Fred E. Call Crew

FRED E. CALL CREW - 359th BS
B-17G Hell's Cargo #44-8734 (359BS) BN-C
(crew assigned 359BS: 19 Jan 1945)

(Back Row) 1Lt Fred E. Call (P), 2Lt Carl V. Wilson (CP),
2Lt William M. Fisher (N)(POW), F/O Morris Mieslich (B/N)(KIA)

(Front Row) S/Sgt Martin Sussman (R)(front left), S/Sgt Ernest L. Meyers (E),
Sgt Mark I Hager (BTG), S/Sgt Henry C. Tanner (WG/TG), Sgt Lawrence B. Moser (TG),

(Crewmen are not in order)
(Ranks and grades at time of last combat mission)

Thirty-three credited combat missions flown by 1Lt Fred E. Call:
311(3 Feb 1945), 312, 317, 318, 320, 321, 324, 325, 326, 328, 330, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 340, 343, 344, 345, 348, 349, 350, 353, 353, 354, 355, 356, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364 (25 April 1945).
For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions.

Eight B-17Gs flown by 1Lt Fred E. Call on his thirty-three credited combat missions:

44-8734 (P) Hell's Cargo '44 (359BS) BN-C - 22 missions (324, 325, 328, 330, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 343, 344, 345, 348, 349, 350, 353, 353, 354, 360, 361, 362
44-32289 (P) Sweet La Rhonda (359BS) BN-J - 4 missions (317, 318, 320, 356)
43-38875 RedWing (359BS) BN-E - 2 missions (321, 355)
43-38958 Green Hill Belle (427BS) GN-H - 1 Mission (340)
43-39127 (No name) (359BS) BN-K - 1 mission (311)
43-38764 (No name) (359BS) BN-C - 1 mission (312)
44-8439 (No name) (360BS) PU-Z - 1 mission (363)
43-38609 (No name) (359BS) BN-F - 1 mission (364)
(P) see the nose art photo

Crew Notes:

1Lt Fred E. Call (P) - First mission flown as CoPilot with a combat orientation Pilot 2Lt Harold L. Fravel. The other 32 missions were flown as First Pilot. Completed 33 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364 - the 303rd BG(H) last combat mission).
2Lt Carl V. Wilson (CP) - Flew on 30 missions with 1Lt Call (All Call missions except missions 311, 343, 360) and two missions with other Pilots (342, 343). Completed 32 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
2Lt William M. Fisher (N)(POW) - Flew on two missions with 1Lt Call (Missions 311, 312) and one mission (313) on 9 February 1945, in B-17G 43-38764 (no name) (359BS) BN-C, with 2Lt Jack W. Bailey (P) when he became a POW. Aircraft was hit by German anti-aircraft fire on the Nos. 2 and 3 engines at "bombs away." It took some time before 2Lt Jack W. Bailey (P) could feather the #3 engine. The B-17, unable to maintain formation, lost altitude and began to straggle. In the vicinity of Mulhausen, Germany, it encountered 14 German aircraft. Believing that his B-17 was defenseless, 2Lt Bailey ordered his crew to bail out. Seven crewmen obeyed his order, assuming they were near Kassel, Germany. P-51 Pilots from the 20th FG, reported that the bail-out was near Mulhausen, Germany. While CoPilot, 2Lt Merwin G. Hall, inspected the aircraft to ascertain that all crewmen had bailed out, four P-51s appeared and drove off the enemy aircraft. Lts Bailey and Hall decided to attempt to fly their damaged B-17 back to friendly territory. They succeeded and bailed out near St. Trond, Belgium. Their pilotless B-17 made a wheels up belly landing near Bockholt, Belgium and was salvaged. For additional information see: 359th BS Bailey Crew (MACR 12230).
F/O Morris Mieslich (B/N)(KIA) - Flew on fifteen missions with the 1Lt Call Crew : As Bombardier (311, 312, 317, 318, 321); As Navigator (324, 325, 326, 328, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 340) and five credited missions with other Pilots: (313, 319, 320(A), 327, 339, 341). Was KIA on Mission 341, 20 March 1945, in B-17G 43-38767 (No name) (359BS) BN-L, 2Lt Thomas L. Moore (Pilot). The B-17 was flying in the lead 359th BS formation in the low flight. The No.2 engine was hit by two German ME-262 jet fighters shortly after bombs away and immediately burst into flames. The oxygen and interphone systems were also malfunctioning. The #2 engine was out and pieces of the nacelle fell off. The skin on the left horizontal stabilizer ripped off and ribs could be seen. F/O Mieslich was killed. Three crewmen bailed out and became POWs. Five bodies were found in the B-17's wreckage near Bad Segeberg, Germany (MACR 23570). The ME-262s also shot down a 358th BS B-17.
S/Sgt Ernest L. Myers (E) - Flew on 30 missions with the 1Lt Call Crew (All 1Lt Call missions except for missions 360, 361, 362) and two missions with other Pilots (361, 362). Completed 32 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
S/Sgt Martin Sussman (R) - Flew on all of the 33 1Lt Call Missions and no missions with other pilots. Completed 33 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
Sgt Mark I. Hager (BTG) - Flew on 25 missions with 1Lt Call and no missions with other pilots. (All of the 1Lt Call missions except for missions 318, 320, 321, 324, 325, 326, 328, 330). Completed 25 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
S/Sgt Henry C. Tanner (WG/TG) - Flew on nine missions with the 1Lt Call Crew: As Waist Gunner (311, 312, 317, 318); As Tail Gunner (361, 362, 363, 364) and nineteen missions with other Pilots: With 1Lt Jack E. Stocks: As Waist Gunner (314, 325); As Tail Gunner (328, 330, 332, 333, 337, 339, 340, 341, 343, 344, 345, 348, 349, 350, 351, 360). With 2Lt William M. Beasley as Waist Gunner (336). Completed 28 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
Sgt Lawrence B. Moser (TG) - Flew on 30 credited missions with 1Lt Call (All 1Lt Call missions except missions 353, 360, 361) and three missions with other Pilots (313, 314, 339). Completed 33 credited missions on 17 April 1945 (Mission 362).

Mission Note:
Mission 325, 27 February 1945 to Leipzig, Germany in B-17G Hell's Cargo '44. Landed at airfield B-53 at Merville, France.
[photo from the 303rdBGA Archives]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]