Thompson Crew – Assigned 752nd Squadron – April 1944

While there is no record of their being assigned, Lt. Evert R. Thompson and crew most likely arrived in April when the first replacement crews started coming into Horsham. They were designated Crew #38 in the 752nd Squadron. The crew flew their first mission on May 4, 1944. Their second mission, the very next day, saw them bombing the military installations near Sottevast. Losing two engines to flak over France they made it as far as in Odiham, about 140 miles southwest of Horsham. Four of the crew were killed and the rest were hospitalized.

Several crewmen flew in place of the original crew who were killed on the May 5th mission, but the loading list for the crew’s last mission on August 9, 1944 shows the following crewmen (other than original crew) aboard that day: 2Lt Milton W. Grayson (originally assigned with 2Lt Bernard A. Ferrance on June 3, 1944), navigator; Sgt Walter J. Luke and Sgt George L. Olson, gunners; and T/Sgt Willard R. Middelkauff, tail turret gunner. All but Middelkauff may have flown several missions with Thompson.

The target for the 458th on August 9th was a ball bearing plant on the edge of Stuttgart, but cloud cover forced the group to their Secondary target, the marshalling yards at Saarbrucken. At some point, Thompson’s aircraft, Heavenly Body received damage to two of their engines from flak. Co-pilot Lt Walter Landers stated that they, “had just dropped our bombs” when they left the formation. According to pilot, Lt Thompson, “All crew members bailed out about 25 minutes after being hit by flak – bailed out near Trier [Germany] – all members were POW’s.”

MACR 7890
At 1108 hours in the vicinity of TRIER, a number of ‘Chutes were suddenly seen to emerge from an aircraft of the 458th Bomb Gp. All other Aircraft returned, so presumably ‘Chutes were from #942. Reports on No. of ‘Chutes seen vary between eight and nine, with eight in preponderance. At time ‘Chutes were sighted there was no flak or enemy aircraft, but two props on aircraft were reported to be wind-milling. Aircraft was last sighted maintaining altitude and heading westwards in erratic flight.

May 5, 1944

753rd Squadron Records
On May 5th, when the group attacked Sottevast flying-bomb site, A/C 706, piloted by 2nd Lt. EVERT R. THOMPSON, was hit by flak over France, which knocked out two engines. When he ran out of gas over England on returning to base, Lt. Thompson decided to make a crash landing. Since the pilot’s window was obscured by ice, the controls were turned over [to] the co-pilot, 2nd Lt. WALTER P. LANDERS, who was barely able to see out of his window. In landing, a huge hole was ripped in the belly of the plane by a tree, and #3 engine caught fire. Lt. Landers freed himself and, with the help of a civilian, extricated the remaining crew members from the burning plane.

Four of the men were killed. They were:
2nd Lt. WILLIAM A. WEBSTER       0-699283    Navigator
2nd Lt. WILLIAM M. KENDALL      0-695597     Bombardier
Sgt Henry S. Moore Jr.                     34288034     L Waist Gunner
Sgt John J. Cleary                              19086604     Tail Gunner

The crash occurred at Odiham, England.

Briefing Map: Route of Sottevast raid on May 5, 1944

“A/C No. 706 from this group crashed at Odiham, England, from reasons as yet undetermined.  Four killed and rest of crew in hospital.”

B-24H-20-DT 41-28942  7V  U  Heavenly Body

Photo: Mike Bailey

Thompson Crew on August 9, 1944

August 9, 1944

There is a series of four photographs taken on this particular mission by S/Sgt William L. Case, a gunner on Lt John Tracy’s crew in the 753rd Squadron.  The first two photos show smoke markers being released, and bombs dropping from the group’s aircraft.  These two photos were taken fairly close together in time, as the cloud formations in the background are the same, although several additional flak bursts have just appeared in photo #2.

The last two photos show a B-24 (just below the Liberator at the top of photo #3), below, and (in photo #4) behind the main formation, obviously in trouble. Flak appears to be just below the altitude of the main formation in this photo.

While it is impossible to identify the Liberator in trouble, this may be Thompson’s aircraft, Heavenly Body.  The situation in the third photo, however, does not hold up to the eye-witness accounts that appear in the MACR (above) that, “…there was no flak or enemy aircraft.”  Clearly, flak is visible in three of the four photos.  Lt Landers’ statement that they had just dropped their bombs when they left the formation, does seem to match up with the sequence of photos.

While it will most likely never be known for certain whose aircraft is pictured here, it is nonetheless a fascinating set of photos.

(Courtesy: Bill Case)