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388th Bomber Group (H) - Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart
6 September, 1943
Mission 19 - Primary Target: Stuttgart, Germany
Secondary Target: Strasbourg, France
Prepared By: Willis S. Cole, Jr. “Sam” - 21 February, 2013 - Mission Track Chart #2 - Date/Time
13444 124th Ave NE (Updated from 15 February, 2010, copy)
Kirkland, WA 98034-5403 USA
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NOTE: The following date and time line includes information contained in the archived documents of the United States, Germany and France. Along with personal testimony, as interviewed by Willis and Carol Cole of a survivor, families of survivors who have since died, families of the four MIA and four mis-identified, KIA, living eye-witnesses and military historians living in the USA, Denmark, France, Germany, Belgium and England.
The time line for the events taking place on 6 September, 1943, is based on a single location along the actual flight path of the 388th Bomber Groups on that date. At that location, just to the west of Troyes - AUBE-10, France, the shoot down and crash of the B-17F, SN: 42-30349, MACR 2409, 563rd BS, Piloted by Lt. R. T. Wilken, took place. A Frenchman observed the entire event, beginning with the actual German fighter attack to the crash of the B-17 and its results. A few days later, he took a photograph of the crashed B-17. Which, along with his personal testimony of what happened during the event in question provided an exact, ground based, location that can be directly tied to the German Fighter Victory Claims time line and the 388th Bomb Group’s Official Mission Report.
Using that exact location and other information, the 388th’s actual Mission Track Chart has been reconstructed and presented in Mission Track Chart #1. Using that same information, this date/time line chart has also been constructed. The time selected for the Wilken B-17 shoot down and crash is based on a combination of French, German and Allied mission times, leading backward to the
6 Sept., 1943 first listed event time and forward to the last listed event time.
11: 17 - The 96th and 388th Bomb Groups enter France, on a 200 degree heading, while on their final bombing run toward their Secondary Target, the Strasbourg Rail Yards and a German Air Base just to the southwest of Strasbourg.
11:22 - Bomb drop on Strasbourg Rail Yards.
11:24 - Bomb Drop on German Air Base to southwest of Strasbourg
11:27 - German fighter attacks begin, Original Mission Flight Path Deviation begins, with Groups turning to straight line flight path to north of Troyes - AUBE-10. The first 388th BG(H), 560th BS, B-17, SN: 42-30201, Piloted by Lt. Melville, (MACR 3124), (Ref: ‘G’ on Chart 1), to be lost in France after the bomb drop at Strasbourg, is attacked and its last ‘officially reported location,’ was 35 miles west of target. When last seen, the Melville B-17 was in a fatal left spin, with a fire in the number one engine, its left wing on fire and there was a fire in the nose. Three to six chutes were seen. A German fighter was shot down and it was seen going down at the same time as the Melville B-17, it crashed into the Bruche River, near the town of Wisches, with the pilot safely landing near Rosheim, Bas Rhine-17 Department, we found the two locations five years ago. A survivor of the Melville crew, S/Sgt Bernard Tuvman bailed out at the same time as T/Sgt Frank Aldenhoevel. When their chutes opened, T/Sgt. Aldenhoevel was buzzed by a German fighter, collapsing his parachute and he fell to his death. His body was identified on the ground by S/Sgt Tuvman. One surviving crewman, when interviewed after his release from a German POW camp stated, that on the way down, pieces of the bomber kept falling past him as the left wing broke off and landed a half mile from the rest and both were on fire. Another, reported the cockpit controls were shot out when he left and it was in fatal spin from mission altitude.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
.WSC - NOTE - 2014: - On 9 November, 2013, the true crash site of the B-17, SN: 42-30201 was located by myself, with the help of a French forestry worker. The crash site is just to the south of Luvigny, Department of the Vosges 88. The newly discovered site matches up exactly with the “Official Mission Report” of the 388th Bomb Group (H) and testimony of the surviving crew members. Due to the misidentification of this B-17 and its four dead crewmen as having died at another B-17 crash site and when the American Graves Registration personnel arrived at Luvigny, they had no MACR or four IDPFs to tie this crashed B-17 to any American losses of the war. Therefore, they stated, the dead were not American dead. Leaving the French with three Unknown graves in the Luvigny cemetery and an unaccounted for B-17 crash site on the mountainside. In the 1950's, a Frenchman was putting together a card file of all aircraft crashes in France, during the war. As the Americans continued to deny the dead, the Frenchman found out about the shoot down of a captured B-17, listed in American documents, to be near Stuttgart on 2/3 March, 1945, around 150 miles to east of Luvigny. As, it was the only B-17 shoot down he could find anywhere close, that did not involve American dead, he decided to use that captured B-17 to account for the B-17 that crashed at Luvigny. While doing this, he managed to convince the German government, that the dead had to be German dead, even though all other American records show that particular B-17 was downed near Stuttgart. The solution of the German Government was to remove the dead from the Luvigny cemetery and take them to a German WWII cemetery for burial. Which, now leaves us with the four dead from the Melville crew, buried as German dead and not as American dead. All due to a simple mistake made about 16 months after their death, when the crash site of another B-17 and the death of four of its crew were misidentified as being the Melville crew dead. Then, the mistake was carried forward, even when it should have been obvious to many during the years right after the war ended, that a mistake had to have been made in the original identification of the bomber and dead at Voves, France..
11:28 - 12:12 - The second 388th BG(H) B-17, of the 563rd BS was shot down, B-17, SN: 42-30222, Piloted
by Lt. Kramer, (MACR 3129), (Ref: ‘F’ on Chart 1) crashed just to the west of Onjon, AUBE-10.All the crew became POWs, except for Sgt. J. M. Thomas. When his parachute opened, he was machine gunned by a German fighter, with his head sheared off, above the mouth. We interviewed a French eye witness living at Onjon, with same last name. He was ten years old when the B-17 crashed.
12:13 - The third 388th BG(H), B-17 of the 563rd BS was shot down, B-17, SN: 42-30234, 563rd BS, Piloted by Lt. Miller, (MACR 3132), (Ref: ‘E’ on Chart 1), was fatally damaged and the order to bail out was given. One of the men, Lt.. Koening landed in Piney. He was wounded and taken to a German hospital at St-Ditzer, HTE-MARNE-52, where he died of his wounds on 8 September, 1943. His death was reported by Lt. R. G. Bowman, of the Kramer crew, who was also wounded and taken to St-Ditzer. The B-17 crashed between Roully-Sacey and Mesnil-Selliers, AUBE-10.
12:18 - The fourth 388th BG(H) B-17, of the 563rd BS was shot down, B-17, SN: 42-30349, Piloted by Lt,Wilken, (MACR 3129), (Ref: ‘D” on Chart 1), was shot down and crashed to the west of Montgueux, AUBE-10. This crash site, verified by American, German and French Documents, along with a French eye witness account and a photograph enabled the us to exactly pin-point this crash site for use as a set-point to compute this 388th/96th BG’s Mission time Track Chart for 6 September, 1943.
12:19 - The fifth 388th BG(H) B-17 of the 563rd BS was shot down, B-17, SN: 42-3425, Piloted by Lt. Cunningham, (MACR 3115), (Ref: ‘ C’ on Chart 1), was shot down and crashed near Estissac, AUBE-10. The pilot evaded and the rest of the crewmen became POWs.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
12:22 - The sixth 388th BG(H) B-17, of the 563rd BS was shot down, B-17, SN: 42-3293, Piloted by Lt.Kamezis (MACR 3113),( Ref: ‘B’ on Chart 1)was badly damaged, managing to remain airborne for a short distance and then crashed near Champigny, Yonne-89, Department. Two Evaded, Five were KIA and three became POWs.
12:24 - The seventh and last B-17 of the 388th BG(H) lost after bomb drop and within the borders of France, on 6 September, 1943, was attacked by fighters, B-17, SN: 42-30203, piloted by 1st Lt. Roy H. Mohr, Jr., (MACR 3126), (Ref: ‘A’ on Chart 1) of the 560th BS was badly damaged during the attack. The number four, outboard left wing engine was undamaged. The number three, inboard left wing engine, was not running and could not be feathered. The number two engine, the inboard right wing engine was badly damaged, it ran for a few minutes, then it caught fire, threw a propeller blade and was stopped, the fire went out and the remaining propeller blades were feathered. The number one, outboard right wing engine was dead and the propeller was feathered. There was also a large hole in the outer right wing. The last ’officially reported location’ of Lt. Mohr’s B-17 was “Just south of Paris on return trip from Stuttgart.” However, another Missing A/C Report found in his IDPF is based on a mimeographing machine report, 4BWA-2-2 (24-7-43) is probably the form filled out at the time of the actual loss and then, most of the information was transferred to the standard MACR format. The mimeographed Missing A/C Report has more information. (Italic type indicated entry of form.) Target assigned: Stuttgart. Bombed: Strasbourg.
How many chutes were seen? None. Was A/C lost to: not known although the ship had a large flak hole in the right wing near Tokio Tank. Where did A/C sustain initial damage? Not known. Where was A/C last seen? Disappeared south of Paris apparently out of control.
WSC - NOTE: The following has been added to the bottom of this Missing A/C Report. It is obvious testimony given by the three Mohr crewmen who Evaded and later Returned To Duty. Also large flak hole in Right Wing tip. Attacked by about 25 FW 190 & ME 109s from all sides. #4 Eng knocked out by flak was wind milling, #3 hit by 20mm & feathered, #2 hit ran away & threw prop & had engine fire Horizontal stab & tail severely damaged, (nose) Plexiglas & bomb sight blown away, oxygen in right side out, TT & BT completely inactive, fuselage riddled - 8 chutes - Plane under control & Pilot and Copilot said they would be out after Bombardier.
WSC - NOTE - 2014: The above NOTE, after more research, appears to have a major problem with its description of the damage. I, now believe, it was added to help account for the difference between the actual damage the Melville B-17 suffered and the Mohr B-17 suffered. This is the damage given by the Melville crew survivors, as the damage to the Melville B-17. It was obviously not reported by the evading Mohr crewmen, as I originally credited. The photograph of the B-17 that crashed at Voves does not support the damaged tail statement, nor does it support the Mohr engine damage. However, it correctly lists the TT and BT gunners as inactive, the true situation in the Mohr B-17. In the Melville B-17, it was the RW and Tail gunners who were inactive and died in the crash with the pilot Melville. The German photograph of the B-17 that crashed at Voves, shows a basically undamaged tail.
WSC - NOTE: The 3rd Bomb Division Mission Track Chart, (see Chart #1) at this point, has a marked time line that deviates from the time given by Mohr crew survivors, Coudray eyewitness, German documented time, French documented time and Voves crash site eyewitness time. This may be explained by the 96th BG time, as specified at the start of the deviation and the time given at Conches. The time line set by the men bailing out of the Mohr B-17, landing in and around Coudray-Loir-45 Department, and the French eye witness to the Mohr crash at Voves, Eure-Et-Loir-28 Department, has proven to be very accurate, based on damage to the B-17 and the required time continue from the location where the damage took place and the true Mohr B-17 crash site at Voves.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
11:25 - With all the damage to ‘203,’ it immediately began to lose airspeed and altitude. Lt. Mohr and Lt.
Schulz were able to maintain control and maintain a basic western flight path. In the general location of Vouix, Seine-Et-Marne-77 Department, the fighters had to leave due to low fuel and Lt.s Mohr and Schulz found a fairly stable flight control, as the 388th BG(H) continued along their current flight path.
As the stall speed of a B-17 was approximately 120 mph, we know they had to maintain that speed with only one running engine, which would have forced them to give up approximately 780 feet per minute in altitude, in exchange for their forward glide path speed.
11:35 - The first man bails out at approximately 16,000 feet, when the #2 engine, which was running away,
had one blade of its propeller break off and fly up and over the left wing to impale itself into the vertical stabilizer (not visible in German photographs and it does not match what appears to have actually happened), in addition, the #2 engine caught fire. This damage created a condition where the B-17 was almost crabbing sideways, as the pilots fought to maintain as stable flight as possible. To do this, would require both pilots to hold the rudder in a hard left position, requiring the major loss in altitude each minute to maintain a speed just above stalling.
11:43 - The last survivor bails out in the vicinity of Coudray. At that time, the B-17 is reported to have been at an altitude of 10,000 feet. At some point near Coudray, a propeller blade broke off the damaged #2 engine, and fell to earth (it was later displayed in Coudray). The pilots were able to put out the fire and feather the #2 engine remaining propeller blades.
11:43 - 11:57 - When the propeller blade fell from the B-17, with the two feathered propeller blades, the additional damage, most likely helped the two pilots to control the crabbing B-17 a bit better. However, for the next thirteen minutes and some seconds, Lt.s Mohr and Schulz were able to hold their B-17 under sufficient control to continue their basic, westerly flight path. The flat open fields they were flying over were this part of France is called, ...”the Granary of Paris.” Each minute, they were now giving away approximately 780 feet per minute to keep from stalling and at 10,000 feet above sea level, the distance they could cover would last no more than 14 minutes, as the altitude left, became zero and the ground began. For a pilot, it was a quick mental calculation, somewhere out there in front of them, no more than 35 miles away, flying just above stall speed they would have to crash the B-17.
1:56 - A young Frenchman was almost to his home in Soignolles-Eure-Et-Loir-28 Department, when he first heard a noise to the east, which quickly came toward him. Looking to the east, he first searched the sky for what he was certain had to be an aircraft in trouble, but he did not see it. Then, suddenly, he saw a large four engine aircraft that seemed to be coming right at him. It was low, very low and he could see that only one engine seemed to be running and another was smoking. It was so low, as it passed over him, it was if he could reach up and touch it. It seemed to be moving very slow to be so low and within seconds of it passing over him, at a very low height, the one engine went silent and suddenly, it just fell from the sky. It fell almost straight down and while it fell, he could see the tail rotate slightly as the bomber hit the ground and burst into fire. The location of the crash site, was just to the east of a German Concentration Camp, located a short distance to the south of Voves - Eure-Et-Loir-28. The Germans were holding French Army POWs, Resistance Fighters and Jewish people waiting transportation to the east. The crash site was about 600 meters south of the town of Voves and as the few French who witnessed the crash, ran toward the crashed bomber, they could see the Germans from the Concentration Camp would reach the crash site before they could. As the French began to get close, they saw the “Fortress” had crashed within the “Kill Zone” of the German camp. If any of them tried to approach the crash, the Germans shouted and motioned for the French to stay away from the crashed bomber. As more Germans arrived, the French were told to leave and to come no closer than 300 or so meters, or they would be shot. Knowing the Germans as they did at that time,
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
no Frenchmen approached the crashed bomber. When they were done at the crash site that day, the Germans left several men on guard, which they maintained until the aircraft was salvaged from the crash site a couple of weeks later. The crash eyewitness later heard, the Germans had removed three or four bodies from the crashed B-17 and took them to Chartres where they were buried.
8 September, 1943 - The Germans delivered four remains from the crash site at Voves, to the St. Charon
Cemetery, located in Chartres - the Department Capital of the Eure-et-Loir-28 Department, where the French buried each, as an “Aviateur AMERICAN Inconnu” or Aviator, American, Unknown. WSC - NOTE - 2014: There is no report by any Germans or French eye witnesses, who saw a man fall to his death at Voves on 6 September, 1943. There is a report by German, French, and a crew survivor eye witnesses, that one man did fall to his death at Luvigny on 6 September, 1943, and he landed in the garden of a home in Luvigny.
14 June, 1944 - On Mission: 135, to an Airfield at Coulommiers, France, the 384th BG(H) was flying a north
south flight path to the east of Chartres. Their flight path would taken them just to the east of Theuville and over Voves, in a basic north/south direction. The 384th was flying at an altitude of 23,000 feet, when they were attacked by German to the east of Theuville, with one B-17 of their 544th BS being cut out of their formation. B-17, SN: 42-97188, which was piloted by Lt. Summerville, (MACR 5800). The damage was bad and the citizens of Theuville could see men bailing out of the damaged bomber as it approached Voves. Over Voves, with damage that was very nearly the same as the Melville B-17, that had crashed 161 miles to the east of Voves, nine months earlier the “Avion Fortress” began a spiral toward earth. As it fell, and began to break apart, one last man was seen to leave the B-17. Just as he opened his parachute, something from the bomber set his parachute on fire and the man fell to earth.
At that time, the B-17s were flown with a nine man crew. One of the survivors, the Tail Gunner, SSgt James Harris had suffered a bad 20mm cannon wound in one leg. The Germans took him to the Voves village hall, where he laid on a table for some time, until he was taken to a Chartres hospital. There, he died of his wounds and was buried in the St-Cheron Cemetery. The Summerville B-17 crashed further to south of Voves, 1.6 miles from where the first B-17 had crashed. As it had crashed in the Commune of Villeau, the body of the pilot, Lt. Summerville, which was found in the crashed bomber and the body of the Co-Pilot, Lt. Vogt, the man who had fallen to his death, were taken to the Villeau - Eure-Et-Loir-28 Department, cemetery for burial. Both were buried as fully identified remains and were located in September, 1944, by an American Graves Registration unit and later re-buried at the American St-Andre Temporary Cemetery as identified dead. Resulting in their MACRs & IDPFs not being available when Graves Registration were working to identify the dead from the first B-17 crash.
Any reasonable person and especially a qualified historian, when reviewing both Chart 1 & 2, with an open mind will immediately realize, it was physically impossible for a B-17 as damaged as the Melville B-17 was damaged when last seen in a fatal spin 35 miles west of Strasbourg, for it to be the B-17 that crashed at Voves, 161 miles to the west. In addition, even if the Melville B-17 could have been brought under control, it would have had to have followed the same flight path as the 388th BG(H), then veer to the west as the Mohr B-17 had veered, to have arrived at Voves. Why, didn’t the Mohr crew survivors, who landed wounded and remained at Coudray until the Germans took them away at 15:30, or the three Evaders report seeing the Melville B-17 fly overhead, if it had crashed at Voves? Further, the damaged Melville B-17 would have had to maintain the same forward ground speed, as the 388th BG(H) Group to do so. Based on just the above physical events, no reasonable person or historian could reach any conclusion, other than it had to be the Mohr B-17 that crashed at Voves, France on 6 September, 1943.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
WSC - NOTE: - It is a fact, that no returning crewman of that mission day, reported seeing the Melville B-17
after it went into its fatal spin to the west of Strasbourg. In addition, not one the French on the ground nor any other B-17 crash survivors, ever reported seeing the Melville B-17 passing over their heads, as it would had to have done to have crashed at Voves. Thus, the Mohr B-17 that was ‘officially reported’ 33 miles and 12.5 minutes to east of Voves, has to be the B-17 that crashed at Voves. And,
that B-17, SN: 42-30203, last seen with four men still on board, 1st. Lt. Roy H. Mohr, Jr., 2nd Lt. Elmer F. Schulz, T/Sgt. Hartzell H. Jones and S/Sgt. Bernard A. Becker were the four remains buried at the Chartes, St. Cheron Cemetery as four Unknowns on 6 September, 1943.
SEMI-CONCLUSION: At this point, a reasonable researcher has to reach a point where they must declare, it is obviously a mis-identification of the four sets of remains recovered from the Chartes St. Cheron Cemetery and taken to the American St-Andre American Temporary Cemetery. One can spend several days reviewing the evidence we have on hand and receive explanations of all the amazing circumstances that took place at Voves and the various mis-steps that led to the mis-identifications.
However, it would not change the decision of what must be done to correct this situation. Which is to issue Disinterment orders immediately, to recover the four mis-identified Mohr crew dead from their current burial location. The families of the dead, if they have not already done so, need to supply sample DNA. As,we already have contact with all four families, this should not delay the disinterment process and the disinterred remains must be transported to the JPAC HQ, Hawaii, for their re-identification process. From the day of the four men’s death, 6 September, 1943, their living siblings have suffered their loss, under a false closure. They deserve no less, than the re-identification process take place as quickly as possible. In order, that they attend the reburial, with “Burial with full Military Honors,” of their loved ones, before they too, pass on.
25 January, 1945 - American Graves Registration reports on the burial of the American and Allied dead buried
at the Chartres, St. Cheron Cemetery, Eure-Et-Loir 28 Department, France. Among the dead listed, were four Unknown American dead, who were brought to the cemetery from the village of Voves, located to the southeast of Chartes.
WSC - Note - February, 2014: - There are now doubts about the number recovered from within the Mohr B-17 and buried at the St. Cheron cemetery. With proper investigation of the situation, we might find there may have been only three graves for the four dead, with two remains buried in a combined grave. There appears to be a major problem with the misidentification of a remains from St. Cheron as T/Sgt Aldenhoevle, of the Melville crew. None of the remains removed from the Voves crash site, could have all the flight clothing and items, noted as being recovered with this remains. It now appears, they selected a remains that most likely fell to earth at another location near Chartres and decided, this had to be Aldenhoevel. With the true location of death now known for Aldenhoevel, it impossible for his remains to be at the St. Cheron cemetery! With the real identity of that misidentified remains, as Unknown & MIA.).
January - March, 1945 - An American Graves Registration detail travels to Voves to seek information about
the death of the four Unknown American Aviators who died at Voves on 6 September, 1943, whose remains were then taken by the Germans to Chartres for burial. During that visit, the GR personnel ended up with the information of the shooting down of a B-17 right over the village. This included a description of the fighter attack on a large group of “Avion Fortresses,” the single “Avion Fortress” catching fire, falling to earth in a flaming spiral, the bailing out men in parachutes who landed and were taken prisoners by the Germans and especially, one man who fell to his death.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
When asked by GR personnel, if the villagers remembered what happened to the crewmen, they were told about one man who was wounded and had been taken to their village hall and then to Chartes, where he died and was buried there. They also stated, when they were asked, if they remembered the name of any of the men? One of the French remembered, the name of the man found dead in the pilot’s seat had ended in ‘ville.’ As that was a word used in everyday French, he remembered that much and apparently, none remembered that pilots full name was Summerville. So, the “ville” obviously became Melville and the misidentification began!
What the Graves Registration personnel were not told and they did not find out on their own, was that just a few miles to the south of Voves, in the village cemetery of Villeau, there were the two identified graves of the pilot and co-pilot from the second B-17 crash. The pilot’s name was Summerville and the co-pilot’s name was Vogt. And, if they had asked at Villeau, they would have been told, that the man named Vogt, had fallen to the ground after his parachute had caught fire as he left the burning bomber before it fell to earth and the misidentification situation continued.
Upon return to their HQ, they began again, to review the MACR and MIA files for the period just before 8 September, 1943, there was the one describing the loss of a B-17 piloted by a Lt. Melville on 6 September, 1943, which appeared to match exactly what they had been told. They also had a second file, that placed an MIA B-17, with four MIA crewmen east of their location. However, they were not familiar with any village by the name of Coudray as they had been no further east in France at that time. In addition, that file contained a report that indicated that B-17 had to have gone north of Chartres and that it did not fall to earth during the attack, nor was anyone of that crew, reported to have fallen to his death.
All these years later, it is obvious to a reasonable person or historian, that the GR personnel had not realized that two B-17s had crashed just to the south of Voves. The first crashed on 6 September, 1943, just to the east of the German Concentration Camp, located to the south of Voves. And, the second B-17, had crashed nine months later, on the 14th of June, 1944, just to south and west of the German Concentration Camp, 1.6 miles from the first crash. However, in their minds, there was one!.
26 March, 1945 -The Unknown remains of the four men who had died at Voves, were disinterred and taken
to the St-Andre American Temporary Cemetery for burial. As, there are four different remains involved, the order of identification becomes very important in explaining how the four men’s remains came to be mis-identified as being the dead from the Melville crew, instead of their truthful identity of being the Mohr MIA crewmen. Thus, the following information from the four mis-identified Melville dead’s IDPFs are listed in the order they were mis-identified.
(1.) - Aldenhoevel - 8 September, 1943, The Germans moved the remains from Voves to the Chartres,
St .Cheron Cemetery, where the remains were buried in Section 60, Grave 134, as an Unknown.
WSC - Note - Feburary, 2014: We now know, this may not have happened, as the remains identified as his, were buried with uniform and flight clothing that could not have survived the damage the four Mohr crew dead suffered in their crash at Voves! For the remains that were listed in the beginning of the Aldenhoevel identification to have such clothing with the remains, it should be obvious to anyone who saw the German photographs, to know it was impossible for such a remains to have been recovered from the Voves crash site. Leading to the likely possibility, that the remains which were identified as Aldenhoevel’s were not a man from the B-17 that crashed at Voves, but from another aircraft at another location. Which should be proven, when the family planned disinterment of the remains from T/Sgt. Aldenhoevel’s official grave is completed and the required MDNA testing is available for comparision. Meaning private funding will most likely reveal they are the remains of a man currently listed as MIA!
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
26 March, 1945 - The remains were removed from St. Cheron and taken to St-Andre as T-???
27 March, 1945 - IDENTIFICATION PROCESS: Skull in fragments, plane crash, crushed head, and feet severed in fragments.
Clothing: Flying suit, electrically heated, Medium size. Flying coveralls, Medium size. Heavy undershirt, T87 stitched in Green ,Summer Underwear. (BVD) Best retail Grade. Fabero shrunk. Mae West Jacket, Oxygen Mask. (Impossible with any of the four Mohr crew dead!)
CASE HISTORY OF UNKNOWN:
BODY IDENTIFIED BY:
Identifying Data: Remains were disinterred from isolated grave at St. Cheron Cemetery Chartres, Sec. 60, Grave 134. Est. height: 5'9" weight: 155 lbs., color of hair: Brown
Tooth Chart Submitted. Date of death: 6 September, 1943; cause of death: Plane Crash:
Place of death: Voves (E & L) France. The hands and feet were severed and the skull as in fragments. The following items of clothing were found: Electrically heated
flying suit (med. size): Flying coveralls, heavy & summer underwear. A Mae West Jacket and an oxygen mask were also found.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION; AGO Report of Death states Sgt. Aldenhoevel, was KIA 6 Sept. 1943 in the European Area. “German captured card and KU126, copy attached, verify the above information and state had had identification tags. AAF stated that Sgt Aldenhoevel was one of the crew of B17F #42-30201. The complete crew list and status of crew members are as follows:
Pilot Melville, Earl Sullivan 1st Lt. O-735428 DD 7 Sept 44
Co-Pilot Stone, Robert Elwell 2nd Lt. O-799089 EUS
Navig Pronek, John Edward Jr. " O-798872 EUS
Bomb Pastrick, William Jennings " O-670229 EUS
R/O Aldenhoevel, Frank T/Sgt. 160227745 KIA 6 Sept 43
Engr Gnr Loter, George Jr. S/Sgt 13097265 EUS
BT/Gnr Wickersham, Morris Dickenson, Jr. S/Sgt 13099128 EUS
RW/Gnr Tuvman, Bernard Maurice S/Sgt 11008804 EUS (*Actually LW/Gnr)
Tail/Gnr Borchert, William C. Sgt. 19167958 DD 7 Sept 44 “
LW/Gnr Creamer, Walter C. Sgt. 31120142 DD 7 Sept 44
NOTE: No Statements on record (WSC - NOTE: Sgt. Borchert was the RW/Gunner, Sgt. Creamer was the Tail/Gunner - Testimony by: Sgt. B. M. Tuvman LW/Gunner)
`The only casualties were:
Melville, Earl Sullivan
Aldenhoevel, Frank
Borchert, William Alfred
Creamer, Walter C.
Sent our Form SWA on Sgt. Aldenhoevel, physical characteristics Aldenhoevel Believed to be Aldenhoevel, Height: 5'8 3/4" Est Height: 5' 9" Weight: 135 Est Weight: 155 lbs , Hair: Brown
WSC - NOTE - Feburary 2014: The following indicates a delay had to have taken place to have obtained the civilian Dentist’s statement, proving the remains were actually Unknown at actual time of recovery, with no documentation even hinting at an Aldenhoevel identification.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
It is believed the field made an error in charting Lower R 14 gold inlay and L 14 missing, in view of the fact that at induction Sgt. Aldenhoevel had lower R 14 missing and chart from civilian dentist shows L 14 had a gold inlay. Based on the similarity of the tooth charts and physical descriptions; grave marked (WSC Note: St-Andre grave, not St. Cheron Grave) with correct name, serial number and date of death it is believed the remains buried in Plot F, Row 7, Grave 128 are those of Aldenhoevel, Frank, 16027745, T/Sgt. AC. The remaining three Unknowns from this crash has been submitted separately. See Unknowns X-191-192-193 (St Andre)
RECOMMENDATION: The comparison of the dental chart verifies the identification of T/Sgt. Aldenhoevel.
WSC - Note - Feburary, 2014: Yet, in the three of the IDPFs, there exist a direct statement, that there were problems with the dental chart match. Indicating they were bending the truth to fit their preconceived identities, based on the honestly mistaken identity of T/Sgt. Aldenhoevel.
CONCURRENCE; 26 April 46, 6 May 46, 9 May 46 & 7 May 46 - with signatures
WSC - NOTE - February, 2010: There is no supporting evidence of the identification of this set of remains as being those of Sgt. Aldenhoevel in his IDPF. What is present, is the obvious fact that the remains that were mis-identified as being Sgt. Aldenhoevel of the Melville crew, could not be his remains! Established by the fact, this remain’s death was caused by something that greatly damaged his physical remains, without his body being involved in the same severe fire that insured the death of all four of the men who died at the Voves crash site and were buried in the St. Cheron Cemetery. If, the man had been in such a fire, his un-fire damaged remains and the amount of un-fire damaged clothing and flying equipment found with his remains would not have been present.
This misidentification appears to be based on two false pre-assumptions. The first being that the remains being identified had came from the crash site of the Melville B-17, shot down over Voves on 6 September, 1943 from which, one crewman had fallen to his death. The second being, the only set of remains in the St. Cheron Cemetery, which may have suffered such a falling death as Sgt. Aldenhoevel had suffered, was this particular set of remains. Thus, a decision was made, that this set remains had to consist of the remains of Sgt. Frank Aldenhoevel, 16027745. It was easy to continue this mistake, when they reviewed the German report on his death. There was no date of death, burial or location of cemetery listed, so take what you have and make it stick. If the Germans had placed the location of Aldenhoevel’s burial on his death notice, this mistake would have never been carried through to this date!
It is obvious, the amazing circumstances of a second B-17 being shot down over Voves, nine months later, under almost the exact circumstances as the Melville B-17 had been shot down 161 miles to the east of Voves, was not known to them. If they had known the true circumstances of the two B-17s being shot down at Voves, the mis-identification of the four Mohr aircrew dead would not have taken place and been carried through to this date!
28 March, 1945 - Buried in Plot F, Row 7, Grave 128, St-Andre
Previously buried as: Unknown, St. Cheron Cemetery, Sect: 60 Grave: 134
To Deceased Right: X-194
To Deceased Left: X-193
23 July, 1948 - Aldenhoevel disinterred,
Inventory: Multiple Fractures, Advanced decomposition
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
3 August, 1948 - Remains placed in casket
23 May, 1949 - Final Disposition: Buried at Camp Butler National Cemetery, Springfield, IL
(2.) - Creamer - 8 September, 1943 - The Germans moved the remains from Voves to the Chartres,
St .Cheron Cemetery, where the remains were buried in Section 60, Grave 155 as an Unknown.
26 March, 1945 - The remains were removed from St. Cheron and taken to ST-Andre as T-621.
27 March, 1945 - IDENTIFICATION PROCESS: Impossible to determine identity - Head away from neck.
Clothing: Drawers with 20142 written in black ink on right side, electrical heated flying suit - medium size, khaki shirt heavy leather gloves, electrically heated (Medium Size), Wool Socks (white)
(WSC - NOTE: From the German photograph of the Mohr B-17 that crashed at Voves, the only remains that possibly have such clothing survive the crash and fire, would be S/Sgt Becker, the ball turret gunner. When looking at the photograph and how badly the B-17 was burnt to the rear of his position, it is hard to believe that this number of items would have survived the fire.)
28 March, 1945 - 11:00 Buried at St-Andre in Plot F , Row 7, Grave 128, Reburied as T-621 - Later changed
to X-193.
9 May, 1946 - BODY IDENTIFIED BY:
(1) Surgeon's statement on similarity of tooth charts of X-193 and S/Sgt. Creamer.
(2) Est Date and Place of death of X-193 in Agreement with MaCR for A/C 42/30201
(3) Wool Drawers of X-193 marked "20142"
(4) X-193 disinterred from same cemetery with T/Sgt. Aldenhoevel, crew member of A/C. 42-30201
9 May, 1946 Approved by: Major Prenn, Capt. Spellman and Lt. Maner,
Previously buried as Unknown (St-Andre), Identified through letter
To Deceased Right: Aldenhoevel - Grave 128
To Deceased Left: X-192- Grave 1276
23 July, 1948 - Creamer disinterred, previous ID - X-193, For Final Disposition
Inventory: Advanced Decomposition, Multiple Fractures
3 August, 1948 - Remains placed in Transfer Case
7 October, 1948 - Boxed and Marked
6 June, 1949 - Final Disposition - Buried a St Laurent (France) Plot D, Row 22, Grave 42
WSC - NOTE February, 2010: - Testimony during personal and telephone interviews with many aircrew and Graves Registration Veterans. Several Enlisted crews lived in the same barracks, often their laundry was mixed up and if they were short of clothing for a mission, such as underwear, they would borrow from another. The Melville and Mohr crews had trained together in the USA and were serving together in England. Most likely explanation is they were also in the same room in England. War Time Graves Registration veterans stated, they were not permitted to identify a remains based on such clothing marks, due to such exchanges! Yet, it was considered a basic identification base in this situation, even though the war was just ending.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
(3) Borchert - 8 September, 1943, The Germans moved the remains from Voves to the Chartres, St. Cheron
Cemetery, where the remains were buried in Section 60, Grave 179 as an Unknown.
26 March, 1945 - The remains were removed from St. Cheron and taken to St-Andre as T-619
27 March, 1945 - BODY IDENTIFICATION PROCESS: at St-Andre - Impossible to Determine, Only bone
fragments, Severely burnt, Body broken and very difficult to recognize.
Clothing: Pieces of electrically heated flying suit, Pieces of woolen underwear.
28 March, 1945 - Buried at St-Andre in Plot F, Row 7, Grave 125, Reburied as T-619 - Late changed to X-191
7 June, 1946 - BODY IDENTIFIED BY: Previously buried as Unknown X-191 (St-Andre)
Identified through letter OGMG dated 7 June, 1946, filed Under 299, Unks. X191, 121, 193 (St-Andre)
Approved by: Not given - -
Previously buried as Unknown X-191 (St-Andre)
To Deceased Right: Melville, Grave 126
To Deceased Left: Peele, Grave 124
WSC - NOTE: Bochert was last seen by S/Sgt Tuvman, as he turned away from his firing position to get the the escape hatch to bail out. Tuvman testified, “that the last time he had seen Bochert, Brochert was lying on the deck at his position and Bochert looked dead to him (Tuvman).” When you look at the German photographs, please realize this location is just forward of where the tail obviously broke away from the rest of the B-17 that crashed at Voves. At another crash site, with a somewhat similar breaking apart, the body that was lying on the deck in nearly the same position was ejected and seen by the French, as a whole body.
7 November, 1946 - CIC Letter, Borchert disinterred, previous ID - X-191
9 November, 1948 - St Laurent (France) Remains received in a casket. No hair, no teeth recovered from
remains, recasketed, released to storage at USMC Saint Laurent
22 February, 1949 - Repatriated to USA for Final Disposition
Unknown Date - Final Disposition: Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California, Section
C, Site A-8
(4.) - Melville - 8 September, 1943 - The Germans moved the remains from Voves to the Chartres,
St. Cheron Cemetery, where the remains were buried in Section 60, Grave 134 as an Unknown.
26 March, 1945 - Removed from St. Cheron and taken to St-Andre as T-620
27 March, 1945 - BODY IDENTIFICATION PROCESS: Impossible to determine identify, Body broken
up and piled in one mass, severely burned.
Clothing: Pieces of O.D. Sweater, Pieces of "May West" life preserver, Remnants of cotton underwear, shirt.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
28 March, 1945, 11:00 - Buried at St-Andre in Plot F, Row 7, Grave 126, Reburied as T-620 - Later changed
to X192
9 May, 1946 - BODY IDENTIFIED BY: Body identified by process of elimination, only member of B17F
# 42-3201 not accounted for; disinterred from same cemetery as Borchert, William A. and Creamer, Walter G (crew members)
Approved by: Major Bren, Capt Spellman, Lt. Maner, 9 May, 19476
25 June, 1946 - Previously buried as Unknown X-192 (St-Andre) Identified through letter OQMG date 7 June,
1946 file SPQYG 299. Unis. X-191, 192, 193 (St-Andre) France
To Deceased Right: Creamer - Grave 127 - To Deceased Left: Borchert - Grave 125
23 July, 1948 - Melville disinterred, previous ID - X-192 for Final Disposition
Inventory: Skeleton, Multiple Fractures, Parts missing.
August, 1948 Remains place in Transfer Case
2 June, 1949 Final Disposition - Buried at St Laurent (France) Plot D, Row 11, Grave 41
14 June, 1944 - 384th bomb Group (H) Mission 135, 8th USAAF Mission 412, Target: Coulommiers, FR
544th Bombardment Squadron, B-17G-45-BO, SN: 42-97188
MACR 5800, Piloted by: 2st Lt. Robert D. Summerville KIA
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Jean D. Vogt KIA
Navigator 2nd Lt. Abraham Wiseman Evaded
Bombardier 2nd Lt. Ralph E. Eisenach POW
Engineer/TT/Gnr Sgt. Alfred L Holt Evaded
Radio Operator S/Sgt. John H. McClanahan, Jr. POW
Ball Turret/Gnr Sgt. Frank (NMI) Larocca POW
Waist Gunner Sgt. Sylvester J. Marshall POW
Tail Gunner Sgt.Thomas J. Harris KIA
Date of crash: 14 June, 1944, At 07:35, Intended destination: Creil, France.
Last known Location 48 11'N’, 01 31' E
WSC - NOTE: The eye witness report via personal testimony given to WSC in May, 2009,at Villeau, France, by the current Mayor of Theuville, has been previously described on Page 4, except for the statement, that Lt. Vogt, as he bailed out and opened his parachute, his parachute caught fire and he fell to his death . He landed in a field owned by the Count and Countess DE Gouvion Saint Cyr who lived in the Chateau De Reverseaux, their son and the eye witness were/are friends and after Vogt fell to his death, the two friends discussed what the eye witness had see over Theuville and what happened near the Chateau. In July, 2007, other eyewitnesses described the man falling to his death to WSC’s wife, Carol. All eye witness reports collated, proving the man who fell to his dead, did so on 14 June, 1944, and not 6 September, 1943. When no German or French eye witness reported such a death!
3 September, 1944 - The Adjutant to the Armed Police in the Voves received from the Maire of Villeau, on
3 September, 1944, the objects and following garments: 1 flying jacket, 2 pair of heating boots - furred, 1 pair of leather gloves, 1 parachute, 1 card, two identity tags with the names of Vogt and Summerville, the whole belonging to these two solders killed in Villeau on 14 June, 1944, after the fall of an American bomber. In Villeau, the 3 Sept 1944, signed Le Marre, Mr. Lalmon.
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
18 August, 1945 - Partial ltr-form HQ, US Graves Registration Service, Theater Services Forces, European
Theater.
(3.) Request an investigation be initiated to determine the exact means used to identify the deceased
at the time of the original burial. The fact the cross on the grave bore a name is not considered a conclusive means of identity, but a clue to the establishment of identity. Suggest the persons responsible for placing the cross be contacted, or the records in the Mayor’s office be examined in an effort to obtain this information. F.C. Capt. QMC Adjutant NOTE: Yet, in the misidentification of Creamer, one laundry mark played a large part in the misidentification!
4 September, 1945 - Reply to CO, 306th QM Battalion, APO 562 USA
(1.) Investigation requested in basic communication has been made. The deceased was identified by
identification tags which were around his neck.
(2.) Certification by Chief of Police of Voves, France, who saw the tags, is attached.
7 September, 1944 - (1.) I certify that Vogt, Jean D., O-819223 was identified by identification tags which
were around his neck.
(2.) These tags were given to an American Officer Clifford C. Tloberg, O-1824160
when he was in the Villeau, France, Camp. Signed: Posset, Chief of Police of Voves.
23 January, 1945 - The remains of Lts. Vogt and Summerville were disinterred and moved to St-Andre
4 January, 1945 - St-Andre BODY (Vogt) IDENTIFIED BY: Identification tags made at St. Andre.
His identified remains were buried on in Plot D, Row 8 Grave 149.
On Deceased Right: Hanesbro
On Deceased Left: Summerville
22 July, 1948 - Disinterment Directive: Remains prepared and placed in Transfer Case
14 October, 1948 - Shipped to Casketing Point “A” Cherbourg France.
27 November, 1948 - Planned Departure France via: USAT JAMES ROBINSON Destination: NYPOE
(For some reason this ship must not have departed and the casket was loaded onto another ship.)
26 April, 1949 - Departed Cherbourg on USAT HaitiVictory
6 May, 1949 - Arrived New York Port Of Entry - Forwarded to Holding Destination, NYPOE
24 May, 1949 - Delivered to Receiving Vault, George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, New Jersey.
24 May, 1949 - Final Disposition - Buried at the Hackensack Cemetery, Hackensack, N.J.
CONCLUSIONS: (1.) The above provides absolute proof that a second B-17 crashed near Voves on 14 June, 1944, nine months after another B-17 had crashed near Voves on 6 September, 1943. By itself, this proof should force an investigation into the mis-identification of the dead from the first crash at Voves. Especially, when the first B-17 had crashed on the same day and 161 miles to the west of where the Melville B-17 was ‘officially’ reported to have crashed, 35 miles to the west of Strasbourg, France.
WSC - NOTE - 2014: At a now proven crash site near the village of Luvigny, Department of the Vosges, France, was located by myself, on 9 November, 2013, with the help of a Frenchman. Only to find, the four dead, three from inside the crashed B-17 and one who fell to his death in a garden in the village, were removed from their graves in the late 1950's or early 1960's and buried as German dead in a WWII German cemetery in France!
Mission Date/Time Line Track Chart (Continued)
(2.) The above Summerville B-17 information, proves the second B-17 that crashed near Voves, had been shot down over Voves under almost the exact circumstances as the Melville B-17 had been shot down 161 miles to the east of Voves, on 6 September, 1943. With both B-17s having one crewman, who fell his death as the B-17 crashed. Absolute proof, that the one man who fell to his death near Voves during the second B-17 crash was positively identified as 2nd Lt. Jean D Vogt, O-819223, also proving the MIS-IDENTIFICATION of T/Sgt. Frank D. Aldenhoevel, 16027775, as being one of the four remains recovered from the first B-17 crash at Voves on 6 September, 1943. This mistake can no longer be supported!
(3.) As the mis-identification of the other three remains from the 6 September, 1943, B-17 crash at Voves were originally based on the false Aldenhoevel identification, all four mis-identified Melville B-17 crewmen’s remains must be disinterred as quickly as possible and correctly identified as the remains of the four dead Mohr crewmen!
21 February, 2014: I am ready to appear before any investigating body into the failure of DPMO/JPAC to pay proper attention to this situation for the past six to seven years, after I first contacted them and sent them a submission with all the documentation required to realize there was a major mistake in the identification of the dead at the Voves crash site. Even after DPMO/JPAC knew, there were living siblings of some of the above dead, they preferred to let the siblings die, withoutf allowing them to know the truth of their brother’s death. Apparently, DPMO/JPAC believes, the American public cannot handle the truth, that such mistakes were made during and after World War Two!
Willis S. Cole, Jr. - 21 February, 2014
Modified For The Internet By: Willis S. Cole, Jr. "Sam" - Battery Corporal Willis S. Cole Military Museum - 23Mar14-(23prt-C-388TL-(1-1.14))
Modified For The Internet By: Willis S. Cole, Jr. - Battery Corporal Willis S. Cole Military Museum (22prt-C-11.1-14)