460th BG patch 460th Bombardment Group (H) 460th BG tail

42-95256

Courtesy of Charles Morgan

42-95256

42-95256

42-95256

42-95256

42-95256

42-95256

The following is courtesy of Mike Weber:

Here's more on the Grinnell crew mission that day.  The aircraft of the Paul Grinnell crew (763) was hit by flak over the target.  The #3 engine was lost, the rudder and aileron cables and some of the fuel lines were cut, and the electric and hydraulic systems were out.  They lost two more engines when attacked by fighters.  Robert C. Kent downed one of the ME-109s, but a 20 mm shell exploded in the waist, sending fragments into Goldman's back.  Paul C. Grinnell, T. L. Beard, Paul A. Stearns, and Robert W. Goldman were also burned before leaving the plane.  Just after the last person bailed out near Aleksandrovac, Yugoslavia, the plane exploded.  The entire crew was strafed on the way down by fighters, and Vincent J. Boccardo, Jr. (buried Sicily-Rome Cemetery, G-11-60) and Louis R. Reitan both were killed—on their first mission.  Paul A. Stearns broke his ankle, and Eugene A. Simon injured his leg and ankle.  Although badly hurt himself, Harold J. Snyder carried Kent to the nearest village for treatment.  The doctor claimed to be a relative of Mayor LaGuardia.  Martin L. Kiel apparently was not hurt.  The Chetniks treated the wounded and assisted in getting Grinnell, Snyder, Kiel, Simon, Stearns, Beard, Goldman, and Kent to a landing strip on 31 Jul 44, where they stayed until evacuated 10 Aug 44 as part of the Halyard Mission.