Richard D. Greenbaum Crew

RICHARD D. GREENBAUM CREW - 358th BS
(crew assigned 358BS: 25 Nov 1944 - photo: 08 Dec 1944)

(Back L-R) 1Lt Richard D. Greenbaum (P), 2Lt Robert E. Balkcom (CP),
F/O John J. Nicastro (N), 1Lt John W. McCall (B), Sgt Kenneth D. Hawes (TG)

(Front L-R) T/Sgt Denver Dalton (R), T/Sgt Leonard F. Bruce (E),
S/Sgt Henry L. Armstrong II (WG), S/Sgt Patrick C. Dooley (BT)

Thirty-five combat Missions flown by 1Lt Richard D. Greenbaum:
285 (11 Dec 1944), 289, 290, 293, 294, 295, 296, 297, 298A, 299, 301, 303, 304, 305, 306, 309, 310, 311, 312, 314(A), 317, 318, 322, 323, 325, 327, 329, 330, 334, 335, 336, 338, 339, 340, 341, 342 (21 March 1945). (A) Non Credited aborted mission. For mission dates and targets see Mission Reports.

Favorite B-17
B-17G (Boeing Seattle) #43-38191 Shasta 358th BS (VK-A)
Flown by the 1Lt Greenbaum crew on 25 combat missions. Assigned Molesworth 358th BS on 16 August 1944. Completed Seventy-seven 358th BS Combat missions. Assigned Kingman, AZ on 27 Dec 1945 where she was scrapped.

Other B-17s flown - Ten missions in seven different B-17s:
#43-37590 Neva the Silver Lady [358BS VK-Q](Mission 285); #43-38462 Teddy's Rough Riders [358 BS VK-I] (Missions 303, 304, 305); #44-6517 Old Cock [360BS PU-F](Mission 339); #43-38532 Judy Ann [360BS PU-G] (Mission 306); No name B-17s - 43-38530 [358BS VK-G] (missions 289, 290), #43-38238 [358BS VK-L] (Mission 293), #43-38878 [359BS BN-D](Mission 295)

Landing in Belgium:
Mission 325, 27 February 1945 to Leipzig, Germany in B-17G #43-38191 Shasta. Due to a fuel shortage and high head winds landed at Antwerp/Duurne, Belgium. This airfield was a recently captured German ME-210 base staffed with 18 enlisted men and no officers. A P-51 landed just before CoPilot 2Lt Robert E. Balkcom landed Shasta. The P-51 refueled with all of the available gasoline. The 1Lt Greenbaum crew traveled 18 miles to Antwerp for overnight accommodations. A gasoline semi-trailer arrived the next day. Shasta was then refueled and took off for Molesworth. The crew enjoyed touring the heavily damaged German airfield during their brief overnight visit. Two other 303rd B-17s landed at airfields in France. All other 303rd BG(H) mission B-17s were able to return to Molesworth with many sweating out dangerously low fuel tanks.

Crew Notes:

1Lt Richard D. Greenbaum (P) - All missions flown as First Pilot. Last mission (#342) was flown with six substitute crewmen (Nav, Tog, Rad, BTG, WG & TG). Combat tour completed on 21 March 1945.
2Lt Robert E. Balcom (CP) - Did not fly with the 1Lt Greenbaum Crew on Five missions - 285 (with 1Lt Goering Crew whose CoPilot 1Lt Jack Rencher flew as the Greenbaum crew CoPilot), 311, 312, 314(A), 341. Flew on two additional missions as CoPilot on the 1Lt Neil E. Cunningham Crew - 348, 349. Combat tour completed on 21 March 1944.
F/O John J. Nicastro (N) - Did not fly on four of the 1Lt Greenbaum missions where substitute Navigators were utilized - 296, 338, 341, 342. Flew on two missions with other Pilots - 316, 321. Combat tour completed on 19 March 1945.
1Lt John W. McCall (B) - Flew on the 1Lt Greenbaum crew first six missions - 285, 289, 290, 293, 294, 295. Was then assigned to a pool of Lead Bombardiers where he flew on 13 additional missions - 298A, 303, 304, 311, 315, 318, 320, 323, 334, 338, 352, 359, 363. Completed 22 Combat missions.
S/Sgt James L. Brown flew as the crew's Togglier on 12 missions - 296, 297, 298A, 306, 309, 310, 334, 335, 336, 339, 341, 342. S/Sgt John L. Stevenson was Togglier on 7 missions - 299, 304, 305, 317, 318, 323, 325. Six Other Toggliers used on 11 missions 301, 303, 311, 312, 314(A), 322, 327, 329, 330, 338, 340.
T/Sgt Leonard F. Bruce (E) - Did not fly on three of the 1Lt Greenbaum missions where a substitute Engineer was utilized (T/Sgt James McGreevy) - 310, 311, 312. Flew on two missions as Engineer with the 2Lt Everett H. Thornton Crew - 350 & 351 . Combat tour completed on 4 April 1945.
T/Sgt Denver Dalton (R), S/Sgt Patrick C. Dooley (BTG) and Sgt Kenneth D. "Dick" Hawes (TG). Flew on all of the 1Lt Greenbaum missions except for mission 342. Combat tours completed on 20 March 1945.
S/Sgt Henry L. Armstrong II (WG) - Flew on the first 15 1Lt Greenbaum missions - 285 through 305. Transferred out of the 358th BS on 13 February 1945.
S/Sgt Victor L. Frazier flew as Waist Gunner on 8 missions - 310, 311, 312, 317, 318, 320, 327, 335. Other Substitute Waist Gunners used on six missions - 309, 314(A), 330, 338, 339, 341. Crew flew without a Waist Gunner on 5 missions - 323, 325, 329, 334, 340
Passengers carried on six missions - 294, 297, 325, 327(VI Operator), 335, 336(Y Operator)

[photo courtesy of George T. Mackin]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]