850th BS

Huenekens Crew

The Huenekens crew is shown here with nine men of a ten-man crew at Mountain Home AAF, Idaho in the spring of 1944.   Names have been matched to faces, courtesy of Douglas R. Chandler.

Standing, L-R;
Robert L. Sanders      - Bombardier
Robert Callahan        - Navigator
John M. Cronan         - Co-Pilot             (DNB)
William E. Huenekens   - Pilot                (DNB)

Kneeling, L-R;
Carl R. Adams          - Engineer Gunner      (DNB) 
Lorain D. Leichty      - ROM Gunner
Marvel H. Loy          - Aerial Gunner
Douglas R. Chandler    - Aerial Gunner
Randall G. Sadler      - Aerial Gunner

Missing from the picture is Robert W. Davenport, Gunner. He and Marvel Loy were released from duty at Harrington on arrival.

The second set of casualties for the 850th BS; this crew was broken up when Huenekens, Cronan, and Adams were killed on a night-training flight over the UK.   Crew members believed they had been attacked by an intruding night fighter, but this has never been substantiated.   The Tower Log reveals no enemy aircraft in the area, and it is known that rumors quickly circulated that the night fighter was actually a Spitfire, but this possibility has never been substantiated either. Callahan, Sanders, and Sadler were also aboard but survived. The daring jump of Callahan and Sanders using a single parachute became famous, earning Callahan a Silver Star.   Sadler receieved burns but returned to duty within a few weeks.   All three survivors received the Purple Heart.

"I recall two of them had missed their cross-country flight that night 
because they were in town at the pubs, and by the time they had walked 
back to base, their plane and crew were destroyed.  That was probably 
Leichty and Chandler.  There was a lot of crying that night in our tent." 

Silas Stamper, 1998 Carpetbagger Reunion.

Single-chute article from "Stars and Stripes" and courtesy of Randall Johnson, from the Robert M. Johnson collection, dated 12 July 1944.

Picture Credit: Ewen Sinclair.

Crash Aircraft: B24-H 42-95321

Aircraft Details Credit: Tom Brittan

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