850th BS

Michelson Crew

Shown above at Mountain Home AAF, Idaho in the spring of 1944.  Names have not been matched to faces, but names by row are known, information welcomed if it is more exact. Their flyover plane (B24-H 42-94876) is believed to have been named "Lotta Stern", after a Red Cross girl at Eye, Suffolk.

Standing, Back Row:
Michelson, David A.     - Pilot                (KIA)
Shaw, John P., Jr.      - Co-Pilot             (KIA)
Boyde, Donald C.        - Navigator            (KIA)
Weiss, Melvin           - Bombardier           (KIA)

Front Row:
Hovanec, William J.     - ROM Gunner           (KIA)
Patterson, Duncan L.    - Engineer Gunner      (KIA)
Wooten, Enoch A., Jr.   - Aerial Gunner        (KIA)
Jones, Jack K.          - Aerial Gunner        (Orphaned) Returned to Eye, 849th BS   
Marinoff, Arnold        - Armorer Gunner       (KIA)
Rolander, John B.       - Aerial Gunner        (Orphaned) Not pictured

The Michelson crew collided with a British SOE Halifax while circling their DZ on the night of 18/19 July 1944.  All aboard were killed. For more details check the Honor Roll page.

Released at Cheddington and escaping this tragedy were Jack Jones and John Rolander.

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