You can Search the 450th Website from here Enter Your Search Criteria and click on the Magnifying Glass


Home Page «
Contact Us «
Terms of Use «


Current Newsletter «
Film & Books «
Reunion Pictures «
Site Updates «


Main Roster «
POW's «
Escape Statements «
Cemetery Listings «
Orders «
TAPS «


450th History «
Missions Flown «
S2 Reports «
Pilot-Bombardier Reports «
Operational Analysis «
Navigator Logs «
Aircraft Pictures «
Accident Reports «
M.A.C. Reports «
Crew Pictures «
Ground Personnel «
Veteran's Biographies «
Unidentified Personnel «
Veteran's Stories «
Target Pictures «
Maps «
Miscellaneous Pictures «
Newspaper Articles «
47th Wing Documents «
331st Air Service «
1st C.C.U. «


Current Guest Book «
Archived Guest Book «


Search Page «
Links Page «

 
2nd Lt. Richard Turk Crew
721st Squadron




2nd Lt. Richard E. Turk - Pilot
2nd Lt. Vincent M. Hanrahan - Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Earl Hill - Bombardier
2nd Lt. Paul R. McEncroe - Navigator
Sgt. Oscar E. Shanks Jr. - Ball Turret Gunner
Sgt. Calvin H. Walters Jr. - Top Turret Gunner
Sgt. Joseph E. Marshall - Tail Gunner
Sgt. Frank W. Kovacs - Radio Operator/Waist Gunner
Sgt. Otto F.Siemer Jr. - Waist Gunner
Sgt. Lawton E. Kizer Jr. - Engineer/Nose Gunner

The crew arrived Manduria, Italy January, 1945. Completed 15 missions (counting doubles). The crew flew a different aircraft on every mission.
On 8 April 1945, flying the aircraft "Strange Cargo" on a mission to Northern Italy to bomb marshalling yards at a town near the Brenner Pass they received very heavy flak & were shot down.
They lost 2 engines, the hydraulic system was gone, the right vertical stabilizer was shot off, landing gear unretractable, & they lost altitude from 30,000' ' to 5,000' in the midst of the Alps. The pilot, Richard Turk, maneuvered the craft through the higher mountain passes to get to Lake Constance in N.E, Switzerland. A Wheels up landing at the Swiss Air Base at Dubendorf. Turk said the emergency field looked to be no larger than a baseball diamond.
After debriefing at Dubendorf, the crew was sent to Adelboden, Switzerland and housed at the Nevada Palace Hotel until the end of the war in Europe.

Submitted by Gene Shanks, former Staff Sergeant, USAAC

Turk Crew

Rear Left to Right:
Sgt. Lawton Kizer - Enginner/Nose Gunner
Sgt. Frank Kovacs - Radio Operator/Waist Gunner
Sgt. Otto Seimer - Waist Gunner
Sgt. Calvin Walters - Top Turret Gunner
Sgt. Joe Marshall - Tail Gunner

Front Left to Right
2nd Lt. Earl Hill - Bombardier
2nd Lt. Richard Turk - Pilot
2nd Lt. Vincent Hanrahan - Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Paul Encrow - Navigator

Turk Crew

Rear Left to Right:
Sgt. Joe Marshall - Tail Gunner
Sgt. Otto Seimer - Waist Gunner
Sgt. Frank Kovacs - Radio Operator/Waist Gunner
Sgt. Lawton Kizer - Engineer/Nose Gunner

Front Left to Right
2nd Lt. Earl Hill - Bombardier
2nd Lt. Richard Turk - Pilot
2nd Lt. Vincent Hanrahan - Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Paul Encrow - Navigator

Pictures Courtesy of Sgt. Joseph E. Marshall

 




If any information is being used out of context or if you would like to use some of this information, please contact the Webmaster

Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement

Copyright © 1999 - 2024, Mark Worthington & the 450th Bomb Group Memorial Association