Paynter's Crew

(submitted by Morris Robley)

Harry Paynter's crew at Pocatello Army Air Base, Pocatello, Idaho, October 1943. Front (L to R): Clarence M. Flaig (G), Robert M. Morgan (G), Frank T. Sullivan (B), Frank A. Edwards (N), Ivan R. Hofmeister (FE). Standing (L to R): Morris D. Robley (G), William G. Seitz (R/O), Harry A. Paynter (P), William A. Sandblom (CP), Edward L. Kimball (G).

Our crew was formed in Boise, idaho in August of 1943. We then spent three months traning in B-24s at Pocatello. We were transferred to Tucsonn (arriving the day before Thanksgiving 1943) to become one of the 834th squadron crews. This was the crew that went to England. We flew the first two missions flown by the 486th: Liege, France and Brussels, Belgium on the 7th and 8th of May respectively.

The ground crew in Tucson and England was Art Beach, Austin Bell, and Sam Morris. When the 486th transferred to England from Tucson, Art Beach went with the crew on the plane, and I went by boat. This was the case with all of the crews. I guess they thought there may be a need for a mechanic more than a gunner on the way over.

Also, after a few missions, William Sandblom was assigned as first pilot and given his own crew. We received Herbert Hitzke as our new co-pilot. As time went on, some of our gunners had to fly missions with other crews because we became a lead crew with more officers than gunners. I flew two missions with other crews.

On our mission to Munster, GR, on October 5, 1944, we received too much damage to return to England and made an emergency landing in Belgium. We were not in American Beauty on that mission. [Frank Sullivan was wounded on this mission].

- Morris Robley

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