Operation: Hof (Mission #932), Germany

Date: 8th April 1945 (Sunday)

Type: B-17G

Serial: 44-8547

Code: 2G:?

Unit No: 836th Bombardment Squadron (H), 487th Bombardment Group (H), 3rd Air Division, 8th Air Force

Base: Lavenham (Station #137), Suffolk

Location: Near Heinersgrün, some 12 km (7½ mls) NE of Hof

Pilot: 1st Lt. Leon Ross Milner O-777532 AAF Age 25. KiA

Co-Pilot: 1st Lt. Tony Owen Bamberg DFC, O-796762 AAF Age 25. KiA (1)

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Edward Haskell Sherman Jr O-2071921 AAF Age 28. KiA

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Elmer Joseph Schramm O-782902 AAF Age 21. KiA

Engineer: Sgt. Irving Bellow 16107126 AAF Age 19. PoW *

Radar Operator: 1st Lt. Stanley Joel Wechsler DFC, O-707463 AAF Age 22. PoW *

Radio Operator T/Sgt. John Adrian Jackson DFC, 38412381 AAF Ag 21. PoW *

Waist Gunner: Sgt. Bobby Jene Bullion 18200140 AAF Age 20. PoW * (2)

Tail Gunner: FO. Clement Edward Swan T-5264 AAF Age 21. KiA (3)

* Unknown Camp

Above left to right: 1st Lt. Leon R. Milner (Courtesy of The Sunday Herald 10 September 1944); 1st Lt. Tony O. Bamberg (Courtesy of the American Air Museum); Sgt. Irving Bellow (Courtesy of Senn High School – 1943).

2nd Lt. Elmer J. Schramm (Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 10th April 1944); FO. Clement E. Swan. (Class Book, Advanced Pilot Class 44-F, Douglas Army Air Field, Arizona, June 1944, courtesy of Chris McDoniel)

REASON FOR LOSS:

B-17G 44-8547 took-off from Lavenham in Suffolk as the lead aircraft in the Low Squadron on a mission to bomb the important marshalling yards at Hof in Germany. There was a little but very accurate Flak over the target.

About one minute after dropping its bombs B-17G 44-8547 took a direct hit from Flak near the right wing.

It went into a gradual dive to the right with the fire spreading along the wing into the engines. At this time three (3) parachutes were seen. The aircraft flew straight for a few minutes and then entered into a tight spiral diving turn. During this time four (4) more parachutes appeared before the aircraft exploded at about 12:30 hrs. The aircraft wreckage crashed near Heinersgrün, some 12 km (7½ mls) NE of Hof.

1st Lt. Wechsler, before he himself baled out or was blown out of the nose hatch, saw 1st Lt. Milner, 1st Lt. Bamberg, 2nd Lt. Sherman and 2nd Lt. Schramm on the catwalk between the nose and the cockpit, all of whom did not appear to be injured. He knew nothing of FO. Swan who was in the tail.

1st Lt. Wechsler was knocked unconscious and when he regained his senses he was too busy in opening his parachute to see if anyone else had followed him out of the hatch.

Sgt. Bullion, in the waist position, reported that he could not see FO. Swan because the thick smoke. Sgt. Bellow, in the top turret, thought he saw a direct Flak hit to the tail section as he saw part of the vertical tail was missing.

(1) 1st Lt. Bamberg was the acting Co-Pilot and Observer on this mission.

(2) Bobby Jene Bullion was born on the 1st June 1924 in Glen Rose, Somervell, Texas. Bobby passed away on the 4th February 1994 Weslaco, Hidalgo, Texas.

Above: Courtesy of The Monitor, dated 6th February 1994

(3) Flight Officer (FO) Swan was the normal Co-Pilot for this crew but took the position of Tail Gunner.

Burial details:

Those that perished where initially buried in the Mausoleum in Frankfurt. Their remains were recovered on the 24th September 1952 and could not be individually identified.

1st Lt. Leon Ross Milner. Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (AM (OLC)). Repatriated and interred in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Section 84, Grave 308, 309, 310, St. Louis County, Missouri on the 30th April 1953. Born on the 1st March 1920 in Wellington, Carbon County, Utah. Son of Arnel Seaton and Pearl (née Hamblin) of Milner of Provo, Utah. Husband to Barbara (née Payne) Milner of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

1st Lt. Tony Owen Bamberg. Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Cluster (AM (2OLC)). Repatriated and interred in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Section 84, Grave 308, 309, 310, St. Louis County, Missouri on the 30th April 1953. Born on the 14th April 1920 in Alton, Sioux County, Iowa. Son of Lorenz Nicolas and Mary Beatrice (née Kain) Bamberg. Husband to Edna Jarrett (née Ringham) Bamberg of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

2nd Lt. Edward Haskell Sherman. Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (AM (OLC)). Repatriated and interred in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Section 84, Grave 308, 309, 310, St. Louis County, Missouri on the 30th April 1953. Born on the 9th June 1917 in Boston, Massachusetts. Son of Samuel William and Celia (née Hoffman) Sherman. Husband of Fay (née Hoffman) Sherman of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

2nd Lt. Elmer Joseph Schramm. Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (AM (OLC)). Repatriated and interred in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Section 84, Grave 308, 309, 310, St. Louis County, Missouri on the 30th April 1953. Born on the 5th March 1923 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Son of Anton (deceased in Feb 1940) and Elizabeth M. (née Cavacean) Schramm of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA.

FO. Clement Edward Swan. Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (AM (OLC)). Repatriated and interred in a group burial at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery Section 84, Grave 308, 309, 310, St. Louis County, Missouri on the 30th April 1953. Born on the 27th June 1923 in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado. Son of Clement Garrett and Ruth K (née Vermillion) Swan. Husband to Jean (née Harris) Swan of Los Angeles, California, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew (Mar 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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