Connor - #2/11
Standing L-R: Jennings, Robert W. (CP); Connor, Cleone (Tinker) C. Jr. (P); Johnson, William F. (B); Meng, Richard J. (N)
Squatting L-R: Bradfield, Everett (NG); Purvis, Bobbie (TTG); Nelson, Raymond J. (E/WG); Black, Richard W. (TG); Stanisezewski, John D. (BTG); Bevilqua, Donald A. (RO/WH)
Courtesy of Ruth Walters
This well start mid October 1944. The writer was assigned to crew #A-568 at Westover Field, Mass. That was special orders #290, 17 October 1944. We were released from Westover Field on 19 October1944 and proceeded to Chatham Field at Savannah, GA by rail to Savannah, GA. There were 28 crews transferred of 9 men per crew. The navigator was not assigned to the listed crews at first. Crew #A-568 had the following personnel:
Pilot 2nd Lt. Cleone C. Connor, Jr. 0-2058109
Co-pilot 2nd Lt. Robert W. Jennings 0-836468
Bombardier 2nd Lt. William F. Johnson 0-2073386
Engineer/Gunner Cpl. Raymond J. Nelson 17181224
Radio Operator/Gunner Cpl. Donald A. Bevilaqua 33679767
Armorer/Gunner Cpl. John D. Staniszewski 33799303
Gunner Pfc. Everette E. Bradfield 34989251
Gunner Pfc. Bobbie J. Purvis 38608835
Gunner Pfc. Richard W. Black 15125647
After we arrived at Savannah we were assigned our navigator. That was:
Navigator F/O Richard J Meng T-134730
I would make a comment at this point. Bradfield is not listed as a crew member of crew #2/11.
There is a Milford J Rogers, 13194282, listed as a member crew #2/11. To date, I have not found Bradfield in any records.
Crew #A-568 trained for the next 2½ months doing all the things that everyone remembers so I will not go into that further. Statistically speaking we flew 34 missions out of Chatham Field.
Crew #A-568 left Chatham Field without me on 31 December 1944. I left by train for Mitchell Field.
I did not hear from them again. When I was in Lincoln Air Base after VE day a radio gunner who flew with us in Chatham came up to me and recognized me. He said my crew didn't survive a mission over Vienna. This is what I found out by searching the Internet from Hughes Glantzberg.
You can contact me at:
will2johnson@aol.com