Operation: Berlin (Mission #667), Germany

Date: 6th October 1944 (Friday)

Unit No: 551st Bombardment Squadron (H), 385th Bombardment Group (H), 3rd Air Division, 8th Air Force

Type: B-17G

Serial No: 43-38217

Code: Sqn code issued but not displayed during hostilities :P

Location: 4 km (2½ mls) NW of Barnewitz, Germany

Base: Great Ashfield (Station #155), Suffolk, England

Pilot: 2nd Lt. Raymond Walter Tuley O-767689 AAF Age 24. KiA

Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. Jack Leroy Rock O-770792 AAF Age 24. KiA

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Walter Leroy Hartman O-2057788 AAF Age 21. PoW *

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Joseph Gorchak O-776654 AAF Age 21. PoW *

Radio/Op: Sgt. William Joseph McCauley Jr. 38494500 AAF Age 20. KiA

Engineer: S/Sgt. Herbert Gerald Evans 19096720 AAF Age 31. KiA

Ball Turret Gunner: Sgt. Leland Frank Harvey 36778363 AAF Age 24. KiA

Waist Gunner: Sgt. Robert E. Campbell 16113262 AAF Age? KiA

Tail Gunner: Sgt. John Carl Standley 38540423 AAF Age 23. PoW (1)

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

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

REASON FOR LOSS:

This was #194 mission for the 385 Bombardment Group (H).

A combat report assimilated from remarks and eyewitness statements describes the following action:

‘At 12:06 hrs and at the IP, the 385th BG, flying in the High Group in the 4th "B" Combat Wing, peeled off and took its position for the bomb run. At 12:07 hrs, enemy fighters attacked in mass formation from the rear and above, coming out of the clouds. The first attack reduced the BG strength to two aircraft (which two is undetermined). The fighters then returned and in another mass attack, using the same tactics, shot down the remaining two.

Attacks were very aggressive and sudden. Some chutes were observed, but due to the confusion and the number of aircraft going down it is underdetermined from what aircraft the chutes came.

No exact information of the attack is available because no aircraft of the BG concerned returned.

Estimate as to the number of Enemy Aircraft range from 25 to 70 conventional types, presumed to be either Bf109s or Fw190.

Further information as it becomes available will be forwarded.’

2nd Lt. Tuley’s B-17 was in the leading squadron which was to be the last group over the target and was one of 11 B-17s and their crews that were lost from the 385th Bombardment Group on this mission. The others were:

From the 548th Bombardment Sqn:

B-17G 42-97079 Dozy Doats - 5 KiA, 4 PoW;
B-17G 42-98016 - 8 KiA, 1 PoW;
B-17G 42-102465 Wee Willie Wilber - 8 KiA, 1 PoW;
B-17G 43-37548 Lamplight Lil - 3 KiA, 6 PoW;
B-17G 43-38060 Texas Bluebonnet - 8 KiA, 1 PoW;
B-17G 43-38430 - 4 KiA, 5 PoW;
B-17G 44-8143 Roger the Dodger - 6 KiA, 4 PoW.

From the 551st Bombardment Sqn:

B-17G 42-97275 Roger the Dodger - 2 KiA, 8 PoW;
B-17G 42-98010 - 8 KiA, 1 PoW;
B-17G 44-6159 West Virginian - 7 KiA, 2 PoW.

2nd Lt. Tuley’s B-17 crashed about 4 km (2½ mls) NW of Barnewitz which is some 22½ km (14 mls) hrs north of Brandenbuurg, Germany at 12:14 hrs.

2nd Lt. Hartman, 2nd Lt. Gorchak and Sgt. Standley baled out of the aircraft and were captured at Nennshausen, about 9½ km (6 mls) NW of the crash site.

In his Individual Casualty Questionnaire (ICQ) 2nd Lt. Hartman believed that the six crew members perished either in the fire aboard the aircraft or the subsequent explosion.

The six crew members who perished were recovered from the crash site and buried in the Community Cemetery in Barnewitz the next day.

(1) Sgt. Standley was transferred to the Reserve-Lazarett (Hospital) Görden near Brandenburg with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his face and 1st degree burns on his hands.

Note: German records show that he was transferred to Oberursel, presumably to the Reserve-Lazarett in Hohemark. American records show that he was repatriated from the Obermassfeld Hospital #1249 also known as Reserve-Lazarett 9c(a) (Served Stalag 9c) Obermassfeld, Thuringia, Germany.

After his repatriated to the USA Sgt. Standley was further treated for his injuries. He suffered the loss of an eye and from hearing loss, and was discharged from the military with disabilities suffered in the line of duty. John Standley died of a heart attack on the 25th June 1974 aged just 53.

John Carl Standley: 24th April 1921 – 25th June 1974

Above: Grave marker at Oak Bluff Memorial Park, Texas, USA. (Courtesy of Mary Casey – FindAGrave)

Burial Details:

Above: Group burial marker for Sgt. Robert E. Campbell, S/Sgt. Herbert Gerald Evans, 2nd Lt. Jack Leroy Rock and 1st Lt. Raymond Walter Tuley at the Fort McPherson National Cemetery. (Courtesy of Amy – FindAGrave)

2nd Lt. Raymond Walter Tuley. Air Medal. Recovered and interred at the Ardennes American Cemetery in a group burial in Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 226 to Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 250. Repatriated and interred in a group burial in Plot R-67 at the Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Nebraska on the 12th April 1950. Born on the 8th December 1919 in San Pedro, California. Son of Raymond A. and Ethel Tuley. Husband to Dorothy Louise (née Will) Tuley of Oakland, California, USA.

Above: Courtesy of the Oakland Tribune, dated January 15th, 1944

2nd Lt. Jack Leroy Rock. Air Medal. Recovered and interred at the Ardennes American Cemetery group burial in Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 226 to Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 250. Repatriated and interred in a group burial in Plot R-67 at the Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Nebraska on the 12th April 1950. Born on the 18th April 1920 in Cauthers, California. Son of Edward Lee and Edna J. (née Smurr) Rock. Husband to Melba Elaine (née Ardery) Rock of Huntington Park, California, USA.

Sgt. William Joseph McCauley Jr. Air Medal. Repatriated and interred at the Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana on the 7th June 1949. Born on the 17th July 1924 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Son of William Joseph and Ester M. (Charpantier) McCauley of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

S/Sgt. Herbert Gerald Evans. Recovered and interred at the Ardennes American Cemetery group burial in Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 226 to Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 250. Repatriated and interred in a group burial in Plot R-67 at the Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Nebraska on the 12th April 1950. Born on the 9th September 1913 in Spokane, Washington. Son of George Albert Garfield and Gertrude Lee (née McCormack) Evans of Spokane, Washington, USA.

Sgt. Leland Frank Harvey. Air Medal. Recovered and interred at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Plot Z, Row 11, Grave 257. Repatriated and interred at the Lawn Ridge Cemetery, Memphis, Missouri. Born on the 23rd September 1920 in Luray, Missouri. Son of Willie Ellsworth and Gretie Moneta (née Guthie) Harvey. Husband of Ruth Anita (née Davis) Harvey of Luray, Missouri, USA.

Sgt. Robert E. Campbell. Recovered and interred at the Ardennes American Cemetery group burial in Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 226 to Plot AA, Row 10, Grave 250. Repatriated and interred in a group burial in Plot R-67 at the Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Maxwell, Nebraska on the 12th April 1950. No further information about his NoK details found.

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

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