857th BS

Palmer Crew

Names from Special Orders #236 dtd 13 Dec 44 (Station 179)

A late-period crew, arriving at Harrington in mid-December of 1944, along with several other new 10-man crews.  Ten man crews because by that time the Group was scheduled to begin night bombing.  Four days after their arrival, the 859th BS departed for Brindisi and eleven days after their arrival the Group made the first night bombing run over France. Standing, L-R:

Anthony Humenanski    -    Radio Operator
James Weatherford     -    Waist Gunner
Richard Smerlinski    -    Tail Gunner
Howard Scholtz        -    Waist Gunner
Rome Lindsey          -    Engineer

Kneeling, L-R:

Dale Keirn            -    Navigator
Delbert Palmer        -    Pilot
Tom Lamberth          -    Copilot
Melvin Roberts        -    Bombardier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crew escaped going to Bassingbourne in March of '45 when the 857th BS transferred there.  Palmer is recorded as flying B24 "357" to Valley Wales on 9 July 1945 when most of the flyers and many passengers departed for Valley, Wales and ultimately the Zone of the Interior.

 

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