The 6th Bomb Group

Crew #3913. Maj Roscoe G. Booth
                     Cpt Herbert A. Frank, Jr.

Credits

John, Jr. and Joan Potenza, children of S/Sgt John A. Potenza (CFC Gunner) and David Johnson, son of 1/Lt Harry B. Johnson (Pilot).

The Air Crew

The members of crew #3913 were:

Maj Roscoe G. Booth (A/C)
1/Lt Harry B. Johnson (Pilot)
1/Lt John J. Coogle (Navigator)
2/Lt Albert H. Nadeau (Bombardier)
M/Sgt Stanley D. Pevc (Engineer)
S/Sgt Philip D. McQuillen (Radio)
S/Sgt William E. Mason (Radarman)
T/Sgt Donald C. Hess (CFC)
S/Sgt Theodore F. Malzahn (R Gunner)
S/Sgt Wallace L. Peebles (L Gunner)
S/Sgt Morton S. Oliver (T Gunner)


The crew of Trigger Mortis.  Note that the aircraft still bears the old tail markings.
Photo provided by John Potenza, all rights reserved.  Photo and names provided by David Johnson, all rights reserved.

Standing - Left to Right: 1/Lt Harry B. Johnson (Pilot), 1/Lt John J. Coogle (Navigator), 2/Lt Albert H. "Al" Nadeau (Bombardier), Cpt Roscoe G. Booth (A/C), M/Sgt Stanley D. Pevc (Engineer), S/Sgt Philip D. "Phil" McQuillen (Radio), S/Sgt William E. "Bill" Mason (Radarman), S/Sgt Theodore F. "Ted" Malzolm (R Gunner), S/Sgt Wallace L. Peebles (L Gunner), T/Sgt Donald C. "Don" Hess (CFC), S/Sgt Morton S. Oliver (T Gunner).


Photo provided by David Johnson, all rights reserved.

Standing - Left to Right: M/Sgt Stanley D. Pevc (Engineer), S/Sgt Theodore F. "Ted" Malzolm (R Gunner), T/Sgt Donald C. "Don" Hess (CFC), S/Sgt Wallace L. Peebles (L Gunner), S/Sgt Morton S. Oliver (T Gunner).
Kneeling - Left to Right: Cpt Roscoe G. Booth (A/C), 1/Lt Harry B. Johnson (Pilot), 1/Lt John J. Coogle (Navigator), 2/Lt Albert H. "Al" Nadeau (Bombardier), S/Sgt William E. "Bill" Mason (Radarman), S/Sgt Philip D. "Phil" McQuillen (Radio)

March 27 Mining Mission

Trigger Mortis was hit over the target on a Mar 27 night mining mission to the Shimonoseki Straits.  Two men were wounded (possibly T/Sgt Donald C. "Don" Hess (CFC) and S/Sgt Morton S. Oliver (T Gunner)).  They crash landed on Iwo a couple of days after the island had been finally secured.

Replacement of Airplane and Air Crew

A new aircraft was assigned to the crew, which they named "Trigger Mortis II".  Cpt Herbert A. Frank, Jr. replaced Maj Roscoe G. Booth as Aircraft Commander.  This was probably a normal rotation.  S/Sgt John A. Potenza replaced T/Sgt Donald C. "Don" Hess as CFC.  S/Sgt Robert S. "Bob" Ziegler replaced S/Sgt Morton S. Oliver as Tail Gunner.  Hess and Oliver might have been wounded on the Mar 27 mission.


Photo courtesy of David Johnson, all rights reserved.

Standing - Left to Right: M/Sgt Stanley D. Pevc (Engineer), S/Sgt Philip D. "Phil" McQuillen (Radio), S/Sgt Theodore F. "Ted" Malzolm (R Gunner), S/Sgt John A. Potenza (CFC), S/Sgt William E. "Bill" Mason (Radarman), S/Sgt Robert S. "Bob" Ziegler (T Gunner), S/Sgt Wallace L. Peebles (L Gunner), S/Sgt Morton S. Oliver (T Gunner).
Kneeling - Left to Right: 2/Lt Albert H. "Al" Nadeau (Bombardier), 1/Lt John J. Coogle (Navigator), 1/Lt Harry B. Johnson (Pilot), Cpt Herbert A. Frank, Jr. (A/C).

In Memoriam

Malzahn, Theodore F., passed away on January 13, 2003.  He was from Hemet, California and the 39th Squadron.  [6BG Newsletter, October 2003, p. 2]

The Airplanes

This crew generally flew "Trigger Mortis" and "Trigger Mortis II".