Briefing the crews - The Sedalia Democrat: Military Life

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Briefing the crews

Van White

Van White, of Albuquerque, N.M., briefed the crews who flew B-17s in World War II.

Van White

B-17 crew of FDR's Potato Peeler Kids

This is the crew of the B-17 nicknamed FDR's Potato Peeler Kids.

Front row, from left, Sgt. Homer W. Perkins, waist gunner; Staff Sgt. Raymond K. Winter, engineer; Sgt. Jack D. Snell, tail gunner; Staff Sgt. Raymond H. Kilgore, radio operator; and Staff Sgt. Joseph G. Zsampar, ball turret gunner.

Back row, Capt. Ross C. Bales, pilot; 2nd Lt. Walter E. Dooley, co-pilot; 2nd Lt. Paul W. Thomas, bombardier; and 2nd Lt. Richard S. Browning, navigator.

They were killed in action on May 14, 1943, after returning from a bombing mission in Kiel, Germany. The plane was last seen going down into the North Sea.