Taylor - #10/31
Taylor, James G., Pilot
Chojnowski, Edward J., Co-Pilot
Scott, Theodore R., Navigator
Robinson, Donald J., Bombardier
Murphy, Thomas I., Engineer/Gunner
Austin, Jack J., Radio Operator/Gunner
Cain, Alfred R. Jr., Gunner
Carroll, Edgar R., Gunner
Holleran, Joseph D., Gunner
Zehfuss, Edward, Gunner
Thanks to Donald J. Robinson for the following:
I am writing to update the 461st Bomb Group web site with some information regarding Mission No. 166, 31 January 1945, Target: Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, Austria. The web site shows for this mission:
"Major Baker led the Blue Force in a second attack on the Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery on 31 January 1945. His three flight formation dropped its bombs by the pathfinder method with unobserved results. A graph showing the comparative standings in bombing accuracy of the 21 Groups in the Air Force is not available for January. The Group, however, rated 10th, with an average score of 33.2."
I was a bombardier on James G. Taylor's crew on the Blue Force on this date. The history posted to the web site does not show a missing plane from the Blue Force on that day. Nearly out of gas we were forced to leave formation before reaching the target. We tried to reach the Russian lines, but had to bail out before reaching Lake Balaton in Hungary because the gas ran out.
The entire crew made a successful jump and were captured by German and Hungarian troops . The Kriegsgefangenen listed for 31 January 1945 shows all the names of our crew members as having been captured.
So it appears that the Kriegsgefangenen list is accurate, however, the mission should show a plane missing from the Blue Force on that date. I could furnish copies of the documentary evidence I have of this mission. This information was previously submitted to Rob Hoskins without response.
Courtesy of Chuck Parsonson
V-Mail from Dwight Olson to Ernest Parsonson
