The 456th Bomb Group
Personnel Transfer From The 376th Bomb Group
The following is from a letter written by Fred Riley, 456th Bomb Group Association Historian, to the 376th Bomb Group Liberandos on February 21, 2000, and some responses:
Hi out there!
I am Fred Riley, historian for the 456th Bomb Group Association. I have a copy of an order, I believe to be, as close as I can read, "SO 90 Hq 47th Wg dtd 16 Apr 45." I believe this order transferred a number of 376th crews and men to the 456th BG. I show several of the A/C Commanders on our roster but not many of the men.
Often the morning report records I have researched would simply state that Lt. xxx and crew were assigned to one of our squadrons on such and such a date and the members of the crew were not named. The only way that men on the crew would be mentioned was in event they went down and were reported on a MACR.
I have a data base on the men who served as little as one day in the 456th Group of 4935 men to date. I am trying to find out if any of you recognize any of these men and perhaps they are affiliated with your Group as the transfer was late in the war and they may have spent more time in the 376th than in the 456th.
I have the name, rank, serial number and MOS of these men. I would be interested in knowing the status of any of them, living, deceased, crew position, current address etc.
I think it lists about nine crews.It is a copy of an old mimeograph order and hard to read so the spellings may be a little off. (Note: squadrons are listed at the bottom of this page)
1st Lt. Richard G. Feak - Pilot
1st Lt. Raymond C. O'Neil - Co-pilot
1st Lt John A. Coppola - Bombardier
1st Lt William P. Harwood Jr. - Navigator
T/Sgt Glen H. Mitchell - Engineer
T/Sgt Austin T. Chitwood - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Robert J. Knowles - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Joseph R.Gensheimer - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Robert A. Gillespie - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt James C. Heitmeyer - Turret Gunner
1st Lt Jack L. Kirby - Pilot
1st Lt Ernest K. Howard - Co-pilot
1st Lt Adrian M. Foley - Navigator
1st Lt Earl J. Horn - Bombardier
T/Sgt Charles J. Carpenter - Engineer
T/Sgt Frederick W. Gabe - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Joseph P. Mantini - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Alfred L. Taylor - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt MauriceH. Wehrhan - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Gerald A. Irion - Turret Gunner
1st Lt. John H. Levengood - Pilot
1st Lt. Joseph M. Lynch - Co-pilot
1st Lt Albert L. Clark II - Navigator
T/Sgt Arpad J. Marczi - Radio Operator
S/Sgt William P. Young - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Robert J. Solo - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt John H. Singer - Turrent Gunner (Current member of 456th)
1st Lt John M. Lord - Pilot
2d Lt James M. Young Jr. - Co-pilot
1st Lt Charles H. Coleman - Navigator
1st Lt William R. Miller - Bombardier
T/Sgt Harold Pray - Engineer
T/Sgt Nicholas N. Daniloff - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Charles J. Reed - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Paul R. Johnson - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Paul T. Smith - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Robert J. Olson - Turret Gunner
1st Lt William K.Foerester Jr - Pilot
T/Sgt Willam T. Jentes - Engineer
T/Sgt Charles E. Mathews - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Junior R. Silvers - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Glenn W. Anderson - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Harry W. Stott - Turret Gunner
1st Lt Frederick J, Beyer - Pilot
2d Lt Robert D. Peck - Co-pilot
2d Lt Martin Greenberg - Navigator
2d Lt Henry A. Morrow Jr. - Bombardier
T/Sgt Earl R. Cook - Engineer
S/Sgt Aubrey C. Peavyhouse - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Arvid M. Thompson - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Philip T. Cavalle - Turret Gunner
1st Lt Walter W. Call - Pilot
1st Lt Donald E. Gilbert - Co-pilot
1st Lt Peter C. Pietrucha - Navigator
T/Sgt Robert W. Carter - Engineer
T/Sgt John L. Johnson - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Joseph Pendy - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Dale E. Boyer - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Rupert J. Roden - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Alexander F. Scheller - Turret Gunner
1st Lt Paul I. Langewisch- Pilot
1st Lt Virgil H. Bates - Co-pilot
1st Lt. Eugene J. Riehl - Navigator
1st Lt Seymour Gutterman - Bombardier
T/Sgt Henry E. Pace - Engineer
T/Sgt William E. Boulter - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Erin E. Spade - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Hayes G. Robinson - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Bernard W. Kaukola - Turret Gunner
1st Lt Joseph J.Bitzer - Pilot
2d Lt Royce D. Northcutt - Co-pilot
T/Sgt Edwin B. Flowers - Engineer
T/Sgt Joseph C. Szymanowicz - Radio Operator
T/Sgt Penton J. Prust - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt James G. Fusco - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Daniel M. Tirpak - Turret Gunner
T/Sgt Wallace R. Hager - Engineer
T/Sgt Wladyslaw J. Kukutka - Radio Operator
S/Sgt Robert E. Swanson - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Natale P. Davi - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Dominic A. Spolidoro - Turret Gunner
S/Sgt Theodore W. Stafford Jr. - Turret Gunner
NOTE: I would appreciate knowing which turrets the gunners manned. I also have the serial numbers of each of the men shown. The first three groups above were from the 512th Squadron, the next three from the 514th Squadron and the rest were from the 513th Squadron I believe from notations on the order.
If you have any information please use the contact link below.
The following is a letter received in June of 2001 with further information:
Subject: personnel transfer from the 376th Bomb Group
I ran across your above article on your 456th web site and perhaps have some helpful comments.
I am the Royce D. Northcutt listed as co-pilot in Joe Bitzer's crew. Actually I was the navigator. F/O John Carson was the co-pilot but he and a Smith, the tail gunner, were not transferred.
As the war in Europe was winding down the decision was made to reduce the staffing of the 15th Air Force and send part of the personnel home to train in B29s for assignment to the War with Japan. The rule was that everyone in the groups effected, with13 or less missions, would be sent to the states and the ones with more than 13 would be reassigned. The southernmost groups were selected for dismantling. (No doubt due to distance from probable targets.) These groups were the 376th, 96th and two in the 400 series the exact number I have forgotten.
Our crew had 14 missions with the exception of the co-pilot and the tail gunner, so we were reassigned to the 456th where we flew 2 additional missions before the war's end. The war in the Pacific was over before the ones who were sent home were reassigned, so all they got was to come home 3 months early.
Listed below are the crew positions. You have all the names right except the tail gunner, whose correct spelling is shown in the following list.
1st Lt Joseph J. Bitzer - Pilot
2nd Lt. Royce D. Northcutt - Navigator
T-Sgt Edwin R. Flowers - Engineer
T-Sgt Joseph C, Szymanowicz (later Simons) - Radio Operator - died 2001
S-Sgt Benton J. Pruett - Ball Turret Gunner
S-Sgt James G. Fusco - Top Turret Gunner - died in the 1960s
S-Sgt Daniel M. Tirpak - Nose Gunner - died 2000
All the above crew, except Fusco, had our one and only reunion (our 50th anniversary of parting) in July 1995 in Fort Walton Beach, FL and had a wonderful time. All were accompanied by their wives, all of whom were their first!
Hope this is of some interest
Royce Northcutt
northcuttr@aol.com
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