Buckeye Boomerang II - 91st Bomb Group (H)

Buckeye Boomerang II

401st Squadron

Capt. John D. Davis' Crew

I've Got the World on a String

Serial # 42-31672 LL

Back Row - Left to Right

T/Sgt. Duard K. Nowling, Radio Operator & Gunner; S/Sgt. Joseph B. Brennann, Ball Turret Gunner & Armorer; T/Sgt. Robert A. Wood, Top Turret Gunner & Flight Engineer; S/Sgt. Joel L. Ziegler, Tail Gunner; S/Sgt. Robert O. Duncan, Waist Gunner & Armorer; T/Sgt. George A. Parrish, Waist Gunner.

Front Row - Left to Right

Lt. Walter G. Quarve, Bombardier & Gunner; Captain John D. Davis, Pilot; Alan D. Morey, Co-pilot; Frank I. Varva, Navigator & Gunner.

Photo contributed by Jim Vaught; and thanks to Dan Boon for getting in contact with George Parrish and sending this info to us

Buckeye Boomerang II Factoid - The below information was provided by George Parrish (to the best of his memory), Waist Gunner with the above crew. The crew arrived at Bassingbourn, England in October 1943, and continued flying to familiarize the crew with the English skies under wartime procedures. The crew flew their first mission to Bremen, Germany, bombing the Nazi submarine pens on 26 NOV 1943. The first Berlin daylight bombing mission on 06 MAR 1943 was their 15th mission in the 8th Air Corps first heavy bomber groups. Most of the crew, except for the injured and lost, completed the 32 mission tour in August 1944 and returned to the states for Heavy B-29 training. George stated that he participated in the B-29 training after a 3 month confinement to a Louisville, KY convalescent hosptial for a "severe Flak Happy condition, as was common in those days."

Lt. Walter G. Quarve was shot down with another crew. He flew the mission to catch up with the missions he missed due to sickness. Captain John Davis, after completing his first tour of 32 missions, returned to the states for surgery on his gums but returned for his second tour of missions in late 1944 to serve as Squadron Commander of the 401st Bomb Squadron of the 91st BG (their original squadron), with the rank of Major, until early 1945. Alan Morey continued his tour as co-pilot and was assigned to his crew around August of 1944 as First Pilot, finishing his missions with his crew that were made up of personnel from broken crews, along with some new fliers from training squadrons. Frank Varva was promoted to Captain as one of the lead Navigators of the new Mickey ships with ground seeking radar - the very first radar for the Group.

Joseph Brennan was shot down with Lt. Anderson's crew on Wednesday 29 MAR 1944. George believes that fighters shot the plane down on a mission to Brunswick, Germany. Robert Wood was removed from light status due to severe injuries on their mission to Schweinfurt, Germany on Friday 24 MAR, their 19th mission. George Parrish spent the first half of the crew's mission tour at Waist Gunner, then moved to Top Turret when Wood was severely injured. During the crew's formation in Walla Walla, Washington in the summer of 1943, Parrish and Wood were flight engineers when joining the crew. Wood was assigned the position, but George chose to continue with the crew because of the immediate bonding with all of the men as well as being impressed with Lt. Davis and his experience with the Royal Canadian Air Force earlier in the war.