Apollo II USAF

Crash site of B-26 Marauder 43-34393, 37th Squadron of the 17th Bomb Group. On October 12, 1944 the aircraft crashed for unknown reasons in enemy territory near Bologna, Italy. The target was troop concentrations near Firenzuola, Italy.

Crew mebers KIA:
2/Lt Thomas E. Hughes, Pilot
2/Lt Morris Margolis
T/Sgt John A. Ingram
S/Sgt Irwin W. Harder
S/Sgt Eugene E. Glanert
S/Sgt William C. Gibson

The cache describes second US air raid on Vacuum Oil Company (A.G.) refinery in Kolín / Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren, effected on December 28, 1944, by 15th AF:
56 bombers B-24 Liberator of 304th BW (Cerignola HQ):
- 455th BG (San Giovanni AFB, 500lb RDX)
- 456th BG (Stornara AFB, 500lb RDX)
Fighter escort, covering also 56 bombers of 454th BG a 459th BG attacking rafinery in Pardubice in the same time, consisted of 159 aircraft:
110 P-51 Mustang of 325th FG „Checkertail Clan“ (Lesina AFB) and 332nd FG „Tuskegee Airmen“or „Red Tails“ (Ramitelli AFB)
49 P-38 Lightning of 1st FG

Beauvechain Air Base (ICAO: EBBE).The American 9th AF used the base for several units from 22 October 1944 until closing the base in June 1946. Known units assigned were:
373d FG, 22.X.1944-11.III 1945 (P-47)
36th FG, 27.X.1944-26.III.1945 (P-47)
322d BG, III-VI.1946 (B-26)

The wartime Belgian Spitfire flying squadrons (RAF) were relocated to Beauvechain, where they formed on 1 February 1948 as the 1st Fighter Wing.
The first F-16 arrived in Beauvechain in 1979. The 1st Fighter Wing was disbanded in1996 and its squadrons were relocated to Florennes AB and Kleine Brogel AB.
The 1st Wing was formed as a flight training unit when all training squadrons relocated from Goetsenhoven and Brustem to Beauvechain in 1996. The 1st Wing was disbanded as a training unit and recreated as a helicopter unit in September 2010.
Beauvechain is the home of the First Wing Historical Centre, a military museum which has a number of historic aircraft on display.

Crash site of P-47D, 44-89700 (Lady Jo Ann II) 362nd FG, 377th FS., 9th AF, Pilot. 1/Lt. Kirkham, KIA 30.4. 1945 near Trhanov (district of Domažlice), Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren.

The cache describes story of best friends and constant flying partners 1st Lts. Bernard H. Howes and Brooks J. Liles, 343rd FS, 55th FG, 8th AF. They went to flight training together, their serial numbers were only 10 digits apart, they went overseas together and were assigned to the same 343rd Fighter Squadron in September 1944. They had agreed that if one went down the other would do everything in his power to come to the rescue of the other...

From MACR No.12989, 1st Lt. Marvin Satenstein gave this first hand report:
At about 1300 hours on 3 March 1945, while cruising around at about 2,000 feet in the Prague (Czechoslovakia) area looking for targets of opportunity, Prague/Letnany (Klecany) airdrome was observed full of parked A/C. My flight, Red flight, and the remainder of Yellow flight decided to attack it. We did so, making our passes individually. On Lt. Liles’ pass from north to south he was hit on the right side of his engine by light flak from the guns at the southwest end of the field. I observed flame coming from the engine. Lt. Liles said that he had been hit. I was directly above and behind him and could see that he had the A/C under control but could not bet much power. He flew the A/C for about 3 or 4 miles south of the airdrome where he bellied it in successfully on an open field. I saw Lt. Liles get out of the A/C, just after it caught fire.
The remaining six A/C circled the spot, and Lt. Howes, Tudor Yellow 3, called over the R/T that he was going to land to try to pick up Lt. Liles. After one try, Lt. Howes made a successful landing in the same field. After discarding their parachutes both Howes and Liles were able to get into the aircraft. It appeared as if it was ha(r)d to get the plane started rolling from its parked position. As they started to roll, Howes called, “Gang keep your fingers crossed and we’ll make it.” The A/C rose into the air once, but apparently didn’t have enough flying speed because it settled to the ground again. The aircraft bounced into the air, dropped off on its left wing in a stalled attitude, and cart-wheeled to the left eventually flattening out. The A/C caught fire but when I buzzed the wreck I saw both Howe and Liles walking away in an easterly direction towards a large highway. Both pilots looked alright and they waved to me as I passed over them.”

After the war, Lt. Howes recalled that they both discarded their parachutes so they could squeeze into the single seat of the tiny cockpit. They began to take intense small arms fire from near the airdrome. The takeoff roll was good, but just prior to lift off there was a moment of hesitation and their plane struck a ditch, bounced into the air and cart-wheeled to a stop. Liles suffered a broken nose and other minor injuries. Howes received a severe blow to the forehead which resulted in a temporary blindness that lasted for two days. A single bullet had hit the throttle quadrant which reduced power at the critical time of take-off. The two ran for cover with Liles leading the blinded Howes by the hand. They were both caught by the Luftwaffe a number of hours later. They were taken to Prague and interrogated and received treatment in a local hospital. A move to Oberursel for further interrogation (where these photographs were taken) was followed by a short stay at Dulag Luft-Wetzlar, and after that to Stalag Luft III. They ended up at Stalag VIIA at Moosburg. Part of this gruelling experience was their 19 day march to Moosburg. Lt. Howe’s diet of bread and barley soup reduced his weight from 160 pounds to 126 pounds in the two months that he was imprisoned.

1st Lt. Bernard H. Howes had already become an Ace with the 343rd having five kills before the events of 3 March 1945. 1st Lt. Brooks J.Liles was destined to end the war with just one kill to his credit, but added four MiGs in Korea to become an Ace seven years after Howes did.