Oi!
i have found part of B-17 G-35-BO;416BS;42-32062 who crash landed near Ogulin (Croatia) on 2. of april 1944. The crew was Joseff Moffitt pil., Baldwin, Guldon, Melnik, Fast, Nori, Malone, Barker, Cramer, Dailey. If anyone can help me to find pictures of this plane or some member of the crew .

Hello from the USA,

I don't have any photos, but maybe a little more information. The plane you found was originally with the 483rd BG, who flew the plane over to Italy. As soon as they got to Italy, they had to trade their brand new B-17Gs to the 99th BG for their older B-17Fs. The mission on April 2, 1944 was the first combat mission these new planes were ever flown on, and three of them were shot down.

My uncle was in another one of the three planes lost by the 99th on that mission. His plane was no. 232013, named Ole Mose after a cartoon character. I believe Ole mose was one of the last B-17s to be painted with the olive drab upper surfaces and neutral gray lower surfaces. The plane you found was probably not painted.

I have been trying to find a photo of my uncles plane but have had no luck so far. These planes had been with the 99th BG for only 3 days before they were lost, so there wasn't much time for anyone in the 99th to take pictures of them. I have also posted a message in the 483rd forum hoping someone there might have taken a photo before the planes were given to the 99th, but so far have not had any responces there either.

Anyhow, according to the information in the book "The Diamondbacks", Three of the crew members from your plane 232062 managed to evade capture and returned to the 99th a month later. They were Baldwin, Fast and Cramer.

Hopefully a 99th member will see your post and be able to pass so more information on to you.

By the way, did the remains of the plane you found happen to include the tail of the plane? I am curious as to whether these planes had received the Y-in-a-diamond markings on their tails above their serial numbers before this first mission, or the large roman numeral I, II, II or IV on the tail below the serial number. The plane you found was from the 416th squadron, and should have had a IV if they had been marked yet. If you did see the tail of the plane you found, I would really appreciate you letting me know if there were any markings on the tail besides the serial number.

Sincerely,

Marty Upchurch
Fishers, Indiana USA
Nephew of Frederick Eulert, 347 BS, 99 BG

oi!

I have luck, I have found man who took a photo from 42-32062 day or two after crash landing.

Raus




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Marty,
I can only assume "Perk" Chumley shared a copy of his YMCA Wartime Log he wrote while a guest at Barth?
Under the chapter heading "The Fellows in the Room" you will find John A. Guldan ..... crash landing Zegrab, Yugoslavia April 2, 1944. Good news, John is not only still with us, he is fairly close to you in geographic terms and "doing pretty good for the shape I'm in."
I am still awaiting a copy of the MACR from Maxwell but I am sure John would like to see the photo of his last plane.
Raus, were there any other photos taken that you know of?
Semper Fi,
George
 

oi!

That man have took 5 or 6 photos but unfortunately he can not find them. He  said to me that  on some photos is  all plane visible. It would be interesting to see if  there were some markings on tail.
I have wrote mail to 99BG Association ( G.Staffo & J.Buckingham) but unfortunately without any answer. So George, because you know that navigator John Guldan is alive, can you tell me  how to make contact with him, it would be great to speak to him.

thanks
Raus

Hi all..
This post raised my curiousity...
Many years back, I think 1998 Dearborn reunion, we had a man give our group a talk, after our banquet meal. He told the story of his Dad, flying out of Italy, and how he had been shot down over Yugoslavia. His father was picked up by partisans, and spent many weeks walking through the hills, with many escapades....
The story took a twist for this surviving Son, because he visited the place where his dad became guest of the partisans. He found the tree where his dad hid his paracute, and in doing so found the harness, recovering the harness and bringing it home!!! That harness was pulled from a large carryall bag, and showed to us, which brought many gasps. During his journey, He was shown the remains of his Dad's parachute silk, which villagers has collected and made into several wedding dresses, one of which was displayed in a nearby Town museum, again he saw this. Then the amazing find of all, which may or may not relate to this B-17 being spoken about on this thread.
 
The Son was told that a B-17 had been found in that region, having soft landed with no crew aboard, into a flat marsh meadow, and almost intact in WW2, close by. The land owner and his neighbours had immediately stripped it, bit by bit, and the parts shared around and used. The Son explained he had to hire local help and after a lot negotating and searching, was taken to the village involved. He was then shown some amazing sights... roof tops of barns and houses clad in sheets of aluminum...!!! from the B-17. then A farmer, very anxious at being questioned after so many years, was finally persuaded to show what he had in a hay barn. Now this is what the Son shared with our group in 1999.... he was shown four wright cyclone engines, fou propellers which showed the effects of belly landing, then various large sections of B-17 structure which appeared to ave been seperated quite professionally, stacks of stuff all neatly piled up and hidden inside his barn. The farmer didnt want to let anything go, but the Son finally secured several small pieces to bring home. The four propeller hubs, which he showed one of during his talk. The amazing piece of all was a foot peddle from the cockpit. It was bent and showed a bullet entry and exit hole. This meant everything because, the Son's dad had suffered a foot injury, from an incoming German machine gun machine gun shell... which hit the peddle as his Dad as fighting to keep airbourne... The Father had recollected many times how his foor was injured, and how he continued to use it with a badly bleeding foot. The Son was almost in tears as he shared his story and that of his Dad.... Holding up the very foot peddle which he was totally convinced had been his Dad's!!! This find happened I think in the late 1980's, beginning of the 1990's. The Son explained to our group that his opinion was the parts remaining inside the barn, plus pieces scattered on various neighbours property, probably amounted to 75% of the plane from which they all came from.A real jigsaw for any museum project, but I would imagine unique, because of its authenticity.
 
The explanations on how this had all remained hidden for such a long time was simply that until the death of Tito, and the fragmenting of the  The Russian element, and communist regime there, everyone there was paranoid about the secret police, and to have such material might have caused those involved a lot of trouble. So, it was kept a secret within the village nd locality.
 
Now, Since that talk we were given  have no idea what happened to those parts. I did hear the Son had unexpectedly died due to illness (cancer). His Frather had died some years before that and so never knew of His Son's journey back to Yugoslavia, or his finds there.
 
The question is... would anyone else know of this event??? ANy clues on the plane or location (I dont remember the place talked about sadly. All I know is that it was a 15th AF B-17.)
 
Quite a story and I again say the Son had us all sell bound as he told of his journey to Ygoslavia, tracing his Dads steps, and then standing on the stage and pulling piece after piece fo the very B-17 he had found hidden in a farmers barn....
 
Anyone else heard about this??
 
Ian W

Ian White - 305th BGMA Hon. Life Associate, UK Contact and Organiser of next years 40th Combat Wing UK Reunion - May 21st-31st 2009

Raus,
I sent an email to you with John Guldan's contact information. John is very interested in communicating with you.
Semper Fi,
George
 

George,
Yes, Perk gave me a copy of his wartime journal.  He is supposed to be revising his memoirs also, but I don't think he made much headway on it.
 
If you can send me a PM with it, I would love to get in touch with Mr. Guldan as well.  I think Perk and some of his family are going to come over here this Spring and give a presentation at my kids' schools about his wartime experience.  If Mr. Guldan is close maybe I could get them together.
 
Ian, 
From your story, it sure looks like the plane in Raus' photo could be the one in the story.  I had a similar experience when I went to Austria last year, and saw the field where my uncle's plane crashed and the house where he was cared for.
 
Marty

oi!

Ian, your story is very interesting and I hope that one day we will find something more about that plane, but this is not 42-32062 because in moment of crash landing all of crew were on plane.

Raus

Hello Raus,

I hope you are still checking this thread.  As a turn of luck has it I stumbled upon this post while searching for my grandfathers plane 232062.  My grandfather is SSgt Frank Cramer.  It appears as though you have a photo of his plane.  I am very interested in speaking with you and I would also like to reach John Guldan.  My grandfather passed in 1973 and I was still young.  I have a photo of he and his crew with the plane.  He was the tail gunner.  I only know bits and pieces of the story as it was told to me by my grandmother (who is still living) and my mother.  I know it as he and his plane was shot down over (we think Austria) while on a bombing mission targeting a ball bearing plant in Steyr, Austria.  Once shot down he and at least two others were aided by Tito's men (the partisans) who helped get them back to Italy.  We always heard a story about goat eye soup.  Maybe that is a delicasie.  Apparently he wasn't too fond of it.  I have a letter from Lt. Vern Baldwin who was the co-pilot and was with my grandfather while on the ground.  The account says that they were shot down over Austria and then walked three days before being reached by Tito's forces in Yugoslavia.  I hope this coincides with the location of the plane.  The official MACR says that they crash landed near Oglin, Yugoslavia.  So that puts us right where the plane that you have photos of is located.  That's about all I can tell you.  This find may open up other details once I get a chance to tell my grandmother.  I hope you get this and I am extremely excited to hear from you and others who may know of my grandfather and the history of his military service.

I can be reached at ken@kenrohn.com

Well, my dad was in that plane, if it as you described. 
S/Sgt Edsel Barker, waist gunner.  Shot down as you say, on 04/02/44 Crew divided into two (I think) groups - Dad's  group got captured and ultimately ended up in Luft Stalag 17B, Krems, Austria.  He is still with us, running his small art gallery in Somerset, KY.  I also know he is in touch with war buddies, whether from that crew, or Stalag 17B, I cannot remember.  Possibly both.

EDIT: According to the Dick Drain database, if it is my Dad's plane, the serial is 229696.
Caveat:  The Drain database also shows "Barker, Edsel R" as crew in various other positions, after he was already a German prisoner, so....

oi!
 
Son of Mr. Barker can you contact me on my mail. I have some questions about your fathers plane.
My mail is  raus_punk@yahoo.com
 
I would be very greatfull
Raus

Tail Gunner:  I sent you an email several weeks ago, but no reply.  Please answer.

Raus:  Sent you an email in response to your above post.