Museum 119 virtual tour - Room III. / Midday

*Crew of Capt. Ferdinand J. Herres (100th BG) - B-17G 43-37823 - 9 bailed out - crashed at Farty Ferry / Issle of Sheppey, England 11.9.1944*

Area dedicated to the early losses of the battle. Ferd Herres´s crew - the panel far left	Global look on Ferd Herres´s crew panel	Two panels dedicated to Ferd Herres, including some peronal documents	Our der friends Audrey and Ferd Herres on the 100th BG Reunion 2003 in Houston, TX
This wall panel is dedicated to the crew Capt. Ferdinand J. Herres - bailed out Lt. Edward H. Fehrenkamp - bailed out Lt. Alvin F. Ringhofer - bailed out Lt. Burroughs E. Conover - bailed out T/Sgt. Robert M. Mulgrew - bailed out T/Sgt. James A. Morrow - bailed out S/Sgt. Duell B. Barnes - bailed out S/Sgt. Nestor J. Nesser - bailed out S/Sgt. A. R. Main - bailed out		The B-17 of Capt Herres caught battle damage while route to the target, which destroyed an engine and pilots must turn back for alone return. They were successful till they reached English coast. Then the damaged engine went into fire and danger of exposion of wing tanks was actual. Pilot, Capt. Herres gave order to bail out and himself stands with the plane before he turn it back over sea, set autopilot and bailed out too. The abanonded Fortress crashed on Issle of Sheppey on English coast. No civilian was hurt.
The pilot Ferd Herres with family was one of our guests on the Museum opening ceremony in September 1997 and then we met him at 100th BG reunions 1997, 2001 and 2003. During 2001 and 2003 we have met also Jim Morrow and Mrs. Ringhofer, wife of the crew navigator.

*Unknown pilot (II.Sturm/JG 4) - FW 190A-8/R2 - bailed out - crashed near of Scheibenberg, Ger. 11.9.1944*

Actual view (August 2003) on crater caused by the "Scheibenberg Fockewulf´s" crash	Global look on "Scheibenberg Fockewulf" showcase	Detail of the showcase. Note the 20 mm cartridges hold in the smelted alluminum	photo of table in the showcase with photos
This Focke-Wulf is in our exhibition listed as unknown, becuase of name of it´s pilot (who bailed out and returned soon to his unit) was not discovered. By eyewitnesses and by search on crashsite was confirmed that the plane was shot down during battle over the Ore Mountains on 11th September 1944 and the version is A-8/R2, so there is no doubt, it is from II./JG 4. We believe, the pilot should by either Uffz. Kurt Scherer or Uffz. Fritz Wetzke.

*Crew of Lt. Howard R. Schulte (100th BG) - B-17G 43-38043 - 3 KIA, 6 POW - crashed near Leipzig, Ger. 11.9.1944*

Global look on panel dedicated to the Schulte´s crew	Detail of the panel - map of area between Czech Border and Leipzig	Detail of the panel - part dedicated to the navigator, Jerome H. Hutcheson (POW)	Detail of the panel - part dedicated to the ball turret gunner George H. Berg (KIA)
This wall panel is dedicated to the crew Lt. Howard R. Schulte - KIA F/O Richard P. Keirn - POW Lt. Jerome H. Hutcheson - POW Lt. Kenneth R. Summers - POW T/Sgt. Carl H. Harre - POW T/Sgt. Lester S. Swink - POW S/Sgt. George H. Berg - KIA S/Sgt. Walter V. Budziszewski - KIA S/Sgt. Otto Reichl - POW & to Uffz. Kurt Schiebeler		The B-17 of Lt. Schulte was seriously damaged while combat over the Ore Mountains and the crew was trying to return home alone. Some minutes later they were finally shot down by a lone Luftwaffe fighter in the Leipzig area.
First contact with some of the crew we set in 1997, namely the navigator Jerome Hutcheson and copilot Richard Keirn. Jerry Hutcheson we were able to visit in 2001 and the same year we have met the bombardier Kenneth Summers. Unfortunately Ken Summers died in 2003 and Dick Keirn died in May 2000. In 1999 we were able to be in contact with family of Sgt. George Berg (KIA)

Crew of Lt. Raymond L. Heironimus (100th BG) - B-17G 43-38161 - 1 WIA&POW, 1 WIA&RET, 7 RET - crashlanded near Joigny, France 11.9.1944

Global look on showcase dedicated to the Heironimus crew - the left side (2003)	Global look on panel dedicated to the Heironimus crew (2003)	Detail with pictures of the B-17 tail after crashlanding in France and colored photo of George Giese visiting the site again in September 2002 (photo Stef Muret)	Detail of the panel - map of area between Czech Border and France - approximate route of the return flying


Detail of the showcase with two fired cartridges, cutted and used probably as the cigaro case. All items from this plane were donated by French farmers (2003), via Pierre Colson and Stéphane Muret. The B-17 pin on right was donated by George Geise	Navigator, George H. Geise while his 2002 visit n front of the panel dedicated to his crew (the former version, rebuild on September 2003) - photo Paul Provance -	(left) Detail with pictures of the B-17 43-38161 crashlanded in France (Museum archive and Pierre Colson via Stef Muret) George H. Geise (on left at the right photo) with his fellow airmen, German fighters - Helmut Detjens and Manfred Kudell (JG 4), who were in the battle with his B-17 formation 58 years ago. Now they met in the museum again (September 2002) and builded great friendship - photo Paul Provance -
This area is dedicated to the crew Lt. Raymond L. Heironimus - RET Lt. Glen H. Peavy - RET Lt. George H. Geise - RET Lt. James L. Skar - RET S/Sgt. Carlyle E. Miller - RET T/Sgt. William G. Terry - WIA & POW S/Sgt. Richard S. Barnett - RET Cpl. Ray D. Carl - WIA & RET S/Sgt. Marvin D. Cooper - RET		Other alone return was made by the crew of Lt. Hieronimus, which was on their 13th mission. They recovered the first JG 4 attack and with serious damage headed back to the West. Finally the crew was able to crashland just over the enemy lines, close to French village Chamvres, near of Joigny Joingny, SE of Paris. The entire crew (but the radiooperator William Terry) initialkly saved by French civilians later treturned to thorpe Abbotts.
Thanks to our colleague Stef Muret we were able to locate the site of the landing and search some eyewitnesses, also as receive some pieces from this particular plane. Meantime we have also set contact with the crew navigator George H. Giese and his family. They visited the museum in September 2002 (see photos above)

Crew of Lt. Harry M. Hempy and Lt. Jack W. Janssen (100th BG) - B-17G 43-37517 - 1 died of wounds, 8 RET - return to Thorpe Abbotts 11.9.1944

Global look on panel dedicated to the Hempy / Janssen crew - The "Heaven Can Wait" (2003)	Global look on showcase dedicated to Jack Janssen, the copilot and later Kansas State Senator	Global look on the crew showcase including items donated by Sgt. Emerson family and neck headphones from J. W. Janssen, H. M. Hempy´s pilot wings, etc.	Personal property of the killed tail gunner Charles W. Emerson, donated by his family and flak schrappnels found in Heaven Can Wait B-17 (showcase as build in 2003)


Co-pilot Jack W. Janssen and his wife Judy. Till today visited the museum in 1997, 1998 and 2000	Pilot and crew leader Harry M. Hempy visited the Museum in 1998	Ball turret gunner with wife Marie were present on the Museum opening ceremony in September 1997	During 100th BG reunion in Salt Lake City, USA 1997 we were happy to met also the navigator, Cyril A. Roberts (he died 20. 2. 2000...)
This area is dedicated to the crew Lt. Harry M. Hempy - RET Lt. Jack W. Janssen - RET Lt. Cyril A. Roberts - RET Lt. Donald A. Friedman - RET T/Sgt. A. L. Hubiak - RET S/Sgt. John P. Moncure - RET S/Sgt. Donald J. Farley - RET S/Sgt. Frank A. Bonagur - RET S/Sgt. Charles W. Emerson - RET/died of wounds		By fighters attack the A/C 517 "Heaven Can Wait" was seriously damaged, two of her four engines were out of order and in the shooted-up tail section was seriously injured the tail gunner Charles W. Emerson. The pilots turned back for alone return. After many problems it was succesful and the slow plane landed late afternoon on their base in Thorpe Abbotts. During return the crew take care to their friend Charles Emerson, now he was given into care of medicians. Unfortunatelly he died of his wounds on Septembr 30th, 1944. The crew received short leave nad returned to combat. They finished before Cristmas 1944.
The co-pilot of this crew LtCol. Jack W. Janssen was one of first veterans from 100th BG which we were able contact. It was on Spring 1997. Since that time he visited the Museum tree times, we were able to visit him in his home twice. He became to be one of best friends of the Museum. Similar as the BTG Don Farley. He represented the crew on the Museum opening ceremony in 1997. Later, we met the navigator Cy Roberts and in 1998 the pilot Hary Hempy came to see the museum. In 2003 we set also contact with family of the TG, Sgt. Emerson, which donated to the museum some personnal memorabilia of Charles, who is buried on the US military cemetery in Cambridge, UK.

If you find a family member or someone you know on this site,
we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at 517@centrum.cz

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Actually you are in Room III - "Returns and other loses"
from here you should continue to

*Lt. Hans-Helmut Linck (III./JG 4) - Me 109G - wounded - crashed near Cheb, CZ 11.9.1944*

	Global look on H. H. Linck showcase	some pieces from Linck´s Messerschmitt
The crashsite of Lt. Linck´s Messerschmitt was found by our members in years of 1995-96. We never meet him, as Herr Linck unfortunatelly died in 1997 just before we were able to contact him. He was very good friend of our colleague, Erich Mombeek, the JG 4 historian and author.

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