The Experience of War in Nazi Airspace
by someone who was there
by someone who was there
A Dozen Photos
Below are the regulars of Crew 2918 during the tenure
of its second pilot, Claude Allen. He is the one in the
front row, wearing the striped robe. At the top row,
standing left to right, is Mariano Trevino, Ken Gullek-
son, Thomas Ambrose, Arthur Langsdorf, and Chester
Kidd. In the front row (left to right) is Kenneth Burnett,
John Becker, Claude Allen, and Mel Pontillo. Absent
from the photo was bombardier Dan Carter.
Keep in mind that this is a group of airmen who were
surrounded by the flashes, smoke, and schrapnel of
88mm and 128mm canon fire so often that it repeat-
edly hit their B-24, even knocking out an engine more
than once. They saw American bombers and fighter
planes go down in balls of fire or in trails of smoke.
________________________________________
Crew photo at the side of a B-24. The Dan Carter
who was missing in the top photo is the one standing
in the middle of the second row.
________________________________________
Crew photo during wintertime training
________________________________________
Three B-24s in flight
________________________________________
Six of the ten regular airmen of Crew 2918
________________________________________
Three crew members sitting on a cot
________________________________________
A buzz bomb site that was bombed by the 8th AAF
________________________________________
Clearfield, Pennsylvania after the war
________________________________________
Here is a photo of Colonel Ezekiel Napier awarding
Mel with the Distinguished Flying Cross. This photo
made its way to Mel's hometown newspaper.
The gentleman standing next to Mel in this wedding
photo was his youngest brother Jim, (actually Vincent)
a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne glider program.
The bride's maid in the photo was a Miss Janet Lynch.
The Flight Crew List, once again:
Pilot:
(missions 01 - 09) Bud Chamberlain, Lt. ....... New Jersey
(missions 10 - 35) Claude Allen, Cpt. ........... N. Carolina
Co-Pilot ............... Kenneth Burnett, Lt. ....... Iowa
Navigator ............. John Becker, Lt. ............. Michigan
Bombardier .......... Dan Carter, Lt. ............... Texas
Engineer ............... Mel Pontillo, T/Sgt. ......... Pennsylvania
Radio Operator .... Thomas Ambrose, T/Sgt.. Rome, NY
Tail Gunner ........... Ken Gullekson, S/Sgt. .... Michigan
Upper Gunner ...... Arthur Langsdorf, S/Sgt... Long Island
Waist Gunner ....... Chester Kidd, S/Sgt. ...... N. Carolina
Lower Gunner ...... Mariano Trevino ............ San Antonio
_____________________________________________
A Note about Mel Pontillo's Family There were five Pontillo
brothers who served in the military during WWII. Four of
them served overseas. Perhaps you can fathom what their
mother had to endure throughout the war.
- Eldest brother Frank served with an infantry unit in New
Guinea and Guadalcanal.
- The third eldest brother, Carmen, served with an artillery
unit in France.
- Youngest brother Jimmy,as was previously mentioned,
was a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division, in
its glider program. Due to his functional knowledge of
French, Italian, and English, Jim was assigned to the
duties of an interpreter/translator in France.
- The Pontillo brother who remained in the States was
Joe, the second oldest. He served with a medical
corps unit in California.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Located directly below is the link to the Orientation Page.
Within it is a series of eductional notes about the 8th Army
Air Force:
http://www.8tharmyairforce.com
Combat Missions 1 to 18 are accessible through this link:
http//www.8tharmyairforce.com/part2.html
Mercy Missions 1 to 3, Combat Missions 19 to 35, and
the Detinations & Targets List are accessible via this link:
http://www.8tharmyairforce.com/part3.html
Directly below is the link to the Interview Page:
http://www.8tharmyairforce.com/interview.html
____________________________________
____________________________________
of its second pilot, Claude Allen. He is the one in the
front row, wearing the striped robe. At the top row,
standing left to right, is Mariano Trevino, Ken Gullek-
son, Thomas Ambrose, Arthur Langsdorf, and Chester
Kidd. In the front row (left to right) is Kenneth Burnett,
John Becker, Claude Allen, and Mel Pontillo. Absent
from the photo was bombardier Dan Carter.
Keep in mind that this is a group of airmen who were
surrounded by the flashes, smoke, and schrapnel of
88mm and 128mm canon fire so often that it repeat-
edly hit their B-24, even knocking out an engine more
than once. They saw American bombers and fighter
planes go down in balls of fire or in trails of smoke.
________________________________________
Crew photo at the side of a B-24. The Dan Carter
who was missing in the top photo is the one standing
in the middle of the second row.
________________________________________
Crew photo during wintertime training
________________________________________
Three B-24s in flight
________________________________________
Six of the ten regular airmen of Crew 2918
________________________________________
Three crew members sitting on a cot
________________________________________
A buzz bomb site that was bombed by the 8th AAF
________________________________________
Clearfield, Pennsylvania after the war
________________________________________
Here is a photo of Colonel Ezekiel Napier awarding
Mel with the Distinguished Flying Cross. This photo
made its way to Mel's hometown newspaper.
The gentleman standing next to Mel in this wedding
photo was his youngest brother Jim, (actually Vincent)
a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne glider program.
The bride's maid in the photo was a Miss Janet Lynch.
The Flight Crew List, once again:
Pilot:
(missions 01 - 09) Bud Chamberlain, Lt. ....... New Jersey
(missions 10 - 35) Claude Allen, Cpt. ........... N. Carolina
Co-Pilot ............... Kenneth Burnett, Lt. ....... Iowa
Navigator ............. John Becker, Lt. ............. Michigan
Bombardier .......... Dan Carter, Lt. ............... Texas
Engineer ............... Mel Pontillo, T/Sgt. ......... Pennsylvania
Radio Operator .... Thomas Ambrose, T/Sgt.. Rome, NY
Tail Gunner ........... Ken Gullekson, S/Sgt. .... Michigan
Upper Gunner ...... Arthur Langsdorf, S/Sgt... Long Island
Waist Gunner ....... Chester Kidd, S/Sgt. ...... N. Carolina
Lower Gunner ...... Mariano Trevino ............ San Antonio
_____________________________________________
A Note about Mel Pontillo's Family There were five Pontillo
brothers who served in the military during WWII. Four of
them served overseas. Perhaps you can fathom what their
mother had to endure throughout the war.
- Eldest brother Frank served with an infantry unit in New
Guinea and Guadalcanal.
- The third eldest brother, Carmen, served with an artillery
unit in France.
- Youngest brother Jimmy,as was previously mentioned,
was a paratrooper for the 82nd Airborne Division, in
its glider program. Due to his functional knowledge of
French, Italian, and English, Jim was assigned to the
duties of an interpreter/translator in France.
- The Pontillo brother who remained in the States was
Joe, the second oldest. He served with a medical
corps unit in California.
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Located directly below is the link to the Orientation Page.
Within it is a series of eductional notes about the 8th Army
Air Force:
http://www.8tharmyairforce.com
Combat Missions 1 to 18 are accessible through this link:
http//www.8tharmyairforce.com/part2.html
Mercy Missions 1 to 3, Combat Missions 19 to 35, and
the Detinations & Targets List are accessible via this link:
http://www.8tharmyairforce.com/part3.html
Directly below is the link to the Interview Page:
http://www.8tharmyairforce.com/interview.html
____________________________________
____________________________________