14 Oct 1943 | B-17 42-3195 "Kayos" 305th Bomb Group / 366th Bomb Squadron
I am the co-pilot's (Bush) grandson. This is a collection of what happened on "Kayos" to the best of my gathering:
Crashed Waldenrath, near Geilenkirchen, 17 miles N of Aachen, Ger by a German Pilot Ofw Heckman 1/JG1. Missing Air Crew Report 916. I believe the 7th plane from the 305th shot down that day.
There is a memorial near the crash site. Someone posted pics of it. I will share one here and the location of the memorial:
maps.app.goo.gl
picture borrowed from another thread on this same subject that I am borrowing heavily from:
New guy here with a request.
The crash site is just SW of the memorial sites, near the trees. At least a couple decades ago my grandfather received a call from an eyewitness to the crash whom had been a child at the time. My grandfathers younger brother ended up visiting and staying with eyewitness. With a metal detector they were able to find some pieces of the plane in that field. Having crashed while still fully loaded, I am sure it was a sight to see.
P FO Verl D. Fisher POW Assumption, IL
CP 2Lt Clinton A. Bush POW Gardena, CA
N 2Lt Carl H. Booth Jr KIA Arlington, VA
B S/Sgt Donald L. Hissom KIA Paden City, NJ
TT T/Sgt Clinton L. Bitton POW Chilly, ID
RO T/Sgt Harvey Bennett POW Fairmont, WV
BT S/Sgt Harold Insdorf KIA New York, NY
LW S/Sgt Loren E. Fink POW Chicago, IL
RW S/Sgt Thomas E. Therrien KIA Brockton, MA
TG S/Sgt George G. LeFebre POW Vancouver, WA
Relevant time stamps for Luftwaffe tactics that day:
Masters of the Air–Rocket Usage, shooting down bombers with questionable weapons and tactics (back the video up a little if you want the full rocket explanation. I timestamped the 14 Oct specific piece)
The Second Schweinfurt Raid - The USAAF's Black Thursday, October 1943 - Animated
BELLY:
Therrien's (Right Waist Gunner) B-17 was lagging dangerously behind the rest of the 305th formation as it made its way to the German border. In the belly of the bomber, Therrien began firing as the call of "Bogies!" blared out over the intercom, crimson tracers dancing across the sky. Cannon fire pierced through the thin aluminum of the B-17, knocking out the intercom system and wounding Thomas Therrien's fellow waist gunner, Loren Fink. As the B-17 heaved and groaned under the barrage, the order to bail out was passed down the fuselage. Therrien helped Fink and the wounded radio operator out of the waist door before preparing to jump. At that moment the plane lurched under another torrent of bullets and Therrien was pushed back into the aircraft. Re-emerging at the door, he was struck by a 20mm shell, which killed him before he could jump. Four members of the crew died, while the remaining six were taken as Prisoners of War. Thomas Therrien is buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium.
(source: Black Thursday: The Second Schweinfurt Raid | American Air Museum)
COCKPIT:
"I heard the sound of bullets hitting and penetrating the skin of the plane. It sounded like shooting into a tin can. Then we lost all power and started down, dropping out of formation. The order was given to bail out. We only had our parachute harness on and the chute "chest pack" was underneath our seats. I grabbed for mine and fouled the "D" ring causing the chute to deploy into my arms. "A great mistake that probably saved my life." I went down and forward into the navigator, bombardier compartment to go out the escape hatch. It would not open, so I returned to the cockpit and then proceeded to the Bombay. The bombs did not release leaving no room to squeeze out between the bombs and the bulk head. I passed out from lack of oxygen. (hypoxia) We were about 20,000 feet at this time. I was standing on the cat walk between the bomb racks. Here is what I think happened that saved my life. I had my parachute in my arms when I passed out. As my arms relaxed my chute fell into the slip stream and blossomed" - Clinton Bush
From here Bush was pulled out of the plane through the loaded bomb bay, breaking his pelvis on the way out.
FINK:
I was wounded in the right shoulder, shattering my right shoulder blade which took nine months to heal, and has been a source of constant pain ever since. Our group was very hard hit on this mission, our squadron anyway, for we sent the maximum amount of planes we could, which was six B- 17's. One aborted and five were shot down before reaching the target, due to heavy cloud cover. We could not stay up with the main group, so were easy targets for fighter planes. I was able to get and keep a prisoner of war log book, and will give some of the dates from it for confirmation. I parachuted from the B-17 October 14, 1943, at Geilenkirchen, Germany and was picked up by the German Army. I do not have any recollection of pulling the cord on the parachute. Anyway, I was fortunate that the civilians did not see me first as they would have probably shot me on the spot.
Six of our crew were able to parachute out and survived. Four did not make it out alive.
(source: Our Story - Chateau Lac Hayden)
They moved Loren from that room to the civilian hospital - third floor. They did not give him any medical treatment. They said that they were not allowed to do so. Whether this was so or not, he had no way of telling. Certainly it was not a humane way to treat a patient - gangrene set in and he ran very high temperatures. His copilot (Bush) was there at the hospital, too. He was the only one of his fellow crew members that he ever saw again! He had a broken pelvis, so he was not able to move around. One night Loren became very disoriented and went to him. No doubt, he was disoriented because of going so many days with no treatment and having high temperatures.
Anyway, he asked the copilot, "Do you want to go home with me?"
"Go back to bed, Loren, you'll get into trouble," the copilot told him.
"Listen friend, get ready if you want to go with me, because I'm going home!"
Nothing the copilot said could dissuade him. He went down the stairs as he was - with the night clothes that he had been sleeping in. He had to make his way down three flights of stairs. He was down at the front door, trying to get it opened when two nurses walked in and caught him. They took him back to bed immediately. The next day he was reprimanded and told that he was within a hair breadth of not going anywhere! If he had got the door open and gone out-side, he would have been shot immediately.
(source: https://randomcreativity.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/loren-fink-book.pdf)
POW-stories
Fink "I did have two complete German uniforms under my bed - or under my mattress - at one time. They were there so that two of the prisoners could use them. I was very fearful, knowing that should a Gestapo raid happen at that time, that I would be caught. I don't expect that I would be here today had that happened. As luck would have it, they were not found, and two English prisoners escaped wearing those uniforms. They could speak the German language fluently and had all the passes required (which took a great deal of planning), so they were able to walk out the gates on the American side without any trouble at all. We found out a couple of months later that they did make it all the way back to England. I am thankful for that, and for having played a part in getting them home.
(source: https://randomcreativity.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/loren-fink-book.pdf)
Bush was taken to Stalag Luft I. He regained his ability to walk again after about 6 months. The only medical treatment he received for his pelvis was to lay in a...I'm not sure what to call it. Sort of a body sling. Two long poles on either side supporting the fabric that hangs in between. So when he was in it, the pressure from either side pushed his pelvis together.
He also told a story about the liberation of the camp. One day he woke up and the German guards were just gone. The Russians were advancing and the Germans would rather surrender to the Americans. His reaction was to join up with a group of fellas, acquire a boat, and fish. They were able to catch some (not sure how much). But they brought it back to camp. Badass. What a surreal day that must have been.
I currently have feelers out to the family for as much info as I can get my hands on. I believe old letters are being read at this very moment. I will update with anything else interesting I find.
Thank you to all who help keep these stories alive.
Bush
I am the co-pilot's (Bush) grandson. This is a collection of what happened on "Kayos" to the best of my gathering:
Crashed Waldenrath, near Geilenkirchen, 17 miles N of Aachen, Ger by a German Pilot Ofw Heckman 1/JG1. Missing Air Crew Report 916. I believe the 7th plane from the 305th shot down that day.
There is a memorial near the crash site. Someone posted pics of it. I will share one here and the location of the memorial:
51°00'48.2"N 6°04'15.6"E · 51.013389, 6.071000
picture borrowed from another thread on this same subject that I am borrowing heavily from:
New guy here with a request.
The crash site is just SW of the memorial sites, near the trees. At least a couple decades ago my grandfather received a call from an eyewitness to the crash whom had been a child at the time. My grandfathers younger brother ended up visiting and staying with eyewitness. With a metal detector they were able to find some pieces of the plane in that field. Having crashed while still fully loaded, I am sure it was a sight to see.
P FO Verl D. Fisher POW Assumption, IL
CP 2Lt Clinton A. Bush POW Gardena, CA
N 2Lt Carl H. Booth Jr KIA Arlington, VA
B S/Sgt Donald L. Hissom KIA Paden City, NJ
TT T/Sgt Clinton L. Bitton POW Chilly, ID
RO T/Sgt Harvey Bennett POW Fairmont, WV
BT S/Sgt Harold Insdorf KIA New York, NY
LW S/Sgt Loren E. Fink POW Chicago, IL
RW S/Sgt Thomas E. Therrien KIA Brockton, MA
TG S/Sgt George G. LeFebre POW Vancouver, WA
Relevant time stamps for Luftwaffe tactics that day:
Masters of the Air–Rocket Usage, shooting down bombers with questionable weapons and tactics (back the video up a little if you want the full rocket explanation. I timestamped the 14 Oct specific piece)
The Second Schweinfurt Raid - The USAAF's Black Thursday, October 1943 - Animated
BELLY:
Therrien's (Right Waist Gunner) B-17 was lagging dangerously behind the rest of the 305th formation as it made its way to the German border. In the belly of the bomber, Therrien began firing as the call of "Bogies!" blared out over the intercom, crimson tracers dancing across the sky. Cannon fire pierced through the thin aluminum of the B-17, knocking out the intercom system and wounding Thomas Therrien's fellow waist gunner, Loren Fink. As the B-17 heaved and groaned under the barrage, the order to bail out was passed down the fuselage. Therrien helped Fink and the wounded radio operator out of the waist door before preparing to jump. At that moment the plane lurched under another torrent of bullets and Therrien was pushed back into the aircraft. Re-emerging at the door, he was struck by a 20mm shell, which killed him before he could jump. Four members of the crew died, while the remaining six were taken as Prisoners of War. Thomas Therrien is buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium.
(source: Black Thursday: The Second Schweinfurt Raid | American Air Museum)
COCKPIT:
"I heard the sound of bullets hitting and penetrating the skin of the plane. It sounded like shooting into a tin can. Then we lost all power and started down, dropping out of formation. The order was given to bail out. We only had our parachute harness on and the chute "chest pack" was underneath our seats. I grabbed for mine and fouled the "D" ring causing the chute to deploy into my arms. "A great mistake that probably saved my life." I went down and forward into the navigator, bombardier compartment to go out the escape hatch. It would not open, so I returned to the cockpit and then proceeded to the Bombay. The bombs did not release leaving no room to squeeze out between the bombs and the bulk head. I passed out from lack of oxygen. (hypoxia) We were about 20,000 feet at this time. I was standing on the cat walk between the bomb racks. Here is what I think happened that saved my life. I had my parachute in my arms when I passed out. As my arms relaxed my chute fell into the slip stream and blossomed" - Clinton Bush
From here Bush was pulled out of the plane through the loaded bomb bay, breaking his pelvis on the way out.
FINK:
I was wounded in the right shoulder, shattering my right shoulder blade which took nine months to heal, and has been a source of constant pain ever since. Our group was very hard hit on this mission, our squadron anyway, for we sent the maximum amount of planes we could, which was six B- 17's. One aborted and five were shot down before reaching the target, due to heavy cloud cover. We could not stay up with the main group, so were easy targets for fighter planes. I was able to get and keep a prisoner of war log book, and will give some of the dates from it for confirmation. I parachuted from the B-17 October 14, 1943, at Geilenkirchen, Germany and was picked up by the German Army. I do not have any recollection of pulling the cord on the parachute. Anyway, I was fortunate that the civilians did not see me first as they would have probably shot me on the spot.
Six of our crew were able to parachute out and survived. Four did not make it out alive.
(source: Our Story - Chateau Lac Hayden)
They moved Loren from that room to the civilian hospital - third floor. They did not give him any medical treatment. They said that they were not allowed to do so. Whether this was so or not, he had no way of telling. Certainly it was not a humane way to treat a patient - gangrene set in and he ran very high temperatures. His copilot (Bush) was there at the hospital, too. He was the only one of his fellow crew members that he ever saw again! He had a broken pelvis, so he was not able to move around. One night Loren became very disoriented and went to him. No doubt, he was disoriented because of going so many days with no treatment and having high temperatures.
Anyway, he asked the copilot, "Do you want to go home with me?"
"Go back to bed, Loren, you'll get into trouble," the copilot told him.
"Listen friend, get ready if you want to go with me, because I'm going home!"
Nothing the copilot said could dissuade him. He went down the stairs as he was - with the night clothes that he had been sleeping in. He had to make his way down three flights of stairs. He was down at the front door, trying to get it opened when two nurses walked in and caught him. They took him back to bed immediately. The next day he was reprimanded and told that he was within a hair breadth of not going anywhere! If he had got the door open and gone out-side, he would have been shot immediately.
(source: https://randomcreativity.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/loren-fink-book.pdf)
POW-stories
Fink "I did have two complete German uniforms under my bed - or under my mattress - at one time. They were there so that two of the prisoners could use them. I was very fearful, knowing that should a Gestapo raid happen at that time, that I would be caught. I don't expect that I would be here today had that happened. As luck would have it, they were not found, and two English prisoners escaped wearing those uniforms. They could speak the German language fluently and had all the passes required (which took a great deal of planning), so they were able to walk out the gates on the American side without any trouble at all. We found out a couple of months later that they did make it all the way back to England. I am thankful for that, and for having played a part in getting them home.
(source: https://randomcreativity.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/loren-fink-book.pdf)
Bush was taken to Stalag Luft I. He regained his ability to walk again after about 6 months. The only medical treatment he received for his pelvis was to lay in a...I'm not sure what to call it. Sort of a body sling. Two long poles on either side supporting the fabric that hangs in between. So when he was in it, the pressure from either side pushed his pelvis together.
He also told a story about the liberation of the camp. One day he woke up and the German guards were just gone. The Russians were advancing and the Germans would rather surrender to the Americans. His reaction was to join up with a group of fellas, acquire a boat, and fish. They were able to catch some (not sure how much). But they brought it back to camp. Badass. What a surreal day that must have been.
I currently have feelers out to the family for as much info as I can get my hands on. I believe old letters are being read at this very moment. I will update with anything else interesting I find.
Thank you to all who help keep these stories alive.
Bush
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