War Time Photos: WW2 Combat Vet, Anthony Hmura

Anthony Hmura - WW2 Combat Vet

445th Bomb Group. 701st and 703rd Bomb Squadrons 

On lead plane, with ace Pilot Otto Tauer at Kassel Raid.

Gunner on B-24 Liberator. (Nickname - Casanova)

28 air combat missions. Shot down 3 times.

Survived that Kassell Raid - with highest losses of any U.S. air battle.

The 445th flew B-24's and was based at an airbase in Tibenham, England.

Hmura - Sent back on Duty after 28 combat missions.

Tony Hmura onboard a WW2 fighter plane

WW 2 airman Tony Hmura - before a combat mission.

Here's another photo and more info on our Squadron - the 703rd.

  Tony Hmura: Gunner on B-24 with Ace pilot Otto Tauer

Ours was the lead plane in the most deadly air battle of WW2 (Kassel)

With fellow airmen in the 445th Bomb Group, Air Corp

Photo from book on Polish-Americans in Central Mass.

I'm 2nd from left on bottom row.

Fellow airmen of the 445th bomb group - just after a mission.

As it happened, actor Jimmy Stewart was our Squadron Commander

703rd Bomb Squadron

Missions	Position	Name
15-19	Pilot	Lt. Otto S. Tauer
	CoPilot	Lt. Philip H. Goldfarb
	Bombardier	Lt. Abner G. Musser, Jr.
	Lead Navigator (DR)	Lt. George W. Herbert, Jr.
	Mickey (Radar) Navigator	Lt. Robert A. Livingston
	Pilotage Navigator/Gunner	Lt. Robert E. Conrad Jr.
	Engineer	T/Sgt. Robert H. Eisenberg
	Radio Operator	T/Sgt. Maurice E. Guerriero
	Tail Turret Gunner	S/Sgt. William J. Trollinger, Jr.
	Top Turret Gunner	S/Sgt. Jack C. Wikoff
	Waist Gunner	S/Sgt. Anthony P. Hmura
	Waist Gunner	S/Sgt. Richard P. Schultz

701st Bomb Squadron (lead crew)

Missions	Position	Name
20-30	Pilot	Lt. Otto S. Tauer ("Skipper")
	CoPilot	Lt. Philip H. Goldfarb ("Toggle")
	Bombardier	Lt. Abner G. Musser, Jr. ("Mate")
	Lead Navigator (DR)	Lt. Robert E. Conrad Jr. ("Gimper")
	Mickey (Radar) Navigator	Lt. Robert A. Livingstone ("Livy")
	Pilotage Navigator/Gunner	Lt. Harold L. Clark ("Head")
	Engineer	T/Sgt. Robert H. Eisenberg ("Ike")
	Radio Operator	T/Sgt. Maurice E. Guerriero ("Pappy")
	Tail Turret Gunner	S/Sgt. William J. Trollinger, Jr. ("Bill")
	Top Turret Gunner	S/Sgt. Jack C. Wikoff ("Jack")
	Waist Gunner	S/Sgt. Anthony P. Hmura ("Casanova")
	Waist Gunner	S/Sgt. Richard P. Schultz ("Dutch")

Read: Combat Mission Record with 445th Bomb Group
At this link, can read descriptions of many of the missions I was on with Ace pilot Otto Tauer and (site's source) Lt. Robert Conrad

More info on the 445th Bomb Group: http://www.445bg.org/

"Dedicated to the men who flew with the 445th Bomb Group out of Tibenham, England."