Missing Air Crew Reports

Missing Air Crew Report by Captain Ken W. Dauble.



Missing Air Crew Report :

1.    Organization : by name AAF Sta 128 , Command : 8th Air Force.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course : 105°.
       Target : Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
       Type of mission: Optical Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : dense contrails , visibilitie poor.

4.    Last know date, time and location : 16 February 1945, 1425 (14:25 am), 5 miles S.E of Meppel.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Other circumstances.

6.    Aircraft type and serial no. : B-17G Ser No. 42-97869.

7.    Nickname of aircraft : " Maid to order ".

8.    Engines : Type, Model and Series R-1820-97.

9.    Installed weapons : 12 ea 500 lb. Bombs.

10.  Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

11.  Persons on board : Crew : 9, Passengers : 0, Total : 9.

12.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :

Pilot Ernest Arden ( Ernie ) Hansen 1st LT. O-772360 MIA ( KIA )
Copilot Joseph Stephen Chuderewicz Flt O T-4671 MIA ( RTD )
Navigator Morton Greenberg 1st Lt O-1997849 MIA ( RTD )
Togglier James Lowry Morrison S/Sgt 17181731 MIA ( RTD )
Radio Operator Joseph Vincent Del Torto S/Sgt 32940850 MIA ( KIA )
Engr / Top Turret Raymond Anthony Miller T/Sgt 17155093 MIA ( RTD )
Ball Turret Gunner Wade T. Brunson S/Sgt 38555031 MIA ( KIA )
Tail Gunner Leroy Miles Mc Knight S/Sgt 34795493 MIA ( RTD )
Waist Gunner Alonzo Albert ( Lonnie ) Karcher S/Sgt 36751903 MIA ( RTD )
13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Whitney, Ray F.        1st LT.        0-750235        "Last Sighted"



Individual casualty questionaire



I.C.Q. Form No. 6-3861, AF, File #12444
About Joseph V. Del Torto



By S/Sgt Leroy Miles Mc Knight, Tail Gunner.

- Name of crew member : DEL TORTO, Joseph Vincent.
- Rank : Sgt.
- Serial number : 32940850
- Position : Radio operator.

- Did he bail out ? : No.

- If not, why not ? : He didn`t have time.

- Last contact just prior to loss of plane ? : Check off inter-phone went on liason.

- Was he injured ? : No.

- Where was he last seen ? : Radio room.

- Any hearsay information ? : His body found in vincinty of plane.

- Source ? : German soldier

- Any explanation of his fate ? : The plane exploded before he could get out.

- Total number of missions of above crew member ? : 1st mission.

- Date and destinations if possible ? : Gilchern.

By S/Sgt James Lowry Morrison, Togglier.

- Name of crew member : DEL TORTO, Joseph Vincent.
- Rank : Sgt.
- Serial number : 32940850
- Position : Radio operator.

- Did he bail out ? : Unknown.

- If not, why not ? : Unknown.

- Last contact just prior to loss of plane ? : Shortly after bombs away.

- Was he injured ? : No.

- Where was he last seen ? : At base in England before takeoff.

- Any hearsay information ? : He was reported to have been found dead near of plane.

- Source ? : German soldier.

- Any explanation of his fate ? : I know of no explanation why this man did not the situation.

- Total number of missions of above crew member ? : This was 1st mission.

This file is undated and unsigned.

- Name of crew member : DEL TORTO, Joseph Vincent.
- Rank : Sgt.
- Serial number : 32940850
- Position : Radio operator.

- Did he bail out ? : No.

- If not, why not ? : Believe he did not hear the order to bail out.

- Last contact just prior to loss of plane ? : Answered oxygen check few minutes.

- Was he injured ? : No.

- Where was he last seen ? : In plane shortly after takeoff.

- Any hearsay information ? : Was told his body was found near the plane after crash.

- Source ? : German guards.

- Total number of missions of above crew member ? : First mission.

This file is undated and unsigned.

- Name of crew member : DEL TORTO, Joseph Vincent.
- Rank : Sgt.
- Serial number : 32940850
- Position : Radio operator.

- Did he bail out ? : Unknown.

- Where ? : Unknown.

- Last contact just prior to loss of plane ? : Talking about last chicken dinner back in the States.

- Was he injured ? : Unknown.

- Where was he last seen ? : In plane Just before i jumped.

- Any explanation of his fate ? : After I jumped and before I hit the ground I saw the plane explode in mid air.
                                                           My supposition is that he was killed instantly.

- Total number of missions of above crew member ? : His First mission.

- Date and destinations if possible ? : Unknown.

I.C.Q. Form No. 6-3861, AF, File #12444
About Wade Travis Brunson



By S/Sgt Leroy Miles Mc Knight, Tail Gunner.

- Name of crew member : BRUNSON, Wade T.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 38555031
- Position : Ball Turret Gunner.

- Did he bail out ? : No.

- If not, why not ? : He didn`t have time.

- Last contact just prior to loss of plane ? : Oxygen check a few minutes before.

- Was he injured ? : No.

- Where was he last seen ? : In Turret.

- Any hearsay information ? : His body found in vincinty of plane.

- Source ? : German soldier.

- Any explanation of his fate ? : The plane exploded before he could get out.

- Total number of missions of above crew member ? : Unknown.

By S/Sgt James Lowry Morrison, Togglier.

- Name of crew member : BRUNSON, Wade T.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 38555031
- Position : Ball Turret Gunner.

- Did he bail out ? : Unknown.

- If not, why not ? : Unknown - but I believe he was asleep.

- Last contact prior to loss of plane ? : Heard his voice shortly after "bombs away".

- Was he injured ? : No.

- Where was he last seen ? : At base in England before takeoff.

- Any hearsay information ? : German soldiers said that his body had been found near wreckage of plane.

- Source ? : German guards.

- Any explanation of his fate ? : I believe he fell asleep in Ball Turret (a bad habit of him) and did not hear the
                                                          "Bail out" signal.

- Total number of missions of above crew member ? : About 22 or 23.

This file is undated and unsigned.

- Name of crew member : BRUNSON, Wade T.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 38555031
- Position : Ball Turret Gunner.

- Did he bail out ? : As far as I know he did not.

- If not, why not ? : He didn`t have time.

- Last contact prior to loss of plane ? : Spoke to him a few minutes before bailing out.

- Was he injured ? : No.

- Where was he last seen ? : Getting into Ball Turret after takeoff.

- Any hearsay information ? : German guards told me that they found his body near the plane after the crash.

- Source ? : German guards.

- Total number of missions of above crew member ? : Approximately 20.

This file is undated and unsigned.

- Name of crew member : BRUNSON, Wade T.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 38555031
- Position : Ball Turret Gunner.

- Did he bail out ? : Unknown.

- Where ? : Unknown.

- Last contact prior to loss of plane ? : Talking about last chicken dinner back in the States.

- Was he injured ? : Unknown.

- Where was he last seen ? : After I jumped and before I hit the ground I saw the plane explode in mid air.
                                                      My supposition is that he was killed instantly.

- Any explanation of his fate ? : The plane exploded before he could get out.

- Total number of missions of crew member ? : Guess Approximately fourteen.



S-2 Summary of eye witness accounts.




Eye witness report, Ray F. Whitney

This report was dated 17 Feb. 1945
Eye Witness Name : Ray F. Whitney.
Interrogating Officer : Donald V. McCallum 1st LT

Group : 401st.
Sqdn : 615th A/C # 42-97869
Missing date : 16 Feb. 45

First pilot : Ernest A. Hansen, 1st Lt., o-772360
Destination : Gelsenkirchen.

1.    Position of missing aircraft when last sighted or contacted :

   a. by coordinates : 5 miles of Meppel
   b. Approximate altitude 26,000
   c. Last noted heading: 106°
   d. If out of formation, approximate distance from formation: 10 miles away

2.    Describe enemy opposition : Moderate, extremely flak hit right wing.

3.    Right wing was afire and smoking badly. Fire was inside wing.

4.    Plane was under control

5.    If distressed aircraft was out of formation was it last seen with escort? : None.

6.    No. of parachutes seen : men were definitely seen to get out, all doing delayed jumps.

7.    Any other remarks? : After 7 men came out , pilot headed A/C 180°, and where last seen, one more chute,                                                possibly pilot, was seen to come out. A/C under control.

Note: This reported was completed on 17 Feb 1945, the next day of the mission on which the aircraft was shot down.


Eye witness report from James Lowry Morrison , Togglier. :

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF THE INDIVIDUAL CASUALTY QUESTIONNAIRE FORM :



I have no concrete proof as to the disposition of the 3 men in question.
My conclusion is based upon probabilities.

Before I bailed out I KNEW that these 3 men were physically capable of getting out of the plane.
No one was wounded.
Wade Brunson and Joseph Del Torto are believed to have gone down with the plane.
They were never seen or heard of by myself and ALL other crew members with me.

When the "Bail out" was given I heard it 3 times before disconnecting my headphones.
Wade Brunson had a bad habit of going to sleep in the Ball Turret and no word came from him, except to say he was O.K. immediately after "Bombs away".

I know of nu reason why Joseph Del Torto did not bail out.
The pilot was extremely excited when fire was discovered and may not have issued the "bail out " order on call position of Jack Box.

I was told by German officers that they had been found near wreckage of plane.










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