Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

In my hometown, there was a book published some years ago titled "Central Coast Aviators in WWII". Among the stories in this book, Ex Sgt Heller narrated how he was the sole survivor of his crew on three occasions His first one, he was the tail gunner on a flak damaged B-24. He fell asleep on the return home When the B-24 arrived at base, it made a hard landing and the tail section broke off, leaving Sgt Heller safe. The second one was when his B-24 was damaged on a raid to France. It ditched in the Channel and Sgt Heller was thrown clear through the waist window. The B-24 hit some rocks and blew up, killing the rest of the crew. The final was when his B-24crashed on takeoff The crew escaped but failed to clear the area around the B-24 and when the bombs went off, the crew was killed. Any further information would be welcome.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Hi,
Have to ask. Were all three events while he was with the 93rd BG ?
Alex

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

From"findagrave" -
Born 30/12/1916
Died 20/03/1996
Photo shows B24 with crew, a/c name "Teggie Ann" .
There was more than one.
41-23754 was interned in Turkey in August '43.
"Teggie Ann II" 41-23999

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

I do not know if these all happened with the 93rd BG

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Several ditched in the English Channel/Bay of Biscay.
41-23732, 41-24025, 41-24122, 42-41004, 42-50628, 42-50829, 42-64433, 44-50697.
42-50597 - "Beaver's Baby" 16/12/44 blew up, Bomb(s) on the ground .Could be his last mentioned.
All were 93 BG.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

A Newspaper story on Heller in two parts. A few more details:

https://www.newspapers.com/article/t...une/181165975/

https://www.newspapers.com/article/t...une/181165740/

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Hi Alex. 42-50597 crashed on take-off on 19 Dec 44 (Mission 756) at Hardwick in fog (bad weather generally); all 11 crew killed . Pilot 1/lt. R W Marx; the 11 names are on a memorial by the road .
I could only find 1 Heller on the 93rd roster, 2/Lt. Eugene Heller.


Nick

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

41-23732 "Liberty Lass" shot down 16 April 43, 7 KIA, 3 POW.
41-24025 "Satan's Chariot" missing 31 March 43, 10 MIA.
41-24122 "Missouri Sue" shot down 16 April 43, 10 KIA
42-41004 "The Urgin' Virgin" shot down 13 Nov. 43, 10 KIA.
42-50628 shot down 3 Feb.45, 6 KIA, 3 POW.
42-50829 ditched Channel 18 Sept. 44, 8 KIA, 3 rescued by launch.
42-64433 ditched Channel 31 Dec. 43, 6 KIA, 4 rescued.
44-50697 shot down 5 April 45, all 9 KIA.


Nick
At least 6 bombers came down in the Channel on 31 Dec.43, bad weather.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Had a look through "The Mighty Eighth Combat Chronology " and "Heavy Bombers of the Mighty Eighth".
Came up with the following 93rd BG/409 BS B24's that may be of interest in regard to the "late 1944", first(?) event.

November '44.
5th - 42-95024 - RFO - CL - Fire - Shipmendon - 2 Kia.
11th - 42-110036 - FTR - LOC (409 BS ?).

December '44.
11th - 42-94965 - RFO - CR.
12th - 42-94880 - FTR - LOC ( But ZOI 2/7/45 New Mexico).
16th - 42-50597 - NOPS - Bomb Exploded.
19th - serial number ? - TOA - CL Alburgh - 9 Kia.
27th - 42-100413 - FTR - LOC.
31st - 42-51533 - details ?

CL - Crash landed ,pilot had control of aircraft.
FTR - Failed to Return.
LOC - Landed on the Continent behind friendly lines.
TOA - Incident occurred during Take Off or during assembly.
NOPS- Non-Operational Sortie.
RFO - Returned from Operational activity.


Alex

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Hi Nick,
Thanks for the details.
Now that Swank's post has provided the newspaper cutting 's ( sadly I could only view the 1st page) it seems that Heller's first near death event took place around "late 1944" if I read it correctly. Which follows that the other two events were in 1945.
All the best
Alex

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

With regards to The 93rd BG airmen named Heller. I found two , both officers.
Could not find this Heller at all , not even in the NARA enlistment lists, service number "unknown". ¹

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

He is listed in the Air Medal section of the national Archives as:
HELLER, PEDER, 37303203 [S/N], S/SGT, AIR CORPS
RFD #8, Williston, SD"

He was awarded a DFC in May 1944.

In the 1940 census his parents are noted as having been born in Norway.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1333...objectPage=167

His Draft Registration is on FOLD3, but I'm not a paying member anymore so I can't "see it"

Locally, he ran a boat shop in Arroyo Grande, CA until his death in 1996. The stories cited above came from an article in the San Luis Tribune [local newspaper] in 1996

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1394...objectPage=981

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Hi, thanks for these pages. Cannot understand why that site did not recognise the name or service number when I entered them yesterday ?
Alex

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

So the search continues for the other two episodes ?

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Alex, I have found that it is best to go to the National Archives to determine such data as Air Medals and DFC awards.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

What crashes S/Sgt Heller survived remains open. Still some info distilled from NARA Record Group 64 (Morning Reports) about his movements. He was at Buckley Fld, CO, till mid-Jan 1943 with 769th Technical School Squadron as Pvt. Transferred to Laredo, TX, for Aerial Gunnery Training. Received promotion to S/Sgt upon completion of training.

Then a jump to 1944 when on 15 Aug he's transferred from 409th BS/93rd BG to a Replacement Control Depot in Lancashire. Sails to the US on 'Outgoing Transport TA-144' late August. First is at Reception Sta # 7 at Fort Sheridan, IL and from there on 19 Sept to HQ 1020th AAFBU, Miami Beach, FL, where he's posted till 24 October and is transferred to Trg Cmd 3705th AAFBU, Lowry Field, CO.
Later Reports not online.

Leendert

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

An interesting list of lost and salvaged 93rd BG B-24s here: https://digitalarchive.2ndair.org.uk...mc_371-084x001

Leendert

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

Another date regarding Heller is his marriage to Marilyn Sonderquist on 1 October 1944 in a civil ceremony in Richland Montana.

I am beginning to think maybe only his first tour was with the 93rd BG.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

The following are those of the 409th for 1945.
January 10th - 41 - 50362 - FTR - CL.
February 25th - ? - FTR - LOC.
February 27th - 42-51305 - FTR - LOC - SAL 20/03/45.
5th March - 42-100334 - FTR.
27th March - 42-94814 - NOPS - SAL 26/5/45 - ZOI 28/10/45.
30th March - 42-51241 - TOA - SAL 31/3/45.
31st March - ? - TOA - CR - South Cove - 9 KIA.
10th April - 42-51598 - SAL 27/5/45- ZOI.
26th April - 42-50781 - NOPS - CL - SAL 27/4/45- ZOI.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

It appears that he did a combat tour with the 409th BS, 93rd BG and after his transfer to the ZI (USA), he stayed in the USA. The DFC awarded on May 31st,1944 in interesting.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

I think his adventures are a little earlier. His second episode refers to a mission to French Marshalling Yards, which places it in 1944.

Re: Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203
 

The Tara Cop site for the 376 BG makes no mention of him, and I looked through the lists of names from Pfc's to S/Sgt's.

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/ar...edia-55315jpeg

So his connection with Teggie Ann is questionable. Maybe it was just a photo he chose for the news cutting ?