George E. Konsmo Crew

GEORGE E. KONSMO CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 06 Mar 1942 - photo: Salina, KS, 18 Feb 1943)

(Back L-R) S/Sgt Paul C. Lemann (BT), T/Sgt Paul P. McGee (R),
T/Sgt Arnold S. Doran (E), S/Sgt Lloyd L. Jordan (WG), S/Sgt Mike C. Milliff (TG)

(Front L-R) 1Lt Benjamin B. Street (N-KIA), 1Lt Leroy V. Gordon (B),
Capt George E. Konsmo (P), 2Lt Thomas E. Mulligan (CP-POW)

Nine dispatched (seven credited) combat missions flown by Captain George E. Konsmo:
30 (16 Apr 1943), 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37(A), 38 (A), 39 (21 May 1943)
(A) Non-credited aborted mission For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions.

Four B-17Fs flown by Captain George E. Konsmo on his nine dispatched combat missions:

42-29624 Pappy (P) (359BS) BN-V - Missions 30, 31
42-5177 Fast Worker Mk II (P) (359BS) BN-U - Mission 32
41-24605 Knockout Dropper (P) (359BS) BN-R - Missions 34, 35, 36, 38 (A), 39
42-5221 Son aka Shades of Stricnine (427BS) GN-Z - Mission 37 (A)
(P) - See Nose Art photos

Crew Notes:

Captain George E. Konsmo (P/CP) - Assigned 359th BS at Boise, Idaho on 6 March 1942. Missions flown: As First Pilot (missions 30, 31); As CoPilot - With 1Lt James S. Nix crew (Mission 51); With Capt Jack Roller Crew (Missions 34, 35, 36, 37 (A), 38 (A), 39). Flew no combat missions following mission 39 for reasons unknown.

All assigned crewmen flew on two missions with Capt Konsmo (Missions 30, 31 and additional missions with other Pilots as indicated below:

2Lt Thomas E. Mulligan (CP)(POW) - Missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline - 13 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43A, 44, 45); With 1Lt Arthur H. Pentz - 6 Missions (47, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57); Flew one mission as a First Pilot (52) Became a POW on mission 57, 12 Aug 1943, to Gelsenkirchen, Germany in B-17F 42-29640 Old Ironsides (359BS) - BN-X. Last seen 10 miles south of Hookum, Germany after dropping bombs. Fell behind the formation after a German fighter attack and B-17 was almost completely on fire - (9 POW, 1 KIA). B-17 crashed near Wupperal, Germany (MACR 256). Completed 22 credited combat missions.
Following his capture, Lt Mulligan was a POW at Stalag Luft III. While imprisoned he was the Editor of the camp newsletter, the Kriegie Times, and one of three Lieutenants appointed as Camp Historians during preparations for the "Great Escape." A POW photo and other information are available here.
1Lt Benjamin B. Street (N)(KIA) - Missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline -13 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43A, 44, 45); With 1Lt James S. Nix - 3 missions (51 (Aborted), 52, 56; With 1Lt Guy H. McClung - 2 missions (54, 55); With 1Lt Arthur H. Pentz - 1 missions (#57 where he was Killed in Action). Completed 21 credited combat missions.
1Lt George V. Gordon (B) - Other missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline - 13 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43A, 44, 45); With 1Lt Guy H. McClung - 1 mission (47); With 1Lt James A. Nix - 5 missions (48, 51, 52, 56, 58); With Maj William R. Calhoun, Jr. - 1 mission (Lead crew mission 61; With 1Lt Robert L. Phelps, Jr - 4 missions (63, 65, 67, 70). Completed 25 mission combat tour on 16 Sept 1943.
T/Sgt Arnold S. Doran (E) - Missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline - 13 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43A, 44, 45); With 1Lt James S. Nix - 5 credited missions (48, 51 (Aborted), 52, 56, 58, 60); With Major William R. Calhoun, Jr. 3 missions (Lead crew missions 54, 57, 61); With 1Lt Robert L. Phelps, Jr. - 3 missions (63, 65, 66). Completed combat tour on 3 Sept 1943.
T/Sgt Paul P. McGee (R) - Missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline - 10 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42); With Maj William R. Calhoun, Jr. - 3 missions (Lead crew missions 54, 57, 61); With 1Lt James S. Nix - 3 missions (56, 58, 60); With 1Lt Robert L. Phelps, Jr. - 9 missions (63, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74); Completed combat tour on 4 Oct 1943.
T/Sgt Paul C. Lemann (BTG) - Missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline - 13 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43A, 44, 45); With 1Lt Guy H. McClung - 1 mission (47); With 1Lt Arthur H. Pentz - 1 mission (48); With 1Lt James H. Nix - 3 credited missions (51 (Aborted), 52, 56, 60); With Maj William R. Calhoun, Jr. - 3 missions (Lead crew missions 54, 57, 61); With 1Lt Robert L. Phelps, Jr. - 3 missions (63, 65, 66). Completed combat tour on 3 Sept 1943.
T/Sgt Lloyd L. Jordan (RWG) and T/Sgt Joseph Kerr (LWG) - Other missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline - 13 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43A, 44, 45); With 1Lt James S. Nix - 4 credited missions (51 (Aborted), 52, 58, 60); With 1Lt Robert L. Phelps, Jr, 4 missions (63, 65, 66, 67). Completed combat tour on 6 Sept 1943.
S/Sgt Mike C. Milliff (TG)(POW) - Missions flown with other Pilots: With 1Lt William J. Cline - 10 missions (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 43A; Transferred from 359th to 358th BS. With 1Lt Milton L. Clark - 1 mission (100); With 2Lt John F. Henderson - 7 credited missions (101, 102, 103 (Aborted), 104, 105, 109, 110, 112). Completed 19 credited missions. Became a POW on mission 112, 24 Feb 1944 to Schweinfurt, Germany in B-17G 42-31562 (No name) (358BS) VK-A. B-17 was hit by flak that blew off the #1 engine as it was leaving the target. Believed downed at Boppard, Germany. 10 POWs (MACR 2762). Was POW at Stalag VI in Heydekrug, East Prussia and Stalag IV at Gross Tychow.

[photo courtesy of Paul C. Lemann]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]