Posted By Willis S. Cole, Jr. Sam on November 10, 2006 at 01:08:14:
62 years ago, on the 9th of November, the Lady Jeannette, of the 729th BS(H), 452nd BG(H) crashed 22 km southeast of Verdun. Her real name was Lady Jeannette and not the Lady Janet. The Lady Janet was destroyed in May, 1944, in Russia.
The two Pilots, 1st Lt. Donald J. Gott and 2nd Lt. Wiliam E. Metzger, Jr., along with their Radio Operator, TSgt Robert A. Dunlap and their Tail Gunner, SSgt. Herman B. Krimminger died with them.
On GO38,16May1945, the two Pilots were awarded the Congressional Medal Of Honor.
There is a problem is, the description of the situation and condition of death contained in the Medal Citations do not describe how the men aboard the Lady Jeannette actually died.
They do describe exactly, the crash of a Top Secret B-24 of the 36th BS(RCM- Radar Counter Measures), attached to the Top Secret 100th Group, RAF, that was flying a Top Secret Mission with the RAF.
The Top Secret B-24 also crashed in France, on the 10th of November, 1944, just 15.5 hours after the Lady Jeannette crashed. Three men died in their crash, the Navigator, 2nd Lt. Fredeerick G. Gray, the Nose Turret Gunner, SSgt. Frank A. Bartho, and SSgt, Raymond G. Mears.
SSgt. Bartho's Nose Turret was jammed and he could not get out, Lt. Gray and SSgt. Mears rode the B-24 done in a failed attempt to free Bartho.
Of interest, Lt. Gray was the only man on board the Top Secret B-24 that knew exactly what the Top Secret Electronic Equipment on the B-24 could and was doing to the German Radars controlling their FLAK artillery and Night Fighters.
It is possible, Lt Gray had been instructed that he could not be captured and he would have rode the B-24 down even if Bartho was not trapped.
Heroes were not lacking during WWII, its just, that most did what had to be done and no one followed through to obtain the Medals most deserved, but were not issued.
May their Memory never fade from the minds of men.