B-17 She-Hasta

[TCM5]

There are a few shots of that air craft on the 100th bomb group web site (With two different ground crews I think)
By the way, My Father was the pilot of that same plane!
He was flying right seat on that mission as that was their last training flight. I have some info on what happened to the crew after being captured. if interested please contact me!

 

[littlebit]

This is a very late reply, but I just ran across this website. If any family members are still reading this, my uncle was the radio operator/gunner when the plane went down on 29 July 1944. I have one of the pics of the crew. My uncle was sent to Stalag Luft IV as he was SSGT before he took his spot in the march. He kept in contact with at least one member of the crew until he passed away in 2001.

Warmest regards to all.

 

[shehastafrankmadrid]

I am the grandson of Frank Madrid. he was the gunner when they were shot down. Can you send me pictures of where to buy a scale of the airplane. I would love this. cjmadrid at hotmail.com

 

[Darin Divinia]

I believe my Great Uncle Stanley Diamond flew on the B-17G She-Hasta. Do you have any other information or pictures?

Thanks,
D.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

 

[FLYBOYJ]

B-17 Bomber encounters Nazi rocket fighter Me 163 - WWII Today

 

[Darin Divinia]

Good deal. From what I have found he was not on the She-Hasta when he went down. He was on the Black Cat 13. They both went down in July of 1944.

Thanks,
D.

 

[Vince P]

Found this on the American Air Museum website (42-32009 | American Air Museum in Britain):

Delivered Denver 15/1/44; Gr Island 29/1/44; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-X] Thorpe Abbotts 14/2/44; Missing in Action Brussels 28/7/44 with Albert Spear, Co-pilot: Stan Diamond, Navigator: John Spillane, Bombardier: C.P. Pate, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ray Pieczynski, Radio Operator: Art Marshall, Ball turret gunner: Arthur Gens,Tail gunner: Bob Bass (8 Killed in Action); Waist gunner: Rob Gill (RTD- picked up by ASR); mid air coll with 42-97621 (100BG), the fuselage snapped in half and crashed in North Sea off Lowestoft, Sfk; Missing Air Crew Report 8174. BUFFALO GAL aka BLACK CAT 13.

 

[Vince P]

Additional info found on the site - Stanley S Diamond | American Air Museum in Britain
Also - Stanley S. Diamond | American Battle Monuments Commission

I'm visiting Cambridge American Cemetery soon, if you would like I can get a photo of the Tablets of the Missing with his name on.

 

[Vince P]

More information found at Personnel including a full report of the incident:

CREW

2ND LT JAMES D. COCCIA P POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
2ND LT STANLEY S. DIAMOND CP KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG (with Lt Albert Spear Crew)
2ND LT ROBERT D. FULKERSON NAV POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
2ND LT ROBERT E. MARSHO BOM POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
S/SGT HARRY E. WHITFORD ROG POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
S/SGT JOHN R. VUCHETICH TTE POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
SGT BERNARD V. BAUMGARTEN WG KIA 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
SGT HARRY G. FELDKAMP WG POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
SGT JAMES A. HOOTS TG NOC
SGT FRANK MADRID BTG POW 29 JUL 44 MERSEBURG

MACR #7815, Microfiche #2862 A/C #42-107007 "SHE HASTA"

351st Sqdn.. This crew joined the 100th on 17 Jul 44

29 Jul 44 this crew suffered flak damage over the target (Merseburg) and was forced to ditch in the North Sea off the coast of Ameland. Made it to shore & immediately captured. Baumgarten severly wounded and went down with the A/C. William L. Greiner was flying as pilot to break in a new crew and became a POW. Lt Stanley Diamond asked for a transfer from this Crew because he was fearful of Coccia's flying ability. He was sent to the Crew of Lt Albert S. Spear an was KIA on 28 Ju 44 over Merseburg.

CREW

2ND LT ALBERT S. SPEAR P KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
2ND LT DEWEY H. NELSON CP CPT 25 DEC 44 KAISERLAUTERN, MY
2ND LT JOHN P. SPILLANE NAV KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
2ND LT ROBERT WASHINGTON BOM POW 31 DEC 44 HAMBURG
CPL ARTHUR A. MARSHALL ROG KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
CPL RAYMOND A. PIECZYNSKI TTE KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
CPL REMI G. EBERNENZ BTG CPT 03 JAN 45 FULDA
CPL ARTHUR V. GENS WG KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG
CPL ROBBIE L. GILL WG CPT 24 OCT 44 UNKNOWN
CPL ROBERT D. BASS TG KIA 28 JUL 44 MERSEBURG

350TH SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 17 JUL 1944
MACR # 8174, Microfiche # 3002 A/C #42-32009

This ship collided with that of Lt W.G. Stansbury over the North Sea. .

Lt Robert Washington was flying with the Glenn Rojohn crew on 31 Dec 44 (Hamburg) and became a POW.
On the Rojohn MACR he is listed as the Navigator. Sgt Eberenz finished his tour with the Charlie O. Daniels crew.

S/Sgt Charlie P. Pate was flying Nose Gunner on 28 Jul 44; while 2nd Lt Stanley S. Diamond was aboard as CP, both were KIA.

Robbie Gill was the sole survivor from the two crews and made the following statement 21 August 1944.

SUBJECT: Supplement to MACR, A/C #009 by S/Sgt Robbie L. Gill

TO: Commanding General, 3rd Bombardment Divison.

1. The following is a version of what happened to A/C 009 and the crew of Lt. Albert S. Spears
who flew the Operational (Stratagic) Mission 28 July 1944.

2. At 1231 hours near 5238N and 0157E the formation was flying just above the undercast at 9000 feet. A/C #
009 in which I was flying in the #7 position in the low squadron. It (#009) struck #621 and I was thrown forward in the ship between the ammunition boxes. There was quite a bit of noise and the ship seemed to be thrown around alot. I pulled the door off the tail and bailed out. By the time my chute opened I was below the clouds. I saw the tail from which I had bailed out spiralling slowly down to the sea. That was all there was left of the ship. Directly below me was a large fire and there were numerous small pieces of aircraft floating in the air. I saw no other chutes before or after landing in the sea. I was picked up by Air-Sea rescue approximately one and one half hours after landing in the water."

From the coordinates, it would seem this midair collision occured abouir 26 miles from Lowestoff. All of the men of this crew except S/Sgt Gill are listed on the WALL OF THE MISSING AT CAMBRIDGE.

 

[Chrismadrid]

There are a few shots of that air craft on the 100th bomb group web site (With two different ground crews I think)
By the way, My Father was the pilot of that same plane!
He was flying right seat on that mission as that was their last training flight. I have some info on what happened to the crew after being captured. if interested please contact me!

Can you email me your information. Frank Madrid was my Grandfather. Would love to get in contact.

 

[fubar57]

TCM5 hasn't been here for 11 years