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Patrick Graham
3/31/2005 10:06:04 AM | Hi all.
My father, J. D. Graham, was a Top Turret gunner and Flight Engineer for the Stephens (Stevens) crew in the 615th Bomb Squadron.
This aircrew did most of their 31 missions in aircraft # 42-107113, Mrs Aldaflak.
The Stevens (Stephens) Crew picture shows them standing in front of an aircraft with Section 8 nose art.
The name Mrs Aldaflak doesn't ring a bell with dad but section 8 is stuck in his memory.
I can't find any nose art picture of Mrs Aldaflak and I can't find any aircraft number associated with Section 8.
I'm wondering if Mrs Aldaflack and Section 8 are the same plane...??..
Also.. to relate a few personal accounts from my father.
On one of the Stevens (Stephens) crew missions a 500lb bomb stuck in the rack. On the return the pilot ordered the Flight Engineer, James Graham (dad), and the Ball Turret, Kent Wisdom, to pry the bomb out. They were successful and the Ball Turret gunner shouted "We now have our own pot hole in Germany". Just one of the many gutsy things that was part of every day life for the 401st. Kent Wisdom died a few years ago but not before drawing some pictures of how he remembered the moment. My dad now has those drawings and I will try to post them here.
On one of the Berlin missions dad encountered his first ME 262. He said he tried to get it but the turret wouldn't swing fast enough. He thinks he knocked a piece off the tail.
On another mission, and dad isn't sure which one, they lost an engine to flack and had to return on the "deck", alone with no cover other than what the Top Turret gunner (dad) could provide. Dad never provided a lot of details about this about this mission. Obviously they made it home but it resulted in a recently awarded disability for dad due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
If you have any information about the Stevens (Stephens) Crew and Section 8 please contact me (Patrick Graham) at nfe6848m@yahoo.com.
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Patrick Graham
3/31/2005 10:14:22 AM | Also, there is some confusion as to what bomb squadren the stephens (stevens) crew was in.
Thier group picture lists them in the 612th but their Combat Air Crew data lists them as in the 615.
They were in the 615 .. as dad remembers it.
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Donald Byers
3/31/2005 3:19:06 PM | In the book The 401st Bomb Group "The Best Damn Outfin in the USAAF" it shows the same crew in both the 612th and 615th Bomb Squadron only the Tail Gunner and Waist Gunner is switched around. In the 612th it's Breman TG and Lewelling Waist and is switched around in the 615th. Also it is quite possible that Mrs. Adflack and Section 8 are the same plane.
Don Byers
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Donald Byers
3/31/2005 3:24:26 PM | Mrs. Aldaflak is 42-107113
Section 8 is 42-107112
There have been occasions where a crew will take a picture in front of another plane and it wasn't their own.
Don Byers
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Donald Byers
3/31/2005 3:35:12 PM | After looking into this a little more I find in the Flying Fortress Story that the Serial Number listed in the 401st Bomb Group book as Section 8 is actually Sleepy Time Gal and with the 381st BG. Serial Number 42-107113 does not appear on the web page but is in the book as Section 8. However, 42-107114 Mrs. Aldaflak was delivered to the 612th BS on 5-4-44 and then to the 615th and returned to the US on 6-6-45 so it was in both squadrons.
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Patrick Graham
4/1/2005 9:48:04 AM | We may never know for sure..
This website lists 42-107113, IY-J, SC-O as Mrs Aldaflak here
http://www.401bg.com/history/aircraft_list.asp
And, as you said, the pilots crew is listed twice
Here as in the 612
http://www.401bg.com/photo_archive/photo.asp?pid=10331#ptop
as
Stevens Crew
612th Bomb Squadron
"Section 8"
Photo Taken: 16 May 1945
and here
http://www.401bg.com/photo_archive/photo.asp?pid=10129#ptop
as
Lloyd J. Stephens Crew
615th Bomb Squadron
"Section 8"
Source: 401st BG Association Collection.
no photo date
Same guys standing in front of section 8 in both photos.
Oh well.. Dad is just thrilled to be on the internet... twice..
:-)
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Win Bryson
4/2/2005 3:43:34 PM | Patrick:
You may be able to answer your questions 'from the other, albeit long, way around':
1. With your Dad's list of Missions flown, and
2. The original 401BG Mission Reports in the National Archives (College Park, Md.);
3. You could request copies, for each of your Dad's missions, of their:
- 'Loading Lists'(lists, by Squadron, with A/C Serial Number/Crewmen's names flying); and
- 'Formation Plan'(layout, by Squadron, listing the Pilot, A/C Squadron ID (IY-J (615SQ) or SC-0 (612SQ)), and (last 4-digits of the) A/C Serial Number - in the formation 'placement' in formation that day.
4. And since Crews didn't fly 'their airplane' on all their missions, this could:
- Confirm which Squadron your Dad was in; and
- ID Which A/C your Dad flew, and when.
It also may answer if there is one or two aircraft involved (at the time your Dad was flying). As Don Byers notes, some A/C changed squadron assignment (and Sq.ID (IY-J to or from SC-0)), but if it's one A/C, it certainly couldn't fly in 2-Squadrons on the same Mission.
This info may or may not 'solve' the A/C's name (or names), though.
And after all that, there are some caveats:
- Not all Mission REports have all the same information - the earlier reports seem to not have as much detail as the later ones; and
- There are some errors in the official records, too. As Norm Sisson and I found out recently, the official Politz Mission Report had his (and another Crew) A/C 'swapped': in the 'Loading List' it was one way and in the 'Formation Plan' the reverse.
It also may pay to contact the 401BG Historian, Dale Anderson - I just don't know what info he has or has available.
But reardless, there's lot of info 'out there' so Good hunting!
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Patrick Graham
4/3/2005 9:31:23 AM | Thanks for the info :-)
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Ed Login
4/4/2005 1:32:48 AM | RE: Section 8
This airplane was assigned to the 612th sqdn. Lloyd Stevens was the pilot. Elmer Wilt was co pilot
Elmer Wilt's name is in the new 401st membership book with his email address
Check it out
Ed
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Scott McElvain
4/4/2005 3:49:18 AM | Steve Stephens and Lyle Wilt weren't at the last reunion, but as far as I know, they are still around. Pretty sure both were agreeable to -113 being "Section 8" when I talked to them.
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Patrick Graham
4/4/2005 9:00:53 PM | Dad has been in contact with Stephens, the pilot, over the years and to my knowledge Stephens is still with us. He is a retired airline pilot.
Stephens kept a log or a diary, which he has shared with dad, of all the missions they were on. If I can I will photograph it and post it here if they are agreeable to that.
It's interesting.
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