Jack the Ripper - 91st Bomb Group (H)

Jack the Ripper

324th Squadron

Capt. Crumm's Crew

Rhapsody in Blue

Serial # 41-24490 DF-C

Crew Names and Ages (not in order according to the photo):

Capt. William J. Crumm, Pilot (23); 1st Lt. Mark H. Gilman, Co-pilot (26); 1st Lt. William C. Leasure, Navigator (24); 1st Lt. Robert L. Kleyla, Bombardier (23); T/Sgt. Peter F. Deboy, Radio Operator/Gunner (23); T/Sgt. Karl L. Masters, Top Turret Gunner/Engineer (24); S/Sgt. Rufus W. Youngblood, Waist Gunner/Asst. Engineer (19); S/Sgt. James B. O'Donnell, Waist Gunner/Asst. Radio Operator (20); S/Sgt. Andrew Markle, Ball Turret (26); Sgt. Glenn C. Wilson, Tail Gunner (25)

Note: There were two original crew members who were unable to return to the states for a War Bond Tour, T/Sgt. Charles D. Wright and S/Sgt. Harvey J. McNally, but it is unknown if they are in the above photo or not (instead of S/Sgt. Markle and Sgt. Wilson).

Photos contributed by Rebecca Vaughn

The following two photos were taken upon the crew's return to the states for a War Bond Tour in 1942. Photos were not taken in front of Jack the Ripper. The crew names are listed above.

Bottom Row (Left to Right): 1st Lt. Gilman, Capt. Crumm, 1st Lt. Leasure, 1st Lt. Kleyla

Top Row (Left to Right): T/Sgt. Masters, T/Sgt. Deboy, Sgt. Wilson, S/Sgt. Youngblood, S/Sgt. O'Donnell, S/Sgt. Markle

The returning crew met with the War Department of the U.S.A. to assist with the preparation of the above training manual, "Bombing the Nazis."

Jack the Ripper Factoid - The first full crew to fly back to the USA from the ETO and the 8th Air Corps was the crew of Capt. William J. Crumm of the 324th Squadron. They completed 11 missions in February 1943, which included Brest, Abbeville, La Pallice, Lille, Romilly Sur Seine, Lorient, Wilhelmshaven, Hamm, & Emden. They flew a modified B-17 back via the southern route of Africa, Brazil to Washington, D.C., after a short leave on to Orlando, Florida for day after day questioning on their combat experiences. From this an instructional manual "Bombing the Nazi's" by the crew of Jack the Ripper published in April 1943 as a handbook for future combat crew. In March, April, and May, they toured 30 cities promoting War Bond sales, then trained combat crews through November of 1943. They were assigned to individual duties, Crumm now a Lt. Col. was sent to Guam as a Squadron Commander, Youngblood to Aviation Cadet training for bombardiers, Deboy to AAF OCS, Masters went on a second tour as an engineer on B-17s in Italy.

Col. Crumm eventuall was promoted to Major General and was, at one time, the base commander at March A.F.B. in Riverside, California. Sent to Guam 24 years later as Commander of a B-52 force in the Pacific, he was killed in action in a collision of two of the giant bombers on the return leg of a raid on North Vietnam 7 July 1967. He had been scheduled to return to the U.S. for an important new assignment and a promotion.

The first crew of Jack the Ripper (B-17F 41-24490 DF C, 324th Squadron)

Capt. William J. Crumm, Pilot; 1st Lt. Mark H. Gilman, Co-pilot; 1st Lt. William C. Leasure, Navigator; 1st Lt. Robert L. Kleyla, Bombardier; T/Sgt. Karl L. Masters, Top Turret Gunner; T/Sgt. Peter F. Deboy, Radio Operator; S/Sgt. Andrew Markle, Ball Turret Gunner; S/Sgt. Rufus W. Youngblood, Waist Gunner; S/Sgt. J.B. O'Donnell, Waist Gunner; Sgt. G.F. Wilson, Tail Gunner.

The crew did not fly Jack the Ripper home to the U.S. The plane they flew in had been modified to meet combat demands in the ETO and was to serve as a model for future B-17 sent overseas.