Some Pages From Quentin Kaiser's Logbook, Part 2
My father noted in his mission log that he flew in 9V and that he was the photographer on December 28, 1944. The mission target was a R.R. viaduct at Borovnica, Yugoslavia. When we visited the archives in College Park, my father and I discovered the Photographic Interpretation Report, the Box Score for the mission and some of the very photos my father took on that mission. The target was slightly overcast with clouds but one of the photos even has my father's name and his plane KAISER 9V written in the lower margin.
My dad recorded 'Lauria hit in leg' for mission #52 to Calliano on December 30, 1944. The entry 'A/A' means they encountered flak from the German 88mm Anti-Aircraft guns. Lauria's injury kept him off flight duty for a while but they kept him busy digging trenches until he was well enough to fly again. My dad took this picture of technical sergeant, gunner Alphonse S. Lauria from Trenton, New Jersey. Here's another photograph taken just before or after my dad's 57th mission to Palazzola on January 9, 1945. Quentin Kaiser is kneeling on the left. The plane is B-25J 9Y Lady Luck. My dad recorded that it was -20 degrees C and he 'nearly froze' that day.
At the National Archives in College Park, MD we found the Photographic Interpretation Report for my father's mission #63 to Lavis on January 30, 1945 along with the Box Score and several of the mission photographs taken by my father using the automatic camera aboard his plane. Note the small number '4' in the lower left hand corner indicating this is image #4 of the 7 or so that were usually taken with the automatic camera on the bomb run. The image in the box score was probably obtained from this photograph but it's been rotated about 90 degrees.
Back to Part 1 of Quentin Kaiser's Mission Log.
Go back to Page 2, searchable website.
Go back to Page 1, The 489th Bombardment Squadron in Corsica.
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