Interesting about the number - and must be right!! Just shows that research is never complete. David Lyon was a bit before my time - I was there in the mid nineties. You can however share the wonder of those older draughts of course. I never got tired of looking and showing. Just to amuse you I got the sack!! I suspect the only volunteer to do so. A meet next summer would be great - there is a small possibility we will be in Norfolk. My partner suffers what she calls “windsock” (tours trudging around ex airfields) and the opportunity of fresh faces would I am sure be welcomed.
Miduppergunner - Let’s make that a Firmly-Tentative Maybe. We aren’t sure yet whether the family finances will fit together properly (two kids left the roost recently and have a way of getting into monetary disasters), but a trip to England is definitely in the near future. We’d be delighted to meet a friendly face. Maybe even take in a maritime museum or two.
Thanks again.
Sounds fine !!
Well, the Schiffer book on the 448th Bomb Group arrived the other day. It’s a fine piece of work - lots of good, unusual pictures and tabular data. No photos of The Prodigal Son, though.
The mission on which my wife’s uncle died was the seventh the group flew over occupied Europe. That may explain why none of the pictures in the book shows either the plane in question or any of its crew. The appendix does confirm the data we found elsewhere - the names of the crew, the aircraft nickname, and the date of its last mission.
I’ll keep trying some of those other websites, but it looks like we may have found all we’re going to find. Seems a shame there’s no photo of The Prodigal Son’s nose art. On the basis of the photos in that book, I’d be reluctant to even guesstimate what it looked like. There’s no discernible style or standard for nose art in that group; looks like lots of individuals were responsible for the nose art.
Thanks to all who have helped. This has been an interesting and rewarding project. Maybe it’s not over yet.
Even though I am coming to a wall with my search I dont think it will ever be over… Hopefully one day I will be able to persuade one of my great-uncles children into either requesting, or authorizing me to request his records… I would be happy know WHICH of the 4 bombers mainly used in the PAcific he flew on… then squadron and such… from there even if I dont find more I would be a lot happier…
Good luck to you… if I ever run into anything that could help you I will let you know!
Just got home from work and received my password so will send what I had written at work several hours ago.
I am just shaking having just accidently come across your article. You see, my uncle died with your wife’s uncle and they are buried together. My uncle, Willard R. Malwitz, was the ball turret gunner in the Prodigal Son. I have done extensive research trying to find a photo of his plane, but found none.
I spent many hours at the 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah, GA last year, where I read many articles about the mission that day etc. I have copies of some of the letters my grand parents had received after the plane went down on 1/11/44.
I was able to pay my respect to Uncle Willard and his crew along with my Daughter, Granddaughter and son-in-law. A few year later my daughter was able to take my husband to Uncle Willards final resting place. It was very emotional for me as my father had always wanted to go and was never able to. Dad and Uncle Willard were only a year apart in age and when dad died, I was with him, one of the last things he said was “I can see him, there is Willard” and he went to join him. I could feel both of their presence as I stood at the gravesite.
My grandparents tried to meet and visit with the Pilot but he would have nothing to do with them nor see them. I do have a photo of the crew, have been working on putting together a story of Uncle Willard’s life and would like to know about those last months and missions through 1/11/44. I have other information if you are at all interested. I would be very interested in obtaining any information and storys you have and if you have made contact with any of the surviving members of the Prodigal Son or their families or know where I could contact anyone.
I live in northern Minnesota, my home email is: aslick@wiktel.com and my work address is Arleen.Slick@solvay.com
I hope to here from you soon.