Lockridge Crew – Assigned 754th Squadron – May 1944

The Lockridge crew was assigned to the 754th Squadron in May 1944.  The crew flew their first mission on June 5, 1944 and the next two on D-Day.  By mid-July 1944, the crew was regularly flying in the group and squadron lead positions.  In late July, Swartz was given his own crew of which navigator Adolph Clatchko, and bombardier John Gorman were a part.  Several other crewmen in the 754th whose crews had either completed a tour or had been lost made up the rest of this crew.  Swartz, Clatchko and Gorman completed their respective tours of missions in October 1944.

Also in October the 755th Squadron became the designated lead squadron in the 458th and on the 23rd of that month all lead crews from the 752nd, 753rd, and 754th squadrons were transferred to the 755th.  All of the wing crews in the 755th were transferred to the other three squadrons.  What remained of the Lockridge crew went to the 755th on this date.  2Lt Gaston R. Feller is on the October 23rd set of orders transferring Lockridge and crew to the 755th.  Feller was assigned as part of the crew of 2Lt George T. Dwyre (754th Squadron) on July 20, 1944 as that crew’s bombardier.  Two additional navigators were added to the crew and the co-pilot’s seat would be occupied by a command pilot on each mission.

Being a lead crew had its advantages and disadvantages.  It meant that one did not fly combat as often (as is evidenced by the mission list below), but there were many more training flights.  Since their missions were spread out, it meant an extended stay in England in order to complete a 30 mission tour.  Wing crews were, by this date, having to complete 35 missions in order to go home.  The hard training paid off and the Lockridge crew was awarded two “Lead Crew Commendation” certificates for meritorious achievement on a combat mission.

The crew completed their tour of mission on February 24, 1945.  This last mission was a tough one for the crew.  They were leading the entire 2nd Air Division in a strike on Bielefeld, Germany.  Leon Ottney relates in his flight log, “PFF, visual assist, lost #4 engine at bombs away, #2 & #3 losing oil.  Really sweated it out.”  Even with these difficulties the crew received their second “Lead Crew Commendation” certificate for this mission.

Combat Crew Training – Casper, Wyoming

January 17, 1945  Harburg, Germany

Lead Crew 1945

February 24, 1945 – Bielefeld, Germany

S/Sgt Leonard C. Ottney – Mission List

Missions – William Swartz as Pilot

Crash landing at Watton

DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT
At 1836 hours 30 September 1944 B-24H 41-29452, piloted by Lieutenant SWARTZ of AAF Station 123 crash landed at AAF Station 376. The right landing gear was broken at support elbow, possibly caused from the extremely rough perimeter tracks and R/W at Lille, France, from whence it had just returned from a trucking mission. Upon impact on R/W 29, AAF Station 376 the right main gear collapsed causing damage to under fuselage and No.4 prop.

The Pilot and Co-pilot were unhurt. The other four (4) crew members had successfully bailed out prior to landing.

It is the opinion of the pilot that the damage to the strut must have been caused during take-off at Lille, France as gear sounded as if it were binding and the gear was inspected and found normal before takeoff.

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Accident Report 45-09-30-512

On September 30, 1944 we took off from this station in B-24 aircraft H series #452-S and flew to Station 146, Vendeville airport just outside Lille, France.  We landed there and made an inspection of the landing gear as requested by the ground crew chief and found everything in good working order.  At takeoff we discovered that the safety solenoid on the gear handle was inoperative, making it necessary to trip the solenoid manually.

While taxiing to takeoff from Vendeville it was noted that the gear sounded as though it were binding and that the oleo action was slow.  On arrival at this station the gear was put down in a normal manner and the engineer went back to the waist to check the gear down and locked.  He discovered that the drag strut on the right main gear had broken off at the elbow.  Probable cause of this breakage was taxiing over rough terrain at Vendeville airport and takeoff from a rough runway.

The commanding officer of this station ordered the crew to bail out at Watton, Station 376.  Pilot and Co-pilot then effected a successful landing, the right landing gear collapsing as expected.