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The Charles Reed Holden Story by Charles “Reed” Holden of a WW II shoot-down and POW experience as related by a B-17 Ball Gunner: Chapter 4 — Lives Interrupted |
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| After we returned from the raid over Munich, Germany in which I filled in for another ball turret gunner, I returned to my own crew that I had trained with. We waited our turn as crews were rotated for the next assignment to be flown. [When the next raid was planned, our squadron was schedule to fly with the 94th Bomb Group on a raid to hit an aircraft component factory in southwest Brunswick. According to a letter from Mort Robinson, The Vice President/Treasurer of the 94th Bomb Group Association states, the raid was lead by Capt. Hogan and Lt. Paul which consisted of twenty-one (21) aircraft.] They launched on their mission in what turned out to be rather bad weather with winds stronger than what was learned at their briefing. The strong winds caused a delay in their timing and rendezvous with their fighter escort. The Brunswick target was bombed through the heavy overcast with unobserved results.
An aircraft aborting in a forward group turned into the 94th resulting in a few frantic moments of maneuvering to avoid collision with other planes participating in the raid. |
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enroute to targets in Germany. This picture ctsy. Life’s Picture History of WW II, |
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| Mr. H. Slater’s book attests to the fact that the Brunswick “AAA” batteries were at their best, sending up a withering barrage that damaged several aircraft. The group was shadowed by a flight of about fifty (50) enemy aircraft from the target area. They made about ten (10) attacks in waves of fifteen (15) aircraft, while the remainder held back awaiting crippled or struggling bombers. These attacks were vicious and all hell broke out but the gunners and fighter escort prevented a massive disaster. Lt. A.K. Reno and his crew of the 333rd Squadron flying aircraft #42-37476 were observed being hit by enemy fighters near the target area. They were last seen near Munster, Germany as they were going down. The MACR (missing aircraft report) states the A/C #42-37476 assigned to the 333rd Squadron on 24 Dec. 1943 with squadron and tail markings TS-K was shot down on a mission to Brunswick, Germany on 23 March 1944. The pilot was Lt. A.K. Reno. Seven (7) crew members were KIA and three (3) became POW’s. The aircraft crashed in Lobmargeteersen, Germany. [Note: Details of this mission can be found in Mr. Harry Slater’s book, “Lingering Contrails of the Big Square A”. I haven’t read the book yet because I have been unable to find a copy, but it is a “must read book” for anyone interested in the air war of W.W. II over Europe. The enemy fighters that hit us were Hermann Goering’s pet squadron, “The Yellow Noses”. In order for a German fighter pilot to be eligible to be a member of the Yellow Nose Squadron, he had to be an Ace with a record of kills. |
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| When the fighters backed off, the Brunswick “AAA” took over. I can remember hearing other crew members talking about the flak being so thick “you could walk on it” and I found out the hard way what they meant. Suddenly I felt the plane shudder when we were hit, but we were still maintaining level flight. I heard the turret’s electric motors winding down so I shoved the handle forward to rotate the turret. Thank the Lord there was enough power left so I could get the turret lined up in order to open the hatch and squeeze out. When I emerged from the turret, I was greeted by a raging inferno so hot the flames were white. As I put on my parachute I thought, “wait until the pilot sees this”. I was standing in the radio room facing the rear of the plane and as I looked down to my left, I could see where the bullets had torn a triangular hole in the fuselage of the plane. I pushed on the metal and managed to make a hole large enough for me to get through with my parachute on. I took a step backward and felt a piece of burning metal fall on me. I looked out the hole a second time and I heard the Lord say, “Holden get the Hell out of here, enough is enough” and I was out of the plane. |
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Two examples of radio room and lower ball turret damage on B-17s that successfully returned from their assigned missions. You will note that Reed Holden’s B-17 did not make it back. Below: Waist ripped wide open and the ball turret is gone from this miraculously returned 351st Bomb Group B-17. |
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End of Chapter 4 — Go To Chapter 5 Cover Page — Introductions — Table of Contents Chapter — 01 — 02 — 03 — 04 — 05 — 06 — 07 — 08 or Home - Contact Us - Cold War Hist. - 91st SRS Hist. - Stardust 40 Mission Story |
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