B-24 J Liberator:
SN; 44-41171 (J-200-CO) (CO designation = built at Consolidated Plant in San Diego
Service 15th AF, 376th Heavy Bombardment Group, 512th bomb squadron
Plane # 24 in squadron (to the best of our research)
Plane named “Crusader Rose II” no other nose art
Crew;
Pilot 1st Lt. Woodrow Harris (my dad)
Co Pilot 1st Lt. Dee Malick
Navigator 1st Lt. Donald Green
Bombardier 1st Lt. Wayne Evans
Eng. Tech Sgt Robert Kearney
Radioman Staff Sgt. Russell Mckenzie
Gunner “ “ Dan Woods
Gunner “ “ Frank Kennedy
Gunner “ “ Patrick O’Donnell
Gunner “ “ Earl Howard
The following is an excerpt from my father’s war diary as written in the German prison camp at Sagan, Germany – Stalagluft #3b
“Brief Summary of Final Mission”
Nov. 12, 1944 – Day of my last combat mission in the European Theater. Started from the break of dawn to be a bad day. The weather was about 8/10 cover and cold as hell – even for sunny Italy. And to top that, Sunny, my navigator had been forced down the day before on another mission and had not returned in time for the run on the 12th. I can’t remember the exact time, but we were awakened at about 4 am for breakfast. Briefing at about 5am, trucks to field about 6am and takeoff at 7am. Breakfast was the usual pancakes with jam and coffee. The cakes were plenty heavy!. Briefing went off with usual bull. The mission was to be to the Brenner Pass and most of us had been briefed so much on this target we kenew it almost by heart. The target for that day was a railway bridge on the Brenner Pass line between Trento and Bolgano Italy. My crew was to lead our box in a 5 box group formation. Take off and assembly was better than usual that day and the boys in my flight were all tucking in darned good. Our squadron C.O. was in the tower and we were trying to give him a good show! No. 3 Box (We were #4) dragged back a little out of position abnd gave me a little trouble on the turns but we managed OK. Thank god my wingmen were on the ball though. Departure on course and rendezvous with other groups in wing (450th, 95th & 419th) made as scheduled. Weather in route pretty bad and we had to make several dog legs to avoid the worst of it. About 2 hours on course my #4 man (Lt. Boulineau) called in that he was having trouble with aux. Generator system but would stay with formation as long as possible. He was still in position when I went down later. Rest of ride to garget area uneventful. No stray flak or fighter opposition. Somehow, probably due to the weather, the group navigator got us a bit north of course for our first bomb run making it necessary for us to make a 360 and try a second run. It was on this second run that things got hot. The first 3 boxes cound not pick u the target and turned off to hit the alternat. I stayed on the run a little longer to give Evans (bombardier) a chance but it was just a little to long I guess. The flack batteries had about 6 minutes to track us in and then all hell broke loose. The entire box was enveloped in a barrage of heavy stuff. Thank God I was the only one to be hit bad (I found that out 2 weeks ago from a boy that came in from another camp. He was Boulineau’s co-pilot on that mission). The first of the 4 direct hits we had took away my nose turret. The nose gunner; O’Donnell was riding the flight deck at the time fortunately. The second burst hit inside the nose wheel section setting everything on fire there. The third broke in my right bomb bay, broke gas lines, hydraulic lines, and everything else. It was a roaring inferno in a few seconds. The 4th burst blew the ball turret all to hell and it was retracted at the time. With the fire situation in the bomb bay I knew that there was only one thing left to do and very little time to do it in. I gave it the needle and pulled out of formation, and then gave the signal to bail out but the crew was already preparing themselves. Not sure who was first to leave but don’t think there was any time wasted. My co-pilot left a little too soon though as #3 & 4 props were running away and made the ship a little hard to control. I got out of the seat, salvoed the bombs and was just about to go when I saw Malicks feet hanging from the top hatch. Why he tried to go out there I’ll never know, but he has apparently become hung up and couldn’t get either in or out. I tried to pull him back in, but could not so I pushed him the rest of the way out - - Probably to his death - - It’s next to impossible to leave a B24 from the top and live through it. By the time I got Malick out the flight deck was getting pretty warm. The floor mat under my feet had already started to burn and I could no longer see the bomb bays. There was too much fire between me and the doorway. I knew then that I’d be living on borrowed time if I did make it out. I couldn’t see the door so trusting in luck and the Grace of God I made a dive for the wide open space. I had no more than hit the slip stream when the ship blew. There were parts of the plane flying all around me. Another miracle that I didn’t get hit by some of that. I opened my chute as soon as I dared, praying all the time that it would open. Actually, I should have pulled a delayed jump, but I wanted to see how many of the boys made it out. I only saw 4 other chutes, but found out later that some of the boys had already landed. The trip down was the strangest sensation I had ever experienced. It was so quiet I could almost hear my heart beat but it was pounding pretty hard. A bomb bay door almost hit my canopy but I managed to slip away from it. I was fired on from the ground too, but not hit. Was captured about 5 minutes after landing, trying to get to one of the boys that landed in a tree. The rest is a long story of cold, hunger, interrogation, solitary, attempted escapes, and long lonely days behind barbed wire. Spent days wondering how many of the boys were alive (only 5 were with me Dave's comment - THESE WERE THE ONLY 5 TO SURVIVE) and thinking of home. Thank god I had my wallet with me on that mission - - it did cost me the $120.00 in it, but I had a photo of my wife in there so it was worth it. Strange that the guards let me keep it as the took everything else. Then came the march, the snake pit, crowded barracks & very little food.”
The prison camp was liberated by the 14th armored division on Apr. 29th 1945.
The last words in my dad’s diary must have carried a meaning for him that I know I’ll never fully grasp; “HEAVEN TO BE IN ALLIED HANDS”
In his diary there we a list of names titled “Kriegie’s to remember” (Kriegie was what the prisoners were called / called themselves).
There was a list of Americans – some of which he kept in touch with and a list of “Brits to remember” (I don’t know if he very kept in touch with any of them or not).
British list;
Douglas H. Pennock – 134 Marshall Lake Rd. Shirley – Warwickshire
Robert E. Fletcher – 121 Stanton Rd. Burton-on-Trent Staff. Eng.
Allan R. Wangler – 142 Peabody Estate Lillie Rd. Eulham, London s.w. 6
Charles R. Fraser – 1 King William St. London e.c. 4
Frank R. Dolling – 16 Vincent Rd. Tottenhan B London n15