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.

[Tony Kambic]

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.

Originally Posted by Tony Kambic

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.

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

[Tony Kambic]

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.

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.

[shooshoobaby]

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

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.