The Crew in Walla Walla Washington
June 17, 1943
Original Crew at
Walla Walla Washington
Top Row Left to Right:
Tech. Sgt. William Jarrell - Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
1st Lt.
Giles Kauffman - Pilot
Lt. McNalley (was not on the day they were shot down
because of having vision problems above 10,000 feet)
Staff Sgt. Stanley T. Rueben
- Tail gunner
Lt. Jim La Croix Bombardier - (also was not on the
day they were shot down had “GI distress” however he did complete his 25
missions)
Staff Sgt. Peter Seniawski - Left Waist Gunner (first
American Airman to escape out of Germany on foot)
Second Row:
Staff Sgt. Paul Spodar - Right Waist Gunner
Staff Sgt. Jacob (Jake) - M. Martinez – Ball Turret Gunner
Tech Sgt. Jules T. Beck - Radioman
Paul’s crew flew only 5
missions they were:
- September 27,1943 - Emden Germany
- October 2, 1943 - Munster Germany
- October 4, 1943 – Emden Germany
- October 10,1943 – Frankfurt / Main Germany
- October 14,1943 – Schweinfurt Germany
Their first mission on
September 27, 1943 to Emden Germany was the only mission that they actually made it
back to their base at Grafton Underwood England. Out of the 5 missions they flew
3 ended up being very memorable. One
mission they ran out of gas and made an unscheduled stop. Another they took
heavy flak then ran out of gas and ditched in the Black Sea. (See the story of
Ruthless) Their final mission was on Black Thursday when they were shot down and
captured.
On their second mission when
they were returning from a bombing raid. It was the usual practice that as the
planes came in they would circle the airfield and one by one according to rank
or need would peal off from the holding pattern and land. The crew was happy
that they made it back in one piece. “Junior” Kaffman the pilot had just
finished his first circle of the airfield when all of a sudden he banked out of
the holding pattern. Paul turned to the other men and said, “What the heck is
Junior doing?” At the same time he was voicing his concerns, the sound of the
wheels coming down and engaging got everyone’s attention. They looked out and
didn’t see their landing field. As their B17 descended the crew could see a
crowd by the runway. There were all types of people standing on the airfield,
RAF, civilians, dignitaries. The men were really confused to see all these
people waiting for them. They trundled down the runway past all those spectators
and came to a sudden stop. Junior figured it just right the B17 was completely
out of gas.
A ground crew drove up to
meet the crew with confused looks on their faces. Kauffman jumped out of the
plane and explained what happened. He told them that his B17 was running on
fumes and they would not make it to land. He had seen their landing field as he
was returning to home base. He chose to break the holding pattern and land on their
field instead of crashing at Grafton Underwood. The ground crew started
laughing, they told Junior and the rest of the men that they landed on a brand
new landing strip. The B17 sort of
interrupted a presentation and ceremony they had prepared. All those people by
the runway were waiting in anticipation for sleek little fighter planes to come
in and “christen” the new Spitfire landing strip. Instead they watched
in surprised silence as this big old beat up B17 plopped her butt down in front
of them. Everyone enjoyed the “pre” show and the Spitfires did come it
to inaugurate their new landing strip.
This picture is of Staff Sgt. Peter Seniawski and Tech Sgt. Jules T. Beck. This picture was taken in the States several weeks before they went over seas in August of 1943.
First I would like to extend
my up most gratitude to George Brinkley of England for sharing with me several
pictures including one of “Big
Moose”, the B17 that my father Paul Spodar was flying in when they were shot
down on October 14, 1943. George has been chasing “Big Moose” since he was a
child and heard of Big Moose crash landing near his home. It has been a life’s
passion for him to find out about the plane and crew that touched his young
life. Over the years he has kept contact with most of that crew and with some
became life long friends.
This picture of Big Moose comes from the prior crew. The picture was taken of this earlier crew when they had to crash land in Heston England returning from a raid on Stuttgart Germany on September 6, 1943. With both props feathered on the right side and 1 feathered on the left, the pilot had no control over the aircraft. At about 10 feet from the ground the last engine cut out. They came to an abrupt stop when they hit 2 Anti Invasion Polos, which embedded into the leading edge of the port wing. The damaged plane was taken back to base to be fixed and overhauled. A month later Big Moose was assigned to the Kauffman crew where she was lost in action on Black Thursday.
The prior crew consisted of: From Left to Right:
Pilot - 1st Lt. John J. Kney
Radio Operator - tech Sgt. Douglas E. Lane
Co-pilot - 2nd Lt. James B. Oakley co-pilot
Bombardier - 2nd Lt. Andrew P. Demitropolis
Ball Turett Gunner - Staff Sgt. Lyle E. Lyons
Right Waist Gunner - Staff Sgt. Kenneth S, Sayder
Tail Gunner - Staff Sgt. Louis A. Hill
Navigator - 2nd Lt. Edward S. Child
Left Waist Gunner - Staff Sgt. Emil E. Lewison
Engineer/ Top Turett Gunner
- Tech Sgt. Charles V. Kiefer
To all those men who flew on
“Big Moose and served our country so bravely and valiantly, I THANK YOU. We
will never forget…God Bless You all.