The Dean S. Flemming crew: 709th Squadron
The crew at Rattlesden, sometime after February 1944 when original pilot Lt. William McKay left the crew. Dean Flemming became 1st pilot, and Lt. Lloyd Ittel joined the crew as co-pilot.
Standing L-R: | |
Lt. Joseph T. Elliot | |
Lt. Carl F. McQuen | Navigator (Carl W McCuen?) |
Lt. Dean S. Flemming | Pilot |
Lt. Lloyd D. Ittel | Co-Pilot |
Kneeling, L-R: | |
Sgt. WIlliam M. Shaw | Engineer/Top Turret gunner |
Sgt. Sidney R. Stein | Radio Operator/waist gunner |
Sgt. Andrew Leydens | Ball Turret Gunner |
Sgt. William C. Plascocello | Waist Gunner |
Sgt. Leslie E. Orr | Tail Gunner |
(not shown: Sgt. Anthony Durante) |
11/43 | Harvard AAB, Nebraska |
11/43 | In transit by ship |
11/43 | 709th Squadron, Rattlesden (Original crew) |
Flights with Dean S. Flemming listed as Pilot
These lists are NOT limited to officially credited Combat missions, and may include Aborts, returns and non-takeoff occurrences as well.”
447th Mission (Date) | Target | Plane Number | Notes |
#24 (28-Feb-44) | Bois de la Justice, France | 42-31777 | |
#25 (29-Feb-44) | Brunswick, Germany | 42-31092 | |
#30 (09-Mar-44) | Berlin, Germany | 42-39886 | CRASH landed at Horham |
#32 (13-Mar-44) | Bois de la Justice, France | 42-37864 | |
#35 (18-Mar-44) | Munich, Germany | 42-37864 | |
#38 (23-Mar-44) | Brunswick, Germany | 42-39886 | |
#40 (27-Mar-44) | Merignac, Chartes, France | 42-37864 | |
#41 (28-Mar-44) | Chartres, France | 42-37864 | |
#42 (01-Apr-44) | Ludwigshafen, Germany | 42-37864 | |
#43 (08-Apr-44) | Rheine, Germany | 42-37864 | |
#44 (09-Apr-44) | Warnemunde, Germany | 42-39886 | Landed at North Creek |
#45 (10-Apr-44) | Diest Schaffen, Germany | 42-31724 | |
#46 (11-Apr-44) | Arnimswalde, Poland | 42-37864 | |
#47 (13-Apr-44) | Augsburg, Germany | 42-37864 | ABORT Eng out |
#48 (18-Apr-44) | Oranienburg / Rathnow, Germany | 42-31477 | |
#49 (19-Apr-44) | Lippstadt / Werl, Germany | 42-31217 | |
#50 (20-Apr-44) | Cherbourg / Bois de la Justice, France | 42-37864 | |
#51 (22-Apr-44) | Hamm, Germany | 42-39865 | |
#54 (27-Apr-44) | French coast | 42-39874 | |
#55 (27-Apr-44) | Le Culot, France | 42-31188 | |
#56 (29-Apr-44) | Berlin, Germany | 42-31519 | MISSING |
#63 (12-May-44) | Zwickau, Germany | 44-6003 | |
#64 (13-May-44) | Osnabruck, Germany | 42-37864 | |
#66 (20-May-44) | Liege, Belgium | 42-97801 |
Lt. Dean S. Flemming in 42-37864 Marty
From the Public Relations Office at Rattlesden:
Second Lieutenant Dean S. Flemming, 23, of Skowhegan, Me., has done what very few Eighth Air Force Flying Fortress pilots have ever done. He brought his ship, “Hi Mack,” in to a landing with a dead stick. To an airman, a “dead stick landing” is one made with no power from the engines of the ship.
Berlin is a long way from this Flying Fortress base in England and Lt. Flemming, after he had dropped his bombs on the target, wondered if he would have enough gas to make it back to England. The steady headwind encountered over Germany added to his anxiety. Over the English Channel it became apparent that there would not be enough gas to make it back to his home base, perhaps not enough to make it across the channel that lies cold and grey below.
Lt. Flemming and his co-pilot, 2nd Lt. Edward J. Stull, 25, of Waterloo and Chester Streets, Devon, Pa., decided to cut two of the four engines in an effort to cross the channel. Continuing on two engines they crossed the English coastline and headed for the first airport they saw. The gas indicator when they were over the airfield registered zero but the two engines were still running. The control tower told the anxious members of Hi Mack’s crew that it would be impossible to land immediately since a ship was taking off at that moment. While receiving this disheartening news, the two remaining engines quit. At this time Hi Mack was very low over the runway. He banked his ship in an effort to turn and come back on another runway but he was too low. The only alternative was to land in the freshly plowed field. With wheels down Hi Mack, under the skillful hand of Lt. Flemming, settled into the soft earth, skidded across typical English hedgerow ditches, and jolted to a stop.
Lt. Flemming had been under great mental and physical strain while landing the big ship. He collapsed under the strain and was given first aid treatment by the waiting ambulance attendants. As the tail gunner, Staff Sergeant Leslie E. Orr, 24, of 1828 G Street, Bedford, Ind. said, “Lt. Flemming’s skill really saved our lives. We hadn’t had time to get into crash positions.”
Hi Mack had come through with hardly any damage whatsoever. The tail guns were sprung a little and that was about all.
Dean S. Flemming; Pilot
Combat Missions (previously compiled)
Date | Target | Aircraft |
William McKay as pilot: | ||
12/30/1943 | LUDWIGSHAFEN | 42-31108 |
1/5/1944 | MERIGNAC | 42-31124 |
1/11/1944 | BRUNSWICK | 42-31125 |
1/21/1944 | NOBALL NO. 107 | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
2/3/1944 | WILHELMSHAVEN | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
2/5/1944 | ROMILLY | 42-31165 |
Dean Flemming as Pilot: | ||
2/28/1944 | NOBALL NO. 74 | 42-31777 |
2/29/1944 | BRUNSWICK | 42-31092 “Butch II“ |
3/9/1944 | BERLIN | 42-39886 |
3/13/1944 | NOBALL NO. 74 | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
3/18/1944 | MUNICH | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
3/23/1944 | BRUNSWICK | 42-39886 |
3/27/1944 | MARIGNAC CHARTRES | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
4/1/1944 | LUDWIGSHAFEN | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
4/8/1944 | RHEINE | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
4/10/1944 | DIEST SCHAFFEN | 42-31724 |
4/11/1944 | ARNIMSWALDE | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
4/13/1944 | AUGSBURG | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
4/18/1944 | ORANIENBURG RATHNOW | 42-31477 |
4/19/1944 | LIPSTADT WERL | 42-31217 |
4/20/1944 | NOBALL | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
4/22/1944 | HAMM | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
4/27/1944 | NOBALL NO. 78 | 42-39874 |
4/27/1944 | LE CULOT | 42-31188 |
4/29/1944 | BERLIN | 42-31519 (ditched) |
5/13/1944 | OSNABRUCK | 42-37864 “Marty“ |
5/20/1944 | LIEGE | 42-97801 |
Some photos/information provided by:
Some information and/or images sourced from the American Air Museum database