5 Photographic Group / 15 Photo Squadron
1st Lieutenant John A. BRENNAN
From Osburn, Idaho
Took off from Bari, Italy, 23rd February 1944, on a photo reconnaissance sortie over southern Germany piloting F-5B / # 42-67343. Tasked to photograph no less than ten separate targets like aerodromes and marshaling yards and bomb damage assessment in the Regensburg area, it is believed that he was either shot down or was forced to bail out of his aircraft. Suffering severe burns he was hospitalized in a Munich hospital. He died of wounds on 14th March 1944. DOW. MACR 2696.
1Lt Brennan is buried at Ardennes Cemetery C-14-26. Also see https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-ardennes-b/54092-brennan-john-a-jr
356 Fighter Group / 361 Fighter Squadron
Captain Raymond H. GANSBERG
From Downers Grove, Illinois
Killed in Action 5th December 1944 as pilot of P-51D / #44-15118 / QI-'D'.
Took off from Martlesham Heath airfield, UK, on an escort mission to Berlin.
Shot down in an air battle with 40 enemy aircraft. Crashed at Loppin, 6 miles north-east of Malchow / Mecklenburg, Germany. KIA. MACR 10811.
Captain Gansberg is buried at Ardennes Cemetery, B-41-48. Also see https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-ardennes-g/49054-gansberg-raymond-h
The above portrait photograph was sourced from the Fields of Honor Database.
In the group photograph (courtesy USAAF) Captain Gansberg is standing 8th from right.
339 Fighter Group / 504 Fighter Squadron
1st Lieutenant Charles M. HUNTER
From Denison, Texas
Killed in Action 16th August 1944 as pilot of P-51B / #44-13584 / 5Q-'T'.
Took off from Fowlmere airfield in the UK on a bomber escort mission to eastern Germany. Shot down in a dogfight after downing a Me-109. Crashed near Greene, 7 kms north-east of Einbeck.
KIA. MACR 8137.
1Lt Hunter is buried at Ardennes Cemetery D-1-15. Also see https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-ardennes-h/48242-hunter-charles-m
404 Fighter Group / 508 Fighter Squadron
Captain Robert K. JOHNSON
From Chicago, Illinois.
Missing in Action 9th November 1944 as pilot of P-47D / #42-27345 / 7J-'?'.
Sortie: dive bombing mission north-east of Cologne, Germany. Lost in poor visibility in the Stolberg area. On the Missing Air Crew Report two latitudes and longitudes were noted. One of them corresponds with a crash location located between Gressenich and Schevenhuette, east of Stolberg. MACR 10196.
Captain Johnson is commemorated on the Henri Chapelle Cemetery Tablets of the Missing.
The USAAF Class Book Project has now found all three Pilot Cadet Class Book photographs of Robert K. Johnson.
The above photographs (from left to right) were sourced from Pilot Class Book 43-B Gibbs Field (Primary Training), Pilot Class Book 43-B Pecos Field (Basic Training) and Find a Grave.
406 Fighter Group / 514 Fighter Squadron
1st Lieutenant Levitt Clinton BECK Jr
From Huntington Park, California.
Taking off from Ashford (UK) on an armed recce in the Mantes-Gassicourt area (F) his P-47D /
#42-8473 / O7-'R' / 'Bloom's Tomb' was shot down 1 mile south of Dreux (F) on 29th June 1944.
Lt Beck initially evaded and was in hiding at Anet and Rouvres. Later captured and taken to Fresnes prison, Paris. In total about 160 Allied airmen were held in this prison as Gestapo prisoners. On 15th August 1944, all were loaded in box cars and sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
While in Buchenwald Lt Beck became weak and sick after he had been living in the open day and night.
He was taken to the camp hospital and finally died of purulent pleurisy, due to medical neglect.
(source: "Losses of the 8th and 9th USAAF (Hey/Bishop), Volume 2, pages 632,633).
Lt Beck is commemorated on the Luxembourg Cemetery Walls of the Missing with a date of death as 29-11-1944. Also see https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-luxembourg-b/83794-beck-levitt-c-lux-wom
Source of the above portrait photographs: Pilot Class Book 43-B, Pecos, Texas (left) and 43-B, Gibbs Field, Texas (right).
The aircraft and crash site photographs are courtesy of AAMIB / UPL 41027 and 41028.
The photograph of the memorial at Buchenwald is courtesy of Harold Skaarup.
For more info on this sad event also see https://www.aircrewremembered.com/beck-levitt.html
410 Bombardment Group / 644 Bombardment Squadron
2nd Lieutenant John F. LUBBEN
From Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Missing in Action on 12th December 1944 as pilot of A-20J / #43-21730 / 'Carol the Rebel'.
Took off from Colommiers airfield (F) on a bombing mission to Wollseifen, Germany.
Shot down by flak the aircraft crashed north of Schleiden. 3 MIA. MACR 11023.
2nd Lt Lubben's name (and those of his two crew members) are recorded on the Luxembourg Cemetery Cemetery. In 2007 all bodies were recovered and buried in the USA.
