My name is David Dorrell i live in okla my dad Haskell H Dorrell was in 1374 EPD company in Europe WII Dad passed away in 1982. i found this site and found a contact. I haved looked for many years for more info on his company but never found anything. if the person i beleive his name is Mr Rhoads sees this would you please reply would love to talk to you about my dads company. Thanks D Dorrell

Marion, This is from the Watch on the Rhine Newsletter V# 92 # 4 Feb. 2011 page # 8. WW11 Vets and close next of kin of Vets who served in the 7 th Army from So. France to the Rhine and beyond are invited to be Guests of of the City of Luxeuil 2 nites in an area hotel W/ meals & take part in commeration events, parade, band concert & more. Contact by e-mail 1st Jocelyne.papelard@orange.fr 2nd eric.vandroux@libertysurf.fr Reverse the order if you want to stay more than 2 days in the area. There are a few more detail about this on other pages of this issue of the Watch. As some forum members seem to travel across the Pond if they are going to be in the area anyway. This might be a good option. I understand the French really roll out the red carpet for Vets & their families. I hope the snow is finished for the year. Paul

Eyewitness account - B-17's

Jim Hennessey got this from one of his friends and shared it with me.

Eyewitness account

 

My parents lived in the small village of Midwoud during World War II.

On the 20th of January 1945, during a snowstorm, they heard the sound of a

Plane coming over. Now, for people in occupied Holland this was nothing new,

As American and English planes were flying over from England to bomb targets

In Germany every day and night, but during the five years of German

Occupation they got to know the sound of those planes and also if they were in

Trouble or not just by the sound of the engines.

 

On that day a plane broke through the clouds and it sounded like it was in

Trouble. It barely missed the farm where my parents were living at the time. My

Mom, who was seven months pregnant with my eldest brother, rushed out to

See what was going on and saw a plane crash into a field opposite of the farm.

My dad, making sure my mom went back into the house as he didn’t want her to

Be upset in her condition, rushed to the crash site along with some of the

Neighbors. For as long as I can remember, our parents have always told us

About the American B17 that crashed just opposite their home and about the

Brave airmen that lost their lives. They also told us that one of them was blown

 

Out of the plane and was attendant to by our local doctor and was helped by

The underground in order to get him to safety. On the 4th may - in Holland the

Day when we remember al those who lost their lives during WWII - we always

Went to the memorial - a propeller of the B17 - and placed a bouquet of field

Flowers to honor the young men that fought to free us from the Germans and

Gave their lives so that we may live in freedom now.

 

Lately I’ve searched the Internet to find more information about that B17 that

Crashed in Midwoud, it’s crew, where it’s base was in England, which

Bombergroup it belonged to in the USAAF etc. It does me the world of good to

Read that Mr. Belton made it back States side safely, married his wife Virginia

And had a family. I don’t know if he is alive today, but if he is would you

please

 

Send him my warmest regards and tell him my story on behalf of my parents?

 

Will you please tell the veterans that somewhere in the north of Holland during

WWII there once was a young girl that looked up at the sky and saw all those

Vapor trails and prayed: please God, let them come home safely… Will you

Please tell them that we are still thankful and that we still commemorate all

Those that fought and died.

 

From me to the veterans: thank you all so very, very much for the help you

Gave to my country! Thanks to you I had the opportunity to grow up in freedom!

And know that many people looked up at the sky and saw you guys go on a

Mission into Germany and prayed for you! Every vapor trail, every bit of info on

 

Their wireless was a world of hope to them…

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Sylvia Steketee.

 

Cecil K Belton is still living in Springfield ILL

Henk

44-6601 LUCKY LAdy

MACR: 1179

Mission #192 target: Rheine Marshaling

Yards

January 20, 1945

2LT

Cecil K. Belton

Pilot

EVD

3 missions

2LT

Andrew B. Shanks

Co-Pilot

KIA

2 missions

2LT

Carl F. Chillberg

Navigator

KIA

2 missions

F/O

Claude H. Bogert

Bombardier

KIA

2 missions

TSGT

Thomas A. Rogan

Radioman

KIA

2 missions

SGT

Warren F. Nielsen

BT Gunner

KIA

2 missions

SGT

Sylvester Solomons

Engineer

KIA

2 missions

SGT

Melvin D. Williams

Tail Gunner

KIA

2 missions

SGT

William L. Monroe

Waist Gunner

KIA

2 missions

Lucky Lady was shot down by AAA Jan 20, 1945 over Sterkrade and

crashed near Midwoud, Holland. Flak over the target damaged the #2 engine and

fragments from the flak cut the hydraulic lines. Fluid was leaking and the B-17

fell out of the formation, losing altitude. LT Belton headed for home, but a

fire broke out in the Cockpit and he ordered the crew to bail out. Before they

could do so, there was a large explosion which probably blew off part of the

cockpit. The plane plummeted out of control and crashed in the meadows north of

the village of Midwoud, about 45km north of Amsterdam.

2 chutes were reported seen from observers on the ground; one chute got tangled

on the tail section. LT Belton survived most likely because he was blown clear

of the plane. He could not recall pulling his ripcord. Members of the Dutch

resistance took care of him and told him the fate of his crew. LT Belton could

not believe they had perished. During the night of January 20-21, Dutchmen

guided him through the frozen fields to the church at Midwoud where the dead

crewmen were lying in state. An emotional Belton paid his respects. In March,

the Resistance transferred him via Amsterdam to the Biesbosch, a marshy area

with hundreds of waterways south of Rotterdam and rowed him in a boat to Allied

territory. The crew members were buried in the cemetery at Midwoud. They were

reinterred January 21, 1946 in the Netherlands American Cemetery.

==============

A new friend is trying conducting research, and is hoping to not only find information, but getting in touch with any remaining members of her father's unit. If you or one of your loved ones served with Diane's father, please get in touch with me.

Marion,

 

What I have found is that Dad’s File or Service number is 112005 and he finally was promoted to a Commander while in the reserve. During the war he belonged to the VT-83 Torpedo Squadron, the latest data recorded was September 5, 1945.At that time, I believe he was a Lieutenant, soon to be promoted to a Lt. Commander He served in the reserves for years.

 

Does this help?

 

The names of the men he served with from a NATC Training Memorandum dated 4 August 1943 from the Naval Air Training Center in Corpus Christi, Texas are:

 

Lt. P.E. Stanley, Lt. J.G. Smith, Lt. (jg) Gibson, Lt. (jg) H. B. Grant, Lt. (jg) A. J. Skidmore, LSt. (jg) E.A. Weed, Capt. R.W. Vaupell, Lt. E. Bitke, Lt. A.B. Sanders, LSt. M.K. Burton, LSt. (jg) W. E. Kline, :t. N.E. Williams, Comdr. W.I. King, Lt. W. M. Hays, Lt. L. B. Harmon

 

A paper signed by E.O McDonnell Captain, USN Chief of Staff

 

That is what I have for the moment. Please tell me what kind of papers I should be looking for.

 

It would be wonderful if some of these men were still alive so I could find more out about my father at that time. Sigh, he died at the age of 82, few of these men will still be alive, I fear….

 

Perhaps their children were able to write about them elsewheres. Have you come across that?

 

Thank you so much for offering to help.

 

Yours,

 

Diane Beeson

Here's some pages for you Diane:

http://www.ussessexcv9.org/Bravepages/83history.html

http://www.ussessexcv9.org/Bravepages/portwing.html

http://www.ussessexcv9.org/Bravepages/stbdwing.html

http://www.ussessexcv9.org/Bravepages/avengers.html

Unfortunately the gentleman who authored the above website is now deceased.

Here's a site on the USS Essex.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/09.htm

If you scroll down, you will see an image (amongst many) of " Poor quality photo of a VT-83 TBM heading for a water landing after having most of its tail shot away, early-mid 1945. Tough bird!"

This forum topic brings up VT 83. See post dated July 1, 2008 by R Leonard:

http://www.ww2f.com/naval-warfare-pacific/...-pacific-2.html

My husband's forte is the Pacific war, and he told me to tell you the Essex was considered the cream of the crop. Here's more info on Essex-class ships:

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usnshtp/cv/cv9cl.htm

This page says to contact them for further information on the units listed within. Your dad's squadron IS listed, so email them at wwiihistorycenter@att.net

VT-83 - resource #32

Let me know what you discover.

Diane - see this page (with photo) and read further down the comments made by David:

http://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=2620

David Stubblebine says:

1 May 2008 12:57:21 PM

 

These TBM-3's were part of VT-83 and

the SB2-C's were with VB-83, flying off the USS Essex (CV-9) [TF-38.3]

Well Diane, this should be a good start. I will keep digging. All the best,

M1

Attached Files

  VT83.JPG (Size: 9.45 KB / Downloads: 0)

One of my listeners brought this to my attention. Am looking to obtain a copy today, but in the interim, here's some interesting facts:

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheet...eet.asp?id=1544

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_D._Foley

The song "Johnny Got a Zero" was released as sheet music in 1943, lyrics by Mack David and music by Vee Lawnhurst, and topped out at #4 on the Variety list for the week of April 28.

http://www.redraiders22bg.com/stories/johnny_zero.html

I know the music is including in at least one video on YouTube, but if anyone finds a copy of the original from 1943, so I can download it, let me know okay! Just gave a quick look today, but gotta run right now...

Many thanks,

M1