Operation: Dresden (Mission #957), Germany

Date: 17th April 1945 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 327th Bombardment Squadron (H), 92nd Bombardment Group (H), 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force

Type: B-17G

Serial No: 44-8903

Code: UX:G

Location: Dippoldiswalder Heide area, Germany

Base: Podington (Station #109), Bedfordshire, England

Pilot: 1st Lt. Arthur Henry Huether O-2065004 AAF Age 28. PoW *

Co Pilot: 2nd Lt. Frank Knighton Jones O-779881 AAF Age 23. PoW *

Navigator: FO. James J. Sussman T-135008 AAF Age? KiA

Radio Operator: T/Sgt. Robert R. Bon 16116511 AAF Age? KiA

Engineer: T/Sgt. Owen Alfren Olson 37558132 AAF Age 22. KiA

Nose Gunner: S/Sgt. Maurice James Brookhouse 39468592 AAF Age 19. KiA

Ball Turret Gunner: S/Sgt. Elwood Frank Johnson 38548454 AAF Age 22. KiA

Tail Gunner: S/Sgt. Joseph Dolar O’Hara 35708563 AAF Age 19. KiA

One of the two Waist Gunners were removed from crew complements starting on the 7th June 1944 and then both from 23rd February 1945.

* Unknown PoW Camp

REASON FOR LOSS:

B-17G 44-8903 was one of 32 aircraft, 3 flying reserves and 4 pathfinder aircraft detailed from the 92nd Bombardment Group (BG) that took off from Podington on the morning of the 17th April 1945 on a mission to bomb the Friedrichstadt marshalling yards in Dresden, Germany.

The lead aircraft of the BG could not see the target because of the cloud cover and ordered a turn of 360 degree turn to starboard (right) and to descend 6500 ft from their altitude of approximately 19600 ft to get under the cloud base.

At the beginning of the turn, B-17G 44-8903 was flying to the right (starboard) and higher than B-17G 43-39110. The pilots of the two aircraft were unaware that they were on a collision course until the starboard (right) propellers of B-17G 43-39110 tore into the lower front fuselage of B-17G 44-8903. Both aircraft broke up resulting in parts of the aircraft being scattered over the sky.

The aircraft wreckage fell to earth in the Dippoldiswalder Heide area, 14 km south of Dresden and about 4 km to the north of Dippoldiswalde itself.

Of the eight crew aboard the B-17G 44-8903 only Pilot, 1st Lt. Huether and Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt. Jones managed to parachute to safety from the exploding aircraft.

Burial Details:

Above: Grave marker for FO. Sussman (Courtesy of Dominique Potier – FindAGrave)

FO. James J. Sussman. Air Medal (Oak Leaf Cluster), Purple Heart. Ardennes American Cemetery Plot C, Row 14, Grave 20. Husband to Marion A. (née Minutillo) Sussman of Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA.

Above: Grave marker for T/Sgt. Bon (Courtesy of Dominique Potier – FindAGrave)

T/Sgt. Robert R. Bon. Air Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Purple Heart. Ardennes American Cemetery Plot C, Row 18, Grave 9. Son of Reiner Bon of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Husband to Margaret M. Bon of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

Above: Grave marker for T/Sgt. Olson (Courtesy of and in memory of the late Steve Edquist – FindAGrave)

T/Sgt. Owen Alfren Olson. Air Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters). Repatriated and interred at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota on the 19th December 1949. Born on the 18th March 1923 in Pennington County, Minnesota. Son to Duen A. and Jeanette M Olson of Goodridge, Minnesota. Husband to Delores M. Olsen of Goodridge, Minnesota, USA.

Above: Grave marker for S/Sgt. Brookhouse (Courtesy of and in memory of the late columbiagypsy – FindAGrave)

S/Sgt. Maurice James Brookhouse. Air Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters). Repatriated and interred at the Saint Peter’s Parish Cemetery, The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon. Born on the 6th February 1925 in The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon. Son of William (deceased in November 1931) and Johanna Josephine (née Shelly) of The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon, USA.

S/Sgt. Elwood Frank Johnson. Air Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters). Repatriated and interred on the 25th January 1950 in a joint grave with 1st Lt. Reinhold R. Hoffman and FO. E.J. ‘Pete’ Pruitt at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri. Born on the 3rd September 1922 in Kenedy, Karnes County, Texas. Son of Oscar Lewis and Olga Maria Johnson of Manor, Texas, USA.

Above: Grave marker for S/Sgt. O’Hara (Courtesy of Dominique Potier – FindAGrave)

S/Sgt. Joseph Dolar O’Hara. Air Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters). Ardennes American Cemetery Plot C, Row 11, Grave 4. Born on the 16th June 1925 in Bardstown, Kentucky. Son of John Joseph and Charlotte A. (née Norris) O’Hare of Bardstown, Kentucky, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew.

Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them. Franklin Delano Roosevelt