Glagola Crew – Assigned 755th Squadron – June 7, 1944

Standing: Peter Vanderkemp – NTG, William Coffey – BTG, Sherman Perigo – TG, Calvin Davis – RO, Edmund Goldshinsky – E, William Pammer – WG

Kneeling: Prentiss Dong – N, John Rice – B, Kenwyn Steckel – CP, John Glagola – P

(Photo: Edmund Goldshinsky, Jr)

Completed Tour

RankNameSerial #Crew PositionDateStatusComments
1LtJohn Glagola, Jr0693256PilotJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
1LtKenwyn R Steckel0699465Co-pilotOct-44CTTrsf to Repl Depot - Completed Tour
1LtPrentiss C Dong0711355NavigatorJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
CaptJohn W Rice0698040BombardierMar-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
T/SgtCalvin C Davis32787861Radio OperatorJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
T/SgtEdmund J Goldshinsky31280189Flight EngineerJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
S/SgtWilliam F Coffey34600658Aerial Gunner/2EJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
S/SgtWilliam F Pammer36637893Aerial Gunner/2EJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
S/SgtSherman Perigo14152372Aerial Gunner/2EJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour
S/SgtPeter Vanderkemp36645360Armorer-GunnerJan-45CTTrsf to 70RD - Completed Tour

Lt John Glagola and crew arrived at Horsham St Faith on the day after D-Day, June 7, 1944. They underwent a brief period of in-theater indoctrination prior to flying their first mission on June 11th.

The crew would complete 25 combat missions that summer, prior to the 458th being taken off of combat flying in order to ferry gasoline to Patton’s army in France. Glagola participated in six of these Truckin’ missions in September 1944.

The crew resumed their missions on October 12th, fully one month after flying their last credited sortie. Their final mission was on Christmas Day, when the 458th was assigned the railroad tracks and yards at Pronsfeld, Germany.

The crew was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in January 1945 and transferred to the 70th Replacement Depot for reassignment.

Bombardier John Rice may have been moved to a lead crew at some point in his tour. He was promoted to Captain in January 1945 and went on Rest Home leave in mid-February. He did not leave Horsham until March 1945, long after Glagola and the rest of the crew had been reassigned.

On the other end of the spectrum, Lt. Kenwyn Steckel, the crew’s co-pilot appears to have completed his combat tour in September 1944, when he was awarded the DFC. He was transferred to a replacement depot in October 1944, fully two months before the rest of the crew had completed their combat flying.

Missions

DateTarget458th MsnPilot MsnSerialRCLSqdnA/C MsnA/C NameComments
11-Jun-44BLOIS62141-28719QJ335PADDLEFOOT
14-Jun-44DOMLEGER65241-29288LJ329BIG-TIME OPERATOR
18-Jun-44FASSBERG A/D69342-7516KJ315GATORMSN #1
19-Jun-44REGNAUVILLE72442-51097TJ322UNKNOWN 022MSN #2
21-Jun-44BERLIN75542-100362AZ510SWEET LORRAINE/BOOMERANG
23-Jun-443 NO BALLS76642-95008RJ316UNKNOWN 035
24-Jun-44CONCHES A/F77742-51179PJ311DUSTY'S DOUBLE TROUBLEMSN #1
28-Jun-44SAARBRUCKEN81842-50320WJ325UNKNOWN 018
29-Jun-44ASCHERSLEBEN82942-95120MJ316HOOKEM COW / BETTY
07-Jul-44LUTZKENDORF861042-95120MJ319HOOKEM COW / BETTY
11-Jul-44MUNICH881142-95120MJ321HOOKEM COW / BETTY
12-Jul-44MUNICH891242-95120MJ322HOOKEM COW / BETTY
18-Jul-44TROARN931342-95120MJ325HOOKEM COW / BETTY
19-Jul-44KEMPTEN941442-95120MJ326HOOKEM COW / BETTY
28-Jul-44LEIPHEIM & CREEL A/FsSCR--42-95120MJ3--HOOKEM COW / BETTYBRIEFED AND SCRUBBED
31-Jul-44LUDWIGSHAFEN991542-95120MJ328HOOKEM COW / BETTY
01-Aug-44T.O.s FRANCE1001642-95120MJ329HOOKEM COW / BETTY
02-Aug-443 NO BALLS1011742-95120MJ330HOOKEM COW / BETTY
04-Aug-44ROSTOCK1031842-95120MJ331HOOKEM COW / BETTY
07-Aug-44GHENT1071942-95120MJ333HOOKEM COW / BETTY
08-Aug-44CLASTRES1082042-95120MJ334HOOKEM COW / BETTY
14-Aug-44DOLE/TAVAUX1132142-95120MJ338HOOKEM COW / BETTY
18-Aug-44WOIPPY116ABT42-51097TJ3--UNKNOWN 022#1 ENG OIL, #3 TURBO
25-Aug-44TERTRE1192242-95120MJ341HOOKEM COW / BETTY
26-Aug-44DULMEN1202341-29342SJ343ROUGH RIDERS
01-Sep-44PFAFFENHOFFENABN--41-29342SJ3--ROUGH RIDERSABANDONED
08-Sep-44KARLSRUHE1232442-95120MJ343HOOKEM COW / BETTY
10-Sep-44ULM M/Y1252544-40475VJ31JOLLY ROGERTYPO (S/B 475D)
12-Sep-44WELFORD to CLASTRESTR01--42-95183UJ3T1BRINEY MARLINTRUCKIN' MISSION
21-Sep-44HORSHAM to LILLETR05--41-28719Q J3T3PADDLEFOOTNOT ON OPS 5-OCT-44
27-Sep-44HORSHAM to LILLETR10--42-95028-L389BGT2THE DADDY RABBIT1ST FLIGHT
27-Sep-44HORSHAM to LILLETR10--42-95028-L389BGT3THE DADDY RABBIT2ND FLIGHT
29-Sep-44HORSHAM to LILLETR12--42-95028-L389BGT4THE DADDY RABBITTRUCKIN' MISSION
30-Sep-44HORSHAM to LILLETR13--42-95028-L389BGT5THE DADDY RABBITTRUCKIN' MISSION
12-Oct-44OSNABRUCK1322642-51215T7V3UNKNOWN 024
30-Oct-44HARBURG1392744-40283IJ412LASSIE COME HOME
08-Nov-44RHEINE1442844-40287JJ423BACHELOR'S BEDLAM
10-Nov-44HANAU A/F1462941-28980QJ49UNKNOWN 009
16-Nov-44ESCHWEILER1473044-40118SJ415WE'LL GET BY
06-Dec-44BIELEFELD1533141-28980VJ412UNKNOWN 009
11-Dec-44HANAU1553242-50768YJ418ARISE MY LOVE AND COME WITH ME
24-Dec-44SCHONECKEN1573342-50768YJ419ARISE MY LOVE AND COME WITH ME
25-Dec-44PRONSFELD1583442-50555AJ48BABY SHOES
28-Dec-44ST. WENDEL160MSHL--------MARSHALING CHIEF

Distinguished Flying Cross

1Lt John Glagola

Lt Prentiss Dong

S/Sgt William Coffey

S/Sgt William Pammer

S/Sgt Sherman Perigo

S/Sgt Peter Vanderkemp

S/Sgt Calvin Davis

Lt’s Glagola and Prentis congratulate each other on their DFC’s

(Photos: FOLD3)

S/Sgt Calvin Davis

Certificate of Valor and Medical Release for Calvin Davis. 

The latter document has some hand-written notes about an incident on an undated combat mission.

Click for larger image

“NBR two engine took a flak hit and developed an oil leak – as Lt Glagola was feathering the prop, the flight engineer (substitute) shut off the fuel to the NBR one engine by mistake, causing the plane to go into a 90° vertical bank. It took the pilot and co-pilot both on the rudder controls to right the ship which was rapidly losing altitude and going into a spin. The bomb load (8000 lbs) was salvoed and finally the aircraft was brought under control after losing several thousand feet. We proceeded back to our home base – fired red flares for fighter protection (two P-51s escorted us to the Channel) and an uneventful landing was made at Horsham St. Faith.”