[ 457th Bomb Group Message Board ]
Posted by Marie Ramsey |
Posted by Alan Morton http://www.457thbombgroup.org/Crews/bbc006.jpg http://www.457thbombgroup.org/aircrews/KRUMM%20GREEN%20BYERS%204%20MAY%201944.html The position your relative Charles Hrubos was identified was a Waist Gunner. The name Waist Gunner was derived from the waist of the aircraft's fuselage that had two (2) fifty (50) caliber machine gun positions. These two positions were on the Left and Right at the slimmest part (the waist) of the fuseage ... hence the name "Waist Gunners." Pilot Lt. Robert Krumm apparently returned to the States after being released by Sweden at the end of WWII; but was later KIA fighting in the Korean War. The Co-Pilot Leo R. Green died of Cancer in 1949. The Krumm Flight Crew number was C040. Some of the Robert Krumm Flight Crew had joined the 457th Bomb Group Association, in fact the Crew Radio Operator was Billie Hightower (now deceased) was President of the 457th BG Association back in 1993-97, as was Navigator Roland Orion Byers. The one photo above of the three Officers, includes the Crew Navigator Roland Orion Byers, age 87, of Moscow, Idaho passed away Dec. 9, 2006. One observation about the photo of the Krumm Flight Crew ... there is a question of the specific Krumm Flight crew members that ended in Sweden. It was not uncommon to hear of a flight crew that was a composit of different crew members than the Krumm Flight crew in the attached photo. What is not known at this time is the date the aircraft piloted by Krumm landed in Sweden and who was listed on the Loading List as the crew for that Mission? Well, it's a beginning but not the end! Sorry. |
Posted by Alan Morton What would be of help Marie would be ... "did your relative Charles Hrubos ever return to the States and his home town?"
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Posted by Marie Ramsey But yes, he did return to the States and his home town, but so far, the details are still sketchy. We are currently in the process of trying to assemble as much information as we can find, and are especially interested in whether he was ever mentioned in any letters or other accounts by anyone who knew him and served with him. We are looking forward to any new information, and are deeply grateful to people like you, who are so willing to assist us in our search. God bless you!
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Posted by Alan Morton Here's some additional information you might find informative about your relatives position as a Waist Gunner on the B-17 bomber. You mentioned something about an injury to Charles in connection to the Waist Gunners position. Immediately forward of the two Waist Gunner's positions was a Ball Turret that hung partly outside the aircraft. It was a sphere that could be entered from inside the fuselage by the Ball Turret gunner with the aide of the Waist Gunner. The two gunners worked as a team. Once the Ball Turret was physically turned with the two 50 caliber guns pointing down toward the earth it exposed a entry hatch, when opened allowed for ingress and egress by the Ball Turret Gunner aided by the Waist Gunner. The Ball Turret Gunner's life depended on the Waist Gunner's support. Usually, but not guaranteed ... the Ball Turret Gunner would be a short stature person that could easily roll up in a contorted ball and stay inside this contraption for extended periods of time over enemy territory to protect the Bomber's underside from German fighter pilot attacks. I mention this Ball Turret position for I flew as the bomber's Flight Engineer and operated the Top Turret. I wanted to see and feel getting into this Ball Turret. I was just over six feet tall. I was helped by our Waist Gunner as to how to step down into See: http://457thbombgroup.org/walkthru/b17-11.jpg I mention the above because Waist Gunner Charles Hrubos could have easily been hurt by this Ball Turret and explains his extended hospitalization. Here's another idea to explore! Call or write the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC and ask for their help. Send all the information I provided herein about the Lt. Robert Krumm B-17 Bomber and crew's internment back in 1944 and the specific mission date and German target. Sweden has all the data regarding the Krumm crew during WWII and their eventual release. Good Luck.
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Posted by Marie Ramsey |
Posted by Alan Morton Pilot - Robert M. Krumm Then Hap proceeded to check the loading lists and found the ONLY mission that Hrubos flew with Krumm was Mission #6 on March 3rd, 1944. He never flew another mission with Krumm although Krumm flew 25 missions after that till June 21st. Hrubos flew with the Breit crew for the rest of his 14 missions. The last on JUNE 29th, 1944. So Hrubos could NOT have been with Krumm in Sweden on June 21st. The last mission that Hrubos flew was on June 29th, 1944 and that was with the Breit crew. An excerpt from the narrative description of the Breit mission of June 29th is as follows. Hrubos was aboard this flight: "Eight craft of the low box bombed a target of opportunity, the railroad marshalling yards at Wittenberge, with good results. The craft piloted by Lt. Norman Breit encountered considerable flak. Thinking the craft was going down, three of the crew bailed out. Intense and accurate flak was encountered and fifteen craft sustained damage." Apparently the rest of the crew returned to Glatton since Breit completed 27 missions, the last on July 28th. Summary: My guess is that he was a POW in Germany and was one of those who bailed out on the Breit mission of June 29th. It is strange that he flew his first mission with Krumm on March 3rd (mission No 6) but then did not fly another mission until Mission No 59 on June 4th and from that time on he flew with the Breit Crew. He did not fly for nearly 3 months after his first mission. (Maybe this is the time he was in the hospital for an injury). This record shows that a Charles J. Hrubos, s/n 36279812 (Residence Wisconsin), 457th Bomb Group, was a POW at Stalag Luft, was liberated and repatriated at wars end. |
Posted by Marie Ramsey |
Posted by Alan Morton Alan, This is your baby so I'm letting you do all the correspondence. Cheers, Alan Morton
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Posted by Alan Morton |
Posted by Marie Ramsey |
