Re: 452nd heavy bombardment group/728th squadron

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Comments:: : Greetings to the survivors of the Mighty 8th and their families. : : I had posted here some time ago asking for information about Lt Eldred Shumaker. : : As you all undoubtably know, most of the records were destroyed in the St. Louis fire, and my father's records were one of those. : : Repeated inquires to the US government turned up zero, but through due diligence and remarkable coincidence, his name was recognized as a crew leader and pilot in the 452nd based at Deopham Green, England, and even a photo was found. : : Photo here: http://www.darkworks.org/shumaker.jpg : : and at the links provided. : : I post the image for my own inguiry and for anyone else who might be looking for info on the 728th. : : I do remember old photos and clippings that indicated that he was shot down over Belgium and evaded capture, but again, no record exists of this in the offical records. : : Even in "Bits and Pieces" there is no mention of him, but I now do know that I am not completely crazy, and that he did, in fact, serve. : : The only US record of him is his enlistment card. : : The image is of him, his crew, and his aircraft. : : Does anyone here know anything about the 728th or him and his crew? : Hi Bill, : Below is from the book 'A History Of The 452nd Bombardment Group (H) 728th, 730th, And 731st Bombardment Squadrons'. by Marvin E. Barnes.... : Looking through the Acknowledgements I see your Dad's name is mentioned !! : Bill, as my copy of the book is a Third Edition 1980, I guess there may be a chance of finding a second hand copy somewhere out there.... : Neunkirchen Mission November 4th 1944. : 21 a/c including 3 PFF took off at 0825 hours and attacked the briefed primary target, Micro-H, the coking plant which consist of 3 new coke oven batteries with a by product plant producing Benzol and tar derivatives. Bombing results were unobserved due to cloud over. Flak was light and inaccurate over the target but a few rockets were reported just after bombs away. No enemy a/c observed. A/C No. 644 (Lt. Eldred Shumaker and Crew) from this group was last seen straggling behind formation 25 miles inside the continent on withdrawal, had two engines feathered and three P-47's joined him. A fix was reported on him at Ghent. It was later learned that he made a safe landing on the continent and was returned to England after a wild get-away through Belgium and France. Seems that the pilot of the C-47 taking the crew back to England could not fly instruments in the bad weather they encountered so Lt. Shumaker had to take the controls of an of an A/C totally new to him and fly it home. : I think the a/c mentioned above #644 flown by your dad on this mission would be : 43-37644 'Feather Merchant'. : This a/c was shot down 31st. Dec. 44 Crashed near Ritterhude, Germany, due to enemy fighters. Pilot Lt. Seger. : Cheers, : Moofy

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