Acknowledgement: Information courtesy of the American Battlefield Monument Commission, David Carlock of the 2BG Association and Chuck Richards author of "The Second was First"

Second Lieutenant, O-731054

429th BS, 2nd BG, Heavy

Entered the Service from: Mineral City, WV
Died: July 9, 1943
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia

Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

David F. Carlock, former Pilot 429^th BS/2^nd BG

Died on mission 37 on July 8, 1943 to Gerbini, Sicily.

Chuck Richards author of "The Second was First", with permission.

This crew (below) excepting Kline (P), was one of the first regular of our crews, going into combat from N. Africa.  Kline was not the original pilot that took this crew overseas.  That pilot was 1LT Charles L. Wheeler, 0662011.  Whatever happened to him is unknown since he didn't show up anywhere.  Kline flew over from the states with a mixed group that was made up of a navigator and six crew chiefs for the various squadrons ground personnel.

Statement of 2LT Edwin G. Kocher after rescue: I was the navigator of B-17 # 42-3083.  The plane was lagging - couldn't put out to maintain position.  Pilot called me and said, "if we can't catch up before hitting the coast of Sicily, we will turn back."  We turned back approximately at the coast of Sicily at 1210 hours.  18,000 fee, on reciprocal course.  All four engines were running.  Nothing for a few minutes then a couple of Me-109s attacked us.  I started firing at one on our left wing when a bullet must have hit the ball and socket of my gun, putting it out of commission.  The next thing I noticed, No. 2 and 4 engines were feathered and we were losing altitude to 15,000 feet.  I was wearing my steel helmet over my headset and didn't hear the "abandon ship" order.  I saw a small amount of blood dripping from the upper turret and saw the bombardier go back.  I thought he was going back to take over the top turret guns.  When my gun was repaired, I resumed firing at the E/A.  When I looked around again, I then noticed the escape hatch was open and the co-pilot going out.  I hooded my parachute to the harness, which I was wearing, and jumped through the nose hatch, pulling my ripcord at once.  Everything worked fine as I kicked my legs to straighten my shroud lines.  I could see drifting chutes above me, with the E/A fighters circling around, but not firing at the chutes.  I think I saw four chutes above me and a like number below.  I think I was the last to leave the plane.  I pulled my shroud lines, attempting to drift toward the fellows in the water.

I was approximately 200 yards from the plane which had one wing sticking out of the water.  When I struck the water, I swam toward the plane.  I called to the others asking if they had a raft.  Their reply was, "There is no raft."  Upon reaching the plane, I found the raft with a large hole burned in one side.  I opened the carbon dioxide bottle and it filled the good half of the raft.  There were no paddles, so upon hearing Grace answer my call, I tied a piece of string around my neck and shoulder, from the raft, and swam to LT Grace.  he passed out as I reached him and I pulled him aboard the raft.  One-half hour later, a P-51, which I believe was attached to a Fighter Group at Telergma, was circling us.  I tried artificial resuscitation on LT Grace and continued to work on him, calling to others of my crew, but heard no answer.  LT Grace did not regain consciousness.  I worked on him all Thursday night and by the next morning, Friday, July 9th, I could feel no pulse and his teeth were set.  I let the air out of his vest and let him into the water.  Friday, a north wind arose and the sea became very rough, waves reaching a height of 30 feet.  I drifted until about 2100 hours Saturday night, July 10th, when I was picked up by a British destroyer and was told we would reach Malta in about three or four hours.  In my opinion, the plane crashed at 36-12N - 13-32E.

This crew is pictured on page 431 of one of two books: Defenders of Liberty or The Second was First.