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We believe this crew took the Swamp Fire out to shake the bugs out of her. Records show this crew had three missions prior to handing her over to her first assigned crew.
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Kenneth J. Duvall
2nd Lieutenant
Pilot
William F Barrett
Flight Officer
Co-Pilot
William B Dumas
2nd Lieutenant
Navigator
Eugene F Moses
2nd Lieutenant
Bombardier
Thomas F Cunningham
Staff Sergeant
Radio Operator/Gunner
William (NMI) Fliegel
Staff Sergeant
Top Turret Gunner
William R McGinnis
Sergeant
Ball Turret Gunner
Robert M McMinn
Sergeant
Right Waist Gunner
Raymond R Zulaski
Sergeant
Left Waist Gunner
Eugene R Pierce
Sergeant
Tail Gunner
We have Identified the pilot who is standing 2nd from the left. There seems to be a conflict about his name though. Records show Lt Kenneth L. Duvall and lt Kenneth R. Duvall flying the Swamp Fire. The two names are credited with same crew and same dates of missions. Also kneeling first from the left is 2nd Lt Fernando R Leonardy Co- Pilot. Kneeling far right is said to be 2nd Lt William B Dumas - Navigator. All of the others have yet to be identified.
Not pictured with first Crew
Harold E. Marston who volunteered to fly in place of the right waist gunner Robert M McMinn who was injured on his last mission. Sgt Marston received a knee wound from a bullet and baptized the Swamp Fire with his pain and blood but he also brought about changes that would be applied by other ground crews of the 524th and then spread throughout the entire 379th. These changes probably saved the lifes and limbs of many airmen.
The 379th Bomber Group had a brief combat history compared to other groups and yet during that time period they flew more missions, drop more bomb tonnage, faced more enemy fighters, engaged in more long range runs (Many without fighter escort), kept more aircraft airworthy and most importantly, lost fewer airman than any other bomber group in Europe to include the allied air forces. (see - Tales of The Swamp Fire section for an account of this mission- Baptized in Blood)
The Lt Kenneth Duvall Crew Swamp Fire Missions
Mission Number: 71 for the 379th flown on 2/22/1944
Target City: Halberstadt , Germany
Target: Aircraft Factory
Name
Aircraft No
Rank
Duties
Status
Harold E Marston
42-32024
Sergeant
Right Waist Gunner
Wounded in Action
Eugene F Moses
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Bombardier
William B Dumas
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Navigator
Thomas F Cunningham
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Radio Operator/Gunner
William (NMI) Fliegel
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Robert M Mcminn
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Ball Turret Gunner
Raymond R Zulaski
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Left Waist Gunner
Eugene R Pierce
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Tail Gunner
Fernando R Leonardy
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Co-Pilot
Kenneth J Duvall
42-32024
1st Lieutenant
Pilot
Mission Number: 78 for the 379th flown on 3/6/1944
Target City: Berlin , Germany
Target: Ball Bearing Plant
Name
Aircraft No
Rank
Duties
Status
Eugene F Moses
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Bombardier
Kenneth R Duvall
42-32024
1st Lieutenant
Pilot
William B Dumas
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Navigator
William (NMI) Fliegel
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Clyde F Neidigh
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Right Waist Gunner
Raymond R Zulaski
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Left Waist Gunner
Eugene R Pierce
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Tail Gunner
Fernando R Leonardy
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Co-Pilot
Thomas F Cunningham
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Radio Operator/Gunner
Robert M Mcminn
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Ball Turret Gunner
Mission Number: 79 for the 379th flown on 3/8/1944
Target City: Erkner , Germany
Target: Ball Bearing Plant
Name
Aircraft No
Rank
Duties
Status
Raymond R Zulaski
42-32024
Sergeant
Left Waist Gunner
Eugene R Pierce
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Tail Gunner
Fernando R Leonardy
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Co-Pilot
Kenneth J Duvall
42-32024
1st Lieutenant
Pilot
Clyde F Neidigh
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Right Waist Gunner
Robert R Walsh
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Bombardier
William B Dumas
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Navigator
Thomas F Cunningham
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Radio Operator/Gunner
William (NMI) Fliegel
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Robert M McMinn
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Ball Turret Gunner
Mission Number: 81 for the 379th flown on 3/13/1944
Target City: Croisette , France
Target: Fly-bomb Site
Name
Aircraft No
Rank
Duties
Status
Robert R Walsh
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Bombardier
James E Williams
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Right Waist Gunner
William B Dumas
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Navigator
Thomas F Cunningham
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Radio Operator/Gunner
William (NMI) Fliegel
42-32024
Tech Sergeant
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Robert M McMinn
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Ball Turret Gunner
Raymond R Zulaski
42-32024
Sergeant
Left Waist Gunner
Eugene R Pierce
42-32024
Staff Sergeant
Tail Gunner
Fernando R Leonardy
42-32024
2nd Lieutenant
Co-Pilot
Kenneth J Duvall
42-32024
1st Lieutenant
Pilot
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