Greetings...

On 1-12-08, Ken Alexander wrote the following paragraph. I am interested in obtaining micro film with load lists for some 95th Bomb Group missions.  How & where do I obtain them?

Many thanks...Donna
niece of Leroy E. Myers, 1918-1956
8th AF, 95th BG, 412th squadron
http://leroymyers.co.nr

I understand there were also load lists for each aircraft on each mission. This included the names of the crew members that flew that mission. I have read on this forum that these are often available on micro film in the archives. I'll defer to others to tell you how to obtain them.   Ken Alexander]

Donna:
 
Unfortunately, I hove no loading list for the 95th BG, but Lt. Worthy's crew flew a mission on February 20, 1944 (B-17G #42-31798).
 
I wonder if Sgt. Myers has flown the mission too.
 
Regards,
Mike
 

Donna,
I was able to go to National Archives Records Administration II located in College Park Maryland.  And obtain the loading list for my uncles missions. The loading list mainly just list the crew and the aircraft serial number.  I found that the interrogation forms gave me a little more information.The form when filled out completely list the Bomb Load, Position in the formation,Casualty information,Bombing results. It also has a section on Enemy Fighter Opposition, Special markings, description of attack, time and  duration, tactics , friendly aircraft lost if observed by pilot. crew observations fighter support etc.  Unfortunately many of the forms are  not always filled out completely.  But I was thankful for any information I could find. You can go to the websites for more information at www.archives.gov  and see about one of the location nearest you. 

Berk

Donna:
 
Berk is right about going to the National Archives in College Park, MD.  To the best of my knowledge, none of the crew load lists they have in boxes there have been microfilmed.  I have a fairly complete listing of all the microfilm available from the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, AL.  None of the reel listings so far have shown any crew load lists in their reel summaries.  I'm in the process of ordering all of the Tactical Mission Reports for the 2nd Air Division (B-24 units in England) - approximately 35 reels at $35/reel.  I have a company that I've used before that will convert the 16mm microfilm to CD/DVD (as TIFF graphics of each of the 2,000 pages per reel) at a cost of about $100 per reel.  Expensive, but I don't have easy access to a 16mm microfilm reader with a printer.  It's also easier to work with graphical images - changing brightness/contrast or white-on-black allows you to read some of the poorer quality pages.
 
About 12 years ago, my good friend Dick Gelvin, along with Ed Zobak, spent a full week at the Archives, making copies of the 445th Bomb Group crew load lists, some mission reports like after the Gotha mission of 24 Feb 44 when half the group was shot down, and all available pilot's flimseys (which contain timing, route, callsigns, etc).  They came away with some 4,400+ pages.  They were fortunate as someone had gone through the files and gathered the missions together and put them into individual folders.  I don't know if the other bomb group's records have been sorted and separated the same way.

Mike Simpson
Webmaster & Unit Historian
445th Bomb Group (Heavy)
www.445bg.org
VP, 445th BG, Kassel Mission Historical Society
www.Kasselmission.com

Greetings again...

Thanks for each response provided...each helpful and informative. My reasoning for researching load lists is that Leroy Myers has no link to an original flight crew at all, there has never been a flight crew photo in his possession...nor has his photo shown-up among the crew photos on the 95th Bomb Group site. I have validation that Uncle was a replacement gunner on M. Worthy's 3-4-1944 mission over Berlin. But how do I find his original crew...thus I thought browsing though Load Lists might provide a clue.  Any further informative leads to beginning this search for his original crew would be most appreciative.

many thanks...Donna

D. Mason {myerlee50@yahoo.com}
niece of Leroy E. Myers, 1918-1956
8th AF, 95th BG, 412th squadron
http://leroymyers.co.nr

Donna,
 
Recommend contacting the 95th BG Association concerning Load Lists being on CD vice microfilm.  Using myself as an example, I purchased the unit load list for the 452d BG to research my Father ($120.00).  After purchasing the microfilm one of the association members contacted me and I purchased a CD with the same information for $12.00.
 
If you go the route of microfilm, the following information is provided. 
The web page for the Air Force Historical Research Agency is:  http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/
 
To request information:  http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/contactusemail.asp
 
Good luck.  Howard 
 
http://95thbg.org/joomla/

Howard Keller (LTC, USA, Ret)