Even though the bulk of the research on The Writing 69th is complete, there are some areas where additional connections could still be made. For this particular page, I am counting on the searching capability of the Internet to bring a select group of people to see what is assembled here. I am looking for:
Relatives of the crew from Capt. Adams' plane
I have been in touch with many of the families of the crew members of Post's plane. There are still two left that I have not been able to locate. If you know anyone from the Jones or Mifflin families,
please let me know. The names, wartime addresses, and burial places of the crew members are as follows:
44th Bomb Group (The Flying Eightballs), 66th Squadron, aircraft #41-23777 (Maisie):
Capt. Howard Adams, pilot, Rutland, VT (Family contacted)
- U.S. Military Cemetery, Neuville-en Condroz, Belgium (Plot B, Row 33, Grave 5)
2nd Lt. Stanley McLeod, co-pilot, Oklahoma City, OK (Family contacted)
- U.S. Military Cemetery, Neuville-en Condroz, Belgium (Plot B, Row 33, Grave 10)
2nd Lt. Wayne Gotke, navigator, San Antonio, TX (Family contacted)
- Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah
2nd Lt. William Hannan, bombardier, Canton, NY (Family contacted)
- U.S. Military Cemetery, Neuville-en Condroz, Belgium (Plot B, Row 33, Grave 8)
T/Sgt. Robert Vogt, engineer, Danville, PA (Family contacted)
- Odd Fellows Cemetery, Danville, Pennsylvania
S/Sgt. Linwood Jones, radio operator, Greenville, NC (No contact)
- Greenwood Cemetery, Greenville, North Carolina
S/Sgt. Donald Bowie, gunner, North Conway, NH (Family contacted)
- U.S. Military Cemetery, Neuville-en Condroz, Belgium (Plot B, Row 33, Grave 6)
S/Sgt. James Mifflin, asst. radio operator, E. St. Louis, IL (No contact)
- Saint Clair Memorial Park, Fairview Heights, Illinois
S/Sgt. Scott Brewer, gunner, Boise, ID (Family contacted)
- U.S. Military Cemetery, Neuville-en Condroz, Belgium (Plot B, Row 33, Grave 7)
Sgt. William Welch, gunner, Loudon, NH (Family contacted)
- Mount Hope Cemetery, Loudon, New Hampshire
The above photo shows the enlisted men of Capt. Adams' crew. The man in the center is Pershing Rolfe. His hands were frost bitten in a previous flight and he missed the fateful mission. (The men in the photo are, left to right, Scott Brewer, Robert Vogt, Perch Rolfe, Linwood Jones, and Jim Mifflin.)
November 2013 update: There is now a dedication page with photos and information about each of the crew members. Follow this link.
Newsreel cameramen
Updated (December 2023): Five cameramen took part in the training along with the members of the Writing 69th. According to the official memo they were George B. Oswald of Universal Newsreel, Ernest J.H. Wright of Paramount News, J.L. Ransden of Movietone News, Robert K.L. Gordon of Passe Gazette News, and Harold J. Morley of Gaumont British. However the official memo listing the cameramen's names and companies included at least two errors. It's "Ramsden" not Ransden" and "Pathe Gazette" not "Passe Gazette."
Biographies of these men are on the British Universities Film & Video Council's News on Screen website, see links below:
- Robert K.L. Gordon - Known as Ken Gordon
- Ernest J.H. Wright - An RAF sergeant known as Jim Wright; his son was also a cameraman
- J.L. Ramsden - Research has confirmed that Ramsden, known as Jack, flew with the 8th Air Force's 305th Bomb Group
- George B. Oswald - Oswald's granddaughter contacted us and identified him in the photo below. Oswald died at 61 in 1959.
- Harold J. Morley - Press cinematographer
The photo below includes four of the five cameramen. Ken Gordon is at the far left, Jim Wright is next, Jack Ramsden is in the middle, and George Oswald is fourth from the left. It is not clear who the man on the far right is. It is not Harold Morley.
Wartime photo of Harold John Morley - Press Cinematographer
This photo of Morley shows no resemblance to the person at the right in the group photo above. However, a person resembling Morley can be seen in other pictures from the Writing 69th training session.
The London Bureau of the New York Times
The photo below was taken in London in the late 1930s or early 1940s. I believe that James McDonald is the third from the left, Raymond Daniell is in the center facing McDonald, Robert Post is third from the right and David Anderson is on the far right. Can anyone identify the others in the photo?
The Doll
The small wooden doll that was found in the wreckage and given to Leni Eilers is a bit of a mystery. Leni Eilers kept it long enough for her own daughter to play with it. Heinz Knoke mentions it in his journal. But no such item was mentioned by Captain Adams in his diary and it was not familiar to Perch Rolfe, who was part of the original crew. I've wondered whether it was a gift to the crew from a girlfriend or a niece. Perhaps Robert Post even brought it aboard. If there is someone out there who has the key to this mystery, please write.
Shoot! You're Faded
Denton Scott's widow sent me a photo of him climbing out of a B-17. On the side of the aircraft are the words "Shoot! You're faded". Can anyone help me identify the group that this aircraft is from?
Update: We believe that Scott flew with the 91st Bomb Group on a mission to Lorient, France on March 6, 1943. It is possible that this aircraft is a 322nd Bomb Squadron B-17 (perhaps serial number 41-24481 or 41-24545). In the account that he wrote about that mission he mentions a bombardier named Leonard Santoro and a gunner named Hausman. It also appears that "Shoot! You're faded" is not the name of the aircraft, but instead was inscribed near the right waist gunner position.
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