John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

John E. Russell
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # O-885981
813th Bomber Squadron, 482nd Bomber Group, Pursuit


It is my understanding that John E. Russell of the U.S.A.A.F. flew operationally with 97 Squadron R.A.F. in 1943. Was this a common practise for American airman to be seconded to an R.A.F. station?

John Russell was K.I.A. Nov.10th 1943 but not with 97 Squadron.

Following are the squadrons orbs listing 2nd Lt's Russell and Wright were both of these American?

3/4 September 1943 - Berlin

ED875R 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgt H.J.Lazenby, 2nd Lt R.Wright, F/Sgt L.W.Golden, Sgts J.P.Dow, B.W.Bark, F/Sgt R.H.Marston. Up 2034 Down 0441. 1 x 4000lb, 6 x 500lb. Berlin bombed. Clear sky, some haze. 20,000’. Target identified by red TIs and bend in river. Bombed cluster of red TIs – in bomb sight. Fires and explosions seen among red markers.

5/6 September 1943 - Mannheim

JA711Y 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgt H.J.Lazenby, 2nd Lt R.Wright, Sgts L.W.Golden, J.R.Dow, H.Bark, F/Sgt R.H.Marston. Up 1944 Down 0229. 1 x 4000lb, 9 x 500lb. Mannheim attacked. No cloud, visibility good. 16,500’. River, bridges and built up area identified visually. Bombed built up area with red TIs in bomb sight. Fires starting up as aircraft left target.

6/7 September 1943 - Munich

ED870T 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgt H.J.Lazenby, 2nd Lt R.Wright, F/Sgt L.W.Golden, J.P.Dow, E.W.Bark, F/Sgt R.H.Marston. Up 2001 Down 0440. 1 x 4000lb, 7 x 500lb. Target Munich attacked. 18,000’. 6/10ths cloud. Red and yellow TIs in bomb sight when bombs released. Aircraft early on target, thick cloud – nothing seen to report.

15/16 September 1943 – Montlucon

EE176O 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgt H.J.Lazenby, 2nd Lt R.Wright, F/Sgt L.W.Golden, Sgts J.P.Dow, E.W.Bark, F/Sgt R.H.Marston. Up 2114 Down 0220. 4 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 4 x 1000lb, 3 x 500lb. Montlucon bombed. 5,000’. Moon light. 6/10ths broken cloud. Target identified by great column of black smoke and visually. Bombed on red TI – in bomb sight.

2/23 September 1943 - Hanover

ED953X 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgt H.J.Lazenby, 2nd Lt R.Wright, F/Sgt L.W.Golden, Sgts J.P.Dow, E.W.Bark, R.H.Marston. Up 1903 Down 0006. 4 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 6 x 1000lb. Target Hanover bombed. No cloud, no moon, visibility good. 17,500’. Target identified by green TI markers which we bombed. Six large fires burning – visible 150 miles away on return.

23/24 September 1943 - Darmstadt

EE179T 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgt H.J.Lazenby, 2nd Lt R.Wright, F/Sgt L.W.Golden, Sgts J.P.Dow, E.W.Bark, F/Sgt R.H.Martson. Up 1920 Down 0106. 1 x 4000lb, 158 incs. Target Darmstadt attacked. 16,000’. Clear sky, slight haze. Target identified visually. Centre of built up area and flares in bomb sight at time of bombing. Large explosion seen at 2134 hours. Fires taking good hold.

27/28 September 1943 – Hanover

EE197T 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgt H.J.Lazenby, 2nd Lt R.Wright, F/Sgt L.W.Golden, Sgts J.P.Dow, E.W.Bark, R.H.Marston. Up 1943 Down 0049. 2 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 6 x 1000lb. Target Hanover attacked. 20,500’. No moon, no cloud, visibility good. Two green TI markers in bomb sight at time of bombing. Large orange explosion seen at 2210 hours. Some fires were burning.


2/3 October 1943 - Munich

EE179T 2nd Lt J.E.Russell, Sgts H.J.Lazenby, Saunders, F/Sgt L.W.Golden, J.P.Dow, E.W.Bark, F/Sgt R.H.Marston. Up 1905 Down 0231. 6 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 3 x 1000lb. Target Munich attacked. 17,500’. Clear sky, vis good. Centre of cluster of green TIs in bomb sight at time of bombing. Own TIs seen to cascade and ignite. Many fires burning and incendiaries rapidly as aircraft left target.

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

CP - Lt. John Russell was KIS 11/10/43
B - 17 # 42 - 5793 PC M " Stinky "
482d BG , 813th Sq.
Crashed shortly after Take - off from Thorpe - Abbotts
Crash Photo :
Fortresses of the Big Triangle First by Cliff Bishop Page 221
Mike

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

Many thanks, any chance of scanning the photo and putting it on here?

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

This really intrigues me. Any information that can be added will be greatly appreciated.

Here's another example, again from 97 Squadron. 2nd Lt W.S.Treacy



12/13 June 1943 Bochum – Bomb Load 4 x TIs, 1 x 4000lb, 8 x 500lb unless stated

EE107F 2nd Lt W.S.Treacy, Sgt M.Eardley, P/O G.F.Brantingham, Sgts A.Roche, W.A.Halsey, P.G.Nickerson, W.Hussey. Up 2312 Down 0420. Target Bochum bombed. Thin low cloud. Visibility good. 19,000’. No TIs visible at time of bombing. Bombs released on concentration of fires. No definite target marked. Own greens brought back.


16/17 June 1943 Cologne – Bomb Load 1 x 4000lb 12 SBC

EE107F 2nd Lt W.S.Treacy, Sgt M.Eardley, P/O G.F.Brantingham, Sgts A.Roche, W.A.Halsey, P.G.Nickerson, W.Hussey. Up 2232 Down 0253. Primary objective Cologne attacked. 20,000’. Full moon. 10/10ths cloud. Red markers with green stars in sight when load released. Nothing seen in the way of ground detail.

24/25 June 1943 Elberfeld – Bomb Load 5 x TI, 1x 4000lb, 6 x 1000lb unless stated

EE107F 2nd Lt W.S.Treacy, F/L D.Mackenzie (2nd Pilot), H.Eardley, P/O G.F.Brantingham, Sgts A.Roche, W.A.Halsey, P.G.Nickerson, W.Hussey. 1 x 4000lb 12 SBC. Up 2259 Down 0322. Primary target Cologne attacked. 10/10ths cloud. Ground visibility poor. 20,000’. Two red TI markers in bombsight when bombs released. Own results not observed. No indications of ground detail.

28/29 June 1943 Cologne – Bomb Load – 4 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 6 x 1000lb unless stated.

EE107F 2nd Lt W.S.Treacy, F/L D.Mackenzie (2nd Pilot), H.Eardley, P/O G.F.Brantingham, Sgts A.Roche, W.A.Halsey, P.G.Nickerson, W.Hussey. 1 x 4000lb 12 SBC. Up 2259 Down 0322. Primary target Cologne attacked. 10/10ths cloud. Ground visibility poor. 20,000’. Two red TI markers in bombsight when bombs released. Own results not observed. No indications of ground detail.


3/4 July 1943 Cologne – Bomb Load 4 x TI, 1 x 4000lb, 6 x 1000lb unless stated

EE107F 2nd Lt W.S.Treacy, M.Eardley, P/O G.F.Brantingham, Sgts A.Roche, W.A.Halsey, P.G.Nickerson, W.Hussey. 1 x 4000lb 12 SBC. Up 2242 Down 0322. Primary objective Cologne bombed. 19,500’. Hazy. No cloud. Red TI marker in bombsight when load released. Large reddish explosion seen at 0137. Fires and incendiaries seen burning.

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

Maybe it's not the same person:

In my copy of Eighth AF Bomber Stories by Russell J. Zorn and Ian McLachlan, the co-pilot's name of B-17 42-5793 was Lt. John K. Russell. Russell Zorn was an 8th AF photographer assigned to document crashes (damage assessment ) in the UK during the war. He saved photographs and crew lists from every crash that he investigated, which is at least 45 between Nov. 1943 and June 1945.

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

Oh dear that's not good to see. From what I got elsewhere and as I posted at the beginning of the post could it be a typo?

John E. Russell
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # O-885981
813th Bomber Squadron, 482nd Bomber Group, Pursuit


It made sense as Russell's USAAF unit was a Pathfinder unit as was 97 Squadron. The time frame is right as is the proximity of two units to one another.

Is there anyway of checking if these people were USAAF personnel?

2nd Lt J.E.Russell 2nd Lt R.Wright 2nd Lt W.S.Treacy

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

This is becoming more complicated. I re-read the story about the last flight of 42-5793. It was on a special mission to use the British developed H2S airborne radar system. The aircraft was flown to RAF Defford in March 1943 where it remained while the Brits trained the Americans on the use of the radar as well as installing it in the B-17. This aircraft was then assigned to the 482nd BG that was a specialist PFF (Pathfinder Force).

To complicate this all, in the text of the story, the writer has the name as co-pilot John J. Russell, that differs from the crew manifest I sent earlier from the rear of the book, John K Russell. The aircraft had #1 engine catch fire on takeoff and crashed near a village, killing 4 civlian construction workers on the ground as well as the crew of 13. Extra crewmen supported the H2S system.

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

So we have John Russell with the middle initial of either E, J, or K.

Does anyone who has more expertise than I, have access too USAAF records that can clarify this? Or perhaps point me in the right direction.

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

David -
8th AF Roll Of Honor has John K. Russell.
ABMC has John E. Russell
Must be a Typo on the ROH - all other info Fits.
I Don't have a Scanner - maybe another Member could
send Photo from Bishop's Book.
Mike

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

From another site Hugh Halliday provided the following information.

I can now confirm that John Edmund Russell was an American citizen who enlisted in the RCAF in Montreal, 15 July 1941. He qualified as a pilot at No.4 SFTS, 7 November 1941 and after further training in Canada was posted overseas in June 1942. He was commissioned in the RCAF (12 May 1943) and was discharged from the RCAF (presumably on transfer to American forces) on 10 June 1943.

I can find no connection for W.S. Treacy to the RCAF, and the frequency of names like "R. Wright" in the record makes it difficult to make an RCAF connection.

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

I have found this reference to John Russell by one of his 97 Squadron crew members.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/s...a7983237.shtml

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

David,

Sadly, that link is dead. Here's all you'd ever want to know about 2Lt John Edmund Russell, DFC. Keep scrolling.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...edmund-russell

Dave

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

Just curious, The DFC was an RAF award would that auto get him the American DFC as well when he transferred to the USAAF ?

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

Hi All
Just found this thread via a friend, we are hoping to place a memorial for the crew
and civilians who perished in the tragic crash. That John Edmund Russell (Jack) also died in.
If anyone has any extra info of any of the victims, details would be much appreciated.

The crew list, as far as we know was:
1/ Pilot Art Reynolds,
2/ Co-pilot: John Russell,
3/Navigator: Sheldon McCormick,
4/ Bombardier: Albert Rolnick,
5/ Amos Behl Flight engineer/top gunner
6/ , Bob Holmes Radio Operator
7/ John May RCM Operator
8/, Leslie Boling Ball turret gunner
9/, Bill Landers, Waist gunner
10/ Laurie Evans, Waist gunner
11/, Andy Allison, Tail gunner
plus two passenger mechanics:
12/ Herman Kolousek, radio mechanic
13/ Bob Levi, radio mechanic

Thanks in advance for any help.

Steve A

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

From joebaugher.com:


5793 (MSN 17-6089) Accepted by USAAF at Lockheed Field, Burbank, CA Jan43. Long Beach Field, CA 30Jan43. Smoky Hill Field, Salina, KS 11Feb43. 332nd Bomb Squadron [XM*M], 94th Bomb Group, Bassingbourn (Station 121), Cambridgeshire 4Mar43. 325th Bomb Squadron [NV*Y/M], 92nd Bomb Group, Alconbury (Station 102), Huntingdonshire 20Apr43. RAF Defford, Worcestershire May43. Installation of H2S equipment by Telecommunication Research Establishment (TRE) at Great Malvern. First Eighth Air Force B-17 Pathfinder (PFF). 813th Bomb Squadron [PC*M], 482nd Bomb Group, Alconbury (Station 102), Huntingdonshire 5Aug43. Crashed at Brome during a forced landing at Eye (Station 134), Suffolk 10Nov43 (13 crew KIS: three civilians died: one civilian injured whose horse was also killed). Earlier that day the crew flew the B-17 from Alconbury to Thorpe Abbotts (Station 139), Norfolk to lead the 100th Bomb Group on a PFF mission – the mission was scrubbed. Returning later to Alconbury, the B-17 began its takeoff. Somewhere beyond the point of no return, the bomber’s number one engine caught fire. With the aircraft struggling to stay airborne as flames seared through essential control cables but too low for parachutes, the best chance was to land on the runway under construction at Eye. This lay almost directly ahead, and was closer than trying to turn back to Thorpe Abbotts. Eye airfield was still under construction and four workmen were ditching alongside Potash Lane. One of them stood at the roadside with a horse and tumbrel, while the others laboured i n the ditch itself. Less than fifty feet above and diving directly at the workmen was the bomber. Before the crash the workmen were fleeing for their lives, but they were overwhelmed. The bomber crashed directly on to the road gang, its propellers knifed cleanly through the rearing, terror stricken horse, chopping the animal in half. Three workmen died instantly. One of the workmen almost escaped, leaping for safety, only to be scythed down by the bomber’s wingtip; he died from his injuries two days later. Salvaged. Named STINKY – code name of the H2S equipment

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

Albert Lewis Rolnick


https://www.americanairmuseum.com/ar...-lewis-rolnick

Re: John E. Russell U.S.A.A.F.
 

Cheers edwest2

Sorry for the late reply on the above !

The problem with these forums and keeping up with the threads !

The memorial project is coming along nicely and we have a Go Fund Me page, set up for funding the project.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/brome-b17...term=undefined

We have had some luck with the finding details of the events surrounding the crash. We have obtained the Tower Reports from RAF Alconbury. These confirm, they had flown to Thorpe Abbotts the night before. To lead the mission the following morning. However the mission was scrubbed, hence their attempt to return to Alconbury !

Also, although we cannot a 100% confirm this, it’s thought it was more than likely a fire in the cockpit area, that caused such a fast and dramatic crash, after take off !

All the best

Steve A