Chester D. Jaques Crew

CHESTER D. JAQUES CREW - 427th BS
(crew assigned 427BS: 13 March 1943 - photo: Yun-Dum, Morocco, February 1943)

Original assigned Lt Jaques Crewmen - 13 March 1943
(Standing L-R) 1Lt Chester D. Jaques (P)(KIA)(*), 2Lt Robert C. A. Carlson (B)(KIA)(*),
Sgt Anthony J. Peklinsky (WG)(POW), 2Lt Alvin D. Holder (CP)(KIA)(*),
Sgt William R. Whalon (TG)

(Kneeling L-R) Sgt Warren T. Vasel (R)(KIA)(*), 1Lt John W. Bradshaw (N)(KIA)(*),
S/Sgt Keith L. Clapshaw (E/WG/TG)(KIA(*)

Not in photo: Sgt Angelo L. Longo (BTG), S/Sgt Clayton W. Ryan (WG)(KIA)(*)

(*) KIA on mission 36 - 15 May 43
(Ranks and grades at time of last mission)

Seven Dispatched (Five Credited) missions of Lt Chester D. Jaques:
29 (5 Apr 43), 30(A) (16 Apr 43), 31 (17 Apr 43), 33(A) (4 May 43), 34 (13 May 43), 35 (14 May 43), 36 (AS)(15 May 43)
(A) Non-Credited abortive mission -- (AS) Credited Abortive - no bombs dropped
For mission targets see the missions list.

Last mission of the 1Lt Jaques Crew:
Mission # 36, 15 May 1943, to Airdrome and Naval Installations, Heligoland Islands in B-17F #42-29481 (427th BS) GN-Y. Missing Air Crew Report 15515. Was last seen being attacked by enemy fighters 10 miles west of Scharhorn Island, heading east towards the island at an altitude of 24,000 feet. One parachute was seen leaving the aircraft. B-17 ditched in the North Sea. All crewmen were KIA.

Madison Press, London, Ohio, 7 Jun 43
[courtesy of Darrin Mason]
Crew Notes - Original crewmen:

1Lt Chester D. Jaques (P)(KIA), 2Lt Alvin D. Holder (CP)(KIA) & S/Sgt Clayton W. Ryan (LWG)(KIA) - Dispatched on all seven 1Lt Jaques missions. Flew on no other missions.
1Lt John W. Bradshaw (N)(KIA) - Dispatched on all seven 1Lt Jaques missions. Also flew on three other missions (25, 26, 27) - Lt Edward J. Broussard Pilot.
2Lt Robert C.A. Carlson (B)(KIA) - Dispatched on all seven 1Lt Jaques missions. Also flew on three other missions (24, 25, 27) with two other Pilots.
S/Sgt Keith L. Clapshaw (E)(KIA) - Dispatched on all seven 1Lt Jaques missions: As Engineer (29, 30(A); As Tail Gunner (31, 34, 36); As Right Waist Gunner (33(A) & 36). Also flew on three other missions (24, 25, 28) with three other Pilots.
Sgt Warren T. Vasel (R)(KIA) - Dispatched on five 1Lt Jaques missions (29, 33(A), 34, 35, 36). Also flew on one other mission (25) as Right Waist Gunner with another Pilot.
Sgt Angelo L. Longo (BTG) - Dispatched on six 1Lt Jaques missions (29, 31(A), 31, 33(A), 34, 35) - Dispatched on twenty-two additional missions with seven different Pilots. Completed his twenty-five mission combat tour on 16 September 1943.
Sgt Anthony J. Peklinsky (RWG) - Dispatched on three 1Lt Jaques missions: As Right Waist Gunner (29, 31); As Tail Gunner (30). Dispatched on six other missions (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32) five different Pilots. Became a POW on mission 32, 1 May 1943, while flying with the 1Lt Vincent X. Walsh crew.
S/Sgt William R. Whalon (TG) - Dispatched on one 1Lt Jaques mission (29). Flew on three other missions (30, 31, 32), 1Lt Jay R Sterling Pilot. Was killed in Action on mission 32, 1 May 1943, 1Lt Jay R. Sterling crew.

Crew Notes - Other crewmen KIA on 1Lt Jaques mission 36:

T/Sgt Lester O. Corns (E) and S/Sgt Warren G. Morrison (LWG) - Flew on one 1Lt Jaques mission (36). Flew on no other 303rd BG(H) missions.
S/Sgt Ward M. Kirkpatrick (BTG) - Dispatched on three 1Lt Jaques missions (33(A), 35, 36). Previously flew on thirteen other missions with four different Pilots (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31)

Crew Notes - Substitute Crewmen who flew on 1Lt Jaques' missions:

Sgt Carson Bryant (RWG) - Mission 30(A) - Original member of the 1Lt Donald E. Stockton crew
T/Sgt James K. Good (R) - Missions 31, 33(A) - See 1Lt Ralph S. Hayes crew, Lt Jack G. Rolfson crew and Capt William G. Le Fevre crew.
S/Sgt Charles R. Storer (RWG) - Mission 34 - See 1Lt William H. Goetz crew
S/Sgt Clarence S. Coomes (R) - Missions 30(A) & 31 - See Capt Lloyd R. Cole crew and 1Lt Donald E. Stockton crew.
T/Sgt Lucian W. Means, Jr (E) - Missions 34, 35 - See Capt Donald E. Stockton crew.
S/Sgt Martin I. Kagey, Jr. (Photographer) - Mission 30(A)

Original Crewmen and other Crewmen KIA

Buried in Ardennes American National Cemetery near Liege, Belgium: 1Lt John W. Bradshaw (N)(KIA)
Sgt Warren T. Vasel (R)(KIA)
S/Sgt Warren G. Morrison (LWG)(KIA)

Name on Wall of Missing Cambridge National Cemetery, England: 2Lt Robert C.A. Carlson (B)(KIA)
T/Sgt Lester O. Corns (E)(KIA)
S/Sgt Ward M. Kirkpatrick (BTG)(KIA)

Bodies returned to the United States for burial: 2Lt Alvin D. Holder (CP)(KIA)
S/Sgt Clayton W. Ryan (LWG)(KIA)
S/Sgt Keith L. Clapshaw (E)(KIA)

[photo courtesy of Dave Tooley, nephew of Robert Carlson]
[Researched by Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]