Joe Goeppner
Personal memories supplied by Dr. Joe.
Upon graduation from the Aircraft Armament School at Lowry Field, CO, as an Aircraft Armorer, I was initially assigned to the 2nd Mapping Squadron, at a place called Felts Field, in Spokane, Washington. That unit flew Lockheed Lodestars, and had remotely fired BELL belly turrets. While I was not designated as flight crew while assigned to that unit, I did make many flights out over the Pacific and up to Alaska on anti-submarine patrols. I was unhappy that I was not assigned to a bomb unit, so I applied for transfer to the 301st Bomb Group (H) which was stationed across town at Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington.
I was re-assigned to the 29th Recon Squadron (H) 301st Bomb Group, which was soon to be re-designated as the 419th Bomb Squadron (H). Upon assignment, I was assigned to a crew commanded by Pilot 1st Lt Arthur L. Birleffi, with co-pilot 2nd Lt J.M Stewart, 2nd Lt J.A. Creamer was Bombardier, and 2d Lt J. Consolmagno, was Navigator. Enlisted personnel included Sgt C Meriwether, Crew Chief, Pfc. Joe Goeppner Tail Gunner, Pvt. James Loskot Radio Operator, SP4 R.C. Schmoyer Waist Gunner and Pvt. H.L. Langan, Aerial Engineer. The Aircraft was a B-17-E, Tail Number 41-2415.
When I was first assigned to the crew it was not as flight crew, but as ground armorer, Lt Birleffi (Uncle Biff as we referred to him) was so impressed with my armament abilities that he wanted me on the crew to replace the tail gunner he had, although I had not attended aerial gunnery school. Another mystery remains for me, that while I have the entire story on all of the men in the crew that was dispatched on Secret Orders to the Pacific in Mid-May, I have not been able to find any record or information regarding Pvt. James Loskot. He apparently did not go to Africa with the 301st when they left the states for service in Africa later in l942.
As I indicated, we left the unit in Mid-May l942 on Secret Orders. We flew first to Sacramento Air Depot, Sacramento, CA., where auxiliary gas tanks were installed in the Radio Room and Bombardier's compartment, and then we flew to Love Field, Dallas, TX, where additional tanks were installed in the Bomb Bay. Upon completion of the installations, we flew to Hamilton Field, California. The Exact date of departure from Hamilton is not re-callable, but we did have part of the crew fly the airplane to Hawaii (Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator, and Me) with the rest sent by ship from Fort Mason. Upon arrival at Honolulu, the entire crew was re-united at HIckam Field, and attached to the 72nd Bomb Squadron of the 5th Bomb Group at Bellows Field where we flew support missions in the Pacific for the pre-battle period, during battle and post battle phases of the Battle of Midway. I might add at this point, we learned that we were supposed to go to Australia after the battle. However, our airplane was taken away from us and delivered to Australia. Late in June, the entire crew was flown back to San Francisco on board the PAA China Clipper on one of its last flights.
After being at Treasure Island and Hamilton Field for about a week, we were dispatched by train to Wendover Field, Utah and assigned to the 306th Bomb Group. In an unfortunate accident, LT Birleffit was killed in July. Since I was Regular Army and had several years of service prior to the war, I was granted furlough soon after. While I was on that furlough, the 306th Group (and the remainder of our crew) was sent to England. During October of that year, I believe the entire crew was shot down in the Atlantic on a raid to France and lost.
.jpg) Captions in picture:
Under Consolmagno picture upper left CONSOLMAGNO JOSEPH E. 0 724 020
Under Birleffi picture top left Lt. A.J. Birleffi To the left of picture on top right. "Man-O-War" - named after American Racehorse by Lt Creamer (from Kentucky) - not so lucky was one of three 306th Bomb Group planes lost to enemy action at 7500 ft on 9 Nov 42, First mission flown on Oct 9, l942. Ground crew are painting name on aircraft just three days before being lost - See single bomb painted on side for only prior mission
Over Goeppner Picture (in hand writing) far right middle Pfc. Goeppner
Under picture Joe Goeppner
Under main picture of MAN-O-WAR and crew: The original crew of the "Uncle Biff" (Gold Stars) from the 301st Bomb Group, Spokane, consisted of Lt. A.J. Birleffi pilot, Lt Stewart co-pilot, Lt Creamer, bombardier, Lt. Consolmagno, navigator, and Sgt. Meriwether, engineer. Privates Goeppner, tail gunner, Schmoyer, ball gunner, and Langan, radio operator, flew to the Pacific in late May, l942 in support of the Battle of Midway. After the battle, in late June, l942, the crew returned to the States and a assignment to the 306th Bomb Group at Wendover Field, Utah. Lt Birleffi lost his life, while flying with another, in a crash at Wendover on July 7, l942. Later in July, while Goeppner was on a leave, the crew, now piloted by Lt Stewart, and with the following new members, Lt. Dickey, Sgt. McMillan, and Sgt Wheeler, departed for England. Following arrival in England, on the 9th of October 1942, their plane was shot up on a bombing raid to France, and crash-landed in England, all hands being safe and uninjured. Later, on 9 November l942, on its fourth mission, after changing the name of the plane to "Man-O-War", with Lt Consolmagno being absent in the hospital, the entire crew was lost in the English Channel while returning from a bombing raid on St. Nazaire, France. The only surviving member of the original Birleffi crew of the "Uncle Biff", which went to England, Lt Consolmagno, was shot down as a member of another crew over Antwerp on April 5, 1943, and was a Prisoner of War in the infamous Stalag III for the remainder of the war in Europe, being liberated by General Patton on April 29, 1945. Consolmagno, now a retired executive from the Chrysler Corporation now lives in Florida, and Goeppner, a retired LTC from the Army Medical Department now resides in South Carolina (1996), Lower Right Corner First row J. M. Stewart Pilot W. W. Dickey, Co-Pilot R. C. Schmoyer, Ball Turrent H. L. Langan, Waist Gunner Second Row T. E. McMillan Radio C. J. Merriwether Engineer J. M. Wheeler Tail Gunner J. A. Creamer Bombardier 9/5/42
 Some of Joe's souvenirs from the war years
Pfc. Joe Goeppner was assigned to the 301st BG 419th Squadron.
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Aircraft Armorer/Tail Gunner.
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