Ray A. Gentry (W.R. Dawes crew)

Posted:
By: George M. Kesselring
On: 08/16/2001

In our local paper (the Southwest Time Record, Fort Smith, Arkansas) was a request for information about an event that occurred April 9, 1944. A B-17 of the 614th Squadron, 401st Bomb Group, was shot down in a raid over Marienberg, Germany. (Aircraft No. 42-38162) One of the survivors, Ray A. Gentry, of Todd, North Carolina, is trying to locate any surviving members of the crew. Gentry's granddaghter, Judy Howard, is leading the search for survivors and other family members. As I am a member of the 91st Bomb Group and familiar with the web site, I am passing this on to the people who should know, if anyone has that information. They are asking anyone to write to: Judy Howard, 61 Jupiter Road, Weaverville, North Carolina 28787.

Re: Ray A. Gentry (W.R. Dawes crew)

Posted:
By: Art Seder
On: 08/16/2001

I am Vice President of the 401st Bomb Group Association and have been trying to answer inquiries to the Forum on the basis of Group records.
   I regret to say that we have no record that any member of Ray Gentry's crew is a member of our organization. What puzzles me, however, is that Group records indicate that all members of the crew, including Ray Gentry, were missing in action and presumed dead. Since he survived, it is possible that others did so as well, but we have no information about them.
     The records have this to say about the details of the crew's last mission: "FW-190's came in line abreast at 12 o'clock high. They blew the nose off the aircraft, which turned on its back and finally crashed into the sea about two miles off shore." Another report states: "42-38162 was badly damaged and went down into the sea. No trace of the aircraft or crew was ever found.
     We would be interested to hear how Ray Gentry survived and returned to the United States. We would also like to hear about any other ember of Lt. Dawes' crew who may have survived.