Replacement
P-11 & P-7's
Confirmed "Meatballs"
Originally
B-29 # 44-69810 was assigned to Crew
7
Movement orders dated: 16 March 1945 show that 44-69810
first was assigned to P-7 "Old P-7"
Photo source: Courtesy of Ed Reilly, TG, Crew 7
Movement Orders source: Elmo Huston, FE, Crew 7
In letter from Ed Reilly regarding this photo the meatball
under his reads the name Lt. S. Pritt* probably a bombardier,
the next one reads S/Sgt Paroli (guess). The 4th is
unreadable.
* According to Replacement P-11s roster there is a Soloman
Pritt listed as Bombardier. However there are some unnamed
members of this crew.
Update:
12 April 2001
After
receiving the last names of Replacement Crew P-11, and
matching those names against General Orders # 25 - Battle
Participation Award (Bronze Battle
Star)- which lists over 500 names from veterans
of the 60th Bomb Squadron, 39th Bomb Group, and enlarging
the above image as large as possible, it has been determined
that the names listed on the 4 meatballs are as follows:
Sgt
Edward T. Reilly, TG, P-7 - Top Meatball in Column of
3
2nd Lt. Soloman Pritt - Bombardier, P-11 - Middle Meatball
S/Sgt Joseph Paruti, RG, P-11 - Bottom Meatball in Column
Sgt. John Bowman, LG, P-11- to the left of Paruti's
meatball
Update
Sources:
Replacement P-11, Crew Roster: Dan Rich, nephew of Vicenzo
Ricci, Radar, P-11
General Orders # 25: Elmo Huston, FE,
P-7
If
anyone has any more information regarding Replacement
Crew 11, please email updates@39th.org