Sgt Peder Heller 93rd BG s/n 37303203

[Alex Smart]

From JB's serial numbers website -
41-23754 (93rd BG, 409th BS, "Little Lady") landed in Turkey Aug 1, 1943 after Ploesti raid and interned. This plane was first B-24 to fly over occupied Europe on missin to Fives-Lille Steelworks Oct 9, 1942.
So how can we find her early crews names ?

Also I came across this -
41-23728 "Hot Stuff", 93BG/330BS. Pilot Frank M, SHANNON, Flying to the USA on 3rd May, '43 flew into a mountain in Iceland.
One report says there was only one surviver, the Tail Gunner.��

41-23728 (93rd BG, 330th BS, *Hot Stuff*) was the first American heavy bomber to achieve 25 missions in WW2. It crashed on Mt Fagradalsfjlall in Iceland May 3, 1943 on the way back to USA. General Frank M Andrews (commander of US forces in Eurpoean theatre of operations) was killed, along with all others aboard the aircraft except the tail gunner, who was found alive in the wreckage. Andrews AFB in Maryland is named in his honor.

However Mighty 8th Combat Chronology has "10 RTD" ?
How to find crew/passengers ?

[RSwank]

Alex, according to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Stuff_(aircraft)

the surviving tail gunner was George Eisel.

[Leendert]

With the risk of this thread becoming a wild goose chase, S/Sgt. Heller also received an Air Medal, dated 31 Dec 1943: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1394...ect-thumb--981

Please note that Williston is in ND, not SD.

Perhaps the 93rd BG Association (https://www.93bg.com/) and/or 93rd BG Museum (http://www.93rd-bg-museum.org/data/base.htm) can help.

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hi Leendert,
Looked at the 93BG site,
It seems that it is slowly getting up and hopefully in time may be able to help
Perhaps a private post to the websites bosses may get a result though ?.
Alex

[Alex Smart]

From the WWW,
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes

Antisubmarine 1 March 1942 – 13 August 1942 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Egypt-Libya 16 December 1942 – 12 February 1943 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Air Offensive, Europe 7 September 1942 – 5 June 1944 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Tunisia 12 November 1942 – 13 May 1943 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Sicily 14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Naples-Foggia 18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Normandy 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Northern France 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Rhineland 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Ardennes-Alsace 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Central Europe 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 409th Bombardment Squadron.

Air Combat, EAME Theater 7 September 1942 – 11 May 1945 409th Bombardment Squadron..

May help pin down where he was for the awards ?

[FrankieS]

https://vintageaviationnews.com/warb...hot-stuff.html

[Alex Smart]

Hi FrankieS,
As Swank had said in his post( number 32 ) the name of the sole survivor of the aircraft you provided details of was - surviving tail gunner was George Eisel.
Our search is for Sgt.Peder Heller.

[Alex Smart]

Have just checked the 13 93BG/409BS MACR's where pilots were killed.
MACR's
1607;2178;2183;2192;2193;2907;16602;4828;5018;7897 ;10359;15463;12009.
Earliest date was 43/07/23.
None of those crews was named Heller.

There are 4 aircraft (non combat) that had fatalities.
They were :
42-100363 - 44/03/13 - UK - MACR 5018.
42-50597 - 44/12/19 - UK - MACR 15463.
42-100334 - 45/03/05 - Pilot : Reed R E. - UK - 5 KIA.
42-51241 - 45/03/31 - Pilot: Tucker, M L. - UK - 3 KIA.

So maybe Heller's events were earlier than July '43 although doesn'the seem to suggest at least one was in late(?) 1944 ?

As an extra,.In "Second Air Division " (Turner) by Ray Strong & J R Uttal
Peder Heller is noted on page 147 in the 2nd Air Division Roster as being with the 93BG.

Alex