Thomas J. Harvey

I am seeking information on my uncle, 2nd Lt. Thomas Joseph Harvey, assigned to the 95th Bomb Group, sent overseas in December 1944, MIA over Germany 03 March 1945, later reported KIA on tha date.  Any information will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, Bob S.

 
Your uncle was on B-17G 42-102450 (PAISANO).  See this link with a picture
http://www.95thbg-horham.com/page230.html
This link is of (Lucky Lady) which Paisano collided with: http://www.95thbg-horham.com/page224.html

Here is another picture of Paisano's nose: http://www.100thbg.org/mainmenus/airplanes/airplanes_4.htm

Here is the MACR # 12889, 42-102450, 95th BG, 336th BS, pilot Duncan. 

You might try contacting someone fromt he 95th BG Association here is a link: http://www.95thbg-horham.com/contacts.html

Good Luck!!
-Keith
 
edit: Vic I see you beat me to the punch again, good work with the crew list. -Keith

ORIGINAL: vic-513

Hi Bob,

Vic,
The crew list is the same as I had found.  However my Grandmother's records and crew family correspondence show the following alternative name spellings.

2Lt Robert L. Duncan (P) KIA
2Lt Thomas J. Harvey (CP) KIA
2Lt Rudolph W. Kelody (N) KIA -- Kolody
Sgt Elbert R. McKernan (B) KIA
Sgt Chester F. Bohlender (TT) KIA
Sgt Edwin D. Peter (RO) KIA -- Edwin C.
Sgt John C. Carr (BT) KIA
Sgt Harvey A. Wirth (WG) KIA
Sgt Courtney U. Kelly (TG) KIA -- Lelly
 
I am certain that Lelly and Kolody are correct, but I have no proof of Edwin C. Peter.  Thanks for your help.
 
Robert

2nd.Lt. Thomas J. Harvey, Service #O-781301, tempoarary burial site at St. Avold Cemetery, Metz, France, late relocated by Administrative Decision to Arlington National Cemetery, Fort Myer, Virgina.
 
 
Terry T.

I'm sure there may be other, Thomas J. Harveys buried at other cemetiers, however for WWII  combat area losses, this was the only 2nd.Lt. Thomas J. Harvey listed. 
 
  His ID number is the Service number..or others have called in his US Army Serial number..O-781301.
 
2nd.Lt. Thomas J. Harvey, Service #O-781301.
 
Terry T.

Dear Bob and Robert,
 
came across this post yesterday and would like to add the information I can find in the research I did.
I'm researching B17 42-107204 and the 41 crews that flew her to combat before she crashed in the Sonian Forest (south of Brussels, Belgium) on April 6 1945 with the Robert L Davis-crew.  As fate wil have it the R.L. Duncan-crew flew three missions with 7204.  As I'm preparing a book on the aircraft and her crews I'm trying to collect as much info as possible on these crews (by corresponding with veterans that flew her, family etc ...). Up until now I've also been able to collect crew- and/or individual pictures of 34 of the 41 crews and crewmembers.  I haven't been able to find a picture of or much information on the Duncan-crew, so I'm hoping one of you will be able to help me out with information and (hopefuly) a picture of the crew or the individuals.  
 
here's the info I've found on the Duncan-crew :
 
Special Order # 9 of 9 January 1945 has the crew assigned to the 95th Bomb Gp (H), 335th Bomb Squadron as Cr 155 (APO 16753 CA 155) as off 6 january 1945.  The crew consists of the same men that are KIA on 3/3.  The other crew assigned to the 335th is the Volz-crew.  The other crews assigned in this Special Order are Cummings to the 334th and Twining to the 412th.
 
Missions flown:
  9 Feb 45 with 48269  (target Weimar)
17 Feb 45 with 338255 - minor battle damage (target Frankfurt)
21 Feb 45 with 2107204 (target Nurnberg)
22 Feb 45 with 2107204 (target Bamberg)
24 Feb 45 with 46598 - minor battle damage (target Bremen)
25 Feb 45 with 2107201 (Worry Bird) - major battle damage  (target Munich)
26 Feb 45 with 338942 (Belligerent Beauty)  (target Berlin)
27 Feb 45 with 338942 (Belligerent Beauty)  (target Leipzig)
  2 Mar 45 with 2107204 (target Ruhland)
  3 Mar 45 with 2102450 (Paisano)  Failed to return, mid air collision with 297376 (S.J. Tavis)
                                        (target Brunswick)
 
MACR 12889 states following as facts obtained from the S-2 files for this flight:
" B-17G 42-102450 piloted by 2nd Lt. Duncan was involved in a mid air colision a few minutes after bombs away at 52°09'N, 10°48'E at 1024 hours. The aircraft seemed to be caught in prop wash and drifted over to the left, the tail hitting  the right wing of another aircraft and apparently from the violent action the tail was torn off just beyond the ball turrett. No chutes were observed but one object was seen falling out of the tail section. The plane rolled down and was seen to explode when it hit the ground."
Date of the report 7 march 1945, signed by Capt David E Olsson (asst operations officer)
 
The MACR also contains telegram forms
1. of a (German) radiogram send to Evaluation Point West, Oberursel on 4 March at 1200 hrs , where the downing is attributed to a fighter at 1030 near Hessen (22 km NW of Halberstadt) 95% damage, identification not ascertainable, Admittance No. 21... other digits missing : manufacturing No ----24--- (barred) dead and LELLY, manufacturing No. 38496582, 6 dead not identifiable because burned. Airfield command Halberstadt
 
=> manu. No 38496582 = service # of Edwin C Peter ,  the barred # possibly of John C Carr
 
2. of a (German) radiogram send to Evaluation Point West, Oberursel on 10 March 1610 hours, ninth body identified : KOLODY. Interment of all dead on 5. March at 1700 hours on foreigners cemetery in Hessen. Airfield Command Halberstadt
 
3. the last page of the MACR is dated 20. March, contains all the names of the crew-members with their addresses in The States and the closest of kin.  None of the addresses or names can be read but I found similar pages other MACR's so know the contents of this page.
 
This is extra information I took down while going through the files of the 95th BG at the National Archives in Washington on he missions flown by the Duncan-crew in 2107204
 
* 21/2:
up 724 - down 1508 -- target Nurnberg (MAN Werke, Siemens-Schuchert AC)
1031 very accurate tracking Flak, meager -- 1125 acc, B&T, intense
in Channel: spotted 2 ships taking evasive action
during this mission R.L. Prave and D.L. Fuller took the places of Harvey and Carr
 
* 22/2
up 718 - down 1608
Harvey and Carr back with the crew
these remarks were taken down on the interrogation form:
"ball turret in old A/C to small, can't even see outside"
"How about change of breakfast ! Tired of eggs everyday, like pancakes and french toast too."
 
* 2/3
up 701 - down 1600
crew: F/O Ames flew as co-pilot
just before target attack by FW 190
 
 
Note by Jurgen on missions of 2/3 and 3/3:
F/O Ames was the co-pilot of Tavis, which makes me conclude that Thomas Harvey was flying as co-pilot with S.J. Tavis on Tavis' first combat mission. (I noticed this switch on 27 Feb as well when the Oehlert and Seaburg crews also switched co-pilots on Seaburgs first combat mission).  This makes the mid air collision even more dramatic as these were the two crews involved on 3. March.  It must also have been traumatic to Tavis as this mission seems to have been his last.  Most of his crew flew on but with Manuel Rey as their pilot (Rey started out as the co-pilot on the Seaburg-crew mentioned above but was obviously transferred to this crew without a pilot).
 
 
Well that's all the information I can provide you. 
I gathered it from the info provided by Paul Andrews and through my own research.
 
I hope I provided you with some new information.
 
Kind regards,
 
Jürgen Nijs
Bredene
Belgium
  

Jurgen,
That is extraordinary research!  I was hoping to one day discover their missions and the planes they flew.   Thank you very much for this info.  It is incredible that the two planes that collided had switched co-pilots the day before the crash. 

I do not have any crew pictures, but I do have one of Robert.  My Grandmother corresponded with all the crew families after they went MIA.  Several of them reported that they had crew pictures, but all of them complained about the poor quality of the photos, saying that they were very faint due to the heavy fog.  They also indicated they would be sending pictures of their sons, but I have not been able to locate them. 

I do have some information on most of the crew members and their families.  I would be glad to give you whatever I have if you could provide a little guidance as to what you would be interested in.  I certainly would also be interested in purchasing a copy of your book when it is available.

Sincerely, Robert

Would like to have any information in the Duncan Crew, My uncle was Harvey Allan Wirth, I am looking for any pictures of their group, or groups he may have been in.  Also looking for the final Resting place, do not know if it was finally Arlington or not.  Thank you

Hello My name is Jacob. My grandfather was a personal friend of Courtney Lelly. I have information about him if anyone is interested. I would love to know more myself. Thank you!
 
Jacob Field