Tidal Wave Footage Photos, 15th AAF and Luftwaffe, 'Black Sunday', 1 August 1943

Dan

No problems , not only the roads are good in Switzerland but we also experience spring weather in January right now is 18 degree celsius. Also I have sent you a private message, please respond it. In addition look at the collector corner on my Parabellum Gun is something you may be interested to read. Now regarding the TIDALWAVE i know that there are graves in Campina, Ploesti and Bucuresti try at least to photo those in Bucuresti should have the time to get to Baneasa.

Eventually would appreciate if you can take some digital photos from the Muzeul Aviazie Militare or Muzeul Natzinal in addition have you ever tried to research deeper the Roumanian archives on the TIDALWAVE ? what were the outcomes? I will post more TIDALWAVE photos this evening

Best Regards
Al

PS : From Brooks AFB in TX near San Antonio the natal city of Hughes I know that his remains are still in Roumania and US Government/ US Army Forensic Teams didnt yet do anything towards DNA research in Roumania unless there will be public interest..because as an old say in America....MONEY TALKS -BULLSHIT WALKS

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 05, 2005 12:33 pm

Sorry i try it yesterday but after i finished a long text for you the conection was lost (didn't save it ) and I was to tired to start again. Next time I will write on word doc. and save it before i put it on message board. Anyway sent me in your next PM message your e-mail adress .

I didn't heard to be a cemetery in Bucharest to comemorated americans lost inWWII over Romania. There is one for english ( RAF) at Tancabesti 30Km north Bucuresti. In Bucharest it is on for the russians in Pipera near Baneasa, one for germans (Pro Patria) near Bellu cemetery. Small Italian cemetery near Ghencea cemetery. But most of the people on this forum are from Bucharest so your questions should be also for them to answer. As far i'm concern I ask people all the time to go to visit some cemetery around Bucharest where some americans were burried ( because many of them leave nearby) and probably i will go myself to find it ( but like I said in the spring).

Last time i tried to visit History National Museum and it was closed ( for restauration).
I am a good friend with one of the WWII section museum manager.

And from Muzeul Aviatiei Militare I have a lot of pictures but not so many related to Tidal Wave. ( what else are you interested from them)

I never intended to go deep in my reserch with Tidal Wave simply because everybody does ( a lot of books were written ) and I thought the subject was cover 99%.

Dan

Ploesti TIDALWAVE is far from being covered and only a few people after somany years have genuine details in addition there many misteries open as of date of today . What I would be interested would be coloured only cockpit photos of the ARR IAR81, ME-109 , JU-88 ( if any left) DO-111 (if any ledt) and HS-129 and JU-87 if any left as well YAK-11, YAK-15 and MIG-15 cockpit and from outside

Thanks
Alex

Hi Mat, here is what i found for your dad plane.
B-24 D, Sn 42-40775 "Y" WOLF WAGON 389BG 565thBS Pilot Kenneth H. Matson, Returned to Libya.

The rest of the crew : Allan L.Green ( CP), Jack B.Engelhardt ( N), R.A.Franklin, (, Harry J.Machos ®, Robert R.Driver (T.B.), William M.Crowley(WG) William R.Strasemeier (W.G), James B. Edwards (TG), Lowell C.Vick (TT).

Mat could you tell us wich is your father from the list.
Thanks in advance.

I,m not an airbirds fan and my info could be obsolete for you.I found a book at the History Museum in Ploiesti called OIL WAR TO PLOIESTI (razboiul petrolului la Ploiesti) written by Eugen Stanescu,Gavriil Preda and Iulia Stanescu.There are some photos taken from the ground after the bombings.Also, lists with the dead pilots and the burrial place(many in small Prahova Villages).

Hi Cristian, no your info it's not obsolete. I heard about that book ( I have some promises from a friend from Ploesti but i'm still waiting for the book).
Could you scan, or give us some data from that book. ( the name of the pilots ,the nr. burried in Ploesti Cemetery) And if you live in Ploesti maybe you can check if it is this cemetery today.
What else it's in museum from Ploesti related to Tidal Wave.

Thanks in advance
Dan.

Sorry, i made some mistakes.
I have now the exact reports( from Police records) for the americans aviators burried in Prahova area.

Cimitirul Eroilor Ploesti (Heroes Cemetery) 4 august'43 :

1. FrederickH.Palmer
2.Philip E.Nelson
3.Sterling ( or Stalling)
4. MarionJ. Szaras
Unindentified bodies -168
Total-172

Cimitirul Eroilor Campina (Heroes cemetery Campina) 4 august'43

1.Robert Kaufmann
2.John Malicughin
3. Malcolm C.Dalton
4. James.V.Lambert
5. Elwood R.Emerson
6.Frank A. Hervelick
7. Robert W.Harton
8.Sydney Pear ( died in hospital on 6 august'43 in Campina Hospital)
Unindentified bodies - 9
Total -17

Nedelea village cemetery (Princess Caradja owners land)
1.Kess Francisc

Chitorani village cemetery -7 august' 43
unindentified bodies -2

Total for Prahova area = 192 americans burried.

PS : some of the names coud be wrong indentified by the romanian police (poor english knowledge) in their reports.
Many indentified aviators were taken by US to other cemetery in Europe after the war.

Chattanooga Choo Choo" aka "Shoot Fritz You’re Faded" was a B-24D-95-CO, serial #42-40782, designation letter "X", flying with the 567 Bomb Squadron, 389th Bomb Group at the time of capture.
On August 1, 1943 "Chattanooga Choo Choo", commanded by 1st Lt. Robert J. O’Reilly, took off from an airfield near Benghazi, Libya on a mission to attack the Romanian oil refineries near Ploesti, Romania. The aircraft was heavily damaged by AAA fire after the plane had left the target area and crash landed south of Floresti, Romania. One crewmember was killed and nine were taken POW.
Crew of the "Chattanooga Choo Choo"
1st Lt. Robert J. O’Reilly, Pilot, POW
2nd Lt. Ernest L. Paulson, Copilot, POW
2nd Lt. Richard W. Britt, Navigator, POW
2nd Lt. Alfred. A. Romano, Bombardier, POW
T/Sgt. Frank J. Kees, Engineer, KIA
T/Sgt. Clell B. Riffle, Radio Operator, POW
S/Sgt. Troy O. McCary, Ball/Tunnel Guns, POW
S/Sgt. Jack R. Bowker, Waist Gun, POW
S/Sgt Phillip A. Rurak, Waist Gun, POW
S/Sgt Louis Mederios, Tail Gun, POW




Attached Image

And a close up of the Chatanooga Choo Choo serial nr. on rudder.


Attached Image

Dan

To which aircrafts can the KIA airmen can they be allocated? shall I look into my Tidalwave listings or u know the answer ? Bellow the BREWeRY WAGON

Al

Christian, your book would help alot to the people dealing with this topic including me..Personally I would like to buy it too

Thanks
Alex

I found 3 or 4 names related to B-24 Tidal Wave crew list from my data base. But i will check again to find more and after I will post the results. But you can do the same maybe we have different sources to look.

I found the planes allocated to the indentified body burried in Ploesti and Prahova Area .

Ploesti Heroes cemetery( 4 august ’43 ):


Marion J.Szaras (G) – Jersey Bounce

John B. Stallings ( CP) - Old Baldy

Frederick H.Palmer (N) - Wing Dinger

Philip E. Nelson (N) – Lil Joe.

Nedelea village cemetery:

Frank Kess – Chatanooga Choo Choo