Merry Makers - crew members

Posted:
By: Jamie Waer masker
On: 07/08/2007

My Dad was the tail gunner on the Merry Makers B-17. He flew 35 missions out of England. Then the crew changed and per dad the plane went down on it's next mission. My Dad was Martin Waer of N.J.. Are there any crew members living? I know both my Dad and Joe Tamburine died. J.E. Mais did live in Mo. when we visited in about 1966 and Mc Kenna? in Coloroda. Would love to hear from any crew or relatives. Thanks, Jamie Masker

Re: Merry Makers - crew members

Posted:
By: Donald Byers
On: 07/10/2007

I did find a Mary Makers associated with the 401st Bomb Group but did not find any of the names you mentioned in your post. Was your Dad a member of the 401st BG or might he have been associated with the 401st Bomb Squadron? If associated with 401st BG would you happen to know what Squadron he was in? Also there is no tail number associated with this B-17 as it is one of the unknowns shown under History and assigned aircraft.

Don Byers
Lubbock Texas

Re: Merry Makers - crew members

Posted:
By: Donald Byers
On: 07/10/2007

Well it looks like the Search Engine is down again as I put in my Uncle's name and it also came back with an error. Will have to do a manual search of the crew list.

Don Byers

Re: Merry Makers - crew members

Posted:
By: Jamie Waer Masker
On: 07/10/2007

I spoke with the only known surviving crew member of the Mary Makers today. He is John Mais and lives in Verona, Mo.. He told me the serial number of the Mary Makers was 43-38125. He also confirmed for me what my dad had always told us. The plane was shot down 3 weeks after it changed crews. It went down about 3 miles off the end of the runway in bad weather. The crew members that I know are deceased are my Dad-Martin Waer, Joe Tamburine, Stegmann, Clayton, McCaslin and McKenna. I don't know about Walter, Schultz, or Roach. Mr. Mais told me he thought he was the last survivor of their crew. I will be writing shortly to Mr. Mais and will post any new information I receive. I also will be sending in my membership dues to join so I can post on the new forum. Thanks for your responce. Jamie Masker PS I always thought the name of the plane was spelled Merry Makers but Mr. Mais told me it was Mary Makers.

Merry Makers: Crew Photo

Posted:
By: Paul Bellamy
On: 07/11/2007

There is a crew photo showing an A-2 with Mary Makers written on it at:

http://www.401bg.org/401bgweb/nationalarchives/Crews/picturefiles/138.html

All the best,
Paul

Re: Merry Makers: Crew Photo

Posted:
By: Jamie Masker
On: 07/14/2007

Thanks so much for the photo. I guess that solves the question of the spelling of Mary once and for all. Dad's jacket had a woman on it with one leg up on a bomb. She was very scantly dressed on top and my grandmother would not let my Dad wear it when he returned home from England. He gave it away. Again thanks. Jamie Masker