1LT	JOHN J PESCH	PILOT	RTD
2LT	J C AMLEY	CO-PILOT	RTD
2LT	ORRIN F WEBB	NAVIGATOR	POW
2LT	ARTHUR J RUBENSTEIN	BOMBARDIER	POW
TSGT	EDWIN M EDWARDS	ENGINEER	POW
SSGT	JAMES F ROUSE	RW GUNNER	POW
TSGT	COLE SAGE	RADIOMAN	POW
SSGT	WILLIAM G JAMISON	LW GUNNER	POW
SSGT	WINFORD P BIDWELL	BT GUNNER	POW
SSGT	GRADY SEARCY	TAIL GUNNER	POW

March 28, 2005 History in Blue Falling Fortress: After crew bailed, two remained to steady B-17 By Robert F. Dorr Special to the Times When John Pesch finished his World War II combat duty in August 1944, a military document summarized his contribution as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot. Pesch had flown 31 missions, the document said, “the majority of which were deep penetrations in which he was flying as lead pilot. On several occasions his plane was shot up badly, and on one occasion he brought the ship back with two motors out and with all crewmembers except his co-pilot having bailed out.” Today, the retired major general is 83 and lives in Sterling, Va. During the war, he frequently flew as a pathfinder for bomber formations on raids to German cities such as Berlin, Munich and Schweinfurt - all defended by anti-aircraft batteries and fighters. Pesch was born in 1921 in Queens, N.Y., and worked for an aircraft company before enlisting in 1942. After training in flying class 43-C, he flew A-24 Dauntless dive-bombers and A-20 Havoc attack planes at stateside bases before becoming a founding member of the 452nd Bombardment Group. He went to England as a pilot in the group’s 731st Bombardment Squadron. Pesch was a captain March 23, 1944, when German fighters shot out two engines on the left side of his B-17 during a bombing raid on Brunswick, Germany. Amid the hectic struggle for survival that followed, eight crew members bailed out, leaving Pesch alone with his co-pilot, 1st Lt. J.C. Amley. Pesch never gave the order to bail out. “Years later,” he said, “my navigator told me that when the aircraft passed through 11,000 feet almost upside down and at an airspeed of 325 mph, he knew in his heart that we two pilots were dead and the rest of the crew would soon be dead, too.” The navigator opened the nose hatch and bailed out. The engineer saw this and opened the bomb bay doors. The rest of the crew jumped. Eight crew members parachuted safely to earth and became prisoners of war for the remainder of the conflict. Pesch and Amley had difficulty regaining control of the B-17 because control surfaces were shot away, but by bracing their knees against the control column, they were able to regain straight and level flight. “Ground fire would have destroyed our aircraft except for the appearance of a lone P-51 [Mustang],” Pesch said. “The pilot of the P-51 came alongside, flew our left wing and gave us a thumbs-up. He strafed the sites of the ground fire and effectively escorted us to the English Channel. Amley and I owe our lives to that P-51 pilot. We tried to locate the pilot later but were not successful. Whoever he is, he is our hero.” Pesch’s co-pilot, Amley, is now deceased. In a Web site about the 452nd Bombardment Group, his son, Chris Amley, describes the stress of two men struggling to save a plane intended for a crew of 10. “My mother told me Dad’s wedding ring cracked under the force he used on the control yoke,” he wrote. “Dad ... never wanted to pilot a plane after returning from his tour of duty.” After that mission, Pesch returned to combat in B-17s. He served a full career and became head of the National Guard Bureau before his military retirement in 1977. Robert F. Dorr, an Air Force veteran, lives in Oakton, Va. He is the author of books on military topics, including “Chopper,” a history of helicopter pilots. His e-mail address is robert.f.dorr@cox.net. ********************************************************************************************************************************** The original crew of this plane recognized being fortunate to live in the United States and enjoy the four basic freedoms bestowed to every citizen 1) The freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world. 2) The freedom of every person to worship God in his own way everywhere in the world. 3) The freedom from want--which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants--everywhere in the world. 4) The freedom from fear--which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor--anywhere in the world. The crew was not so sure of the last freedom while flying combat missions! They named the plane Four Freedoms while they were still training in the States and had the name written on the nose. John J. Pesch was the original pilot.

The pictured aircraft was a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress named "The Four Freedoms," part of the 452 Bombardment Group stationed at Deopham Green. In March 1944, the group took part in a raid on Brunswick. Capt. John Pesch, of Maspeth, New York was pilot. Lt. J.C. Amley of New Richland, Minnesota, was co-pilot. En route to the target, the formation was attacked by enemy fighters."The Four Freedoms" suffered extensive battle damage, including loss of two engines, ailerons, and left landing gear. One of the waist gunners was struck in the head by an enemy shell. Due to the damage, the Fortress was unable to keep up with the other aircraft. Despite this damage, the crew continued the mission, reaching the target, and completing the bomb run alone. After the bomb run, Pesch, believing the aircraft to be in grave danger, gave the order for the crew to bail out. He and Amley stayed at the controls while the others jumped. At some point, the plane lurched. Amley and Pesch braced their knees against the control column to stablize the aircraft. Finally, Pesch motioned for Amley to jump, but Amley refused. After a short discussion, the two pilots agreed to try to return to England (or to die trying) believing that it would take both of them to keep the plane under control. Eventually, as you can see, they landed somewhere in East Anglia, dazed but alive. According to Pesch's wife, his wedding ring cracked under the force he used on the control yoke. Pesch was 25 years old when these events took place. He passed some years ago. He never wanted to pilot a plane after returning from his tour of duty.