Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan
Sgt. Duncan was a tail gunner in the 344th Bomb Group 495th Bomb Squadron. He gave his life on a mission on February 24th 1945.
He is yet another person pictured below. This website includes profiles of many of the others shown. Many of the men in the picture were lost in action.
Link to 1st Lt. Robert S. FitSimmonds
Link to S/Sgt. Charles Franklin Brooker
These records describe a mission on Feb. 3, 1945.
The formation diagram shows that Duncan flew in plane 42-107698 “Ma’s Blasted Event” Y5-R. The pilot was 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory. Their position was as a spare aircraft at the back of the formation. The target was a railroad bridge in Arweiler, Germany.
The crew that day consisted of,
Pilot- 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory
CoPilot- 2nd Lt. C. L. Earley
Bombardier- 2nd Lt. W. G. Harden
Radio/Gun- Sgt. William Franklin Ramsey
Eng/Gun- Sgt. James Sherwood Gilroy
Tail/Gun- Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan
They flew in plane 43-34300 Y5-H which took off at 12:02 PM and landed 4:07 PM. Their bombs were dropped as briefed.
Here are the records from a mission that took place on February 6, 1945. The 344th Silver Streaks book described the mission as follows, “The
crews were briefed for a Pathfinder mission attack on a Munitions Dump located near Rheimbach, Germany. The results were unobserved, but the PFF Bombardier reported his signals were good and strikes should have
been in the target area. No flak or opposition was put up against the formation. (The PFF aircraft had a top secret device for locating the target.)
The formation diagram shows that Duncan flew in plane Y5-N “Vagabomber.” The pilot was 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory. Their position in the formation was 2-1-6. The target was a Munitions Dump in Rheimbach, Germany.
The crew that day consisted of,
Pilot- 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory
CoPilot- 2nd Lt. C. L. Earley
Bombardier- 2nd Lt. W. G. Harden
Radio/Gun- Sgt. William Franklin Ramsey
Eng/Gun- Sgt. James Sherwood Gilroy
Tail/Gun- Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan
They flew in plane 43-34131 Y5-N “Vagabomber,” which took off at 9:36 AM and landed 1:35 PM. Their bombs were dropped as briefed.
According to Lt. Mallory, they reached the target at 11:25 AM. The 16 – 250lb bombs were dropped but they could not determine the results. At the target, there were broken clouds up to 8000 feet. They encountered no flak.
On February 8, Mallory, Duncan and crew flew a mission to Defended town Cleve – Kessel, Germany. The 344th Silver Streaks book stated, “Two days later we flew to attack the defended town of Cleve, but poor bombing resulted. Again the enemy put up no opposition to us.”
The formation diagram shows that Duncan flew in plane 43-34424 y5-w Wild Willie Y5-W . The pilot was 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory. Their position in the formation was 3-1-6. The target was a Defended town in Cleve – Kessel, Germany.
The crew that day consisted of,
Pilot- 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory
CoPilot- 2nd Lt. C. L. Earley
Bombardier- 2nd Lt. W. G. Harden
Radio/Gun- Sgt. William Franklin Ramsey
Eng/Gun- Sgt. James Sherwood Gilroy
Tail/Gun- Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan
They flew in plane 43-34424 “Wild Willie” Y5-W which took off at 9:20 AM and landed 1:30 PM. Their bombs were dropped as briefed.
According to Lt. Mallory, they reached the target about 11:20 AM. The 16 – 250lb fragmentary bombs were dropped. The skies were clear en route and at the target. No flak was encountered.
The next set of records pertains to Duncan’s 2/9/45 mission to Marshalling Yards at Vierson, Germany. The 344th Silver Streaks book stated, “February 9th we bombed the Vierson Marshaling Yards with 35 Aircraft. Results were unobserved. Again, no flak was encountered.
The formation diagram shows that Duncan flew in plane Y5-N “Vagabomber.” The pilot was 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory. Their position in the formation was 1-2-5. The target was a Marshaling Yard at Vierson, Germany.
The crew that day consisted of,
Pilot- 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory
CoPilot- 2nd Lt. C. L. Earley
Bombardier- 2nd Lt. W. G. Harden
Radio/Gun- Sgt. William Franklin Ramsey
Eng/Gun- Sgt. James Sherwood Gilroy
Tail/Gun- Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan
They flew in plane 43-34131 Y5-N “Vagabomber,” which took off at 12:28 PM and landed 4:28 PM. Their bombs were dropped as briefed.
According to Lt. Mallory, they reached the Vierson and dropped bombs from 13,500 ft of altitude. The 8 – 500lb bombs were dropped. The bombs appeared to be on target.
Sgt. Homer Duncan and crew made the ultimate sacrifice on February 24 during a mission to the Viersen Communications Center.
According to “344th Silver Streaks” ; “On each of these missions
one Aircraft was shot down, one man was wounded, 12 Aircraft damaged Category ‘A” and fourteen (14) Personnel and 2 Aircraft missing. All damage done to the formation was by flak gun positions. The aircraft shot down were of the 497th and 495th Bomb Squadrons, and the crews were as follows:
497 Bomb Squadron
Lt. C. F. Chapman, Pilot
Lt. J. J. Sheehan, Co-Pilot
Lt. J. R. Harl, Bombardier
Lt. K. G. Bowdish, Navigator
Lt. F. D. Storey, Navitator
Sgt. B. J. Bentley, Engineer Gunner
Sgt. J. P. Herndon, Radio Gunner
Sgt. W. T. Williamson, Tail Gunner
495th Bomb Squadron
1st Lt. H. M. Mallory, Pilot
1st Lt. T. L. VanOver, Co-Pilot
S/Sgt. J. Brooker, Bombardier
Sgt. J. S. Gilroy, Engineer Gunner
Sgt. W. F. Ramsey, Radio Gunner
Sgt. H. D. Duncan, Tail Gunner.
Read the complete official report MACR# 12612 DATE – 24 Feb 1945
The formation diagram shows that Duncan flew in plane 42-107698 Ma’s Blasted Event Y5-R The pilot was 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory. Their position in the formation was 1-3-5. The target was a Communication Point at Vierson, Germany. Notation mentions being shot down at the target and that the wing was shot off.
The crew that day consisted of,
Pilot- 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory
CoPilot- 1st Lt. Thomas Lewis Van Over
Toggilier- S/Sgt. Charles Franklin Brooker
Radio/Gun- Sgt. William Franklin Ramsey
Eng/Gun- Sgt. James Sherwood Gilroy
Tail/Gun- Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan
They flew in plane 2-107698 Ma’s Blasted Event Y5-R which took off at 11:59 AM. The ship was lost in action.
According to the debrief, the plane was lost at the target. The left wing was “knocked off” by flak. Witnesses saw the plane hit the ground. No parachutes were seen.
Summary of Crash Report
344th MISSING CREW REPORT
MACR# 12612
DATE – 24 February 1945 14:05
MISSION – Viersen, Germany (Communication Center)
SHOT DOWN BY FLAK OVER TARGET
PLANE# 42-107698 Y5-R “Ma’s Blasted Event”
344TH BG 497TH BS Station A-59 Cormeilles-en-Vexin
Pilot- 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory 0-793142 (killed)
CoPilot- 1st Lt. Thomas Lewis Van Over 0-791742 (killed)
Flew as Bomb/Nav.- S/Sgt. Charles Franklin Brooker 35516194 (killed)
Radio/Gun- Sgt. William Franklin Ramsey 18083597 ? (killed)
Eng/Gun- Sgt. James Sherwood Gilroy 36457707 (killed)
Tail/Gun- Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan 39916133 (killed)
344th Spread Sheet Info: Served with the 344th BG / 495th BS. Nose art depicts a Stork carrying a sling & bomb. Shot down by flak over the target on the 24/2/45 mission to Viersen, Germany. The aircraft flown by 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory took a direct hit, severing the right wing, flipping the aircraft over on its back, and spinning down to the ground. All the crew were killed.
Fields of Honor Database: The aircraft was hit by flak in the right wing while on the bomb run in the target area. The right wing had been completely shot off. The aircraft flipped over and went down in a spin and was out of control.
From 344th BG history edited by Austin Lambert p46-47: “Following the gigantic attack of all the air forces on 2/22/45, the group on February 23 flew to the Erkelenz communications point and on February 24 to the Viersen Communication Center. On each of these missions one aircraft was shot down one man was wounded 12 aircraft damage category “A” and 14 personnel and two aircraft missing. All damage done to the formation was by flak gun positions. The aircraft shot down where of the 497 and 495
bomb squadron’s and the crews were as follows:
Pilot- 1st Lt. Humphrey Marshall Mallory 0-793142 (killed)
CoPilot- 1st Lt. Thomas Lewis Van Over 0-791742 (killed)
Flew as Bomb/Nav.- S/Sgt. Charles Franklin Brooker 3551619 (killed)
Radio/Gun- Sgt. William Franklin Ramsey 18083597 ? (killed)
Eng/Gun- Sgt. James Sherwood Gilroy 36457707 (killed)
Tail/Gun- Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan 39916133 (killed)
Persons who are believed to have last knowledge of aircraft:
S/Sgt. EdwardMahler 496 BS Tail Gunner
Sgt. George R. Wood 496th BS Radio/Gunner
S/Sgt. Robert E. Davies 495th Tail Gunner
No parachutes were seen to leave the aircraft. None were seen to walk away from the aircraft. Aircraft was last seen in a spin.
Eyewitness Description Statement by S/Sgt. EdwardMahler 496 BS Tail Gunner:
“I saw the aircraft piloted by Lieutenant Mallory which was hit by flack in the right wing while on the bomb run. The aircraft flipped over and went down in a spin. The aircraft was out of control. I followed the descent of the aircraft until it disappeared from view in the clouds. I did not see the aircraft crash. I did not see any chutes leave the aircraft.”
Eyewitness Description Statement by Sgt. George R. Wood 496th BS Radio/
Gunner:
“I saw the aircraft immediately after it was hit by flack on the bomb run. The right wing of the aircraft had been completely shot off. The aircraft went into a tight spin. I followed the descent of the aircraft until it disappeared from view in the clouds. I did not see the aircraft crash. I did not see any chutes leave the aircraft. The aircraft was immediately
out of control when I last saw it.”
Eyewitness Description Statement by S/Sgt. Robert E. Davies 495th Tail Gunner
“Aircraft piloted by Lieutenant Mallory was hit in the wing by flak while in the target area. The aircraft immediately went into a roll went down through the formation. I next saw the aircraft in a spin. I did not see the aircraft crash. I did not see any parachutes leave the aircraft.”
The family of crewmate S/Sgt. Charles Franklin Brooker, received the letters below from representatives of the AAC and the 344th BG (Lucius D. Clay Jr.). It can be assumed that Sgt. Homer Dean Duncan’s family received similar correspondence.
Links:
http://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=95579
https://www.fold3.com/page/529856314_charles_f_brooker/details/
http://www.b26.com/page/344th-bomb-group-mia-kia-world-war-two.htm
