398th Bomb Group
Memorial
Association


Lt. Robert J. Beckley's Diary
Navigator, 600th/601st Squadron

Beckley's Mission No. 2

3 August 1944
Target: Saarbrucken, Germany

No 2: Saarbrucken, August 3, 1944:

6 hours 25 minutes flying time.

Bomb load 12 five-hundred pound GP purpose bombs.

The flak was pretty accurate, but luckily we got through without any damage to the ship. Harry Cowen was hit in his right hand by a piece of flak on this mission and was taken to the hospital upon landing. The next day, on a raid to Merseberg, his crew was hit at the target and they turned toward Sweden. Nothing more was heard from them, but I saw Castro Christmas, 1947. He told me that after Harry’s ship was hit they bailed out over Germany. Four of them landed within the walls of a concentration camp and the rest were captured within 24 hours.

McArthur’s ship suffered a direct hit and blew up after dropping their bombs.

Notes:
  • Lt. Robert J. Beckley was the Navigator for the Linn R. Rogers crew.
  • The above transcription was provided by Ann Collins, daughter of Phillip Collins, Ball Turret Gunner on the 601st Saul Marias Crew.
  • This transcription is a reproduction of the original. Spelling and punctuation changes have been made to improve readability. In some circumstances, material may not have been transcribed or was rewritten.
  • Clarification of acronyms or special words or guesses of certain words are shown in brackets [ ].

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