856th BS

Sampson Crew

Picture Details: Mary Bartholomew

Note: Only William Bartholomew is shown in this picture taken at Chatham Field, Georgia on 21 July 1944 (463 BG).  The Sampson crew was formed up prior to Overseas Movement in the fall of 1944 and were moved via the troop ship Louis Pasteur to the UK and Harrington, arriving at the field by bus. By February of 1945 they were ready for night bombing missions over Germany. On 21 February 1945 they were shot down on a raid over Duisberg, but all escaped injury. It was their first combat mission, and being shot down even on the first mission qualified airmen for the Air Medal, but that was somehow overlooked.  After some microfilm research in 1997, "Bart" Bartholomew received his Air Medal.

Standing, left to right:

Charles Beattie	Pilot
William S. Bartholomew	Copilot
Robert H. Niebling	Navigator
Theodore E. Ehlers	Bombardier

Kneeling, left to right:

William D. Mattia	Asst Armourer Gunner
Paul C. Hershey	Armourer Gunner
Theodore R. Chapin	Asst Radio Operator
Charles B. Wills	Radio Operator
Charles S. Fowles	Asst Engineer
Herbert R. Sisson	Engineer

Reporting to Harrington under Special Orders #236 in December 1944, the crew at that time was composed of the following men: 

At a rather late date in the war, the crew was transferred to the 406th Night Leaflet squadron, where they finished out the war.  The crew as transfered shows a few changes in this cut from Special Orders of 15 March 1945:



And this follows an unrecorded transfer to the 858th BS between December of 1944 and 15 March 1945!

Combat Period: Feb-May 1945

Collecting most of the crew around Tinlot, Belgium, near where the crash site was, Sampson was missing only Shimkus when they returned to Harrington.  Shimkus had beaten them back by two days, delivered by a Brigadier General in an L-5 Spotter aircraft!

Aircraft: B24H 41-29555  "Methusala" and/or "Powerful Katrinka"

Originally a 34th BG plane, it had also belonged to the 493rd BG before coming to Harrington.  It was brought down by flak and salvaged on the Continent on 4 March 1945 by 5 SAD.

Aircraft Details: Tom Brittan