Pilot 1st/Lt. Coleman S. Whitacker KIA
Hometown: Petersburg, Tennessee
Squadron:68th BS 44th Bomb Group
Service# 0-885920
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Target: Airframe Plant for Messerschmitts, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
USAAF MACR#: 3312
Date Lost: 01-Oct-43
Serial Number: #41-23816
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter: X
Aircraft Name: BLACK JACK
Location: over target Austria
Cause: Flak 5KIA 5POW
Two months after Ploesti, The Group attacked the assembly plant and suffered many casualties. The official records reported that we had eight planes lost, but later it was learned that one crew had landed okay at Bari, Italy
2nd Lt. Coleman S. Whitaker was the pilot of this 68th Squadron aircraft. The MACR states in part, “This aircraft was observed to be hit in the bomb bay by flak shortly after turning away from the target. It fell back, and peeled off to the left, losing altitude; and then it passed directly under another aircraft. It was burning in the bomb bay section. Three chutes came out at this time. It drifted back to the left and passed over the top of another aircraft in the formation, and then swerved to the right and seven more parachutes were observed. The plane then turned to the right and broke into two pieces. George Guilford, a T/Sgt. bombardier, added these comments, “We were over the target and were getting hit by flak and fighters, but I didn’t know to what extent. There were no communications between the crew members at that time. The navigator, Eugene Vickery, tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘I’m bailing out’. I didn’t know anything about the rest of the crew at that time. A few seconds later, the plane got a direct hit from flak and went into a nose dive – and I could not bail out. Soon, the plane exploded and blew me out. I was knocked out for a few seconds and when I came to, I was falling – and opened my chute. I could see small pieces of the plane floating around...
“I was captured as soon as I hit the ground and was carried to the hospital with shrapnel wounds in my neck. At the hospital they told me they had a crew member of mine there – and it was Bob Reasoner, the tail turret gunner. He was severely burned on his face and head. Also, that was when I learned about our plane being on fire. I was hospitalized for two weeks and was then sent to Stalag 17B. I think they repatriated Reasoner a few months later. [Editor’s note: It is correct that Reasoner was repatriated.] Carlson was in the same POW camp with me.”
Crew of #42-41017
1st/Lt. Coleman S. Whitacker Pilot KIA
1st/Lt. Theodore B. Scarlett Co Pilot
POW
1st/Lt. Eugene P. Vikery Navigator POW
T/Sgt. George W. Guilford Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. Wilson A Riche Engineer KIA
S/Sgt. Francis A Bauman Radio Op. KIA
M/Sgt. Robert M Smith Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. S/Sgt. Edwin L. Carlson Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Anthony Damico Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Robert J. Reasoner Gunner POW
Hometown: Petersburg, Tennessee
Squadron:68th BS 44th Bomb Group
Service# 0-885920
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Target: Airframe Plant for Messerschmitts, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
USAAF MACR#: 3312
Date Lost: 01-Oct-43
Serial Number: #41-23816
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter: X
Aircraft Name: BLACK JACK
Location: over target Austria
Cause: Flak 5KIA 5POW
Two months after Ploesti, The Group attacked the assembly plant and suffered many casualties. The official records reported that we had eight planes lost, but later it was learned that one crew had landed okay at Bari, Italy
2nd Lt. Coleman S. Whitaker was the pilot of this 68th Squadron aircraft. The MACR states in part, “This aircraft was observed to be hit in the bomb bay by flak shortly after turning away from the target. It fell back, and peeled off to the left, losing altitude; and then it passed directly under another aircraft. It was burning in the bomb bay section. Three chutes came out at this time. It drifted back to the left and passed over the top of another aircraft in the formation, and then swerved to the right and seven more parachutes were observed. The plane then turned to the right and broke into two pieces. George Guilford, a T/Sgt. bombardier, added these comments, “We were over the target and were getting hit by flak and fighters, but I didn’t know to what extent. There were no communications between the crew members at that time. The navigator, Eugene Vickery, tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘I’m bailing out’. I didn’t know anything about the rest of the crew at that time. A few seconds later, the plane got a direct hit from flak and went into a nose dive – and I could not bail out. Soon, the plane exploded and blew me out. I was knocked out for a few seconds and when I came to, I was falling – and opened my chute. I could see small pieces of the plane floating around...
“I was captured as soon as I hit the ground and was carried to the hospital with shrapnel wounds in my neck. At the hospital they told me they had a crew member of mine there – and it was Bob Reasoner, the tail turret gunner. He was severely burned on his face and head. Also, that was when I learned about our plane being on fire. I was hospitalized for two weeks and was then sent to Stalag 17B. I think they repatriated Reasoner a few months later. [Editor’s note: It is correct that Reasoner was repatriated.] Carlson was in the same POW camp with me.”
Crew of #42-41017
1st/Lt. Coleman S. Whitacker Pilot KIA
1st/Lt. Theodore B. Scarlett Co Pilot
POW
1st/Lt. Eugene P. Vikery Navigator POW
T/Sgt. George W. Guilford Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. Wilson A Riche Engineer KIA
S/Sgt. Francis A Bauman Radio Op. KIA
M/Sgt. Robert M Smith Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. S/Sgt. Edwin L. Carlson Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Anthony Damico Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Robert J. Reasoner Gunner POW
Pilot 1st/Lt. Coleman S. Whitacker KIA
Hometown: Petersburg, Tennessee
Squadron:68th BS 44th Bomb Group
Service# 0-885920
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Target: Airframe Plant for Messerschmitts, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
USAAF MACR#: 3312
Date Lost: 01-Oct-43
Serial Number: #41-23816
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter: X
Aircraft Name: BLACK JACK
Location: over target Austria
Cause: Flak 5KIA 5POW
Two months after Ploesti, The Group attacked the assembly plant and suffered many casualties. The official records reported that we had eight planes lost, but later it was learned that one crew had landed okay at Bari, Italy
2nd Lt. Coleman S. Whitaker was the pilot of this 68th Squadron aircraft. The MACR states in part, “This aircraft was observed to be hit in the bomb bay by flak shortly after turning away from the target. It fell back, and peeled off to the left, losing altitude; and then it passed directly under another aircraft. It was burning in the bomb bay section. Three chutes came out at this time. It drifted back to the left and passed over the top of another aircraft in the formation, and then swerved to the right and seven more parachutes were observed. The plane then turned to the right and broke into two pieces. George Guilford, a T/Sgt. bombardier, added these comments, “We were over the target and were getting hit by flak and fighters, but I didn’t know to what extent. There were no communications between the crew members at that time. The navigator, Eugene Vickery, tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘I’m bailing out’. I didn’t know anything about the rest of the crew at that time. A few seconds later, the plane got a direct hit from flak and went into a nose dive – and I could not bail out. Soon, the plane exploded and blew me out. I was knocked out for a few seconds and when I came to, I was falling – and opened my chute. I could see small pieces of the plane floating around...
“I was captured as soon as I hit the ground and was carried to the hospital with shrapnel wounds in my neck. At the hospital they told me they had a crew member of mine there – and it was Bob Reasoner, the tail turret gunner. He was severely burned on his face and head. Also, that was when I learned about our plane being on fire. I was hospitalized for two weeks and was then sent to Stalag 17B. I think they repatriated Reasoner a few months later. [Editor’s note: It is correct that Reasoner was repatriated.] Carlson was in the same POW camp with me.”
Crew of #42-41017
1st/Lt. Coleman S. Whitacker Pilot KIA
1st/Lt. Theodore B. Scarlett Co Pilot
POW
1st/Lt. Eugene P. Vikery Navigator POW
T/Sgt. George W. Guilford Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. Wilson A Riche Engineer KIA
S/Sgt. Francis A Bauman Radio Op. KIA
M/Sgt. Robert M Smith Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. S/Sgt. Edwin L. Carlson Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Anthony Damico Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Robert J. Reasoner Gunner POW
Hometown: Petersburg, Tennessee
Squadron:68th BS 44th Bomb Group
Service# 0-885920
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Target: Airframe Plant for Messerschmitts, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
USAAF MACR#: 3312
Date Lost: 01-Oct-43
Serial Number: #41-23816
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter: X
Aircraft Name: BLACK JACK
Location: over target Austria
Cause: Flak 5KIA 5POW
Two months after Ploesti, The Group attacked the assembly plant and suffered many casualties. The official records reported that we had eight planes lost, but later it was learned that one crew had landed okay at Bari, Italy
2nd Lt. Coleman S. Whitaker was the pilot of this 68th Squadron aircraft. The MACR states in part, “This aircraft was observed to be hit in the bomb bay by flak shortly after turning away from the target. It fell back, and peeled off to the left, losing altitude; and then it passed directly under another aircraft. It was burning in the bomb bay section. Three chutes came out at this time. It drifted back to the left and passed over the top of another aircraft in the formation, and then swerved to the right and seven more parachutes were observed. The plane then turned to the right and broke into two pieces. George Guilford, a T/Sgt. bombardier, added these comments, “We were over the target and were getting hit by flak and fighters, but I didn’t know to what extent. There were no communications between the crew members at that time. The navigator, Eugene Vickery, tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘I’m bailing out’. I didn’t know anything about the rest of the crew at that time. A few seconds later, the plane got a direct hit from flak and went into a nose dive – and I could not bail out. Soon, the plane exploded and blew me out. I was knocked out for a few seconds and when I came to, I was falling – and opened my chute. I could see small pieces of the plane floating around...
“I was captured as soon as I hit the ground and was carried to the hospital with shrapnel wounds in my neck. At the hospital they told me they had a crew member of mine there – and it was Bob Reasoner, the tail turret gunner. He was severely burned on his face and head. Also, that was when I learned about our plane being on fire. I was hospitalized for two weeks and was then sent to Stalag 17B. I think they repatriated Reasoner a few months later. [Editor’s note: It is correct that Reasoner was repatriated.] Carlson was in the same POW camp with me.”
Crew of #42-41017
1st/Lt. Coleman S. Whitacker Pilot KIA
1st/Lt. Theodore B. Scarlett Co Pilot
POW
1st/Lt. Eugene P. Vikery Navigator POW
T/Sgt. George W. Guilford Bombardier POW
T/Sgt. Wilson A Riche Engineer KIA
S/Sgt. Francis A Bauman Radio Op. KIA
M/Sgt. Robert M Smith Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. S/Sgt. Edwin L. Carlson Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Anthony Damico Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Robert J. Reasoner Gunner POW
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Tennessee.
Family Members
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