Please be advised the content in my post #6 may not be accurate. First some of this issue may in-part be related to Osborne's "bad" habit of abbreviating names and in some cases spelling them wrong and worse citing units in which they did not serve.
Specifically:
Original source: Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log (unedited):
"42-97599 “Delivered Denver 2/1/44; 1SAG Langley 23/1/44; Grenier 24/2/44; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-T] Horham 28/2/44; 20m, Missing in Action Ludwigshafen 25/9/44 with 96BG crew, Comp-Capt Jim McKnight, Bombardier: Chas Nielsen (2KIA-both chutes failed); p-Bill Chandler, Navigator: John Wey, mo-Howard Menadier, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim McDowell, Radio Operator: Ken Stockman, Waist gunner: Carl Anderson, X-George Popelka (Flying Control Off.) (7 Returned to Duty); force landed in Tongeren area of Belgium; Salvaged 14/11/44.”
For example [Comp-Capt Jim McKnight] likely Capt James T McKnight appears to have flown 29 missions with the 390BG including the fatal 25 Sept 44 mission to Ludwigshafen
http://www.390thspace.com/missions.p...t,%20James%20T
No connection found with the 96BG as claimed by Osborne.
The bombardier [Chas Nielsen] who I assumed was 1st Lt Charles C. Nielsen, was in fact Pfc Charles M
Neilson (Bombardier/Togglier) also it seems serving with the 390BG
http://www.390thspace.com/missions.p...n%2C+Charles+M
Also No connection found with the 96BG as claimed by Osborne.
Sadly (NOT found in the NARA enlistment database), also no findagrave record. So beyond being KIA he is also missing it seems from many record databases.
My first thought was to simply delete my earlier post but then it seemed an explanation was in order, so here we are.