Haydon Crew – Assigned 752nd Squadron – May 1944

1Lt Theodore Haydon’s crew was assigned to the 458th in May 1944.  Other than a few cryptic entries in the group and 752nd Squadron records, there is not much is not much known about this crew.  Haydon flew 30 missions and Gibney flew 10 missions as first pilot, but the circumstances of him becoming a first pilot are unknown.  Haydon and Gibney were both awarded the DFC in October, presumably for the completion of their combat tours.  Haydon went on to be the assistant group and station S3 (Operations) officer.

2Lt Milton Feldman, the crew’s navigator ended up as a prisoner of war at the end of June 1944.  He was apparently needed as a replacement on the crew of 1Lt Kenneth Gorrell.  When their aircraft momentarily caught fire due to a flak hit in the oxygen system, Feldman and nose-turret gunner Sgt James Murray bailed out through the nose wheel door.  Both men parachuted successfully, but landed separately.  Feldman was picked up fairly quickly and well treated, but Sgt Murray was apprehended and subsequently shot by a German official.  Their story is detailed in the “Stories” page on this website under Murder Unresolved.

Little is known about the activities of the rest of the crew.  It is assumed that since both of their pilots completed their tours in August and September, that most, if not all of the crew completed theirs as well.

2Lt Milton M. Feldman – POW June 1944

2Lt Milton Feldman became a POW on June 29, 1944 while flying with another crew.