A member of the 77th Infantry Division, PFC Samuel J. Brandstein was killed at Okinawa on May 13, 1945. His name appeared in one of the last WW II Casualty Lists to have been appeared in the Times (on April 21, 1946), while his obituary – one of several published in the Times that year – was published on March 9.
Born in 1912, he was married to Flora L. Brandstein, and the couple lived at 2675 Morris Ave., in the Bronx.
PFC Brandstein’s body was never found. His name is commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Like many American Jewish servicemen, his name is not listed in the book American Jews in World War Two.
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Brooklyn Soldier Killed On Okinawa May 13, 1945
Pfc. Samuel J. Brandstein, of Company F, 306th Infantry, Seventy-Seventh Division, son of Mr. and Mrs. Max Brandstein of 1835 Seventy-seventh Street, Brooklyn, who was previously reported missing, was killed in action on Okinawa May 13, 1945, according to word received here. He was 33 years old.
He had also fought on Guam, Leyte and in the Philippines. Born in Brooklyn, he attended New Utrecht High School and Long Island University. He left the employ of the Western Union Company to enter the service in March, 1942. He went overseas in April, 1943. Besides his parents, he leaves a widow, Mrs. Flora Brandstein, and a brother, Dr. Edward Brandstein.
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Some other Jewish military casualties on Sunday, May 13, 1945 include…
Killed in Action – .ת.נ.צ.ב.ה. –
Gellar, James M., PFC, 36681494, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart United States Army, 99th Infantry Division, 381st Infantry Regiment, F Company Mrs. Mary Miller (aunt), 111 Rebecca Place, Peoria, Il. Born 5/14/25 Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii – Plot M-121; Buried 3/9/49 American Jews in World War Two – 100
Samuel, Gerhard, PFC, 35904219 United States Army, 77th Infantry Division, 305th Infantry Regiment Mr. and Mrs. Gustav (8/2/87-1954) and Gertrud (Bruck) Samuel (parents), 3750 Carrollton Ave., Indianapolis, In.; Arnold and Susie Samuel (brother and sister); Fred A. Samuel (cousin) Born in Germany, at Rodalben in der Pfalz; 1/9/26 Mount Olive Cemetery, Solon, Ohio Aufbau 7/6/45 Over The Front – Summer, 2000 American Jews in World War Two – 124
Killed (Non-Battle)
Landau, Mary M., PFC, A-207742 Mr. Louis Landau (father), Miss Renee Landau (sister), 559 Glenmore Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. Born 12/13/06 Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo. – Section 70, Grave 16187-89; Buried 6/29/59 News Item 6/10/45 American Jews in World War Two – 370
Naimer, Belle G., Sgt., A-116702 Mr. David Naimer (father), 136 East 208th St., Bronx, N.Y.; Gus, Harry, and Jack (brothers) Born 10/31/11 Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo. – Section 70, Grave 16187-89; Buried 6/29/59 News Item 6/10/45 American Jews in World War Two – Not listed
Mary Landau and Belle Naimer were two among the twenty-three crew and passengers who were killed in the loss of a 317th Troop Carrier Group C-47 (41-23952; “Gremlin Special / Guinea Gopher“) during a sight-seeing flight over the Balim Valley of Central New Guinea. Caught in a down-draft, the aircraft, piloted by Colonel Peter Prossen, crashed, leaving only five survivors. Of the five, PFC Eleanor Hanna and S/Sgt Laura Besley died of their wounds the next day. The three eventual survivors, T/Sgt. Kenneth Decker, Cpl. Margaret J. Hastings, 1 Lt. John S. McColum were rescued 47 days late through extraordinary efforts by the Army Air Force and Filipino paratroopers, who evacuated the survivors by glider. The loss of the plane is covered by MACR 14697.
This compelling story received national news attention in June of 1945. This was particularly so in New York State newspapers (Albany Times-Union, Binghamton Press, Brooklyn Eagle, New York Sun, and New York Post) probably because survivor Margaret Hastings was from Oswego. Especially detailed was the story “Mystery Valley of Shangri-La Isolates Plane Crash Survivors”, filed by Associated Press reporter Dean Schedler, which was published in the Sun on June 8. This two-page article provides a full list of crew and passengers, along with the towns and cities where their next-of-kin resided.
Both the Albany Times-Union and New York Sun specifically mentioned Belle Naimer, the Times-Union reporting (in an A.P. story):
MET SAME FATE AS HER FIANCE
NEW YORK, June 8 (AP) – WAC Sgt. Belle G. Naimer of the Bronx, one of 20 persons killed in on May 13 when an Army plane crashed in New Guinea’s hidden “Shangri-La” valley, met the same fate as her fiance, her father, David Naimer, said today.
The attractive, 32-year-old woman had been engaged to an Army Air Force Lieutenant who was killed in a plane crash in Europe while en route to the front, he said.
The father, almost totally blind, said he did not know the lieutenant’s name.
He said he last received a letter from his daughter May 9, from New Guinea.
Both the Sun and the New York Post reported that a funeral service was later conducted by aircraft the crash site by Catholic and Protestant Chaplains, with twenty-one grave markers (one of which was a Magen David) being dropped to the crash site. In that regard, it is interesting – but not unusual – that while Mary Landau’s name would eventually be listed in American Jews in World War Two, Bell Naimer’s name did not appear in that book.
In 1959, the remains of eighteen casualties from the crash were re-interred in a collective grave at Section 70, Site 16187-89, at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on June 29, 1959. The image below, by FindAGrave contributor Carol Beck, shows this group’s collective grave marker. (Three other casualties, including Sgt. Besley and PFC Hanna, are buried in individual graves.)
The following article about Belle Naimer, provided by FindAGrave contributor Astrid, can be found at Sgt. Naimer’s FindAGrave biographical profile. This biography notably differs from the item published in the Albany Times-Union in reporting that her fiance was killed in October or November of 1944, during a crash at or near the Mississippi River.
Unfortunately, his name is unknown.
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Writer Mitchell Zuckoff, author of 13 Hours in Benghazi and Frozen in Time, has fully chronicled the story of the Gremlin Special / Guinea Gopher in his book, Lost in Shangri-La, which is directly available through his website.
References
Dublin, Louis I., and Kohs, Samuel C., American Jews in World War II – The Story of 550,000 Fighters for Freedom, The Dial Press, New York, N.Y., 1947.
PFC Montrose M. (“Monty”) Brenner, a member of the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, was killed in action at Okinawa on April 22, 1945. The son of Nathan and Ida Brenner, he was the brother of Seymour Brenner and Pauline (Brenner) Speckler. His obituary accompanied a Casualty List published in the Times on August 16, 1945. He was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
Pfc. Monte M. Brenner, 21-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Brenner of 1555 East Ninth Street, Brooklyn, was killed on Okinawa Island on April 22, according to word received here.
He served with Army Ordnance at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, and after being transferred to the Pacific Theatre was stationed on New Caledonia. He took part in the invasion of Leyte and was a member of the Seventeenth Infantry Regiment, Seventh Division, during the landings on Okinawa.
He attended New York University before entering the Army.
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PFC Brenner was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery, in Flushing, on February 4, 1949. His grave location is Werenczanker Bukowin Society, Block 45, Reference 4, Section H/I, Line 6, Grave 8/6.
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Some other Jewish military casualties on Sunday, April 22, 1945, include…
Killed in Action – .ת.נ.צ.ב.ה. –
Bernstein, Melvin, PFC, 17078056, Purple Heart United States Army, 10th Mountain Division, 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment, G Company Mr. Harry Z. Bernstein (father), 2515 Country Club Ave., Omaha, Ne. Born 1922 Florence American Cemetery, Florence, Italy – Plot E, Row 5, Grave 31 American Jews in World War II – 220
Bretholtz, Sidney, Pvt., 42033699, Purple Heart United States Army, 85th Infantry Division, 337th Infantry Regiment Mr. Leon Bretholtz (father), PFC Jack Bretholtz (brother), 2395 Morris Ave., Bronx, N.Y. Place of burial unknown Casualty List 5/15/45 American Jews in World War II – 283
Brownstein, Melvin I., Pvt., 32623022, Purple Heart United States Army, 9th Armored Division, 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, Mechanized Mr. Max Brownstein (father), Mr. Bob Brownstein (cousin), 990 Aldus St., New York, N.Y. Place of burial unknown Casualty List 5/31/45 American Jews in World War II – 285
Ezra, Joseph, Pvt., 32964854, Silver Star, Purple Heart United States Army, 10th Mountain Division, 20th Armored Infantry Battalion Mrs. Anne Ezra (wife), 77-79 Division Ave., Bronx, N.Y. Mount Hebron Cemetery, Flushing, N.Y. – Life & Charity Society, Inc. Section, Block 109, Reference 20, Line PP-4, Grave 1 (Buried 8/17/48) Casualty List 5/31/45 American Jews in World War II – 304
Weiner, George A., 2 Lt., 0-2007276, Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart United States Army, 96th Infantry Division, 383rd Infantry Regiment Mrs. Norma B. Weiner (wife), 3300 Lake Shore Drive, Apt. 9E, Chicago, Il. Student at Northwestern University Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii Casualty List 6/4/45 American Jews in World War II – 120
Welgus, Morton, PFC, 39339990, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart
United States Army, 27th Infantry Division, 105th Infantry Regiment Mrs. Pauline Welgus (mother), 151 North Ainsworth St., Portland, Or.
Born 8/7/25
Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii – Plot O-346; Buried 3/9/49 American Jews in World War II – 507
Wounded in Action
Levenson, Harold, Pvt., Purple Heart; Wounded on Okinawa United States Army Mrs. Fannie Levenson (mother), Pvt. Roy L. Levenson (brother), 275 Merton Road, Detroit, Mi. Born Indianapolis, In., 1924 Student at University of Michigan The Jewish News (Detroit) 6/8/45 American Jews in World War II – 193
Reference
Dublin, Louis I., and Kohs, Samuel C., American Jews in World War II – The Story of 550,000 Fighters for Freedom, The Dial Press, New York, N.Y., 1947
An obituary for Private Alfred A. Berg, an Army infantryman, accompanied a Casualty List published in The Times on February 22, 1945.
Born on August 31, 1923, he was a member of the 89th Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized), of the 9th Armored Division, Private Berg was killed in action on December 23, 1944. He was buried at Riverside Cemetery, in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, on July 27, 1948. (Family Section 11, Map 325, Block I, Section 33, Plot 27, Grave 1.)
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Veteran of D-Day Landings is Killed in Luxembourg
One of the first to hit the Normandy beaches on D-day, Pvt. Alfred A. Berg, who did reconnaissance work in the mechanized cavalry, was killed in December in the unsuccessful German counterattack in Luxembourg, the War Department has notified his family here.
Private Berg, who was 21 years old, saw active service in all the major engagements leading up to the German break-through. He never had much time to write his family of all his experiences because, as he explained in one of his letters, “I’m always in the foxholes.”
Born in this city, he was graduated from De Witt Clinton High School in 1941. He was active in sports and was a member of the school’s swimming team. He attended Pennsylvania State College before enlisting in the Army on June 25, 1943. After five and a half month’s training at Fort Reilly, Kan., he was sent to England.
The Purple Heart was awarded to him posthumously.
Surviving are his father and stepmother, Mr. and Mrs. William Berg of 639 West End Avenue; a brother, Lieut. Russell Berg, now serving with the First Army in Belgium, and a stepbrother, Pfc. Laurence Curtis, who is stationed in Spokane, Wash.
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An image of the location of his parents’ residence, at 639 West End Avenue (from apartments.com) is shown below:
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Some other Jewish military casualties on Saturday, December 23, 1944 include the following…
Killed in Action – .ת.נ.צ.ב.ה. –
Chodash, Joseph, Pvt., 42088672 United States Army, 87th Infantry Division, 345th Infantry Regiment, A Company, Purple Heart Mr. Harry Chodash (father), 177 Broadway, Bayonne, N.J.; Joseph H. Chodash (nephew) Born 12/21/15 United Hebrew Cemetery, Staten Island, N.Y. American Jews in World War II – 229
Goldberger, Edward L., Cpl., 32797851 United States Army, 1st Infantry Division, 26th Infantry Regiment, Silver Star, Purple Heart (Matzeva gives date of 12/22/44) Mr. Albert Goldberger (father), 1511 Sheridan Ave., New York, N.Y.; Edward and Stella (uncle and aunt) Born 12/5/24 Riverside Cemetery, Rochelle Park, N.J. – Section Temple Beth Elohim, Map 129, Block G, Section 20, Plot 19, Grave 8; Buried 11/10/47 American Jews in World War II – 325
Hene, Julius A., Capt., 0-477319, Purple Heart United States Army, 106th Infantry Division, 422nd Infantry Regiment Mrs. Bianka J. Hene (wife), 15 West 106th St., New York, N.Y. Born 1909; Graduate of Cornell University POW ~ 12/16/44; Interned at Stalag 12A (Limburg an der Lahn); Killed when stray bombs struck prisoners’ barracks during RAF bombing of adjacent rail yard Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Holland – Plot F, Row 17, Grave 25 Casualty List 3/13/45; American Jews in World War II – 343
Klores, Daniel N., PFC, 12022507, Purple Heart United States Army, 101st Airborne Division, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, Mrs. Molly Klores (mother), 3109 Brighton 7th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Born 3/29/18 Mount Judah Cemetery, Cypress Hills, N.Y. – Section 1, Block S, Grave 138, Path R07, Charles Weinstein Society – Buried 11/29/48 Casualty List 3/9/45 American Jews in World War II – 364
Posner, Norman F., Pvt., 42057685, Purple Heart United States Army, 3rd Armored Division, 36th Armored Infantry Regiment Mr. Jacob Posner (father), Box 721 / 940 North Hill St., Oceanside, Ca. // 5151 North 4th St., St. Petersburg, Fl. Born Brooklyn, N.Y., 1925 Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Holland – Plot I, Row 11, Grave 6 American Jews in World War II – not listed
Prosnick, Leonard, 2 Lt., 0-1032549, Purple Heart United States Army, 106th Infantry Division, 106th Reconnaissance Troops Mrs. Gladys Alene (Scott) Prosnick (wife) and Sherrylynn Prosnick (daughter) Born 9/24/44 (Murfreesboro, Tennessee?) Mrs. Selma Fogel (mother), 117 South 55th St., Philadelphia, Pa. Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Holland – Plot H, Row 8, Grave 5 Born Philadelphia, Pa., 6/6/21 American Jews in World War II – 544
Saltzman, Solomon, Pvt., 42004657, Purple Heart United States Army, 10th Armored Division, 420th Armored Field Artillery Battalion Mrs. Ida Saltzman (mother), 700 Avenue A, Bayonne, N.J. Born 1926 Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium – Plot H, Row 1, Grave 69 Casualty List 3/6/45 American Jews in World War II – 252
Died in other circumstance…
Feinberg, Sydney Charles, Capt., 0-482585 United States Army Mrs. Nettie Feinberg (wife), Jimmy (son), New York, N.Y.; Mrs. Sadie Feinberg (mother); Dorothy and Melvin (brother and sister) Graduate of Columbia University Died in New York State Place of burial unknown American Jews in World War II – 305
Prisoners of War
Goldberg, Sheldon A., Pvt., 20218182, Purple Heart United States Army, 3rd Infantry Division, 15th Infantry Regiment POW at Reslaz Magdeburgh Mrs. Gloria L. Goldberg (wife), 678 Linwood St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Casualty List 6/5/45 American Jews in World War II – 325
Levy, Milton, PFC, 32874904 United States Army, 28th Infantry Division, 109th Infantry Regiment POW at Stalag 3A (Luckenwalde) Mrs. Lena Levy (mother), 1945 64th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Casualty Lists 4/19/45 and 5/23/45 American Jews in World War II – Not listed
Semel, Jason W., Sgt., 32352898 United States Army, 101st Airborne Division, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment Location of POW Camp unknown Mr. and Mrs. Milton and Anna Semel (parents), 305 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. Born N.Y., 4/21/20 Casualty List 6/21/45 American Jews in World War II – Not listed
Skoler, David, 1 Lt., 0-1292948 United States Army, 84th Infantry Division, 333rd Infantry Regiment POW at Oflag 13B (Hammelburg) Mrs. Gertrude Skoler (mother), 115 Quincy St., Quincy, Ma. Casualty List 6/12/45 American Jews in World War II – Not listed
Weitman, Morris, PFC, 12219182, Purple Heart United States Army, 82nd Airborne Division, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment POW at Stalag 12A (Limburg an der Lahn) Mr. Jacob Weitman (father), 212 East Seventh St., New York, N.Y. Casualty List 6/20/45 American Jews in World War II – 471
Zimberg, Bernard, Pvt., 32204882 United States Army, 101st Airborne Division, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment POW at Stalag 4B Muhlberg Mrs. Bessie Zimberg (mother), 1448 57th St. / 5701 15th Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. Born 1914 Casualty List 7/19/45 American Jews in World War II – Not listed
Wounded in Action
Fogel, Edward, PFC, 13008356, Purple Heart (in Germany) United States Army Mr. George Fogel (father), 1289 East Chelten Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. Born Pa., 1922 Philadelphia Record 1/11/45 American Jews in World War II – 521
Savran, Bernard, PFC, 13054181, Purple Heart (in Germany) Mrs. Fannie Savran (mother), 3122 West Clifford St., Philadelphia, Pa. Born Pa., 1919 Philadelphia Record 2/18/45 American Jews in World War II – 549
Simon, Henry I., PFC, 33588283, Purple Heart (in France) United States Army House Sergeant George Simon (father) [policeman], 5030 F St., Philadelphia, Pa. Born Pa.; 1923 The Jewish Exponent 4/20/45 Philadelphia Record 1/30/45 American Jews in World War II – 522
Weisman, Edward, Pvt., 33806816, Purple Heart (in France) United States Army Mrs. Edith Weisman (wife), 1608 S. 7th St., Philadelphia, Pa. Born Pa.; 1914 The Jewish Exponent 2/9/45, 2/23/45 Philadelphia Record 1/28/45 American Jews in World War II – 559
Reference
Dublin, Louis I., and Kohs, Samuel C., American Jews in World War II – The Story of 550,000 Fighters for Freedom, The Dial Press, New York, N.Y., 1947.
Doubtless some visitors to this blog will already be familiar with Lockheed’s P-38 Lightning, but for those who are not… The Lightning was one of most versatile, successful, and particularly one of the most physically distinctive fighter aircraft of the Second World War. Designed by the Lockheed corporation to meet a 1936 Army Air Force Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new fighter (“interceptor”) aircraft capable of protecting the continental United States from bomber aircraft, in time the P-38 would also successfully fulfill the roles of aerial reconnaissance, pathfinder, bombardment leader (“droop-snoot”), and night fighter (albeit not actually used in combat in that role).
Particularly and immediately noticeable is the aircraft’s general design: The configuration of most fighter aircraft of the Second World War – whether powered by radial or in-line (liquid-cooled) engines – was manifested in the “conventional” planform of a fuselage with engine at front, atop low-mounted wings, and with a single tail. Of course, tremendous variation in design existed between the Axis and Allies, let alone among the aircraft manufacturers of any warring nation. Due to the RFP requirements for speed, a fast rate of climb, heavy firepower, and duration of flight at full throttle, the Lightning was strikingly different. This was due to the innovative approach of the aircraft’s design team, which was headed by Clarence C. “Kelly” Johnson.
Two supercharged engines were used. But, rather than a conventional, continuous fuselage extending to and terminating in a single tail unit, the pilot and armament (and other equipment, such as aerial cameras, bombsight, or bombing radar), and radio were situated in a central “pod” or “gondola” between the engines, the latter being housed in individual nacelles, each extending rearward to an individual fin and rudder. Mounted between and “connecting” these twin fins and rudders was a horizontal stabilizer / elevator, with the plane resting on tricycle landing gear. The resulting design was visually distinctive and thus readily identifiable at great distances, by coincidence imparting an almost “art-deco” quality to the plane.
Though other WW II American military aircraft may be better known in popular culture, the Lighting’s technologically innovative design and consequent versatility, combined with its performance and firepower, eventuated in an outstanding and eminently successful military aircraft.
And in another sense, an aesthetically beautiful flying machine, as well.
The Lightning was used by the Army Air Force in all combat theaters, rising to special preeminence in the Pacific, the United States’ two most successful WW II aces (Major Richard I. Bong and Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr.) attaining the entirety of their victories against the against the Japanese in P-38s. In the European Theater, though eventually almost entirely superseded – in the fighter role – in the 8th and 9th Air Forces by the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt – the plane was continuously used by three Mediterranean-based fighter groups (1st, 14th, and 82nd) which were assigned to the 12th (and in turn 15th) Air Forces.
For a comprehensive and detailed account of the development and use of the P-38 Lighting upon the air war against Germany and Japan – with particularly insightful analysis of the strategic impact of the P-38 in the European Theater, where the reputation of the P-38 was eventually overshadowed by the P-51 Mustang – the following document by Dr. Carlo Kopp, from the Air Power Australia website, is particularly noteworthy and very highly recommended: Der Gabelschwanz Teufel – Assessing the Lockheed P-38 Lightning (Technical Report APA – TR – 2010 – 1201).
The image below is an excellent representative photograph of a P-38 in flight. When this picture was taken, this specific P-38J – 42-68009 – later (temporarily) nicknamed Snafuperman – was probably being flown by Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier (mentioned in Phil’s interview). 42-68009 was lost in a flying accident in New Guinea in early 1945.
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JEWBOY, P-38J, 42-104107, was photographed some time in late May through early June of 1944, when it was assigned to the 49th Fighter Squadron (“Hangmen”) of the 14th Fighter Group.
The Individual Aircraft Record Card for the aircraft is shown below.
The plane was manufactured at Lockheed Aircraft’s Burbank factory, and accepted by the Army Air Force on January 11, 1944. The aircraft departed Newark Army Airfield (now Newark Liberty International Airport) for the Mediterranean Theater on February 4, arriving overseas by February 9. The final entry in the Record Card, corroborates the record in the database of Aviation Archeological Investigation and Research, the latter indicating that the plane was wrecked in a landing accident at Triolo on July 31, 1944.
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The 14th Fighter Group, like most Army Air Force fighter groups, was comprised of three squadrons (the other two being the 37th and 48th), as well as a Headquarters Squadron.
The individual aircraft in the 14th’s squadrons were identified by numbers painted upon both sides of the nose, and also upon the outer surfaces of the tail-boom mounted coolant radiators. A specific numerical range was used to denote the planes in each squadron, with numbers 1 through 30 being allocated to the 48th, 31 through 60 for the 49th, and 61 through 90 for the 37th. The squadron’ aircraft were further distinguished from one another by horizontal stripes painted upon the upper, outer surface of their planes’ fins and rudders, with all aircraft in a squadron bearing the same color: Red for the 37th, blue for the 49th, and white for the 48th. This stripe was sometimes highlighted or trimmed in black or gold to render it more distinctive. The central part of the horizontal stabilizer and elevator was also painted and trimmed in the same squadron color. Finally, common to all 15th Air Force fighters as of early 1944, the propeller spinners were painted red.
The plane’s squadron markings are thus typical in appearance for P-38s assigned to the 49th Fighter Squadron in 1944 and 1945.
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Though the date of the photograph is unknown, it was probably taken some time between May 25, 1944 (the date of Phil’s last victory), and his departure for the United States on Jun 9 of that year. The circled swastikas likely denote aerial victories, while the “uncircled” swastikas probably denote aircraft destroyed in a strafing attack against a German airfield at Villaorba, Italy, on May 14, 1944.
Unfortunately, the name of the photographer, and the date and location of the images are not given. However, the B-24 Liberators in the background of the photos provide a clue.
In this photo, a B-24 Liberator is visible in the right center of the photograph. The horizontal bar on the lower portion of the bomber’s starboard fin and rudder indicates that the aircraft probably belonged to the 461st Bomb Group. This implies that the photos were taken at the 461st’s base at Torretto.
This image confirms that the word “Jewboy” was painted in English – rather than German – on the plane’s starboard nacelle.
The following image is particularly useful in illustrating the blue tail stripe of the 49th Fighter Squadron on the plane’s fin and rudder, and, the individual aircraft squadron number “47” painted on the exterior of the starboard oil cooler housing. Though the aircraft’s serial number “2104107” is situated below the tail stripe, it has been obscured by exhaust gases from the supercharger, which (not visible in the photo) is mounted atop the engine nacelle. (This was a common effect in P-38s, often making photographic identification of specific planes difficult.)
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Here are two beautiful illustrations of 42-104107 by Andrej T. Sadlo, which appear in the Mini Topcolors series book P-38 Lightning at War, Part 2 (coauthored with Maciej Góralczyk, and published by Kagero). Like other works in the Mini Topcolors series (which covers both aircraft and armored vehicles), the book is a painting and markings guide for a few, select military subjects with significant and unusual markings, and includes 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale decal sheets, published by Cartograf, for each subject. Each aircraft is illustrated by a four-view profile.
This vertical view illustrates the central stripe painted on the horizontal stabilizer and elevator of 14th Fighter Group P-38s.
In this 24-minute file (derived from a much lengthier interview) Phil relates memories and highlights of his service as a military pilot. The “sections” of the interview are listed below.
1: 0:00 – 0:42 – Mother attending Graduation at Williams Field, Arizona; Saying good-bye to family and friends 2: 0:45 – 3:46 – Aircraft flown in training (PT-17, BT-13, P-322, AT-9); Encountering and overcoming antisemitism 3: 3:50 – 5:22 – Departing United States (via ship) for overseas from Hampton Roads, Va.; Encountering a rabbi before departure; Saying good-bye to family 4: 5:29 – 9:00 – Use of P-38s by 8th Air Force; Maintenance and flyability of P-38 in England (8th Air Force) versus Mediterranean (12th and 15th Air Forces); Losing engine on take-off while flying the P-38; Witnessing Tony LeVier fly P-38 5: 9:05 – 11:23 – Nature of combat flying (physical and mental aspects); Living conditions in North Africa and Italy (diet) 6: 11:28 – 13:00 – Personalities of fighter pilots (“Tiger” Jones and James W. Tipton); Opinion about movie “Top Gun” 7: 13:05 – 16:14 – Wingmen; Best wingman (Warren E. Semple); Incident over Ploesti; Three B-24s attacked by German fighters; Me-109s engaged by Goldstein and Semple; Claims not confirmed; Semple later killed in action. (Actually, incident with Semple occurred over Piacenza, Italy, on May 25. Goldstein shot down an FW-190; Semple shot down an Me-109 and FW-190. Phil actually shot down the Me-109 on April 2, over Steyr, Austria.) 8: 16:20 – 16:42 – Death of best friend (Edgar G. Hemmerlein)
9: 16:45 – 17:32 – Psychologically acclimating oneself to combat flying on a routine basis 10: 17:37 – 22:06 – Thoughts about implications of being a Jew flying combat missions over German-occupied Europe; Assumption that he would not survive war; Meeting rabbi at Hampton Roads; Saying good-bye to family; Most dangerous mission he flew (Wingman to Robert K. Seidman 5/14/14); Witnessing loss of B-24s over Munich 11: 22:09 – 23:42 – Getting his “own” P-38 and naming aircraft “JEWBOY”; Reaction of others to nickname
12: 23:47 -24:13 – Reading from the Tanach and saying Shema Yisrael every night; Wearing Mezuzah with dog-tags.
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This is a 1944 or 1945 aerial view of the 14th Fighter Group’s airfield at Triolo, Italy, looking south-southwest. (Photograph from Historical Records of 14th Fighter Group, in NARA Records Group 18.)
This is a very contemporary (2017) Google Earth 3-D view of the site of the Triolo Airfield, adjusted to view the location from the same orientation and perspective as the above photograph. Though the runway, taxi strips, and revetments no longer exist, the locations of these features can be distinguished by the areas of light-colored soil which have the same “shape” as these wartime features. Akin to the above image, south-southwest is towards the top.
This image shows the same area as the above photo, but in a conventional, vertical view. The locations of the taxi strips are readily distinguished by light-colored soil.
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Interview Part 4: Use of P-38s in 8th Air Force
According to Bert Kinzey, in P-38 Lightning in Detail & Scale – Part 2, difficulties with P-38s in England were attributable to the, “…poor quality of British fuels. These fuels did not cause problems in inline engines which had mechanical superchargers or even in radial engines with turbo-superchargers. But they simply did not work at high power settings in an inline engine that was turbo-superchargers. Wherever Lightnings were used with high grade American fuel, they performed admirably and established a great record for reliability.”
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Interview Part 6: Pilots of the 49th Fighter Squadron, May, 1944
The 49th Fighter Squadron is credited with 139 confirmed aerial victories attained between November 24, 1942, and March 22, 1945. Of the 184 pilots known to have been assigned to the squadron, 79 were lost, based on an examination of squadron records and Missing Air Crew Reports. Of the 79, 24 survived as POWs, 45 were killed in action, 8 were killed in non-combat related flights, 1 evaded capture, and 2 others survived under unknown circumstances.
This photograph of the squadron’s pilots was taken on May 22, 1944. The 27 men pictured comprise only those pilots assigned (or, at least present for the photograph!) at the actual time the image was taken. As mentioned above, many other pilots were assigned to the squadron before, and after, this date.
Front Row (L – R; seated)
Nathan M. Abbott, Major (Squadron Commander) 0-378458, 103 Shelburne Rd., Burlington, Vt.; 4 aerial victories. John G. Schill, Jr., 1 Lt., 0-798170, 317 West Rockland St., Philadelphia, Pa., KIA 7/14/44 over Hungary (P-38J 42-104148, # 138, MACR 6868); 1 aerial victory; Buried at Lorraine American Cemetery, Saint Avold, France – Plot B, Row 23, Grave 20 Houston C. Musgrove, Jr., Lt., 0-802060, Box 431, Homer, La. Warren L. Jones, Lt., 0-1703079, Box 112, Live Oak, Ca.; 5 aerial victories (ace) Wesley L. Jule, 2 Lt., 0-1703109, 404 Baker St., Bellingham, Wa., POW 6/14/44; over Hungary (P-38J 42-104135, # 49, “Fighting Irishman”, MACR 6420); 1 aerial victory Philip M. Goldstein, 2 Lt., 0-750574, 642 George St., Norristown, Pa.; 3 aerial victories
Second Row (L – R; seated)
Edgar G. Hemmerlein, 2 Lt., 0-75058, 423 Fourth St., Huntingburg, In., Died on May 27, 1944, after an accident at Serragio, Airdrome, Corsica the preceding day (P-38J 42-104236, # 53, No MACR); Buried at Fairmount Cemetery, Huntingburg, Indiana Warren E. Semple, 1 Lt., 0-744772, 12 France St., Norwalk, Ct., KIA 6/15/44 France (P-38J 42-104266, # 54, MACR 6423); 2 aerial victories; Buried at Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France – Plot B, Row 9, Grave 3 Harold Simmons, Lt., 0-659192, 580 Beach St., Revere, Ma.; 2 aerial victories Jack Lenox, Jr., Lt., 0-1703108, 123 West Birch, Enid, Ok.; 5 aerial victories (ace) Louis L. Benne, 1 Lt., 0-802235, Box 156, Listie (Somerset County), Pa., POW 6/14/44 Hungary (P-38J 42-104229, # 38, MACR 6031); 5 aerial victories (ace) Wilson H. Oldhouser, Lt., 0-739662, 43 North Albermarle, York, Pa.; 3 aerial victories
Third Row (L – R; standing)
Quentin A. Teige, 2 Lt., 0-758887, 1529 Mary St., Marinette, Wi., KIA 5/24/44 Austria (P-38J 43-28261, # 60, MACR 5184); 1 aerial victory; Buried at Forest Home Cemetery, Marinette, Wi. – Plot K, 24, 1, 1 John D. Lewis, Lt., 0-754522, 1282 Oxford St., Berkeley, Ca.; 1 aerial victory George T. Johnson, Lt., 0-817958, 582 Cate Rd., Pico, Ca.; 1 aerial victory Gunvald B. Thorsen, Lt., 0-758891, 429 61st St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Swanson T. Shortt, 2 Lt., 0-744776, Galax, Va., KNB 6/20/44 Triolo, Italy (P-38J 43-28450, No MACR); 3 aerial victories; Buried at Gladeville United Methodist Church Cemetery, Galax, Va. Moses J. Long, 2 Lt., 0-816126, 513 S. Conception St., Mobile, Al., POW 8/14/44 France (P-38J 43-28643, # 42, MACR 7953, Luftgaukommando Report ME 2274); 1 aerial victory William R. Palmer, Lt., 0-729052, 3565 Calafia Ave., Oakland, Ca.; 2 aerial victories
Rear Row (L – R; standing)
Thomas S. Purdy, Lt., 0-802343, 165 South 1st Ave., Alpena, Mi.; 4 aerial victories Richard L. Fowler, 2 Lt., 0-750564, 1565 Chestnut St., San Francisco, Ca. / Indian Rock, Tx., POW 5/24/44 Italy (P-38J 42-104202, # 44, MACR 5638); 1 aerial victory James W. Tipton, Lt., 0-750724, 324 1/2 South 18th Ave., Phoenix, Az. Jackson R. Schetler, Lt., 0-799654, 526 Fairview St., Riverside, N.J. John F. Cullen, Lt., 0-743922, 99 Knowles St., Pawtucket, R.I.; 1 aerial victory Walter C. McConnell, 2 Lt., 0-816901, Box 58, Cornelius, N.C., KIA 8/14/44 France (P-38J 42-104123, MACR 7976); Tablets of the Missing at at Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France – Possibly Buried as “Unknown X107” Lawrence A. O’Toole, Lt., 0-760486, 387 Cross St., Akron, Oh.; 1 aerial victory Clyde L. Jones, Jr., 2 Lt., 0-760324, 1104 S. Adams St., Fort Worth, Tx., POW 6/14/44 Hungary (P-38J 42-104262, # 48, MACR 6127); 4 aerial victories
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First Lieutenant James W. Tipton
“1st Lieut. James W. Tipton, 24, 324 1/2 South 18th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona, and his crew chief S/Sgt, Maimone. The Lieut. has successfully completed 50 combat missions and returned to the United States.” (Image from Historical Records of the 14th Fighter Group – Headquarters Squadron, AFHRA Microfilm Roll BO079)
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Interview Part 7: Aerial victories of First Lieutenant Warren E. Semple, May 25, 1944
These two accounts are transcribed from Combat Claim Forms in the Historical Records of the 49th Fighter Squadron, from AFHRA Microfilm Roll AO742.
“On May 25, 1944, I was flying number four position in White flight on a mission escorting B-24s to the A/D at Piacenza, Italy. As we entered the target area we engaged 8 to 10 Me 109s. During the combat I followed my leader down in a long dive. Due to the terrific speed of my plane I was unable to pull out at the same time my leader did. When I managed to pull out of the dive I was fairly far behind my leader. As I pulled up to join him a FW 190 crossed in front of me at 30 [degrees] and I made a slight turn as I fired. I saw three or four 20mm strikes around the cockpit and then the whole canopy seemed to be blown off. At this time the plane flipped onto its back out of control and it was still spinning as it passed thru the cloud level 5 or 6 thousand feet below. As there seemed to be no recovery, I judge that the pilot had been killed after my shells hit the cockpit. I did not follow him thru the clouds for it was imperative that I return and join the squadron.”
“On May 25, 1944, I was flying in white four position, escorting B-24s in a mission over Piacenza Airdrome in Northern Italy. As we entered the target area at approximately 25,000 feet, we saw a group of 8 or 10 Me 109s in flights of two. These enemy planes were a little high to us at three o’clock. One other Me 109 was flying at the same clock position as a decoy. The flight leader called out the flight which would engage the enemy. As the 109s broke toward us and down I got on one’s tail. From dead astern I fired a very long burst while closing in. I saw the plane burst into flame all along the engine and cockpit. I followed it through a cloud and saw it crash into the ground.”
Warren Semple was killed on June 15, 1944, during a strafing mission against Luftwaffe airfields at Lajasse (near Salon), Orange and Avignon, France. He is buried at the Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France.
There were no actual witnesses to his loss; squadron records simply state that he was “…last seen in the target area at 44-08 N, 04-52 E.” He is among a group of five American fighter pilots – killed at the Plan de Dieu between June 15 and August 13, 1944 – who in April of 2005 were memorialized on a commemorative tablet at Travaillan, Vaucluse, France. According to the Kracker Luftwaffe Archive, he was shot down by 56 victory Luftwaffe ace Leutnant Eduard Isken of III / JGr (Jagdgruppe) 200.
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Here is the Combat Claim Form for Phi Goldstein’s aerial victory of May 25, 1944, from AFHRA Microfilm Roll AO742. The description of the combat is transcribed below.
“On May 25, 1944, I was flying blue three position on a mission escorting B-24’s to the A/D at Piacenza, Italy. As we entered the target area we sighted several enemy airplanes and immediately engaged them in combat. During this engagement a FW 190 made a head on pass at me. I gave him a quick burst and then pulled around to get behind him. As I completed my turn I noticed that his engine was on fire and then I saw the plane roll over and the pilot bail out.”
Unfortunately, 49th Fighter Squadron Combat Claim Forms only seem to exist (or least, to have been preserved) from May of 1944 forward. Thus, no such document is available for Phil’s victory of April 2. A Combat Claim Form does exist for his victory over an (apparent) IAR 80 on May 7, but is not presented here.
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Interview Part 8: Second Lieutenant Edgar G. Hemmerlein
Similar to the accounts for Warren Semple, this account is transcribed from a Combat Claim Form in the Historical Records of the 49th Fighter Squadron, from AFHRA Microfilm Roll AO742.
“On May 25, 1944, I was green three on a mission escorting B-24s to the A/D at Piacenza, Italy. As we escorted the bombers to the target area we were engaged by approximately 30 mixed enemy aircraft. I sighted one FW 190 in a dive. He was approaching us from head on. I lowered my nose to give him a little lead. I saw that I was giving him too much lead so I held my trigger and let him fly through my line of fire. I saw several pieces fly off the plane and also saw my cannon shells bursting on his fuselage. As the enemy plane passed under my nose I lost sight of him. Due to the enemy action I was not able to look for him, as I was too busy trying to keep away from the other enemy fighters.”
Edgar G. Hemmerlein, as an Aviation Cadet. He is buried at Fairmount Cemetery, in Huntingburg, Indiana. Edgar’s tombstone carries the inscription “2 LIEUT 49 AAF FIGHTER SQ – WORLD WAR II”
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Interview Part 9: Phil’s Combat Missions (From Historical Records of the 14th Fighter Group, in NARA Records Group 18.)
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Brigadier General Atkinson, Major Bright, and Colonel Oliver B. (“O.B.”) Taylor, the latter Commander of the 14th Fighter Group from September 26, 1943 to July 17, 1944. (Image from Historical Records of the 14th Fighter Group – Headquarters Squadron, AFHRA Microfilm Roll BO079.)
Interview Part 10: “With Seidman” – Phil is referring to the loss of 1 Lt. Robert K. Seidman, who was shot down by flak and killed during the 14th Fighter Group’s strafing mission against German airfields near Aviano and Villaorba, Italy, on May 14, 1944, on his 50th, and last scheduled combat mission. (P-38J 42-104259, #42, “Peg”, MACR 5049) From Pittsburgh, Robert is seen below, with fellow Pittsburgher Lt. Joseph Havrilla, in an official photograph taken on December 21, 1943. (Army Air Force Photograph 3A-49287 / C-27286)
From Lt. Seidman’s diary, “Dec. 21st: No mission today. Overcast heavy everywhere. All of our targets obscure. Photographer came out from Wing and took pictures of Colonel Taylor, Lt. Havrilla, Lt. Schoener and myself in front of a 38.”
Robert’s fate was resolved in 1948. He is buried at B’Nai Israel Cemetery, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sometimes, upon a single glance, a photograph can serve as a symbol and reminder of an era that – while having passed into history – resonates within the present.
Such is the image that is the “header” image of this blog, and now, the subject of this post: A picture of a World War Two era Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane, nicknamed “JEWBOY”, before which stands a fighter pilot – Philip M. Goldstein – and the aircraft’s ground crew.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in August of 1920, one of six brothers and sisters, Philip Goldstein was the son of Abraham Solomon and Clara Violet (Burns-Graham) Goldstein, both of whom were at one time heavily involved in vaudeville. His family moved to Trappe, Pennsylvania, after his second grade of elementary school, and then successively lived in Collegeville and Norristown; like Trappe, all communities on the outskirts of Philadelphia.
Life became especially challenging for the family after Phil’s father died in the midst of the Great Depression. After a period of uncertainty following his 1938 high school graduation, Phil enlisted in the army in 1940, with the general but uncertain ambition – arising from his love of music, inspired by Damon Holton, band leader at the Chain Street School in Norristown – of serving in the Army Band.
His musical plans came to fruition in short order, albeit in a roundabout way. He was assigned to a machine-gun company of the 12th Infantry Regiment. He was soon transferred to the Regimental Band, in which he played the French Horn at ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. In October of 1941 the Regiment was transferred to Fort Gordon, Georgia, where it was attached to the 4th Motorized Division. (The 4th Motorized Division was reconfigured and redesignated as the 4th Infantry Division on August 4, 1943.)
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Corporal Joe Martino and Phil (with french horn) (Company D- Machine-Gun Company). (Image from Bass Entertainment Pictures website.)
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Throughout this time, and even earlier, Phil was focused upon other military horizons. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he took the exam for Army Air Corps pilot training. He passed. During and after his successive stages of flight training he was assigned to the following locations:
Pre-Flight: Santa Anna, California – Squadron 39 Primary: Oxnard, California (Mira Loma Flight Academy) Basic: Lemoore, California (Flew BT-13 and BT-15) Advanced: Williams Field, Chandler, Arizona – Graduated in Class 43-G (Flew AT-6, AT-9, and AT-17) P-38 Conversion Training: Muroc, California West Coast Interceptor Command / 4th Air Force (329th Fighter Group): San Pedro, California
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Phil during primary flight training, at Mira Loma Flight Academy, Oxnard, California. (Image from Bass Entertainment Pictures website.)
Phil atop the wing of P-38G 42-13352, while he was serving in the 4th Air Force in California. This P-38 was assigned – as was presumably Phil – to the 332nd Fighter Squadron of the 329th Fighter Group, which was a component of the 4th Air Force. The plane was lost at Orange County Airport, California, on June 21, 1943, when pilot Franklin H. Monk (later an ace in the 475th “Satan’s Angels” Fighter Group) was forced to bail out due to mechanical failure.
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Phil’s assignment to West Coast Interceptor Command did not last long. In October of 1943, he departed for overseas aboard a Liberty Ship from Hampton Roads, Virginia. Initially stationed at a North African airfield where he trained French pilots to fly P-38s (he had four years of high school French) Phil was soon assigned to the 49th Fighter Squadron of the 14th Fighter Group, at which he arrived on January 16, 1944.
He was accompanied by two friends from Williams Field Class 43-G: Lieutenants Earvie T. Cloyd and Edgar G. Hemmerlein.
Earvie, assigned to the 37th Fighter Squadron, would be shot down and captured on May 7, 1944.
Phil and his very close friend Edgar would be assigned to the 49th Fighter Squadron. Edgar did not survive the war. While taking off for his 38th combat mission from the island of Corsica, his aircraft crashed. He died the following day. He was twenty-four years old.
All of Phil’s combat missions were flown during 1944; his first mission on January 20, and his fiftieth and last mission on June 28.
He had three aerial victories: An Me-109 on April 2, during a fighter escort of B-17s to Steyr, Austria; an Italian Fiat G-50 on May 7, during a fighter escort of B-17s to Bucharest, Romania (Actually, it is far more likely that this aircraft was a Romanian IAR-80); a Focke-Wulf 190 on May 25, during a fighter escort of B-24s to Piacenza, Italy, and, four Ju-88 bombers destroyed by strafing during the 14th Fighter Group’s mission against a German airfield complex in the vicinity of Aviano and Villaorba, Italy, on May 14, 1944. He also claimed an Me-109 damaged on March 30, during a fighter escort of B-24s to Sofia, Bulgaria.
He left for the United States on July 9, returning from Naples via a merchant ship that arrived at Hampton Roads, Virginia. After a two-week period of rest at the Cadillac Miami Beach Hotel, he was sent to Santa Rosa Army Air Base in California, where – under the command of Lt. Col. John W. Weltman, formerly of the 1st Fighter Group – he served as a flight instructor, with a specific focus on aerial gunnery.
In the meantime, during a dance at Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco, he had the very good fortune to meet the woman – Jane – who, then a physics student at University of California in Berkeley, would become his wife. With a new and very happy direction life, and already having accumulated more than enough “points” for separation from the military, Phil was discharged at Camp Beale, California, in June of 1945.
Soon, he was studying musical composition at Mills College under the direction of Darius Milhaud. However, Phil still found himself highly uncertain about his future. His father-in-law introduced him to a friend in the insurance business. In time, this would become – at the Allstate Insurance Company – his lifelong career, while California would become his lifelong home.
Akin to the many other Jewish WW II servicemen who received awards for military service, or, were military casualties (wounded or killed), Phil’s name does not appear in the two-volume 1947 publication American Jews in World War Two.
He was one of the many Jewish aviators who served in the Second World War.
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Phil and his granddaughter, in the early 1990s. (c/o Phil Goldstein)
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In 2013, Frank Cronin met Phil “in person”, and the two discussed Phil’s life and experiences. Frank presented Phil with a model of his P-38, constructed from Academy’s 1/48 kit. This image of Frank and Phil, from iModeler.com (Social Scale Modelling) is a memento of their meeting. (Frank’s other completed models can be see at the iModeler webpage Modeling by Frank Cronin.)
References
(Books)
Freeman, Roger A., Camouflage and Markings – United States Army Air Force 1937-1945, Ducimus Books Limited, London, England, 1974
Goldstein, Philip M., JEWBOY vs The Luftwaffe, Privately printed via Blurb.com, 2016.
Green, William, Famous Fighters of the Second World War, Hanover House, New York, N.Y., 1958.
Kinzey, Bert, P-38 Lightning Part 1 – XP-38 through P-38H, Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Tx., 1998
Kinzey, Bert, P-38 Lightning Part 2 – P-38J through P-38M, Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Tx., 1998
Rust, Kenn C, Fifteenth Air Force Story …In World War II, Historical Aviation Album, Temple City, Ca., 1976
Shenahan, Anthony, Lockheed P-38 Lightning – A Pictorial History, Historian Publishers, John W. Caler Publications, Sun Valley, Ca., 1968
Stanaway, John, Peter Three Eight – The Pilot’s Story, Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Missoula, Mt., 1986
(Books – No Author)
USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II – USAF Historical Study No. 85, Albert F. Simpson Historical Research Center, Air University, Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1978
The following article about Belle Naimer, provided by FindAGrave contributor Astrid, can be found at Sgt. Naimer’s FindAGrave biographical profile. This biography notably differs from the item published in the Albany Times-Union in reporting that her fiance was killed in October or November of 1944, during a crash at or near the Mississippi River. 
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