* Some of Lester's Missions;

18.) Thursday, 27 January 1944

446th BS Mission Summary: (Ops Order 201/mission 200) Group Mission # 202:
Squadron Mission 165
TARGET: Orte Road Junction, Italy DATE: 27 Jan 1944
Type of Bombs: 1000 lb. Demo. 446th Planes: 4
F/O Vallery, 445th Sqdn, led the formation. Hits across M/Yds just S of N
junction and from S choke point N to middle of yards. Some bombs started at
river S of M/Y and walked along tracks northward. Dust considerably obscured
N part of M/Y. Two E/A seen, but did not attack. No flak. This was the
second mission for this date.
A/C No. 41-30293
P: Brellenthin, Harold Ray, 2Lt
CP: Herbert, John J., 2Lt
N: None
B: Parrish, William W., S/Sgt
E: Schreiner, Lester B., Sgt
R: Orechia, James Raymond, T/Sgt
G: Skill, Donald H., S/Sgt
F: Guzauskas, Frank (NMI), Sgt
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

32.) Sunday, 20 February 1944

2ND MISSION OF THE DAY
446th BS Mission Summary: (Ops Order 257/mission 256) Group Mission # 219:
Squadron Mission 182
TARGET: Four Miles SSW of Lanuvio, Italy. DATE: 20 Feb 1944
Type of Bombs: 20 lb. Frags. 446th Planes: 6
Capt. Cooper led the formation, which turned back because of bad weather.
A/C No. 42-32394 “Peg O’ My Heart”
P: Matzinger, Keith R., 2Lt
CP: Wallace, Robert D., 2Lt
N: None
B: Wotkowicz, Frank J., 2Lt
E: Schreiner, Lester B., Sgt
R: Orechia, James Raymond “Raymond”, T/Sgt
G: Fiebelkorn, Earl C., Sgt
F: None
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

33.) Monday, 21 February 1944

446th BS Mission Summary: (Ops Order 258/mission 257) Group Mission # 220:
Squadron Mission 183
TARGET: Orte M/Y, Italy. (Alternate) DATE: 21 Feb 1944
Type of Bombs: 1000 lb. 446th Planes: 6
Lt. Olsen, 447th Sqdn. led the formation. Due to cloud cover over primary
target, Spoleto M/Y, the alternate target was bombed. First flight’s bombs
were over for the most part. A few hits were reported near north choke point.
The second flight reported good cover on middle and south of M/Y’s, and on
R.R. south of M/Y’s. Flak was heavy, slight and inaccurate. Three FW-190’s
followed the first flight, one being very aggressive, but did not attack. Lt.
Walker was a spare, and returned early.
A/C No. 42-32394 “Peg O’ My Heart”
P: Walsh, George F., 2Lt
CP: Sacker, John R. “Sad Sack”, 2Lt
N: None
B: Rice, Sumner W., 2Lt
E: Schreiner, Lester B., Sgt
R: Orechia, James Raymond “Raymond”, T/Sgt
G: Fiebelkorn, Earl C., Sgt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These men would have been friends with Lester;

James RAYMOND Orechia, & Lt George F. Walsh
(along with the rest of the crew)
were KIA on 15 May 1944, in a crash landing back
at the base in Solenzara, Corsica, due to leaking
fuel lines, shot to hell by flak, the plane exploded
on impact with the ground, & burned.

A/C No. 42-32429 “Flamingo”
(crash landing at base – all KIA)
P: Walsh, George F., 1Lt
CP: Lee, Roy N., 2Lt
N: None
B: Wilcox, Harry Bradway, Jr., 2Lt
E: Shellhamer, Lawrence (NMI), S/Sgt
R: Orechia, James Raymond “Raymond”, T/Sgt
G: Thornton, Edward P., S/Sgt
F: None
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lt. Harold Ray Brellenthin was KIA on 19 Feb 1944

Saturday, 19 February 1944
446th BS War Diary: The squadron suffered a disastrous day when one of our
ships was lost on the first of two missions. Lt. Brellenthin was pilot of
the ill-fated plane that crashed in the water off the Anzio beach-head. Lt.
Burgess was co-pilot and the other crew members were T/Sgt “Spike” Kendall,
S/Sgt. Bedwell, S/Sgt Blake, S/Sgt Motika, and S/Sgt Parrish.

=================================

Lester B Schreiner