Bertrand Hallum, Jr. Crew

BERTRAND HALLUM, JR. CREW - 360th BS
(crew assigned 360BS: 30 June 1944 - photo: Pyote, Texas, June 1944)

(Back L-R) T/Sgt Horace B. Young (E), S/Sgt Heinz R. Ax (BTG),
T/Sgt Jack S. Botkin (R), S/Sgt George E. Stroud, Jr. (WG)

(Front L-R) 1Lt Bertrand Hallum, Jr. (P), 2Lt Alfred N. Romstad (CP),
2Lt Charles F. Olson (N)(POW), 2Lt John Fetzko, Jr. (B)

Original crewman - Not in Photo:
S/Sgt Milt I. Ross (TG)(KIA), Sgt William J. Bean (WG)

Ranks and Grades at time of last combat mission

[photo courtesy of Helen Hallum]

BERTRAND HALLUM, JR. CREW - 360th BS
(photo: 27 July 1944)

(Back L-R) 2Lt Charles F. Olson (N)(POW),
2Lt Alfred N. Romstad (CP), 1Lt Bertrand Hallum, Jr. (P)

(Front L-R) S/Sgt Heinz R. Ax (BTG), S/Sgt George E. Stroud, Jr. (WG),
T/Sgt Horace B. Young (E), S/Sgt James D. Cox (WG),
T/Sgt Jack S. Botkin (R), S/Sgt Milt I Ross (TG)(KIA)

Not in Photo - Original crewman : 2Lt John Fetzko, Jr. (B)

[photo courtesy of William Cox]

Thirty-five dispatched and credited missions flown by 1Lt Bertrand Hallum, Jr.
200 9 July 1944), 202, 203, 205, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 218, 220, 221, 222, 223, 228, 229, 232, 233 (Bailed out), 240, 243, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 253, 254, 257, 258, 265, 266, 269, 270, 271 (10 November 1944). For mission dates, targets and mission folders see Combat Missions.

Nineteen B-17Gs flown by 1Lt Bertrand Hallum, Jr. on his thirty five combat missions:

42-37841 ---- Banshee (360BS) PU-P - Missions 200, 233 (Bailed out)
42-31055 (P) Aloha (360BS) PU-J - Missions 202, 246
42-97187 (P) Miss Umbriago (360BS) PU-I - Mission 205
42-97546 (P) Idaliza (360BS) PU-E - Missions 209, 240
42-97861 ---- Iza Vailable III (360BS) PU-C - Missions 210, 214, 223, 271
42-97893 (P) Minnie the Moocher (360BS) PU-M - Mission 221
42-97853 (P) Lucky Linda (360BS) PU-O - Missions 222, 243
42-107196 (P) Temptress (360BS) PU-G - Mission 232
44-6516 My Darling (360BS) PU-Q - Mission 254
42-97860 (No name) (360BS) PU-L - Missions 203, 218
44-6124 (No name) (360BS) PU-B - Missions 212, 229
43-37930 (No name) (360BS) PU-F - Missions 213, 220, 228
43-38200 (No name) (360BS) PU-E - Mission 247
43-38532 (No name) (360BS) PU-G - Mission 248
44-6504 (No name) (360BS) PU-M - Missions 249, 250, 257, 258
43-38672 (No name) (360BS) PU-I - Mission 251
43-38705 (No name) (360BS) PU-B - Mission 253
44-8318 (No name) (360BS) PU-P - Missions 265, 266, 269
44-6523 (No name) (360BS) PU-A - Mission 270
(P) See Nose Art Photos

Crew Notes:

1Lt Bertrand Hallum, Jr. (P)(B/O) - 35 credited mission flown. All missions flown as First Pilot Completed 35 mission combat tour on 10 November 1944 (Mission 271).
2Lt Alfred N. Romstad (CP)(B/O) - 35 credited missions flown: 33 with 1Lt Hallum (All Hallum missions except 200 and 257 where substitute CoPilots were used); 2 with other Pilots - 2Lt Logan B. Hatch (260) and 1Lt Eugene R. McCutchan (272). Upgraded from CoPilot to Pilot on orders dated 14 October 1944, but all missions flown as CoPilot and none as First Pilot. Completed 35 mission combat tour on 11 November 1944 (Mission 272).
2Lt Charles F. Olson (N)(B/O)(POW) - 25 credited missions flown: 22 with 1Lt Hallum (200, 202, 203, 205, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 218, 220, 221, 222, 223, 228, 229, 232, 233, 240, 243, 246, 247); 3 With other Pilots - 2Lt William C. Crawford (198), Maj John J. Casello (Lead crew 239), 1Lt James T. Hahn (248). Became a POW on 28 September 1944 (Mission 248), 1Lt James T. Hahn (P) to Magdeburg, Germany in B-17G 42-97805 (No name) (360BS) PU-Q. [6 KIA and 3 POW - Missing Aircrew Report 9412. Eleven 303rd BG(H) B-17s were lost on this mission following intense fighter attacks
2Lt John Fetzko, Jr. (B/N)(B/O) - 36 credited missions flown; 31 with 1Lt Hallum (All Hallum missions except 243, 265, 266, 270 where substitute Bombardiers were used); 5 credited missions with other Pilots - As Bombardier with 2Lt Eugene R. McCutchan (255), As Navigator with 2Lt James E. Geiger (270, 273, 274), with 2Lt Arthur B. Middlemas (272). Completed 35 mission combat tour on 20 November 1944 (Mission 274).
T/Sgt Horace B. Young (E)(B/O), T/Sgt Jack S. Botkin (R)(B/O), S/Sgt Heinz R. Ax (BTG)(B/O), and S/Sgt George E. Stroud, Jr. (WG)(B/O). 35 credited missions flown - All with 1Lt Hallum. No missions with other Pilots. Completed 35 mission combat tours on 10 November 1944 (Mission 271)
S/Sgt Milt I. Ross (TG)(KIA) - 18 credited missions flown - All with 1Lt Hallum (200, 202, 203, 205, 209, 210, 212, 213, 214, 218, 220, 221, 222, 223, 228, 229, 232, 233). Killed on 27 August 1944 (Mission 233) when the entire Tail Gun position was blown off the B-17 in small pieces. Is buried in the Luxembourg American Cemetery in Luxembourg City. Substitute Tail Gunners were used by the 1Lt Hallum Crew after mission 233.
Sgt William J. Beam (WG) - Original second Waist Gunner while crew was in training in the USA. Was deleted from the crew when the crew size was changed from 10 to 9 men with the elimination of the second Waist Gunner position. Flew no combat missions with the 1Lt Hallum crew.
S/Sgt James D. Cox (WG) - regular waist gunner on the McMillan Crew

Mission Notes:

27 August (Mission 233) to Esbjerg, Denmark in B-17G 42-37841 Banshee (360BS) PU-P. Sustained a flak hit over Esberg that blew away a large portion of the tail including the rudder, parts of the elevators and a little bit of the stabilizer. S/Sgt Milt I. Ross (TG) was killed. 1Lt Hallum was able to fly the damaged B-17 back to England. About nine miles east of Middlesham the surviving crewmen were ordered to bail-out. All landed safely. All of the original nine man crew flew on this mission. The B-17 crashed at Badingham, England and was on her 97th combat mission - a record at that time for any 303rd BG(H) B-17.

28 September 1944 (Mission 248) to Magdeburg, Germany in B-17G 43-38532 (No name) (360BS) PU-G. Survived the attack on the low Squadron by German fighters but sustained major battle damage. Bombs were jettisoned on a target of opportunity. 2Lt Olson (N) was not on this mission - A substitute Navigator was used.

Reflections on Being a Pilot in WWII
by Bert Hallum
as told to Jerry Hoffman, Sr.

1Lt Bertrand Hallum, Jr.
I started with CPT, Civilian Pilot Training, in a class of twenty. Five of us went to the Army Air Corps, five went to the Navy, five became instructors and five flew gliders. I went to gliders .

I joined August 14, 1942. We lived in the Goldman Hotel in Fort Smith, Arkansas. They gave us khakis to wear; they fed us, but no pay. We flew at the Fort Smith Airport, and we got 30 hours flying time in either a Cub or a Taylor Craft. Phillips had the airport then.

We went to Albuquerque, New Mexico, then to Plainview, Texas for dead stick landing training.

The interesting thing about glider pilots is you go up to three thousand feet, and you circle to pick a landing spot. It is just like emergency landing in a powered airplane. We’d go up and cut the engine and make all our plans. Then we’d come in to land. We didn't ever want to be short because you didn't have the power to increase your glide. If you hit a barbed wire fence, it was just too bad.

We flew 30 hours of dead stick landing practice. It is a funny feeling to see that old prop just sitting there, not turning. Anyway, when it came time for the check-ride to finish school, one instructor washed out students coming and going. Another check-pilot there was really nice. We all hoped to get the pleasant guy. When they posted the list of who would flight check us, we kept our fingers crossed, all of us wanting the good check-pilot. Every day, the bad instructor washed out this guy or that guy. Continued . . .

[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]