Posted By Laura Edge on August 12, 2006 at 11:09:13:
In Reply to: 96 BG,339 BS posted by Frank Cooney on August 08, 2006 at 14:57:11:
: Fort named "silver slipper"Having a hard time locating dad's plane # pilot Frank Cooney
According to Snetterton Falcons by Doherty and Ward Cooney’s crew is listed as follows:
New Crews assigned to 96th Bomb Group 339th Sqdn. March 1944.
1/Lt. Frank W. Cooney (P)
2/Lt William G. Story (CP)
2/Lt Jack E. Simpson (B)
S/Sgt Kenneth Young
S/Sgt Leonard Schaufer
Sgt John Borsch
S/Sgt Ernest L. Elmer
Sgt Donald R. Stormont
Sgt Howard E. Boyd
All members of this crew appeared to have made it through. None were listed in the Roll of Honor.
Two Silver Slippers are listed in the index of the same book, none report Cooney as pilot. They are:
42-32045 (339th Charles E. Quinby) & 42-97262 (413th Lt. Ralph Coleflesh, pilot)
Colefish’s plane was MIA after a mission to Hamm Munster 11/29/44. I could not find any more information about that.
Quimby’s Silver Slipper was hit by Flax near Frankfurt on 7/19/44. Crashed at Reil, near Koblenz Germany. All on board survived as POW's.
P. 1/Lt Charles E. Quinby
CP. 2/Lt Herbert Jackson
N. 2/Lt Bruce K. Bockstanz
B. 2/Lt Joseph Bernstein
R. T/Sgt John L. Jones
TT. T/Sgt Joseph K. Duplechain
BT. S/Sgt Paul F. Hutton
WG. S/Stg Walter J. Finnegan
WG. S/Sgt Norman F. Christian
TG. S/Sgt Arthur J. Schwaiger POW
MACR 7411
Below is a quote about the July 19th mission. It does lead one to believe that Cooney also pilot’s a “Silver Slipper”.
"And it was here where Flax started today’s single loss. Lt. Charles Quimbey’s 42-32045 Silver Slipper (a different plane from Cooney’s) was last seen losing altitude with two engines out and windmilling over Frankfurt. The crew successfully bailed out but was captured in the area of Trier, Germany."
So the question is: Did Cooney pilot one of the above “Silver Slippers” for some period of time or were there 3 “Sliver Slippers”. I hope some of the above information will help you sort it out. Have you contacted the 96th Bomb Group Association? Perhaps someone there can help. Good Luck.