Operation: Berlin (Mission #327), Germany

Date: 29th April 1944 (Saturday)

Unit No: 332nd Bombardment Squadron (H), 91st Bombardment Group (H), 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force

Type: B-17G Queenie

Serial No: 42-31353

Code: LG:Q

Location: Hottengrund, Kladow, Berlin, Germany

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

Pilot: 1st Lt. James Francis Purdy Jr. O-804503 AAF Age 28. KiA (1)

Co Pilot: 2nd Lt. John Pridgeon Gatfield O-749223 AAF Age 19. PoW *

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Paul Peter Bunchuk O-747076 AAF Age 25. PoW *

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. John Raymond Welch O-754857 AAF Age 34. PoW *

Radio/Op: S/Sgt. Emile (Emilio) Bianchi 11105903 AAF Age 23. PoW **

Engineer: T/Sgt. William Otto Fischer 35400877 AAF Age 26. KiA (1)

Ball Turret: S/Sgt. Louis Saint Carusello 33617904 AAF Age 20. KiA (2)

Right Waist Gnr: S/Sgt. George Leonard Johnson 39282205 AAF Age 20. Died (3)

Left Waist Gnr: S/Sgt. Donald Raymond Itschner 39325983 AAF Age 21. PoW Unknown Camp

Tail Gnr: S/Sgt. Raymond Anton Rybarski 36639706 AAF Age 21. KiA (1)

* Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland. (Moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser, Bavaria).

** Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow, Pomerania, Prussia now Poland (Moved from Stalag Luft 6 Heydekrug. Moved to Wöbbelin near Ludwigslust and then to Usedom near Swinemünde).

Above: Image of B-17G 42-31353 'Queenie' by William D "Bill" Pulliam, 91st Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: '91 BG winter 43, Bassingbourn.' (Courtesy of the American Air Museum)

REASON FOR LOSS:

B-17G Queenie took off from Bassingbourn on the morning of the 29th April 1944 to join a force of 679 B-17s and B-24s on a mission to bomb Berlin, Magdeburg and Brandenburg in Germany.

A total of 63 bombers, 38 B-17s and 25 B-24s were MiA on this date. The 447th BG, lost 11 bombers, the heaviest losses on a single operation during WW2.

An eye witness from another bomber reported the circumstances leading to the loss of Queenie. He described that the aircraft was over the target area at bombs away and a burst of flak hit the right wing cutting out a big section and setting the wing on fire. The aircraft then peeled out of formation and one parachute came out. It then went into a spin and after dropping about 1000 ft it exploded. After the explosion three parachutes were seen floating down.

The wreckage fell to earth at Hottengrund, Kladow in Berlin.

Aboard the aircraft 2nd Lt. Welch reported that about 15-20 seconds after #3 engine was hit by flak the aircraft almost immediately entered a clockwise spin which ripped off the nose section back to the cockpit, the right wing to #3 engine and tail section to the rear door.

2nd Lt. Welch was thrown clear when the nose section detached. 2nd Lt. Bunchuk, S/Sgt. Bianchi, S/Sgt. Itschner and S/Sgt. Johnson were a reported to have been thrown clear of the disintegrating aircraft. 2nd Lt. Gatfield baled out at 500 ft and was captured a few minutes after he landed close to where the aircraft crashed.

2nd Lt. Banchuk, 2nd Lt. Welch, S/Sgt. Blanchi and S/Sgt. Itschner were all captured in the Babelsberg Forst (Forest) at around 13:30 hrs.

(1) German records document that one body was recovered from the wreckage but was not initially identified as the identity discs was missing. However, 2nd Lt. Gatfield was later shown the identity discs and escape photographs for S/Sgt. Rybarski. The remains were taken to the Reserve Lazarett (Hospital) 101 at the Olympisches Dorf, Berlin. There are no records as to where this body was initially buried.

The Reserve-Hospital was located at venue for the 1936 Summer Olympic Games which is some 13 km (8 mls) NE of the crash site.

There are no German records that document the recovery or burial of 1st Lt. Purdy Jr. and T/Sgt. Fischer. It is not known if any remains had actually been recovered and have yet to be identified. Both remain listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery.

(2)The body of S/Sgt. Carusello was recovered from the wreckage and buried at the Neue Kriegsgefangenen-Friedhof Döberitz-Elsgrund (the New Prisoner of War cemetery Döberitz-Elsgrund), in Field 2, Row 14, Grave 8 on the 8th May 1944 at 09:00hrs

(3) There are some conflicting recollections as to whether S/Sgt. Johnson was thrown clear of the aircraft when it exploded or baled out too low for his parachute to fully deploy. Either way he suffered a complicated fracture to his upper left femur and was taken to the Luftwaffen Lazarett (Hospital) (o) 1/III Berlin-Reinickendorf.

S/Sgt. Johnson died of his wounds on the 4th June 1944 at 04:10 hrs. The cause of his death was recorded as being from a combination of his complicated fracture, Scarlet Fever and Sepsis.

He was initially buried at the Neue Kriegsgefangenen-Friedhof Döberitz-Elsgrund', in Field 2, Row 12, Grave 12 at 10:00 hrs that day.

Burial details:

Above Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery.

Above: Notice of Loss in Action for 1st Lt. James Francis Purdy Jr. (Courtesy of The Morning Call, Dated 17th November 1945)

1st Lt. James Francis Purdy Jr. Air Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters). Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery. Born on the 12th October 1915 in Little Falls, New Jersey. Son of Mr & Mrs James Purdy of Newark-Pompton Turnpike, New Jersey, USA.

T/Sgt. William Otto Fischer. Air Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Purple Heart. Tablets of the Missing, Netherlands American Cemetery. 3rd December 1913 in Columbus, Ohio. Son of Otto John and Francis A. (née Seilersdorfer) Fischer of Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Above: Grave marker for S/Sgt. Louis Saint Carusello (Courtesy of Michel Beckers)

S/Sgt. Louis Saint Carusello. Air Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Purple Heart. Reinterred at the Ardennes American Cemetery Plot U, Row 2, Grave 28. Relocated to Plot C, Row 35, Grave 1. Born on the 16th April 1924 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Son of Mark J. Carusello of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, USA.

S/Sgt. George Leonard Johnson. Air Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters). Recovered and reinterred at the Ardennes American Cemetery. Repatriated and laid to rest at the West Liberty Cemetery, Montezuma, Iowa. Born on the 8th February 1924 in New Sharon, Iowa. Son of Leonard Monroe and Ellen Marie Johnson of New Sharon, Iowa, USA.

Above: Grave marker for S/Sgt. Raymond Anton Rybarski (Courtesy of Rich – FindAGrave)

S/Sgt. Raymond Anton Rybarski. Air Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters). Recovered and reinterred at the Ardennes American Cemetery Plot U, Row 2, Grave 41. Repatriated and laid to rest at the Resurrection Cemetery, Illinois on the 10th June 1950. Born on the 7th January 1923 in Cicero, Chicago, Illinois. Son of Anton and Rozelia (née Duc) Rybarski of Cicero, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

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

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