Flemming, D. S.

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