The
bodies of those killed were shipped home for burial. That of Cpl.
John H. Gavin was escorted by good friend, Russell
Forbes, LG, P-3, to his home in Chelsea,
MA. Forbes was asked to make this mission by Col Frank
Strudivant, Deputy Group Commander. Gavin's body was laid to
rest after a military funeral on a cold December day.
Update:
04
August 2006:
Added: Barthel added to Crew Honor Roll - Capt
Wm F. Barthel, Navigator was the last surving airman of the
15 crew and & passengers involved in 28 Nov 1944 Accident -
Thanks to Marvin Demanzuk,
Radar, P-2 for notifying us of Barthel's Final Flight.
28
January 2006:
Added: Shope, Garnier and Vanderpool to Crew Honor Roll;
Established contact with Mar-Jean Miller Stevenson, Miller's widow.
1
August 2004:
Positions added for Vanderpoole, Anderson, Charles and
DeMoss per accident report recently received. More data will be
added as report is reviewed.
2 August 2002:
Missing positions of the crew were added based on Order 27 issued
by HQ 60th BS "Duty Assignment" dated 21 October 1944.
- thanks to Rowland Ball, Nav. P-3 for providing the orders.
18
July 2002:
William Barthel, Nav of this crew sent 2 newspaper articles from
the 1944 which reported on the crash of this crew. 2 additional
names were mentioned - 1st Lt Edward Thomas Charles, Jr. and Cpl
Ralph C. De Moss to those who perished. No positions were listed
in the articles so it is unknown if they were members of the regular
11-man crew or perhaps they are the 2 Base Unit members who were
killed.
Ed
Reilly, TG, P-7 states:
"I remember that Shrope the flight engineer saved Garnier's
life by virtually putting him into a parachute and forcing him to
climb down the front compartment exit. I remember that Garnier was
so rattled that he only fastened one of 2 straps around his upper
thigh and as a result he injured his back in the jump. I remember
that Shrope was last man out and his chute opened so close to the
ground that he was swung only once before hitting ground. He too
was hurt..."
24
March 2002:
Ed
Reilly informed us that crewmate Dick Little, P-7's radio operator
escorted the body of Crew 1's gunner, Cpl Leslie Paul Fries, back
home after the accident, and that Capt. Alan Miller's body was escorted
home by Capt. Chester Juvenal, AC, P-7.
Reilly
recalls, "I do remember several members of the old Crew 1 because
we bunked right next to them. To this day, I can see in my mind
the faces of Gavin and McCauley, two Irish kids from St Louis; and
Perry Shope that old Montana cowboy, and Henri Garnier who with
Shope's help survived. That was my first taste of violent death
and I was indelibly impressed."
Ed
notes that Capt
William Barthel replaced P-7's navigator, Dale Barton, during their
Air-Sea Rescue assignment at the war's end.
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