B-24 wreck in the Adriatic identified

Mary and Mccoffee are amazing in the work they are doing helping the families share!

 

Hi, picture Albert 2, Tony Fermano (Anthony or Antonio) is second from the left.
He is not in Albert 1 picture
but we will try to see if he remembers the men in the pictures
I'm not sure my Dad has seen Albert 1 and Albert 3 pictures
I know our Dad shared some pictures. It is nice to see others have some information. As you say amazingly they came back from Italy.
This is wonderful!

 

I think i got confused on who was who in an email from Mary about this picture.
This is the the picture she sent me, which I believe was from you????
Which one is your dad?

 

Now I think I have four of the names straight.
see attached.

 

Hi, I am Tony's Daughter, Lydia
My sister Lisa and I have been communicating with Mary. We have sent pictures. I have separately also scanned pictures Dad has to send to Mary. My other sister Doreen is also involved. But I am the member of this forum. We are thrilled to be blessed with communication on this effort. It is great to share information. Thank you
This is what we know:
Top row, left to right:
Sgt. Cox, Lt. German, Lt. Betz, Capt. Hanson. Lt. Fermano, Sgt. Brady (Dad is pretty sure this is the name of this man)
bottom row, left to right
Sgt. McGraw (his family tried to touch base with Dad as I stated in an earlier post. Unfortunately, Dad was not able to open up. If anyone has connections, please share), Sgt. Acampora, Sgt Turpin, Sgt Nally
We are in a blizzard right now, but this is what we know.
hope this helps!
all the best

 

The names above are for the Hanson picture
the set up is different with the Hanson crew pictures with medals.
Dad said they were so proud that day!

 

Excellent! Brady should be correct - Lawrence W. Brady, F/E- UG.

 

This is great. Nice to meet you Lydia. Your father must be a great man - please give him my best.
I obvioulsy never had a chance to meet my great uncle, but after being contacted by Mary and doing some research, I'm really feeling a great connection to him as well as the men he served with. Their story is just amazing.

You may want to check out this facebook page started by one of Howard Hanson's neices.
https://www.facebook.com/Hansoncrew

 

This is great. Nice to meet you Lydia. Your father must be a great man - please give him my best.
I obvioulsy never had a chance to meet my great uncle, but after being contacted by Mary and doing some research, I'm really feeling a great connection to him as well as the men he served with. Their story is just amazing.

You may want to check out this facebook page started by one of Howard Hanson's neices.
https://www.facebook.com/Hansoncrew

 

Hello all
Dad seems to feel pretty confident:
The picture in front of Sad Sack Club:
Acampora, McGraw, and Nally
It was the enlisted men's club in Grottaglie (sorry about any misspelling!)

The picture in front of the plane (which possibly was their plane)
standing l-r
Brady, Cox, and Turpin
kneeling l-r
McGraw and Acampora

Again Dad is not 100 % sure, but almost. He's been right in the other photos.

The picture with the four officers
German, Betz,Hanson, and Fermano

On their way to Italy, Cox (the youngest 17 and also would get air sick--until he flew combat) asked that the plane go over his town of Milford MA. They flew past the steeple. It must have been so emotional. God bless them.
When they got to Italy, Dad and Howard Hanson went with an experienced crew on a "training" mission. Sad, but isn't that what happened on February 28, 1945? The inexperienced two guys flew with the Hanson crew to train. After the one combat "training" flight, they flew together. They were always together Dad said.

I hope this helps. Dad is trying to remember and we will share in emails or through the 449 group communications as possible.
Lydia

 

Hi My Dad had a special memory of Albert he wants to share. Albert wanted to write a letter to his mother. He needed a lamp. My Dad spoke Italian. So Dad and Albert went into the town in search of the lamp. When they went to the vendor, he gave them grief because they were Italian-Americans fighting in Italy. Dad got so upset, not only because of the insult to them of Italian heritage who were doing their duty as Americans, but also because Albert was not able to purchase his lamp. Dad report the vendor to the MPs. I guess they shut the vendor down. Dad felt great about that! Albert had a dangerous job. Dad seems to remember he was the ball turret gunner. If you see the plane, you know where your great uncle had to sit. God bless him. As my Dad remembers things, we'll try to communicate. He is a very aware 91, but it is sad remembering these guys, but he appreciates it is harder for the families left behind. Our best, Lydia

 

Hello everyone!! I am the Nephew of Tom McGraw. I was born in Cleveland Ohio and spent my youth and informative years with all of the McGraw clan. I am desperately trying to find more information on this recent find. I was unable to open the video or download the entire post??? If anyone has anything to share with me I would be humbled and thankful. Yours Truly Tony52

 

Tony, PM sent

 

I thought I had replied, but I went off the page!
My Dad is Tony Fermano, the Hanson crew navigator who was removed at the last minute on Feb 28 1945. I thought you (or someone in your family) and I had spoken several years ago. If it is not you, could you ask others in the family? My Dad has never felt he had much to share but now is seeing that sharing things like the Hanson orders and pictures that families did not have is something he can do. My sisters and I along with my Dad have been working with the 449th bomber group newsletter editor and mccoffee. The Hanson family has started a facebook page. The link is above in this forum. Also the 449th bomber group newletter editor and mccoffee are hot on the heels of getting the identities and sharing information. Lydia (Fermano) Nelson

 

I would like to thank all the wonderful people i have met over the past week. The articles and pictures were fascinating to say the least. However this turns out i am overjoyed to have shared it with you all. My uncle Thomas McGraw was and is a good man. I think of him and his crew often. I don't know how to respond to you all as words are difficult. Thank You very much !!! May God bless you and all your family's and shine his grace on you all. " GOD BLESS AMERICA " Tony52

 

I have a sister going to Italy aprox. April 2014. She will be about 100 miles from Grade Italy. This was a pre-arranged trip B-4 we knew about this discovery. She is willing to make a detour to Grade to find more information. I am looking for more information contacts etc.
Thank You, Tony52

 

Apparently the wreck was a pretty popular diving site, there are some 2012 post on an Italian aviation archaeology site that identified correctly the plane, IE won't let me paste the link but ....

www.archeologidellaria.org/index.php?topic=2141.0

the user called freddy is one of those who regularly dived there you could probably register to that site and drop him a PM, it looks like he speaks English.

 

That user is the researcher who is mentioned in the original article at the top of this thread. He was also instrumental in locating the crash site of another 449th B-24 on a barrier island in the Grado area. That crash site also possibly holds the remains of 7 MIA's.

 

Today is February 28. God grant the men of the Hanson crew peace. God bless their families.
Lydia (Fermano) Nelson on behalf of my Dad and my family.

 

An Italian newspaper in Grado is reporting that JPAC will be in the area in early May to work the site of this aircraft as well as the other 449th aircraft in the area. The second aircraft is 41-29217 which crashed on the Island of Morgo on 30 January 1944, not too far from the Hanson site in Northern Italy. 41-29217 was flown by the Ben Kendall crew of the 718th Squadron and was one of three 449th aircraft lost that day. There were mix-ups in the MACR's of these three and it was assumed that Kendall's ship had exploded in air. The same Italian researcher who was instrumental in identifying Hanson's aircraft pieced together the actual story of the 30 January air battle and located the crash site. The Kendall aircraft is buried in swampy ground on the island and is thought to contain the remains of 7 MIAs.

Hopefully JPAC will soon be on these two sites.

http://messaggeroveneto.gelocal.it/cronaca/2014/04/08/news/dagli-usa-per-recuperare-l-areo-abbattuto-1.9002532