Crew 29

29 December 1944 - Our crew bailed out near Smoky Hill because two engine fires and a runaway prop. We waited for about ten minutes to see if could be brought under control. No luck so out we went ! Our plane (B-29 # 42-24570) crashed seven miles north of Concordia, Kansas. A month earlier, Alan Miller, Crew 1, lost most of his crew in similar circumstances. Only 6 survived! 24 April 1945 - Our second mission was over Hachiaji (a few miles west of Tokyo). We were hit by flak and pulled out of the formation. As we headed toward Tokyo, about 20 Japanese fighters jumped us and we put the airplane in shallow dive to increase airspeed (250) and out ran them. We landed at Iwo for repairs. Our magnetic compass, radio antenna, radar and Loran equipment were destroyed. We flew to Iwo using the Astro Compass and celestial for direction. We counted over 150 flak and machine gun holes in our aircraft. Fortuniately, no one was hurt. Just "Pure Luck" !! We were having trouble with our Crew Chief. In April we aborted six or seven times because of mechanical failures. Engine fires, bomb bay doors opening as well as other things too. It continued through April and in June, we were only able to get in two missions. In late June, we were assigned a new man, S/Sgt James F. Finlay from Cullen, Louisiana. We never aborted again. What a great guy ! Lester Fauver, TG states " We flew all 23 missions together as a crew with the following exceptions - Capt Ferrell did not fly #22 with us, he flew as pilot for Major Miller. 1st Lt Guinther was AC, I don't recall the name of the pilot filling in on # 22. Sometime between our 10th - 15th mission 1st Lt Walter Fauerso left the crew because of health reasons. I cannot be sure but I think his replacement was a M/Sgt Evans. Green mentions "We completed our duties and flew home October 31, 1945."

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