Operation: Oschersleben, (Mission #182), Germany

Date: 11th January 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit No: 322nd Bombardment Squadron (H), 91st Bombardment Group (H), 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force

Type: B-17G Chief Sly’s Son

Serial No: 42-31076

Code: LG:X

Location: Schemde near Steinfeld, Oldenburg, 11¼ km (7 mls) SW of Diepholz, Germany

Base: Bassingbourn (Station #121), Cambridgeshire, England

Pilot: 2nd Lt. J.C. Page O-745165 AAF Age 23. PoW *

Co Pilot: 2nd Lt. Thomas Clinton Butler Jr. O-751094 AAF Age 23. KiA

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Lawrence Joseph Lynch Jr. O-809667 AAF Age 26. PoW *

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. William Stevenson O-744513 AAF Age? PoW *

Engineer: S/Sgt. Arthur Roger Ginder 17032855 AAF Age 24. KiA

Radio/Op: Sgt. Albert Joseph Malcos 36611038 AAF Age 22. PoW **

Ball Turret: Sgt. Arlie Otis Wotring 35743598 AAF Age 21. PoW **

Right Waist Gnr: Sgt. Charles Finney Brokke 39542565 AAF Age 28. PoW **

Left Waist Gnr: Sgt. James Perry Allred 34450481 AAF Age 29. PoW **

Tail Gnr: Sgt. Warren Alpheus Oliver Jr. 33524574 AAF Age 22. PoW **

* Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang, today situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

** Stalag 17B Krems-Gneixendorf near Krems, Austria.

Above: 2nd Lt. Thomas Clinton Butler Jr. (Courtesy of Richard Bills)

REASON FOR LOSS:

On the 11th January 1944 the Chief Sly’s Son took off from Bassingbourn to join a force of 174 bombers, of which the 91st BG contributed 31 B-17s, to bomb the AO Flugzeugwerke (Fw190 manufacturing plant), Oschersleben in Germany.

The Chief Sly’s Son troubles started about 20 mins prior to reaching the target when 20mm cannon fire started a small fire in the left wing fuel tanks. The fire remained small until after bombs away and the formation began to lose altitude and then began to grow.

The aircraft then came under heavy attack from enemy fighters and became difficult to control. The bale out was ordered and all the gunners and the navigator abandoned the aircraft at about 15,000 ft.

S/Sgt. Ginder was hit in the head and killed during these attacks. 2nd Lt. J.C. Page and 2nd Lt. Lynch Jr. rolled him out of the aircraft and deployed his parachute on a static line.

2nd Lt. Page, 2nd Lt. Butler and 2nd Lt. Stevenson were near the nose hatch just as the aircraft exploded at about 11:25 hrs due west of Dummer Lake. 2nd Lt. Page and 2nd Lt. Stevenson were blown clear but 2nd Lt. Butler’s body was later found in the aircraft wreckage at Schemde near Steinfeld, Oldenburg, 11¼ km (7 mls) SW of Diepholz, Germany.

The Chief Sly’s Son was the 5th Fortress lost by the 91st.

Those that successfully baled out were all captured at or near Steinfeld between 13:15 hrs and 13:30 hrs the same day.

Burial details:

2nd Lt. Butler and S/Sgt. Ginder were initially buried on the 13th January in the PoW Cemetery at Vechta in Oldenburg, Plot Nos 250 and 151 respectively. Both were recovered and reinterred at the Ardennes American Cemetery.

2nd Lt. Thomas Clinton Butler Jr. Purple Heart. Relocated to Plot D, Row 4, Grave 41 at the Ardennes American Cemetery. Born on the 23rd December 1912 in Red Top, Young County, Texas. Son of Thomas Clinton and Della Mae (née Smith) Butler. Husband to Doris Christine (née Newman) Butler of Wichita Falls, Texas, USA.

S/Sgt. Arthur Roger Ginder.Repatriated and laid to rest at the in Section ‘Last Supper’, lot 54A, Grave 3, Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. Born on the 26th November 1919 in Gallatin, Daviess County, Missouri. Son of Claude Ervin and Ora Margaret (née Smith) Ginder of Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, USA.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew. Thanks to Richard Bills, the nephew of 2nd Lt. Thomas Clinton Butler Jr., for his photograph. (Dec 2023).

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