FORMER
PILOT Harry Staley
Valentine’s Day
Over Rabaul "Got back
this morning about 7.30 after a hectic, rough
mission. Starting off, I got in prop wash at 100
ft. and luckily missed a hill. Arrived at the
target 30 min. before bombing time, so decided to
make a run over the town and throw out some small
frag bombs & incendiary sticks. Made the run,
and was just pulling out when they got me in the
searchlights. A few seconds after that, an ACK ACK
shell hit us, and went through the No. 3 engine
supercharger, and up thru the nacelle. It got the
oil lines and all control levers to the No. 3
engine. I feathered the engine, and waited my turn
to bomb our area. We finally bombed, dropping 18 x
100 lb. wire wrapped daisy cutters, and 3 x 300
lb. Demo. Besides all the little stuff. We made
our run and dropped the bombs thru the target area
starting several small fires. When we started
home, there were numerous fires - some of them
visible over 60 miles away. On the way home No.2
supercharger went out, leaving about ˝ the
normal power, so we returned. Luckily on 2˝
engines. My plane will be out for approx. 2 weeks
so I'm going to try & get another".
- Harry
Staley’s Diary, February 14, 1943
Every crew member on “Black
Jack” that night was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross for their actions. They went on to
complete their missions, mostly in B-17F
"Pluto" 41-24384. They never flew in B-17F
"Black Jack" 41-24521 again.
THE STALEY CREW
Pilot: Captain Harry A.
Staley, O-428427
Co-Pilot: Lt Everett C. Sunderman,
O-725550 Navigator:
Lt Joseph C. Wilfert, O-434007
Bombardier: MSgt Carl Christiansen,
6557693 Flight
Engineer: TSgt George E. Dirr, Jr.,
6668584 Radio
Operator: SSgt Edward P. Welcome, 6913555
Ball Turret: Pfc Oliver M.
Csontos, 12032005
Waist Gunner: SSgt George D. Browning,
15064018 Waist
Gunner: Pfc William H. Donahue, 2020520
Tail Gunner: SSgt Gilbert R.
Tredway, 15060318 |