Thomas L. Moore Crew

THOMAS L. MOORE CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 02 February 1945 - photo: at USA Training Base)

(Back L-R) 2Lt Thomas L. Moore (P)(POW),
2Lt Herbert G. Johnson (N), 2Lt James M. Barnett (CP)(POW)

(Front L-R) Sgt Frederick Kohan (BTG)(KIA), Sgt Joseph T. Ogurchak (E)(POW),
Sgt William A. Brookstra (R)(KIA), Sgt William A. Weise, Jr. (Tog)(KIA),
Sgt Clarence A. Pesta (TG)(KIA), Sgt Robert R. Jeandrevin (WG)

Fourteen dispatched and credited missions flown by 2Lt Thomas L. Moore:
316 (16 February 1945), 317, 318, 320, 325, 326, 327, 331, 333, 335, 336, 339, 340, 341 (20 March 1945)
See: Combat Missions.

Seven B-17Gs flown by 2Lt Thomas L. Moore on his 14 credited combat missions:

43-39127 (No name) (359BS) BN-K - Mission 316
43-38875 Red Wing (359BS) BN-E - Mission 317
43-38462 (P) Teddy's Rough Riders (358BS) VK-I - Mission 318
44-8545 (No name) (427BS) GN-X (PFF B17G) - Mission 320 (Lead Crew)
43-38645 (No name) (359BS) BN-B - Mission 325
43-38891 Blues in the Night ()359BS) BN-H - Mission 326
43-38767 (No name) (359BS) BN-L - Missions 327, 331, 333, 335, 336, 339, 340, 341
See: Nose Art Photos

Crew Notes:

2Lt Thomas L. Moore (P)(POW) - 14 credited missions flown. First mission (316) flown with combat orientation CoPilot 2Lt Bryant T. Sharp. Mission 320, 22 February 1945, Flown as a Lead Crew Tail Gunner/Observer with Major Charles E. Kerwin. All other missions flown as First Pilot. POW on last mission, 20 March 1945 (Mission 341) after bailing out of his damaged B-17
2Lt James M. Barnett (CP)(POW) - Missions flown: 12 with 2Lt Moore (All 2Lt Moore missions except 316 and 320 where substitute CoPilots were used): With 2 other Pilots (316, 320). POW on last mission, 20 March 1945 (Mission 341) after bailing out of his damaged B-17
1Lt Herbert G. Johnson (N) - 36 credited combat missions flown: 12 with 2Lt Moore (All 2Lt Moore missions except 320 and 341); 24 with other Pilots - 11 with 2Lt Oliver L. Bashor (347, 350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 358, 360, 361, 362, 364), 13 with 8 other Pilots (319, 320, 321, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 332, 343, 345, 348, 349). Completed combat tour on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364)
F/O Morris Mieslich (B/N)(KIA) - Substitute Navigator, for 1Lt Herbert G. Johnson on mission 341. 21 combat credited combat missions flown: With 2Lt Moore As Navigator (341);14 with 2Lt Fred E. Call (As Bombardier 312, 317, 318, 321, As Navigator 324, 325, 326, 328, 332, 333, 335, 336, 337, 340); 6 with other Pilots (As Bombardier 311, 313, 319, 320 - As Navigator (327, 339). Killed on mission 341 - failed to bail out. Body found in wrecked B-17.
Sgt William A. Weise, Jr. (TOG)(KIA - 15 credited combat missions flown: 12 with 2Lt Moore (All 2Lt Moore missions except 320 and 340 where substitute Toggliers were used); 3 with other Pilots (329, 330, 332). Killed on mission 341 - failed to bail out. Body found in wrecked B-17.
Sgt Joseph T. Ogurchak (E)(POW) - 16 credited combat missions flown: 13 with 2Lt Moore (All 2Lt Moore missions except 320); 3 with other Pilots (329, 330, 332). POW on mission 341 - Made a successful parachute jump.
Sgt William A. Brookstra (R)(KIA), Sgt Frederick Kohan (BTG)(KIA) and Sgt Clarence A. Pesta (TG)(KIA) - 16 credited combat missions flown: 13 with 2Lt Moore (All 2Lt Moore missions except 320); 3 with other Pilots (329, 330, 332). Killed on mission 341 - failed to bail out. Bodies found in wrecked B-17.
Sgt Robert R. Jeandrevin (WG) - 13 credited combat missions flown: 7 with 2Lt Moore (316, 317, 318, 327, 333, 335, 336); 6 with other Pilots (330, 339, 340, 341, 346, 353). Last mission on 6 April 1945 (Mission 353). The 2Lt Moore crew flew as an 8 man crew, without a Waist Gunner, on 6 missions (320, 326, 331, 339, 340 and 341).

(KIA-POW) - 20 March 1945, mission #341 to Hamburg, Germany in 359BS B-17G #43-38767 (no name) BN-L. The #2 engine was hit by shells from two German ME-262 jet fighters shortly after bombs away and immediately burst into flames. The oxygen and interphone systems were 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 Morris Mieslich (Nav) was killed. Lt's Thomas L. Moore (P) and James M. Barnett (CP) bailed out followed by Sgt Joseph T. Ogurchak (E) who landed near Bad Segeberg, Germany. These crewmen became POWs. Lt Moore was imprisoned at Stalag Luft I at Barth, Germany. The B-17 crashed near Bad Segeberg, Germany and five bodies were found in the B-17 wreckage.

Lt Thomas L. Moore, in 29 January 2001 note, recalled the following about the 20 March 1945 mission:

It was a hurried up mission. I and my crew were not scheduled to fly that day. As I think back on the mission things didn't seem normal. We didn't talk to each other very much, but were determined to do our duty. When our plane was hit, smoke and fire were everywhere. I tried to use my intercom but could not. After a very short time, I decided to look in the front of the plane and what I saw wasn't pleasant (The Navigator and Togglier were both dead). I came back to the cockpit and told the CoPilot and Engineer let's get out of here. We were in a flat spin and the fire and smoke was growing. They didn't react at all, so I pulled the CoPilot and started for the exit door near the #2 engine. It was then that I decided to lead the way and jumped. After leaving the plane, I looked for the plane and saw a spinning fireball. The three men in the rear of the plane were unable to exit and were found dead in the crashed B-17.

[photo and identification courtesy of Thomas L. Moore]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]