Dailies of the 323rd - the 91st Bomb Group!

During the month, quite frequent air raid warnings were heard,
but the field was not subjected to enemy attack. These warnings
and alerts did not cause any interruption of schedules that were
planned.
Frequent liberty runs to nearby towns, the Red Cross and Church
army activities, movies and dances helped greatly to maintain and
build morale in the squadron, but the biggest single factor is
the satisfaction of the men in hitting the enemy hard and so
hastening his downfall. The number of man hours lost on account
of sickness is remarkably small.
1 March 1944: There being no operational mission scheduled, all
combat members engaged in ground school activities. Sixty-one man
hours of class instruction was given. Two ships flew practice
formation flights of six hours duration. So the first day of the
month was spent.
2 March 1944: On the second, an operation mission was carried out
against Frankfurt, Germany. Nine ships of this squadron
anticipating 1/Lt Joseph M. Sulli, Navigator, and S/Sgt. Phillip
Taylor, gunner, completed their tour of operation duty. As there
was a 10/10 overcast above the target, results of bombing could
not be ascertained, but all ships returned safely to base after
having dropped their bombs. Crews and ships participating were:
Ship #513, 1/Lt. Kuehl and crew; #580, 2/Lt. Claude Williams and
crew; #585 1/Lt. Bradford and crew; #911, 1/Lt. Harding and crew;
#965, 1/Lt. Pickard and crew; #774, 2/Lt. Register and drew;
#761, 2/Lt. Wilkinson and crew; #909, 1/Lt. Reid and crew; #118,
1/Lt. Samuelson and crew. Combat crewmembers not flying on this
mission participated in ground school and training activities.
3 March 1944: An operational mission was carried out with Berlin,
Germany as the target, but due to weather conditions
Wilhelmshaven, Germany, was bombed. 1/Lt. Thomas J. Gannon,
formerly squadron bombardier, finished his tour of operational
duty. Ships of this squadron on this mission were: #761, Lt. Wood
and crew; #774, Lt. Register and crew; #965, Lt. Pickard and
crew; #911, Lt. Harding and crew; #580, Lt. Claude Williams and
crew; #585, Lt. Bradford and crew; #909, Lt. Wilkinson and crew;
#513, Lt. James and crew, and #118, Lt. McFarland and crew. Due
to unfavorable weather conditions, this mission was not
successful. All ships returned safely to base except ship #965
which, due to being shot up by the enemy and all its engine
failing, was compelled to ditch in the North Sea. All crew
members succeeded in getting out before it sank, but five members
perished from exposure in the water due to the life raft's
failing to inflate. Here are the names of the five who could not