Crew 60

Crew 60 trained at Clovis, New Mexico and received and checked out their plane at Smoky Hill, Salina, Kansas. On arrival at North Field, they also lost their new B-29 to another crew. They were supposedly the second replacement crew to the 39th Bomb Group. The members of "Burnin' Desire" or "City of Virginia" flew varying numbers of missions. Individually they flew with various crews until they got their own plane. It was then that they became a real flying crew. Weaver mentioned he had only 14 combat missions having been injured on the highly successful Yokohama raid of May 29. Sgt Ivan Weaver was hit and wounded by a shell coming through his blister window, the Plexiglas shattered and hit his left hand. There was no other damage to Weaver except a slit in the flak helmet above his ear. Sgt George Erhardt, tail gunner, was also wounded in the feet and hands on this flight. Immediately after the bombs were released, eight enemy fighter planes made repeated vicious attacks on their B-29. In spite of the fierce opposition, Erhardt remained at his position and assisted the other crewmembers in shooting down two of the interceptors. Erhardt and Weaver both received the Purple Heart. Weaver would miss several missions -because of his injuries but Erhardt was able to keep flying. The crew flew prisoner of war supply missions, two air-search missions as they looked for the General Andrews and the Show of Force mission. Other crewmembers had about 22 missions. Crew 60 put a claim into the "Blockbuster" September 15 for being the youngest crew in the Group. The average age was 21 years and 4 months. Gerald Matts, airplane commander was 22 years and 4 months. The oldest man was 23 years and 10 months and the youngest was 19 years and 8 months. The claim was never verified but who cared when you were going home.

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