Paul F. Flickenger Crew

PAUL F. FLICKENGER CREW - 360th BS
B-17F Wulfe Hound #41-24585 (PU-B)
(original crew assigned 360BS: 23 June 1942 - photo: 14 Oct 1942)

(Back L-R) 1Lt Paul F. Flickenger (P)(POW), 2Lt Jack E. Williams (CP)(Evd),
2Lt Gilbert T. Schowalter (N)(Evd), 2Lt Beverly R. Polk (B)(POW)

(Front - not in order) T/Sgt William A. Whitman (E)(Evd)(2nd from left),
S/Sgt Iva Lee Fegette (R)(Evd)(center), Sgt Joseph R. Sunderlin (BT)(1),
S/Sgt Arnold H. Schlotfeldt (LWG)(2), Sgt Lincoln T. O'Connell (TG)(1)

Original Crewman - not in Photograph:

Cpl Brondle E. Kinyon (WG) - Member of original 1Lt Flickenger Crew when formed at Biggs Field, El Paso, TX on 23 August 1942. Deleted from crew and became a member of the 360th BS Armament Unit at Molesworth.
T/Sgt William B. Stamper (WG) - Assigned to 1Lt Flickenger crew at Molesworth and flew on the crews first two missions (#2 & 5)

Three Combat Mission flown by: 1Lt Paul F. Flickenger (P-POW); 2Lt Jack E. Williams (CP)-Evd); 2Lt Gilbert T. Schowalter (N)-Evd); 2Lt Beverley R. Polk (B-POW); T/Sgt William A. Whitman (E-Evd); S/Sgt Iva Lee Fegette (R-Evd.) #2 - 18 Nov 1942 to St. Nazaire, France, #5 - 6 Dec 1942 to Lille, France, #6 - 12 Dec 1942 to Rouen, France

Combat missions flown by other original Crewmen:
All flew on the Lt Flickenger crew's first mission (#2 - 18 Nov 1942) to St. Nazaire, France

Sgt Joseph R. Sunderlin (BTG) - Flew on 23 additional credited missions with the 1Lt John H. Farrar Crew and with 1Lt Joseph E. Trojan who was upgraded from CP to Pilot. Became a POW on mission #40, 29 May 1943, with the 1Lt Trojan crew
S/Sgt Arnold H. Schlotfeldt (LWG) - Flew on no other combat missions
M/Sgt William P. Stamper (WG/ Bomb) - Also flew with the Flickenger Crew on mission #5. Flew as an Enlisted Utility Bombardier on 26 additional missions with other Pilots. Completed his Combat tour with mission #97 on 7 January 1944.
S/Sgt Lincoln T. O'Connell (TG) - 21 additional credited missions with the 1Lt John H. Farrar and 1Lt Joseph H. Trojan crews. Became a POW on mission #49, 29 May 1943, with the 1Lt Trojan Crew.
T/Sgt Iva Lee Fegette (R, VI & SJ). After Evading Capture following his third mission with Lt. Flickenger (mission #6, 12 December 1942) he returned to Molesworth and flew on 26 additional missions between 7 Oct 1944 (#253) and 14 April 1945 (#359) as a Radio Operator (7 missions) and then as a Voice Interpreter (VI) (19 missions). Completed his combat tour on 14 April 1945

Combat missions by substitute Lt Flickenger crewmen:

S/Sgt Alan E. Magee (BTG) - Mission #5 with as substitute for Sgt Joseph R. Sunderlin. Flew on three previous missions with other Pilots (#1, 2 & 3) and three missions following mission #6 with Lt. Flickenger (#7, 8 & 9). Became a seriously wounded POW on mission #9 to St. Nazaire, France., 30 Jan 1943, with the 1Lt Arthur I. Adams Crew
Sgt George N. Dillard (BTG)(POW). Mission #6 as substitute for Sgt Joseph R. Sunderlin and became a POW. Flew on two previous missions with 1Lt John W. Farrar crew (#1 & 2)
T/Sgt Frederick A. Hartung (LWG)(Evd). Mission #6 as substitute for T/Sgt Arnold H. Schlotfeldt and became an Evadee. Three previous missions with other Pilots (#1, 2 & 5)
Sgt Marvin L. Milman (RWG)(KIA) - Mission #5 as substitute For T/Sgt William P. Stamper. Flew on two subsequent missions with the 1Lt Arthur I. Adams Crew (#8 & 9). Was KIA on mission #9, 30 Jan 1943.
Sgt Norman P. Therrien (RWG)(Evd) - Mission #6 Substitute for T/Sgt William P. Stamper and became an Evadee on his only mission with 1Lt Flickenger (#6). Flew on no other 303rd missions
S/Sgt James I. Gordon (TG)(POW) - Mission #5 as substitute for Sgt Lincoln T. O'Connell. Previous mission (#1) with Lead Crew Maj Richard D. Callaway (P) and two subsequent missions with the 1Lt Arthur I. Adams Crew (#8 & 9). Became a POW on mission #9, 30 Jan 1943, to St. Nazaire, France.
S/Sgt Kenneth J. Kurtenbach (TG)(POW) - Mission #6 as substitute for Sgt Lincoln T. O'Connell and became a POW. Two previous missions (#1 credited and #2 aborted) with the 1Lt John N. Farrar crew.

(POW-EVD) On 12 Dec 42 mission #6 to Rouen, France in B-17F #41-24585 Wulfe Hound 360BS (BN-B). Formation attacked by about 40 FW-190 and ME-109 German fighters. Wulfe Hound, after dropping bombs on the target, dove out of formation and headed back to England trailed by five FW-190s. Lt Flickenger descended to 500 ft altitude and advised the crew that he was going to set their B-17 down. Eight crewmen gathered in the radio room in crash positions. He made a perfect wheels-up lading, with the ball-turret pointing downward in a hayfield near Melun (90 miles S.E. of Paris) in the midst of 10 or 11 startled French men and women. The crew smashed the radio, IFF and other equipment and retreated to nearby woods Lt's Flickenger and Polk were later captured. Sgt Dillard and S/Sgt Kurtenbach were captured by the Gestapo at the Dijon, France railroad station on Christmas Day 1942. S/Sgt Kurtenbach became the "Man of Confidence" (Enlisted man camp Leader) at Stalag 7-A at Moosburg, Bavaria and 17-B at Krems, Austria. He was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal after his release for his valuable counseling to newly arrive prison camp POWs. Six crewmen managed to Evade capture by way of Spain and they returned to Molesworth. The Germans were able to transport Wulfe Hound to a nearby airfield, make repairs and put it into flyable condition. It became part of the Luftwaffe "Kampfgeschwader" KG200 Squadron and took part in highly secret and mysterious operations. See Photo.

J.R. Sunderlin (BTG) & S/Sgt L.T. O'Connell (TG) - POWs on 29 May 43 mission #40 to St. Nazaire, France in B-17F in #41-24602 Yardbird II 360BS (PU-A) with 1Lt J.E. Trojan Crew (1 KIA, 9 POW)
A.H. Schlotfeldt - Not on the 12 Dec 42 mission. Only combat mission flown was #2 on 18 Nov 42.

[photo from the 303rdBGA Archives]
[Researched by 303rdBGA Historian Harry D. Gobrecht]