Missing Air Crew Reports

398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association

Missing Air Crew Reports

Some of the most grievous and sobering formation from 398th data files is contained in our 398th's Missing Air Crew Reports, referred to as MACR's. Listed below are the National Archive's identification for sixty-six such reports that describe the conditions of 398th B-17 aircraft lost in combat. For individuals wishing to obtain particular MACR's for research they can find information for procurement actions on inquire@nara.gov. The MACR gives many known details - the plane's identification, its mission and complete armament, and the names of its crew; but most important of all - a MACR records what was seen to have happened to a B-17 and crew in distress by those who "were there". Most information on lost aircraft was obtained from returning crews as soon as possible at a mandatory debriefing process by interrogation officers. Usually these observations became the prime official data file for composing the MACR of the event. Often this information was scanty, and sometimes perhaps conflicting, but that was really all there was to be had. Sadly, some crew members simply never did find out what happened to friends that turned up missing. Somebody picked up their belongings in their hut and the task of perhaps rearranging the bunk beds went on as another crew moved in.

The MACR does not in any way describe what happened to the plane or its crew after it disappeared from the sight of its flight formation. Once a crew was listed as missing there was little additional information as to their status. Those stories had to wait, perhaps for years, to be discovered and retold by crew gatherings, or perhaps at a 398th annual reunion, or in books written, or in major research efforts completed by our own 398th Flak News Editor, Allen Ostrom. The MACR's are grim statics, representing for the most part painful memories. But there have been some happy moments when former crewmen, once reported as dead or missing, turned out to have been a survivor that showed up at a 398th reunion.

Wally Blackwell
December 2002

Two Missing Air Crew Reports Tables are presented below. The information in each table is the same. One is sorted by date and the other by pilot.

Missing Air Crew Reports by Date
Missing Air Crew Reports by Pilot

Notes:

Asterisk in Table: An asterisk in the table below indicates a lead crew.
Find Command: Use your web browser's Find Command to search for a particular individual. If you are unsure about the spelling, use the first few letters.
Input Requested: Please send any additional information or corrections for this list to the 398th Group Historian.
Last Update: The last update of the data below was September 1, 2003.

**Missing Air Crew Reports by Date**
MACR	DATE	PILOT / CREW	SQD	TARGET	A/C SERIAL# / NAME
N/A	01/17/44	Kiernan, James	603	(Rapid City)	N/A
4937	05/19/44	O'Neal, Ira	600	Berlin	42-97339 H
5252	05/24/44	Brodin, Unite *	603	Berlin	42-107231 A
5253	05/24/44	Ingram, John	601	Berlin	42-107132 V
5312	05/30/44	Thompson, Thomas	600	Dessau	42-102498 W
5998	06/18/44	Hadjes, Willard	601	Hamburg	42-102391 B
5996	06/18/44	Halter, Ralph *	601	Hamburg	42-97626 Q
5997	06/21/44	Rohrer, Richard *	601	Berlin	42-97686 L
6220	06/25/44	Godwin, John	602	Toulouse	42-102463 Z
7221	07/07/44	Folger, Robert	600	Leipzig	42-107218 T
7219	07/07/44	Nisewonger, Boyd	603	Leipzig	42-102508 J
7220	07/08/44	Thornton, Ray *	601	Humieres	42-107096 K
7217	07/08/44	Wilson, George	601	Humieres	42-102445 R
7498	07/13/44	Foster, Thomas	603	Munich	42-97348 R
7242	07/16/44	Gallagher, Raymond	603	Munich	42-102476 B
7564	07/16/44	Lovelace, Dana	600	Munich	42-102599 U
7544	07/19/44	Hawkins, Dallas	602	Lechfeld	42-102511 P
7823	07/28/44	Dwyer, Wilbur	603	Merseburg	42-102579 C
7707	08/04/44	Carter, Nigil	601	Peenemunde	42-107098 Y
7708	08/04/44	McArthur, John	603	Peenemunde	42-107186 L
7886	08/06/44	Alhadeff, Ike	600	Brandenburg	42-102467 J
7383	08/08/44	Baker, John	600	Bretteville	42-97399 H
8065	08/08/44	Blackwell, Wally	601	Bretteville	42-97394 P "Kentucky Colonel"
7384	08/08/44	Hopkins, Robert *	603	Bretteville	42-107223 A
N/A	08/12/44	Searl, Charles	600	(England)	42-107191 K "Tomahawk Warrior"
7910	08/13/44	Weekley, Harold	601	Le Manoir / Rouen	42-102516 H "Bronx Bomber 2"
8605	09/08/44	Wade, Warren	601	Ludwigshaven	42-97385 X "Shady Lady"
8918	09/10/44	Wright, Parke	600	Stuttgart	42-107103 A
8917	09/12/44	Fields, James	602	Brux	42-102597 V
9382	09/28/44	Conrow, Russell	601	Magdeburg	42-102607 F
N/A	10/15/44	Meyran, William *	603	Cologne (crashed on T/O, England)	42-97746 T
10175	10/28/44	Connolly, Harry	602	Munster	44-6519 F
10176	10/28/44	Farmer, John	602	Munster	42-102543 B
10262	10/28/44	Sheely, Roy *	603	Munster	44-8199 R
10156	11/02/44	Campbell, Robert	601	Merseburg	43-38670 W
10157	11/02/44	Newman, Herbert	603	Merseburg	42-102562 G
10158	11/02/44	Reed, Russell	603	Merseburg	42-107053 M
10412	11/21/44	Buzza, Ken *	603	Merseburg	44-8348 A "Nutty Hussy"
11210	11/21/44	Howell, Charles	603	Merseburg	43-38147 L
11211	11/21/44	Lehner, Robert	603	Merseburg	43-38671 F "Lehner's Raiders"
11213	11/21/44	Rich, Paul	603	Merseburg	42-107138 T "Witka Tanka Ton"
11212	11/21/44	Wismer, Frederick	603	Merseburg	42-102600 Z
N/A	11/25/44	Hansard, V.A.	600	Merseburg (crashed on T/O, England)	42-107214 V
11144	11/26/44	Pope, Kermit	600	Misburg	43-37846 T
11147	11/26/44	Rolfe, Benjamin	601	Misburg	42-102565 M "Ugly Ducklin"
11146	11/26/44	Zimmer, Charles *	600	Misburg	42-97740 Q
11145	11/30/44	Weum, Roger	600	Merseburg	43-38463 X
11348	12/29/44	Erickson, Mahlon	602	Bingen	42-107188 G
11243	12/30/44	Doerr, Lyle	602	Bischofsheim	42-102610 Y "Boomerang"
11581	01/01/45	Pinner, Howard	603	Kassel	43-38895 V
N/A	01/02/45	DeCleene, Donald	603	(England)	43-38944 A
11797	01/20/45	Mitchell, James	601	Ludwigshaven	43-37889 B
11799	01/23/45	Gonzales, Federico *	603	Neuss	44-18224 A
12214	02/03/45	McCormick, John	602	Berlin	42-97387 H
12215	02/03/45	Powell, Perry	603	Berlin	43-38697 M
12650	02/22/45	Beatty, Hubert	600	Stendal	43-39128 M "Beatty's Eight Balls"
12853	03/02/45	Christensen, Donald	603	Bohlen	44-6573 K
12962	03/09/45	Jacobs, William	602	Kassel	42-97810 S
13091	03/14/45	Ellis, Richard	603	Osnabruk	43-37825 J
13090	03/15/45	Thomas, Andy	603	Oranienburg	43-38562 L "Kitty Kay"
13914	04/08/45	Wells, William	600	Derben	44-83276 N
13867	04/10/45	McAfee, James	600	Oranienburg	43-38853 L
13868	04/11/45	Shirk, Arthur	602	Krailburg	43-38664 P
14176	04/13/45	Martinek, Emil	601	Neumunster	43-39184 U
13907	04/13/45	Palant, Sam	601	Neumunster	44-8636 X
14224	04/25/45	Ferguson, Allan	602	Pilzen	42-97266 G "Godfathers Inc"
14220	04/25/45	Colville, Paul	602	Pilzen	43-38652 V

Asterisk in Table: An asterisk in the table indicates a lead crew.

**Missing Air Crew Reports by Pilot**
MACR	DATE	PILOT / CREW	SQD	TARGET	A/C SERIAL# / NAME
7886	08/06/44	Alhadeff, Ike	600	Brandenburg	42-102467 J
7383	08/08/44	Baker, John	600	Bretteville	42-97399 H
12650	02/22/45	Beatty, Hubert	600	Stendal	43-39128 M "Beatty's Eight Balls"
8065	08/08/44	Blackwell, Wally	601	Bretteville	42-97394 P "Kentucky Colonel"
5252	05/24/44	Brodin, Unite *	603	Berlin	42-107231 A
10412	11/21/44	Buzza, Ken *	603	Merseburg	44-8348 A "Nutty Hussy"
10156	11/02/44	Campbell, Robert	601	Merseburg	43-38670 W
7707	08/04/44	Carter, Nigil	601	Peenemunde	42-107098 Y
12853	03/02/45	Christensen, Donald	603	Bohlen	44-6573 K
14220	04/25/45	Colville, Paul	602	Pilzen	43-38652 V
10175	10/28/44	Connolly, Harry	602	Munster	44-6519 F
9382	09/28/44	Conrow, Russell	601	Magdeburg	42-102607 F
N/A	01/02/45	DeCleene, Donald	603	(England)	43-38944 A
11243	12/30/44	Doerr, Lyle	602	Bischofsheim	42-102610 Y "Boomerang"
7823	07/28/44	Dwyer, Wilbur	603	Merseburg	42-102579 C
13091	03/14/45	Ellis, Richard	603	Osnabruk	43-37825 J
11348	12/29/44	Erickson, Mahlon	602	Bingen	42-107188 G
10176	10/28/44	Farmer, John	602	Munster	42-102543 B
14224	04/25/45	Ferguson, Allan	602	Pilzen	42-97266 G "Godfathers Inc"
8917	09/12/44	Fields, James	602	Brux	42-102597 V
7221	07/07/44	Folger, Robert	600	Leipzig	42-107218 T
7498	07/13/44	Foster, Thomas	603	Munich	42-97348 R
7242	07/16/44	Gallagher, Raymond	603	Munich	42-102476 B
6220	06/25/44	Godwin, John	602	Toulouse	42-102463 Z
11799	01/23/45	Gonzales, Federico *	603	Neuss	44-18224 A
5998	06/18/44	Hadjes, Willard	601	Hamburg	42-102391 B
5996	06/18/44	Halter, Ralph *	601	Hamburg	42-97626 Q
N/A	11/25/44	Hansard, V.A.	600	Merseburg (crashed on T/O, England)	42-107214 V
7544	07/19/44	Hawkins, Dallas	602	Lechfeld	42-102511 P
7384	08/08/44	Hopkins, Robert *	603	Bretteville	42-107223 A
11210	11/21/44	Howell, Charles	603	Merseburg	43-38147 L
5253	05/24/44	Ingram, John	601	Berlin	42-107132 V
12962	03/09/45	Jacobs, William	602	Kassel	42-97810 S
N/A	01/17/44	Kiernan, James	603	(Rapid City)	N/A
11211	11/21/44	Lehner, Robert	603	Merseburg	43-38671 F "Lehner's Raiders"
7564	07/16/44	Lovelace, Dana	600	Munich	42-102599 U
14176	04/13/45	Martinek, Emil	601	Neumunster	43-39184 U
13867	04/10/45	McAfee, James	600	Oranienburg	43-38853 L
7708	08/04/44	McArthur, John	603	Peenemunde	42-107186 L
12214	02/03/45	McCormick, John	602	Berlin	42-97387 H
N/A	10/15/44	Meyran, William *	603	Cologne (crashed on T/O, England)	42-97746 T
11797	01/20/45	Mitchell, James	601	Ludwigshaven	43-37889 B
10157	11/02/44	Newman, Herbert	603	Merseburg	42-102562 G
7219	07/07/44	Nisewonger, Boyd	603	Leipzig	42-102508 J
4937	05/19/44	O'Neal, Ira	600	Berlin	42-97339 H
13907	04/13/45	Palant, Sam	601	Neumunster	44-8636 X
11581	01/01/45	Pinner, Howard	603	Kassel	43-38895 V
11144	11/26/44	Pope, Kermit	600	Misburg	43-37846 T
12215	02/03/45	Powell, Perry	603	Berlin	43-38697 M
10158	11/02/44	Reed, Russell	603	Merseburg	42-107053 M
11213	11/21/44	Rich, Paul	603	Merseburg	42-107138 T "Witka Tanka Ton"
5997	06/21/44	Rohrer, Richard *	601	Berlin	42-97686 L
11147	11/26/44	Rolfe, Benjamin	601	Misburg	42-102565 M "Ugly Ducklin"
N/A	08/12/44	Searl, Charles	600	(England)	42-107191 K "Tomahawk Warrior"
10262	10/28/44	Sheely, Roy *	603	Munster	44-8199 R
13868	04/11/45	Shirk, Arthur	602	Krailburg	43-38664 P
13090	03/15/45	Thomas, Andy	603	Oranienburg	43-38562 L "Kitty Kay"
5312	05/30/44	Thompson, Thomas	600	Dessau	42-102498 W
7220	07/08/44	Thornton, Ray *	601	Humieres	42-107096 K
8605	09/08/44	Wade, Warren	601	Ludwigshaven	42-97385 X "Shady Lady"
7910	08/13/44	Weekley, Harold	601	Le Manoir / Rouen	42-102516 H "Bronx Bomber 2"
13914	04/08/45	Wells, William	600	Derben	44-83276 N
11145	11/30/44	Weum, Roger	600	Merseburg	43-38463 X
7217	07/08/44	Wilson, George	601	Humieres	42-102445 R
11212	11/21/44	Wismer, Frederick	603	Merseburg	42-102600 Z
8918	09/10/44	Wright, Parke	600	Stuttgart	42-107103 A
11146	11/26/44	Zimmer, Charles *	600	Misburg	42-97740 Q

Asterisk in Table: An asterisk in the table indicates a lead crew.

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