++547th Bomber Squadron, 384th Bomb Group (Heavy) Crew++

The USAAF B17 bomber “Flying Fortress” #42-38158 named “Jean” which had a 10-member crew. 4 officers and 6 sergeant gunners. Their mission was to the Dornier Aircraft factory. Their aircraft received a direct hit to the cockpit and disintegrated over the target Operpffenhofen near Munich on April 24, 1944. Eight crew members perished when the ship exploded. The radio gunner and left waist gunner survived by parachuting out. The left waist gunner reported that two crew members were getting in their chutes and getting in position to bail as he parachuted out of the aircraft. That was the last he seen them.

Aircraft received a direct hit to the cockpit and the aircraft disintegrated and crashed at 1400 hours 500 miles southwest of Leutstellen near Starnbe. Two crew members (Gray & Gustafson) parachuted out. Two crew members (Pastorella & Olstad) were preparing to bail out but did not get out in time.

The eight perished crew members were originally buried in the POW cemetery on May 3,1944 in Furstenfeldbruck. The crew of USAAF "Jean" a B17 bomber were eight of the 96 men who lost their lives on April 24, 1944 during WWII.

The Eight KIA:

Pilot: 2nd Lt. William Graham MacKichan – 0-468423 career of 13 missions from Saginaw, MI survived by wife Evelyn. Buried in Lorraine Cemetery, St. Avold, France. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/653601687/william-graham-mackichan/stories

Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. William James Hautz – 0-759451 his first mission from Wyoming, OH. Survived by wife Irma. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/638420467/william-j-hautz/stories

Navigator: 1st Lt. Neil Emerson Walling – 0-809777 career of 20 missions from Detroit, MI. Born Jan. 3, 1916 in Chelsea, MI to Wilder Laverne & Martha (McNaughton) Walling. Survived by wife Helen Faust Walling and daughter Carol Joan Walling. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/638752986/neil-e-walling/stories

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. John D. Lynch, Jr. – 0-676957 career of 27 missions from Indianapolis, IN. Born Nov 21, 1916 to John Daniel Sr. & Margaret (Capehart) Lynch. Married Audra June Pennington July 7, 1943. Survived by wife June. Buried in Lorraine Cemetery, St. Avold, France. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/529893706/john-d-lynch-jr/stories

Top Turret: T/Sgt. Elroy Andrew Altendorf – 16006483 career of 20 missions from Milwaukee, WI. Born in 1916 in Milwaukee to Roy & Catherine (Nehrbass) Altendorf. Bio in Find a Grave 56356854. Survived by Mother Mrs. Catherine Altendorf. Buried in Ardennes Cemetery & Memorial in Neupre’, Belgium. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/84334196/elroy-a-altendorf/stories

Ball Turret: S/Sgt. John S. Cox – 35372745 career 19 missions from Monticello, Indiana. Born Aug 20, 1921 to Charles & Agnes (Franks) Cox. Survived by Mrs. Agnes Cox. Buried in IOOF Riverview Cemetery in Monticello, Indiana. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/638374125/john-s-cox/stories

Tail Gunner: T/Sgt. John Paul Pastorella – 11101117 career of 27 missions from Ansonia, CT. Survived by his parents Mr. & Mrs. Salvatore & Josephine (Verzi) Pastorella. Buried in Mt. St. Peters in Ansonia, CT. Some info on Ancestry. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/83430368/john-p-pastorella/stories

Right Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Kermit Iver Olstad – 37433533 career of 27 missions from Blooming Prairie, MN. Survived by his parents Mr. & Mrs. Olaf (Lula) Olstad. Buried in Ardrennes Cemetery & Memorial in Neupre’, Belgium. https://www.fold3.com/memorial/529855123/kermit-i-olstad/stories

Bailed Out:

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Kenneth D. Gray -39831267

Left Waist Gunner: S/Sgt. Claus Norman Gustafson -12129322.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/ . This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Neil E Walling