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.