Gunner S/Sgt. Joe Mansfield MIA/KIA
Hometown: Tiburon, California
Squadron: 67th Sq. 44th Bomb Group
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
Service # 18000247
Pilot 1st/Lt. George Bronstein POW

MACR #2806
Target: Airframe Plant for Messerschmitts, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Mission Date : 1-Oct-43
Serial Number:#41-23918
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter:
Aircraft Name: MARCIA ANN
Cause: fighter attack
Location:

Second North African Tour of Operations. Exactly two months after Ploesti, the 44th Bomb Group attacked an assembly plant and suffered many casualties. The official records reported that eight planes lost, but later it was learned that one crew had landed at Bari, Italy.

The first of the three aircraft lost by the 67th Squadron was piloted by George Bronstein. Only two men were able to parachute from this plane, The MACR does not have any information concerning the fate of this ship and crew. Apparently, there were no observers on the other aircraft as they were far too busy fighting off the multitude of attacks by the enemy aircraft. However, recently I heard from Jacob Cohen, the navigator. He wrote: "I recall that when we approached the target we were under heavy antiaircraft and fighter attack. We managed to drop our bombs and turned to return home. I could see several fighter planes coming directly at us. It was frustrating because the machine guns in the nose of the airplane where I sat as navigator could not be turned to aim at planes coming directly at us. One of the fighter planes coming at us was so close I could see the pilot. "Looking to my left, I could see one of our planes going down in flames. Our plane appeared to be in a slow descent. Looking up I see that most of our wing was gone. As navigator, being in the nose of the plane, I could see what was happening behind me and the condition of the rest of the plane. The pilot rang the bailout bell so we (the bombardier and I) opened the bomb bay doors. I attached my parachute and sat down in the open door and let myself slide out. The bombardier was behind me. I found out later that he had been killed. "Coming down I could hear voices on the ground. A gust of wind caught me as I got to the ground and I hit the ground on my backside. I was soon surrounded by civilians but they did not bother me. I had been injured and could not move. An ambulance came over and took me to a German military hospital. I was the only American there, but they left me alone, and after I could walk, though with difficulty, I was sent to prison camp, Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany, where we were liberated by Russian guerillas, mainly Mongolians, close to the end of the war."

#42-72877 Crew
1st/Lt. George Bronstein Pilot POW
2nd/Lt. Charles R. Erickson Co Pilot
KIA
2nd/Lt. Jacob Cohen Navigator POW
2nd/Lt. William S. Archambault Bombardier KIA
T/Sgt. George W. Berkstresser Engineer KIA
S/Sgt. George Click Radio Op. POW
S/Sgt. Michael L. Prekopie Gunner
S/Sgt. Harry T. Bolster Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Jack P. Shephard Gunner POW
S/Sgt. Joe Mansfield Gunner MIA/KIA