Rosen Crew – Assigned 754th Squadron – January 23, 1945

The Rosen Crew traveled by ship to the ETO on January 5, 1945, arriving in England later that month.  They were assigned to the 754th Bombardment Squadron on January 23, 1945. After brief period of in-theater indoctrination, the crew flew their first mission on February 15th, aboard a B-24H that had 61 combat missions to its credit.

For their fourth mission, they flew another aging Liberator named The Shack. On this day, February 22, 1945, the 458th was assigned the marshaling yards near Piene-Hildesheim, Germany.  Bombing altitude was 10,000 feet instead of the usual 20,000 or 25,000 feet, and as a result the flak batteries were very active.  The aircraft flown by 2Lt Joseph E. Szarko, was stationed at the rear of the formation. As the bombers were passing Hersfeld a burst of ranging flak blossomed out, followed by a full pattern. The first shell exploded squarely inside Lt. Szarko’s bomb bay and the airframe erupted, one wing shearing off “in a fascinating slow motion manner.”  S/Sgt Dale R. Nelson, gunner on the Rosen Crew, wrote in his diary, “February 22; 4th [mission], a bad one – They got us up at 4:30 this A.M. for another mission, we hit Peine at 10,000 ft. Shorty got flack [flak] in his leg & the co-pilot in the neck. The ship to our left blowed up [sic] & the one in back wend [sic] down and burned in the woods.  Boy we were really scared.  Shorty will be in the hospital for about 3 months.  We got 15 flack holes in the ship and maybe more.  I guess we missed the target”.

In March, “Shorty” (tail gunner, Sgt Harry G. Grey) received the Purple Heart for wounds received on the Peine mission.  Group records indicate that he did not fly any further missions with the crew, but he was still on the 754BS Personnel Roster in May of 1945.  Morrison’s wound must not have been too severe.  He is not listed as receiving a Purple Heart and he was soon back flying with the crew.

The crew completed nine missions in March, having to abort on the first of the month due to the intercom system being out and gas fumes detected in the nose.  A check was completed and engineering discovered the cause of the fuel leak was due to, “The unused part of the modified nose heater exhaust line [that] had been connected to the #3 engine at the carburetor allowing the fuel mixture to leak through the exhaust line.  This was done during the engine change made in Belgium.”

They were able to complete five missions in April.  On two occasions they had difficulties and were not credited with a sortie.  On April 14th, the loss of an engine prior to reaching the Continent forced the crew to turn back early, and on the 15th they evidently had some trouble on the ground, possibly with their bomb load of Napalm canisters,  and were listed as NTO (No Take Off).

On April 18th, the crew flew what would be their 21st and last mission to the marshaling yards at Passau, Germany.  One week later the Eighth Air Force ceased combat operations in the ETO.

Not having completed a full combat tour, they were assigned to ferry one of the group’s Liberators back to the States in June 1945.

June 1945

Members of the Rosen Crew and ground men prepare to leave for the States