | 12 | 4 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 7 | YOKUM BOY | |||
09-Apr-44 | TUTOW A/F | CLAGGETT | 18 | NTO | 42-100311 | A | 7V | -- | YOKUM BOY | LaROCHE WAS TO FLY | ||
18-Apr-44 | BRANDENBURG | CLAGGETT | 22 | 5 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 11 | YOKUM BOY | |||
20-Apr-44 | SIRACOURT | CLAGGETT | 24 | 6 | HENSLER | L2 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 13 | YOKUM BOY | |
22-Apr-44 | HAMM M/Y | CLAGGETT | 25 | 7 | FREEMAN | D1 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 14 | YOKUM BOY | McQUAID (LEAD NAV?) |
24-Apr-44 | LEIPHEIM A/F | CLAGGETT | 26 | 8 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 15 | YOKUM BOY | |||
24-Apr-44 | LEIPHEIM A/F | CLAGGETT | 26 | 8 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 15 | YOKUM BOY | |||
25-Apr-44 | MANNHEIM A/F | CLAGGETT | 27 | 9 | FREEMAN | D2 | 42-109812 | D | 7V | 12 | UNKNOWN 016 | |
27-Apr-44 | BONNIERES | CLAGGETT | 29 | 10 | CHAMBERLAIN | D1 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 16 | YOKUM BOY | 2ns NAV - NOSAREWSKI |
27-Apr-44 | BLAINVILLE-SUR-L'EAU | CLAGGETT | 30 | 11 | 42-100311 | A | 7V | 17 | YOKUM BOY | |||
21-Jul-44 | MUNICH | SLATON | 96 | 12 | CLAGGETT | L1 | 42-50768 | A | Z5 | 2 | ARISE MY LOVE COME w/ME | |
02-Aug-44 | 3 NO BALLS | 101 | 13 | CLAGGETT | L3 | -- | GH | RE | -- | 93BG/329SQ | 93BG PILOT & CREW | |
07-Aug-44 | GHENT | HAYZLETT | 107 | 14 | CLAGGETT | D1 | 42-95118 | E | 7V | 13 | ALFRED V (Trnsf to 392BG) | |
11-Aug-44 | STRASBOURG | URBANIAK | 110 | 15 | CLAGGETT | L2 | 42-50499 | F | 7V | 6 | COOKIE/OPEN POST | |
25-Aug-44 | LUBECK | LAMERS | 118 | 16 | CLAGGETT | D1 | 42-50516 | B | Z5 | 4 | STARDUST | |
27-Aug-44 | FINOW | LOCKRIDGE | 121 | 17 | CLAGGETT | L3 | 42-50516 | B | Z5 | 5 | STARDUST | MSN CREDIT NOV |
09-Sep-44 | MAINZ | BENO | 124 | 18 | CLAGGETT | L2 | 42-50768 | A | Z5 | 10 | ARISE MY LOVE COME w/ME | |
11-Sep-44 | MAGDEBURG | LOCKRIDGE | 126 | 19 | CLAGGETT | L2 | 42-50768 | A | Z5 | 11 | ARISE MY LOVE COME w/ME | |
03-Oct-44 | GAGGENAU | VERMEIREN | 127 | 20 | CLAGGETT | L1 | 42-95557 | E | 7V | 1 | LADY PEACE | |
07-Oct-44 | MAGDEBURG | ALLEN, G | 130 | 21 | CLAGGETT | L4 | 42-50740 | F | J3 | 2 | OUR BURMA | |
12-Oct-44 | OSNABRUCK | BLUM | 132 | 22 | CLAGGETT | L2 | 42-50864 | B | J3 | 8 | JOLLY ROGER (II?) | |
15-Oct-44 | MONHEIM | BLUM | 134 | 23 | CLAGGETT | L3 | 42-50575 | E | J3 | 2 | UNKNOWN 020 | |
22-Oct-44 | HAMM | ROBERTS, J | 137 | 24 | CLAGGETT | L2 | 42-50502 | G | J3 | 12 | LARRUPIN' LINDA | |
30-Oct-44 | HARBURG | BLUM | 139 | 25 | CLAGGETT | L2 | 42-50740 | F | J3 | 5 | OUR BURMA | |
02-Nov-44 | BIELEFELD | HALE | 140 | 26 | CLAGGETT | D1 | 42-95557 | H+ | J3 | 9 | LADY PEACE | |
05-Nov-44 | KARLSRUHE | MORFORD | 142 | 27 | CLAGGETT | D1 | 42-95610 | D+ | J3 | 3 | UNKNOWN 037 | |
09-Nov-44 | METZ AREA | HATHAWAY | 145 | 28 | CLAGGETT | L | 42-50504 | D | 7V | 12 | UNKNOWN 019 | |
16-Nov-44 | ESCHWEILER | ANDERSON | 147 | 29 | CLAGGETT | L | 42-50499 | U | J3 | 16 | COOKIE/OPEN POST | |
25-Nov-44 | BINGEN | LOCKRIDGE | 149 | 30 | CLAGGETT | L2 | 42-51939 | A+ | J3 | 7 | UNKNOWN 028 |
February 10, 1944
DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT
The pilot received orders from Group Operations to ferry aircraft B-24J #2100431
to Watton for modification. En route to the take-off position, the
pilot taxied off of the perimeter strip in the soft ground with the
right main landing gear. At this point, the pilot tried to bring the
aircraft onto the perimeter strip by the use of throttles. The
resulting shearing action caused the nose wheel main leg strut to break
causing the collapse of the nose wheel.
It was also discovered in
later investigations, that a flaw existed in the tube fork of the nose
gear assembly. An Unsatisfactory Report (Form 54) was submitted by the
Sub-Depot concerning this defect.
The pilot and failure of
material were responsible for the accident. It is recommended that
hereafter, when any airplane at this station taxi's off of either the
runway or the perimeter strip, that the engines be stopped and the
airplane towed out by a tug.

B-24J-90-CO 42-100311 7V A Yokum Boy
