S/SGT Charles Earl Crawford was born November 18, 1919 in
Morgan County, Alabama to William Thomas and Thyme Mary “Gay” Crawford, where
he grew up on the family farm. After
high school he worked for AT&T as a lineman/serviceman. Three days after his 22nd birthday
in 1941, “Charlie” Crawford enlisted with the Air Corps in Atlanta, GA at Fort
McPherson. His enlistment record
indicates he stood about 5’10” and weighed 140lbs.
He received gunnery training and was eventually trained as a
radio operator for the 379th Bomb Group. As radio operator then he was assigned to the
Brinkman crew. Soon Charlie and his new
friends were allotted the Fortress 42-29892 and made many training flights in the
new aircraft. He also made friends with
the crew of the Tondelayo.
From Sioux City, the crews would head to Maine, and then
eventually on to Kimbolton Airfield in England.
Weather interrupted and forced 42-29892 down at Selfridge in
Detroit. Here Billy Brinkman, noticing
that Charlie had come down with something, ordered him to the hospital. There Charlie was discovered to have the mumps,
and was put into isolation. Two weeks
would be required for recovery, and the Brinkman ship could not wait. Charlie would have to stay behind while his
friends in the 379th and especially his crew, now like family, traveled on to
new adventures without him.
Once recovered, Charlie would be assigned to a new crew in
an entirely different bomb group. Sent back to Kearney field he would be quickly appropriated
by the 384th Bomb Group, which would be traveling to Grafton
Underwood airfield. Charlie joined the John Way crew, who had lost
their ball turret gunner, to fulfill that position and assist their radio
operator, Gadomski.
On June 25, 1943, the Miss
Deal, damaged by flak from a mission to bomb sub pens in Hamburg, was
attacked by German fighters as she limped homeward. Six survivors managed to escape from the plane. Charlie was wounded in the ball turret and
pulled out by his fellow crewmembers, who assisted him into his chute. But Miss
Deal crashed into the Dollart bay before the mortally wounded Charlie could
escape.
No remains of Charles Crawford or his pilot John Way were
ever recovered. We believe that he and
John Way are still with Miss Deal,
resting beneath the water and tidal muds of the Dollart.
