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 Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987
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gdbranum

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Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/04/2008 10:27:17 AM
My Dad, SSgt Conrad Branum, a nose gunner with the 307BG, 370BS, was on Guadalcanal from Feb-Dec 1943. We have a copy of his mission summary. One of the entries is a mission of duration 2 hours and the remark "Hit water with Krebs". We know that one of the pilots with the 370BS was Krebs. I'm assuming that this refers to a crash landing in the water. Does anyone have any more information about this?

A second question: We have a picture of Dad and his crew. Handwritten on bottom of the picture is "B-24 987". I think this refers to 41-23987, Pistol Pakin Mama, assigned to the 370BS. Does anyone have any information about the names of the crew of 987 and what happened to it after Dec 1943?

Thanks

Gary
SHAEF1944

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RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/04/2008 10:57:44 AM
Gary, what is the date of the mission in question ?
SHAEF1944 American Veterans Museum
Leendert

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RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/04/2008 11:23:12 AM

Mission was on April 9, 1943.

Leendert

shooshoobaby

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RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/04/2008 06:42:57 PM
Gary -
There is no MACR for his Crash landing with Krebs.
There should be an Accident Report which you can request.
Mike
gdbranum

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RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/05/2008 10:11:03 AM
How do I go about looking for an accident report?
patr

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RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/05/2008 10:33:13 AM
Hi Gary;
 
I did a search for your father’s name and his pilot Krebs. I was able to find a number of references to Lt. Krebs including a narrative description of a ditching in February 1943 within the book, "The Long Rangers—A Diary of the 307th Bombardment Group (H)" by Sam s. Britt, Jr. I have scanned the following pages for you to view: 

  • http://www.307bg.org/images/lrbook/p24.jpg  

  • http://www.307bg.org/images/lrbook/p25.jpg  
  • http://www.307bg.org/images/lrbook/p26.jpg   
    I'm in the process of scanning a semi load of 307th Bomb Group pictures and documents that were collected over the years by the former 307th BG Historian Jim Kendall (who passed away recently). I have posted thousands of raw scans on the new 307th BG web site at
    http://www.307bg.org.
     
    Please feel free to browse the site and view the information and pictures that have been posted thus far. In time I will have everything within a searchable database; however, this will take awhile as I try to balance my history projects in the evenings and weekends with my FT "paying" job.
     
    Here are some direct links to some of the pictures that have been scanned recently. You might get lucky and find some pictures of your father: 
    I'm in the process of scanning all the mission reports for the 307th BG as well. You can view the mission reports that have been scanned thus far at: http://www.307bg.org/history/missions.asp. I do not have a lot of 1943 reports scanned as of today.
     
    Here are some 307th BG books that you might find of interest. Some of the books cover your father's time in the 307th: A few of the books are out of print; however, you can find them on online used book stores. http://www.307bg.org/resources.asp   
    • “The Long Rangers—A Diary of the 307th Bombardment Group (H)” by Sam s. Britt, Jr.
    • “Up the Slot” by Samuel L. Walker
    • “Devil at My Heels” by Louis Zamperini
    • “Morotai: A Memoir of War” by  John Boeman
    • “The Spectator: A World War II Bomber Pilot's Journal of the Artist as Warrior” by David Zellmer
    • One 11 Million of a War"— by Frank Maleckas
    • Aerial Gunner from Virginia—The Letters of Don Moody to His Family during 1944" by William Edwin Hemhill
    • "From Fiji Through The Philippines with the Thirteenth Air Force" by Lt. Col. Benjamin E. Lippincott
    I would be VERY interested in scans of any of your father's pictures and documents. Feel free to contact me directly at: pat@307bg.org
     
    I hope this helps you get started. Please let me know if I can help you with additional questions.  
    Respectfully,  
     
    -Pat
    307th Bomb Group Historian, www.307bg.org
    Missing Air Crew Project Founder, www.missingaircrew.com  
     
    <message edited by patr on 01/05/2008 10:34:55 AM >
    Patrick Ranfranz
    pat@307bg.org
    307th BG Historian, www.307bg.org
    Missing Air Crew Project, www.MissingAirCrew.com

    MACR #10023. My uncle, John R. McCullough, 307th BG, was shot down near Yap Island and declared MIA/KIA on 25 June 44
    • Leendert

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    RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/05/2008 01:17:07 PM
    Patrick,
    In mission log of Sgt Branum, as on 307th website, it says April 9, 1943 that he "Hit Water With Krebs".

    http://www.307bg.org/data/bases/guadalcanal/branum_Conrad-Missions370BS.gif

    Ditching of 15 Feb 1943 therefore another crash, however interesting.....

    Event of 9 Apr 43 without consequences to crew and/or a/c?

    Regards,

    Leendert



    patr

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    RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/05/2008 02:29:51 PM
    Yes, you're correct. I did not take time to look at my own site. Looking again, I found the following 9 April 1943 mission reference: 
    • "On 7 April 1943, and also on the 8th and 9th, sea searches for enemy shipping were conducted with no contacts made." 

  • Reference from "307th BG History from 42-43" (LARGE PDF file 15 MB): http://www.307bg.org/data/documents/307bghistory_1942-1943.pdf 
    • I aslo looked for a reference to an incident within the book, "Up the Slot", but could find anything for this date. The book makes numerous references to Krenbs and includes a crew picture.
     
    In short, I can find no reference thus far to explain the "Hit Water With Krebs". No 307th BG aircraft were lost or damaged on 9 April 43 as far as I can tell. The flight time was only two hours so perhaps the crew had trouble and returned to base?
     
    -Pat 
    <message edited by patr on 01/05/2008 02:31:45 PM >
    Patrick Ranfranz
    pat@307bg.org
    307th BG Historian, www.307bg.org
    Missing Air Crew Project, www.MissingAirCrew.com

    MACR #10023. My uncle, John R. McCullough, 307th BG, was shot down near Yap Island and declared MIA/KIA on 25 June 44
    gdbranum

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    RE: Krebs, 370BS and 41-23987 - 01/06/2008 11:22:23 AM
    We're still digging on this one. Many years ago, my mother, bless her heart, decided to give each of us three kids a part of Dad's memorabilia. My brother and I hare trying to get it all back together, but we're having a bit of a problem with my sister. When we get it all back together, we'll see if we can figure out any more. 

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