Richards Crew – Assigned 753rd Squadron – November 17, 1944
Back row, Standing: Alfred Hinson – G, Harold Pitcher – E, John Railton – G, Joseph Ginter – N.
Middle row: Louis Borosch – B, Hilburn Richards – P, Emmet Risz – CP
Front Row: Walter Schub – G, Aldis McGill – G, William Walsh – RO
Middle row: Louis Borosch – B, Hilburn Richards – P, Emmet Risz – CP
Front Row: Walter Schub – G, Aldis McGill – G, William Walsh – RO
(Courtesy: Doug Pitcher, via www.801492.org)
Transferred to 406th Night Leaflet Squadron
| Rank | Name | Serial # | Pos | Date | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Lt | Hilburn F Richards | 0721862 | Pilot | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| F/O | Emmet L Risz | T4294 | Co-pilot | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| F/O | Joseph W Ginter | T131831 | Navigator | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| F/O | Louis W Borosch, Jr | T5592 | Bombardier | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| Cpl | William J Walsh | 33788895 | Radio Operator | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| Sgt | Harold W Pitcher | 16111844 | Flight Engineer | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| Cpl | Alfred N Hinson | 14193927 | Aerial Gunner | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| Cpl | Aldis J McGill | 36899316 | Aerial Gunner | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| Cpl | John R Railton, Jr | 39577032 | Aerial Gunner | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
| Cpl | Walter E Schub | 31378435 | Armorer-Gunner | 19-Nov-44 | TRSF | Trsfr to 406th Bomb SQ AAF 113 |
On November 17, 1944 three combat crews were assigned to the 458th. Two crews, those of 2Lt Wallace M. Pollard and 2Lt Raymond L. Hendrix went to the 754th Squadron; and 2Lt Hilburn F. Richards and crew came to the 753rd. None of these crews would be at Horsham for long. On November 19th all three were transferred to the 406th Bombardment Squadron (Provisional) at AAF 113 near Cheddington. From here these crews would be flying night operations, dropping leaflets on Germany.
Thanks to the excellent work of Mr. Thomas L. Ensminger and his website, The Carpetbagger Photographic Archives & Historical Research Center we have a brief glimpse into the activities of Richards in this unit. Richards’ crew flew at least 22 night leaflet operations between March 16th to April 15, 1945. Each of these missions were to multiple cities inside Germany.
The tables below show “Target” (or city location), Load (type of leaflet carried), Drop Time, Altitude at time of drop, Route out and back, and times for take off and landing. It looks like Richards was assigned the same A/C, B-24 41-28880 for the majority of his trips over the Continent.
Missions with the 406BS
| March 16/17 | Take off: 1905 Landed: 0125 | Ship #880 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| RHEIN-? | 1T, 1-ZG.118 | 2143 | 22,000 | Base-Dungeness-LeTreport-Tgts-Return same |
| NEUWID | 1T, 1-ZG.118 | 2145 | 21,500 | |
| BERNDORF(?) | 1T, 1-ZG.118 | 2147 | 21,000 | |
| KOBLENZ | 1T, 1-ZG.118, 1-ZG.113, 1-ZG.115 | 2148 | 20,500 | |
| OBER-LAHNSTEIN | 1T, 1-ZG.118 | 2149 | 20,500 | |
| March 18/19 | Take off: 1906 Landed: 0210 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| BISCHOFFHEIM | 2T, 1-WG.43 | 2219 | 21,000 | Base-Dungeness-LeTreport-Tgts-Return same |
| RUSSELHEIM | 2T, 1-WG.43 | 2218 | 21,000 | |
| EDDESSHEIM | 2T, 1-WG.43 | 2217 | 21,000 | |
| HOCHST | 2T, 1-WG.43 | 2215 | 21,500 | |
| March 20/21 | Take off: 1906 Landed: 0206 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| MAINZ | 2T, 1-ZG.97, 1-ZG.116 | 2159 | 21,000 | Base-Dungeness-LeTreport-Tgts-Return same |
| OPPENHEIM | 1T, 1-ZG.97 | 2202 | 20,500 | |
| WORMS | 2T, 1-ZG.97, 1-ZG.116 | 2206 | 20,000 | |
| FRANKENTHAL | 1T, 1-ZG.97 | 2208 | 20,500 | |
| March 22/23 | Take off: 1904 Landed: 0008 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| RECKLINGHAUSEN | 3T, 1-WG.46 | 2139 | 22,000 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Tgts-Return same |
| DORTMUND | 3T, 1-WG.46 | 2143 | 21,500 | |
| HAGEN | 3T, 1-WG.46 | 2146 | 21,500 | |
| March 23/24 | Take off: 1901 Landed: 0005 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| ROSRATH | 1T, 1-ZG.90, 1-ZG.115 | 2153 | 22,000 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Targets-Back same |
| MUCH | 1T, 1-ZG.90, 1-ZG.115 | 2156 | 21,500 | |
| EITORF | 1T, 1-ZG.90, 1-ZG.115 | 2159 | 21,000 | |
| UCKERATH | 1T, 1-ZG.90, 1-ZG.115 | 2200 | 21,000 | |
| March 24/25 | Take off: 1906 Landed: 2357 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| HERNE | 2T, 1-WG.47 | 2141 | 22,500 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Tgts-Return same |
| CASTROP-RAUXEL | 2T, 1-WG.47 | 2142 | 22,000 | |
| DORTMUND | 2T, 1-WG.47 | 2144 | 21,500 | |
| BOCHUM | 2T, 1-WG.47 | 2147 | 21,000 | |
| March 25/26 | Take off: 1915 Landed: 0041 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| ENSCHEDE | 1T | 2149 | 22,000 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Targets-Back same |
| MUNSTER | 2T, 1-ZG.120 | 2159 | 21,500 | |
| LUDENHAUSEN | 1T, 1-ZG.120 | 2206 | 20,000 | |
| DULMEN | 1T, 1-ZG.120 | 2208 | 20,500 | |
| COESFELD | 2T, 2-ZG.120 | 2211 | 20,500 | |
| March 27/28 | Take off: 1907 Landed: 0012 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| COESFELD | 2T, 1-ZG.120 | 2130 | 22,500 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Targets-Back same |
| MUNSTER | 2T, 1-ZG.120 | 2136 | 22,000 | |
| LUDWIGSHAFEN | 2T | 2140 | 21,000 | |
| DULMEN | 2T | 2144 | 21,000 | |
| HALTERN | 2T | 2147 | 20,000 | |
| April 1/2 | Take off: 1909 Landed: 0146 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| BENTHEIM | NOT BOMBED | -- | -- | Bomb Rack Trouble |
| IBBENBUREN? | NOT BOMBED | -- | -- | Bomb Rack Trouble |
| OSNABRUCK | 5-ZG.121, 5T, 2-ZG.119 | 2135 | 21,500 | ROUTE: Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Tgts-Return same |
| BARGHOLZHAUSEN | NOT BOMBED | -- | -- | Bomb Rack Trouble |
| April 3/4 | Take off: 2036 Landed: 0239 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| MEPPEN | 1T, 1-ZG.120, 1-ZG.121 | 2253 | 22,000 | ROUTE: Base-Cromer-5249N 0440E-Tgts-Return same |
| QUAKENBRUCK | 1T, 1-ZG.120, 1-ZG.121 | -- | -- | Not bombed - Rack trouble |
| DIEPHOLZ | 1T, 1-ZG.120, 1-ZG.121 | -- | -- | Not bombed - Rack trouble |
| NIENBURG | 1T, 1-ZG.120, 1-WG.43, 1-ZG.121 | 2310 | 21,500 | |
| April 5/6 | Take off: 2035 Landed: 0249 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| SOEST | 1T, 1-ZG.69, 1-ZG.123, 1-ZG.127 | 2348 | 21,000 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Tgts-Return same |
| ARNSBERG | 1T, 1-ZG.123 | 2353 | 21,000 | |
| MESCHEINE | 1T, 2-ZG.69, 1-ZG.123, 2-ZG.127 | 2355 | 21,500 | |
| April 8/9 | Take off: 2033 Landed: 0223 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| ?-NEUSTADT | 3-T357, 1-ZG.125 | 2341 | 21,500 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Targets-Back same |
| OLFE | 3-T357, 1-ZG.125 | 2344 | 21,000 | |
| KREUZTAL | 3-T357, 1-ZG.125 | 2341 | 20,500 | |
| April 9/10 | Take off: 2030 Landed: 0023 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| HAARLEM | 2-XH-108 | 2239 | 20,500 | Base-Cromer-5224N 0433E-Tgts-5200N 0418E-Cromer-Base |
| AMSTERDAM | 4-XH-108 | 2242 | 20,501 | |
| ROTTERDAM | 4-XH-108 | 2254 | 20,502 | |
| THE HAGUE | 2-XH-108 | 2251 | 20,503 | |
| April 10/11 | Take off: 2107 Landed: 0311 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| BREMEN | 10T, 2-WG.2 | 0015 | 22,000 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Target-Back same |
| April 11/12 | Take off: 2036 Landed: 0301 | Ship #880 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| VISSELHOVEDE | 1T, 1-ZG.120 | 2333 | 20,000 | Base-Cromer-Overflakkee-Tgts-Westkappelle- Clacton-Base |
| BERGEN | 1T, 1-ZG.120 | 2338 | 19,000 | |
| SOLTAU | 2T, 1-ZG.120, 2-ZG.121 | 2342 | 18,000 | |
| TOSTEDT | NOT BOMBED | -- | -- | Engine failure |
| ROTHENBURG | 1T, 1-ZG.120, 1-ZG.125 | 2330 | 21,000 | |
| April 12/13 | Take off: 2036 Landed: 0239 | Ship #824 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| EMIEN? | 2-VG.3A | 2250 | 21,000 | Base-Cromer-5314N 0528E-Targets-Overflakkee-Cromer-Base |
| WILHELMSHAVEN | 2-VG.3A | 2300 | 21,500 | |
| HAMBURG | 4-VG.3A | 2321 | 22,000 | |
| BREMEN | 4-VG.3A | 2337 | 21,000 | |
| April 13/14 | Take off: 2030 Landed: 0235 | Ship #492 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| EMEIN? | 2T, 4-WG.52 | 2314 | 21,000 | Base-Cromer-Tgts-5140N 0620E-Westkappelle- Cromer-Base |
| BREMERHAVEN | 2T, 4-WG.53 | 2321 | 21,500 | |
| April 14/15 | Take off: 2031 Landed: 0312 | Ship #824 | ||
| Target | Load | Drop Time | Altitude | Route / Notes |
| LA ROCHELLE | 4T, 1-ZG.67 | 2354 | 20,000 | Base-Portland Bill-4852N 0305W-Targets-Back same |
| ROYAN | 3T, 1-ZG.67 | 0006 | 20,000 | |
| PT. DeGRAVE | 3T | 0008 | 20,000 |
Mission information compiled from Interrogation Forms found on the download page at www.801492.org