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Bill’s blog archive: Daily Posts

Mar22
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2nd LT Robert L. Schanen

Lt. Robert L. Schanen, Navigator of “Ascend Charlie”

Yesterday, I received this email from the relative of the navigator on Ascend Charlie's final mission. Ascend Charlie was a B-17 Flying Fortress (tail #42-5903) from the 390th Bomb Group, 571st Bomb Squadron. You can read my full article on "Ascend Charlie's" last mission here.. Dear Mr. Beigel, I just want to thank you for the piece you wrote about the "Ascend Charlie'" crash. Lt. Schanen was my grandmother's cousin and she speaks so fondly of him. I had always known he was killed in...
Aug14
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The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”
The Crew Of The “Ascend Charlie” Also Known As “The Turner Crew”

The “tail” of Ascend Charlie

The desperate last mission of the Turner Crew of the 390th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force Hikers in the Black Mountains of Southeast Wales might come across a small monument near coordinates N51 53.955, W003 06.829, about 8 north-northwest of Abergavenny and three miles from the village of Crickhollow. It honors the crew of “Ascend Charlie,” B-17 Flying Fortress tail # 42-5903, of the 390th Bomb Group. “Ascend Charlie” is a play on “Ass-End Charlie,” the nickname for the plane at the...
Apr04
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Speaker Booking: The Final Ascent of “Ascend Charlie”

  Please see presentation and booking information below to schedule Bill Beigel for your next WWII...

  • Captain Norman L. Aigner: An Ordinary Guy

    Thank you for your comment! Please tell us a little more about your inquiry at this link https://www.ww2research.com/contact/ and we'll be in touch. Best - Bill Beigel

  • From Panatella to Ploesti

    Great blog. My late father was a bombardier based out of Panatella. His plane was Jackpine Joe. Worked Ploesti and Germany. See Jackpinejoe.com

  • Wee Willie and the photo that started it all

    My father was Paul D Jessop, he spoke of your Grandfather a lot. My father passed away in 2011 .

  • Captain Norman L. Aigner: An Ordinary Guy

    I'm trying to find out about a veteran who was with the 3rd Infantry under Patton. The only info I have is a basic training image has the unit flag: RTC 207C Infantry Name: James Anderson Foster Jr from NC

  • The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)

    Hi Bill, Thanks for putting this together. My grand uncle, 2nd Lt. Robert L. Woolfolk attended UCLA and I believe he graduated in 1936. He was on the waterpolo team. He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. He and six others perished while three were able bail out and became POWs. This is written up the in the book "Bloody Skies: U.S. Eighth Air Force Battle Damage in World War II." There is a B-17G tail gunner's compartment on display at the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to this crew. Regards, Nick Veronico

  • Bill’s WW2 Almanac for January 21: Featuring Col. Randy’s Flying Circus

    Hi! Randall Col Randy is actually my great grandfather and I was wandering if you ever new him? I am curious to know more about him.
8th air force ascend charlie Author Bill Beigel B-24 b-24 Liberator Bill Beigel fiction D-Day dday june 6 1944 MIA Missing in Action P-47 Thunderbolt P-51 Mustang POW war casualty research world war 2 casualties world war 2 research World War II WW2 WWII

Bill’s WWII Almanac

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