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September 27, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 200
Hale’s Angels, Aircraft 42-102449
September 27, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 200.
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 200 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 650.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 42-102449, Hale’s Angels.
The primary target was the railroad marshaling yards in Cologne, Germany.
Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – William Alvin Henson II
- Bombardier – Robert Sumner Stearns
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Robert M. Mitchell
- Tail Gunner – Gerald Lee Andersen
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
On this mission, the Buslee crew was the High Group Deputy and Hot Camera Ship.
Chester A. Rybarczyk did not fly this mission. William Alvin Henson II replaced him as Navigator on this flight.
James B. Davis also did not fly this mission. Robert Sumner Stearns replaced him as Bombardier.
Henson had flown with the Buslee crew once before, on September 3, 1944. This was the first flight with the Buslee crew for Stearns.
Robert M. Mitchell replaced Erwin V. Foster as Ball Turret Gunner on this mission. This was the first time Mitchell flew with the Buslee crew, although he had flown with Farrar on September 19 as part of the William M. Reed crew.
Gerald Lee Andersen replaced Eugene D. Lucynski for the second time as Tail Gunner.
Source: Sortie Report, Aircraft Photo
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
September 25, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 198
Hot Nuts, Aircraft 42-39888
September 25, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 198.
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 198 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 644.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 42-39888, Hot Nuts.
The primary target was the railroad marshaling yards in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.
Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – Chester A. Rybarczyk
- Bombardier – James B. Davis
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Irving L. Miller
- Tail Gunner – Gerald Lee Andersen
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
Irving L. Miller replaced Erwin V. Foster as Ball Turret Gunner for the fifth time. This was the last time Miller would fly with the Buslee crew. On March 19, 1945, Miller completed his tour and returned to the US.
Eugene D. Lucynski had bailed out of The Tremblin’ Gremlin on September 19 when it was struck by flak and had not returned to the Buslee crew. Gerald Lee Andersen replaced Lucynski on this and the next two missions as Tail Gunner.
Source: Sortie Report, Aircraft Photo
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
September 13, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 194
Lorraine, Aircraft 43-38016
September 13, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 194.
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 194 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 628.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 43-38016, Lorraine.
The primary target was the oil industry in Merseburg, Germany.
Crew List:
- Commander – William A. Fairfield, Jr.
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Navigator – Kenneth S. Lord
- Bombardier – Donald L. Ward
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Albert K. Sherriff
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Irving L. Miller
- Tail Gunner – Lloyd E. La Chine
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
Not the normal Buslee crew at all. With William A. Fairfield, Jr. as Commander and John Oliver Buslee as Pilot, the regular Co-Pilot, David Franklin Albrecht, did not fly.
Donald L. Ward replaced James B. Davis on this flight. Davis flew as part of the Joe Carnes crew.
Albert K. Sherriff replaced Sebastiano Joseph Peluso. Irving L. Miller replaced Erwin V. Foster as Ball Turret Gunner as he had three times before. Lloyd E. La Chine replaced Eugene D. Lucynski as Tail Gunner.
The only regular Buslee crew members on this flight were Buslee, Bryant, and Farrar. Rybarczyk, Peluso, Foster, and Lucynski did not fly this mission.
Source: Sortie Report, Aircraft Photo
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
September 11, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 192
Big Dog, Aircraft 42-102661
September 11, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 192.
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 192 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 623.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 42-102661, Big Dog.
The primary target was the oil industry in Luetzkendorf, Germany.
Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – Chester A. Rybarczyk
- Bombardier – James B. Davis
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Paul Leland Watson
- Tail Gunner – Eugene D. Lucynski
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
The same crew as mission 191 from the day before. Again the regular Buslee crew without Erwin V. Foster. Paul Leland Watson again replaced Foster as Ball Turret Gunner on this mission.
Source: Sortie Report, Aircraft Photo
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
September 9, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 190
Lead Banana, 43-37822
September 9, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 190
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 190 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 614.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 43-37822, Lead Banana. This was their second of three missions aboard the Lead Banana.
The primary target was again, but for the last time, the chemical works industry in Ludwigshaven, Germany.
Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – George J. Jacobson
- Bombardier – James B. Davis
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Erwin V. Foster
- Tail Gunner – Eugene D. Lucynski
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
The regular Buslee crew without Chester A. Rybarczyk. George J. Jacobson replaced Rybarczyk as Navigator or this flight. Rybarczyk did not fly this mission.
Erwin V. Foster was back as Ball Turret Gunner. Foster had not flown since the August 24 mission.
Source: Sortie Report
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
September 5, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 188
Lead Banana, 43-37822
September 5, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 188
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 188 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 605.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 43-37822, Lead Banana.
The primary target was again the chemical works industry in Ludwigshaven, Germany.
Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – Chester A. Rybarczyk
- Bombardier – James B. Davis
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Irving L. Miller
- Tail Gunner – Eugene D. Lucynski
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
The regular Buslee crew without Erwin Foster. Navigator Chester Rybarczyk was back after being absent from the crew since his last flight with them on August 12.
Irving L. Miller again replaced Foster as Ball Turret Gunner on this flight.
Source: Sortie Report and Photo
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
September 3, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 187
Pleasure Bent, 43-38062
September 3, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 187
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 187 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 602.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 43-38062, Pleasure Bent.
The primary target was the chemical works industry in Ludwigshaven, Germany.
Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – William Alvin Henson II
- Bombardier – James B. Davis
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Irving L. Miller
- Tail Gunner – Eugene D. Lucynski
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
Waist Gunner George Edwin Farrar celebrated his 23rd birthday today, September 3, 1944.
The regular Buslee crew without Chester Rybarczyk and Erwin Foster.
William Alvin Henson II replaced Rybarczyk as Navigator on this flight, his first of three flights with the Buslee crew.
Irving L. Miller replaced Foster as Ball Turret Gunner on this flight, his first of five flights with the Buslee crew.
Source: Sortie Report and Photo
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
August 24, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 183
Fightin’ Hebe, 42-98000
August 24, 1944 – 384th BG Mission 183
The 384th Bomb Group Mission 183 was also known as Eighth Air Force Mission 568.
The Buslee crew flew this mission aboard aircraft 42-98000, Fightin’ Hebe.
The primary target was the oil industry in Merseburg, Germany.
Crew List:
- Pilot – John Oliver Buslee
- Co-Pilot – David Franklin Albrecht
- Navigator – Leonard Galloway (NMI)
- Bombardier – James B. Davis
- Radio Operator/Gunner – Sebastiano Joseph Peluso
- Engineer/Top Turret Gunner – Lenard Leroy Bryant
- Ball Turret Gunner – Erwin V. Foster
- Tail Gunner – Eugene D. Lucynski
- Waist Gunner – George Edwin Farrar (my dad)
After a twelve-day break, the Buslee crew again flew together with the same crew members with the exception of Navigator Chester Rybarczyk. Rybarczyk did not fly this mission and was replaced by Leonard Galloway (NMI). This was Galloway’s 27th and last mission with the 384th. He completed his tour and returned home.
Source: Sortie Report and Photo
© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2013
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