Berlin Battle 12sep44- 367BS/306BG

[drgondog]

I'm trying to help a lady whose uncle went down to mysterious causes on 12 September, 1944.

He was 1Lt John Ellison, 354FS/355FG, a fighter pilot trying to chase two fw190s away from a crippled Fort (367BS/306BG).

My letter to Dana Osborn, neice gives the details of the questions.

"Your uncle was buried in a Field Grave with four B-17 crewmembers from at least two and maybe three separate B-17's - serial numbers 42-102969 and 42-97278 367 Bomb Squadron/306 Bomb Group. The Grave was at Eberswalde - NE Berlin
All were next interred at US Cemetary Neuville Belgium 1946. Group burial BB-10-226.
In 1949 the remains were transferred to US National Cemetary Zachary Taylor, Louisville KY on 14 October. The bomber crew names were Bauer, Eden, Gardiner and Rogers.

I give medium to low probability to a mid air collision in which the five were KIA and the remaining crew members bailed out. However MACR 8833 and 8836 state that the "Umbriago" and Methuselah 989 Years" (the two named serial numbers above) went down at Uedersee (close to Eberswalde) and Brodowin (not sure how close to Eberswalde).

The Mighty Eighth Combat Chronology says that the B-17's were 2KIA/7POW and 1KIA/8POW respectively which suggests that the 4th B-17 crew member came from yet another B-17. Four ships from the 367 BS went down that day. Of the other two - each lost one KIA/9POW."

My questions -
1. which ships were Bauer, Gardiner, Eden and Rodgers on?
2. how did those ships go down (any POW returning statements?)

I have never found LW claim for Mustang in that area NE Berlin so Ellison's fate could range from MAC to FF to ??

Thanks in advance - this info could be huge for a family that has been in grief for 60 plus years - not knowing where he was buried, much less how he lost his life.

Regards and Thanks,

Bill Marshall