Crew 49 – Assigned 754th Squadron – October 1943

Standing: Robert Renn – CP, Robert Davis – P, Frederick Erdman – B, Stanley Johnson – N, Stanley Kukoski – G
Kneeling: Stanley Kind – E, Bernard Pientka – RO, Hugo Bieswenger – G/E, Bewell Warren – G, Roy Kluska – G

(Photo: Ronya Johnson)

Completed Tour

DavisCrew
 Rank  Name  Serial #  Pos Date Status  Comments
1Lt Robert W Davis 0742070 Pilot Jul-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross
1Lt Robert K Renn 0810220 Co-pilot Jul-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross 
1Lt Stanley L Johnson 0811767 Navigator 03-Jul-44 CT Trsf to 12RD - Tour complete
2Lt Frederick H Erdman  0752809 Bombardier 29-Jun-44 POW Shot down w/Armour Crew
T/Sgt Bernard J Pientka 36297242 Radio Operator Aug-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross
Pvt Stanley M Kind 13075456 Flight Engineer 06-Jul-44 CT Reld from aerial flights
S/Sgt Bewell E Warren 18187492 Nose Turret Gunner 06-Mar-44 POW Shot down w/Hopkins Crew 48
S/Sgt Hugo A Bieswenger 16045944 Top Turret Gunner/2E  06-Jul-44 CT Reld from 60SC
S/Sgt Stanley F Kukoski 31312941 Ball Turret Gunner 06-Jul-44 CT Reld from aerial flights
S/Sgt Roy F Kluska 32744892 Tail Turret Gunner Jul-44 CT Awards - Distinguished Flying Cross

Crew 49 was an original crew assigned tot he 745th Squadron.  They trained in Tonopah, Nevada and moved overseas in January 1944.

Their fist mission came in mid-March, the group’s eighth mission to Friedrichshafen, Germany.  They would be without gunner, S/Sgt. Bewell E. Warren, as he filled in on the crew of 2Lt Thayer Hopkins on the March 6 Berlin raid and was shot down.  Warren was captured and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft III.  Records indicate that his place on the crew was taken by S/Sgt Claude A. Neil, an individual replacement first appearing in group records in April 1944..

Crew 49 flew missions on several of the Group’s Liberators before apparently settling down on Envy of ’em All for most of April and all of their May missions.  This crew flew a total of 35 missions, although the majority of the original crews were only required to complete 30 for a combat tour. 

Shortly after the crew had completed their tour, and possibly because he had missed one or more missions with his crew, 2Lt Frederick Erdman, bombardier, flew on a raid to Aschersleben with Lt Charles B. Armour and crew on June 29, 1944.  Their aircraft was damaged by flak, necessitating a hasty exit by the crew, all of whom made it down safely.  Erdman evaded capture for several weeks, but was betrayed to the Gestapo and spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft I near Barth.

Missions

DavisMissions
Date  Target 458th Msn Pilot Msn  Serial RCL Sqdn A/C Msn  A/C Name  Comments
16-Mar-44 FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 8 1 41-28682 I Z5 8 UNKNOWN 003  
18-Mar-44 FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 9 2 41-29340 N 7V 1 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
21-Mar-44 WATTEN 10 3 41-28735 S J4 3 UNKNOWN 005  
22-Mar-44 BERLIN 11 4 42-52335 R Z5 9 ADMIRABLE LITTLE CHARACTER   
24-Mar-44 ST. DIZIER 13 5 42-52353 J Z5 11 UNKNOWN 049  
26-Mar-44 BONNIERES 14 6 41-28738 O Z5 2 MEAT AROUND THE CORNER  
05-Apr-44 ST. POL-SIRACOURT 16 7 41-28682 I Z5 12 UNKNOWN 003  
08-Apr-44 BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM 17 8 41-29295 K Z5 9 BOMB TOTIN' MAMA  
09-Apr-44 TUTOW A/F 18 ABT 42-52404 Q Z5 -- BELLE OF BOSTON LOST FORMATION
10-Apr-44 BOURGES A/F 19 9 41-29305 N Z5 7 I'LL BE BACK/HYPOCHONDRIAC  
11-Apr-44 OSCHERSLEBEN 20 10 41-29305 N Z5 8 I'LL BE BACK/HYPOCHONDRIAC  
12-Apr-44 OSCHERSLEBEN REC -- 41-29305 N Z5 -- I'LL BE BACK/HYPOCHONDRIAC RECALL
18-Apr-44 BRANDENBURG 22 11 41-29340 N 7V 5 YANKEE BUZZ BOMB  
19-Apr-44 PADERBORN A/F 23 12 41-28733 P J4 16 RHAPSODY IN JUNK  
22-Apr-44 HAMM M/Y 25 13 41-28738 O Z5 10 MEAT AROUND THE CORNER  
25-Apr-44 MANNHEIM A/F 27 ABT 41-29300 M J4 -- LORELEI LOSS OF ALL OXY
26-Apr-44 PADERBORN A/F 28 14 42-50279 T Z5 1 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
27-Apr-44 BONNIERES 29 15 42-50279 T Z5 2 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
27-Apr-44 BLAINVILLE-SUR-L'EAU  30 16 42-50279 T Z5 3 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
29-Apr-44 BERLIN 31 ABT 42-50279 T Z5 -- ENVY OF 'EM ALL #1, 4 ENGINES 
01-May-44 LIEGE M/Y 33 17 42-50279 T Z5 4 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
04-May-44 BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM 34 18 42-50279 T Z5 5 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
05-May-44 SOTTEVAST 35 19 42-50279 T Z5 6 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
07-May-44 OSNABRUCK 36 20 42-50279 T Z5 7 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
08-May-44 BRUNSWICK 37 ABT 42-50279 D Z5 -- ENVY OF 'EM ALL #4 RUNAWY PROP
11-May-44 EPINAL 39 21 42-50279 T Z5 9 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
12-May-44 BOHLEN 40 22 42-50279 T Z5 10 ENVY OF 'EM ALL FLEW WITH 467TH
19-May-44 BRUNSWICK 42 23 42-50279 T Z5 11 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
20-May-44 RHEIMS A/D 43 24 42-50279 T Z5 12 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
21-May-44 SIRACOURT 44 25 42-50279 T Z5 13 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
31-May-44 BERTRIX 52 26 42-50279 T Z5 16 ENVY OF 'EM ALL  
02-Jun-44 STELLA/PLAGE 53 27 42-95108 M Z5 7 ENVY OF 'EM ALL II  
05-Jun-44 STELLA/PLAGE 55 28 41-28682 I Z5 32 UNKNOWN 003  
06-Jun-44 COASTAL AREAS 56 29 42-95108 M Z5 8 ENVY OF 'EM ALL II MSN #1
06-Jun-44 PONTAUBAULT 58 30 42-95108 M Z5 9 ENVY OF 'EM ALL II MSN #3
11-Jun-44 BLOIS 62 ABT 42-95108 M Z5 -- ENVY OF 'EM ALL II LOST FORMATION
12-Jun-44 EVREUX/FAUVILLE 64 31 42-95108 M Z5 10 ENVY OF 'EM ALL II  
14-Jun-44 DOMLEGER 65 32 42-95106 L Z5 12 MISS PAT  
15-Jun-44 GUYANCOURT 66 33 42-95108 M Z5 11 ENVY OF 'EM ALL II  
20-Jun-44 OSTERMOOR 73 34 42-95108 M Z5 13 ENVY OF 'EM ALL II MSN #1
23-Jun-44 3 NO BALLS 76 35 42-95108 M Z5 15 ENVY OF 'EM ALL II TGT # 6 COUBRONNE
02-Jul-44 COUBRONNE 83 ASSY 41-28697 Z Z5 A3 SPOTTED APE ASSEMBLY CREW
13-Jul-44 SAARBRUCKEN 90 ASSY -- -- -- --  A/C NOT LISTED ASSEMBLY CREW

B-24H-20-CF 42-50279 Z5 T  Envy of ’em All

Crew 49 flew this aircraft on 15 consecutive missions between April 26 – May 31, 1944.

(Photos: Ronya Johnson & Brendan Wood)

B-24H-25-FO 42-95108 Z5 M  Envy of ’em All II

The crew finished up in this aircraft, flying 8 missions at the end of June.
Pictured in March 1945 with almost 70 missions, “Lt. R. W. Davis” can still be seen on armor plate under pilot’s window – long after the crew’s departure.

(Photo: George Reynolds)

Undated Crew Photo (L-R): Bernard Pientka, Hugo Bieswenger, Unknown, Stanley Kukoski, Stanley Kind, Robert Davis, Roy Kluska
(Photo: Stanley Kukoski)