The History of the Alfred H. Locke Crew
by Dale VanBlair
On June 22, 1943, my very close friend, Al Spadafora, and I arrived at Gowen Field, where we requested assignment to the same bomber crew. We subsequently received orders on July 20 assigning us to the 448th Bombardment Group, 715th Squadron as members of the crew for which Al Locke was pilot. After two months at Wendover Field, Utah, the 448th finished its training at the Sioux City, Iowa, base, then to Herington, Kansas, for final staging and checking out for overseas duty.
On November 20 our crew took off from Morrison Field, Florida, flew the southern route to England, and landed at Seething on December 11. We flew our first mission to Pas de Calais on December 24. After our eighth mission, our officers, engineer, and radio operator were sent to the 484th B.G. for four weeks of training as a PFF lead crew. Unfortunately, our engineer, Virgil Carroll, developed pleurisy and was returned to the U.S. and was never replaced on our crew. Pete (waist gunner), Hank (waist gunner), Al and I in the meantime remained at the 448th, where we were subject to being used as replacements on other crews.
On March 8, 1944, Al filled in on another crew for a mission to Berlin. They were forced to ditch in the North Sea, and Al was lost. I flew five missions as a replacement.
On March 22 Pete, Hank and I were transferred to the 389th B.G., 564th Squadron, where we rejoined our officers and radio operator and began flying as a PFF lead crew. On our fifth mission as a lead crew on April 29, 1944, we ditched in the North Sea, with the loss of five of twelve crew members (we were assigned two extra navigators for this mission):
Capt. Ralph Bryant, command pilot from the 466th; Lt. Kenneth Reed, instrument navigator, Lt. John Bloznelis, dead reckoning navigator; Lt. Arthur Delclisur, bombardier; and Sgt. Harold Freeman, replacement engineer for this mission. The seven of us who survived did no more combat flying.
On November 20 our crew took off from Morrison Field, Florida, flew the southern route to England, and landed at Seething on December 11. We flew our first mission to Pas de Calais on December 24. After our eighth mission, our officers, engineer, and radio operator were sent to the 484th B.G. for four weeks of training as a PFF lead crew. Unfortunately, our engineer, Virgil Carroll, developed pleurisy and was returned to the U.S. and was never replaced on our crew. Pete (waist gunner), Hank (waist gunner), Al and I in the meantime remained at the 448th, where we were subject to being used as replacements on other crews.
On March 8, 1944, Al filled in on another crew for a mission to Berlin. They were forced to ditch in the North Sea, and Al was lost. I flew five missions as a replacement.
On March 22 Pete, Hank and I were transferred to the 389th B.G., 564th Squadron, where we rejoined our officers and radio operator and began flying as a PFF lead crew. On our fifth mission as a lead crew on April 29, 1944, we ditched in the North Sea, with the loss of five of twelve crew members (we were assigned two extra navigators for this mission):
Capt. Ralph Bryant, command pilot from the 466th; Lt. Kenneth Reed, instrument navigator, Lt. John Bloznelis, dead reckoning navigator; Lt. Arthur Delclisur, bombardier; and Sgt. Harold Freeman, replacement engineer for this mission. The seven of us who survived did no more combat flying.
