The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-07-03
FLAX HITS FAIL
 TO HALT BOMBER
Capt. Grimes in Eventful Mission Over Berlin
 Reaches Decision

NVQSAASS DSSAOAVA
 Atlantic City, N. J., - Two trips over Berlin, and Captain Edwin Grimes of 57 Lockhart avenue, Wa terbury, Conn, B-17 bombardier "got religion"
 Those raids were a lesson to me- recalled the Waterbury man yesterday at the AAF Redistribution Station No. l. T used to joke at the crew members in my squadron who carried luck charms, but I'm cer- tainly thankful I wised up." Captain Grimes had ample chance to test his new faith one day over Loan /Athies, France, when four di- rect bursts of flak caught the 28- year-old bombardier's B-17 square, ly in the bomb bay. The No. 1 and No. 4 engines were blown out, and the supercharger controls on a third were shattered
 We managed to string the bombs out as we left the formation" re- lated the captain. "Jettisoning all our equipment as we went down, the pilot leveled of at 6,000 feet and headed for home
 The crippled bomber made a per- feet target for ack-ack gunners all the way to the coast. Rows of bull lets laced up and down the bomb bay walls, the interphone system went out, and the tail gunner suf- fered minor wounds.
 By the time we reached the home base that day, I swore I'd always carry a luck charm for the rest of the time I was in the air" Captain Grimes added.
 Captain Grimes, who wears the DEC and the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, will be inter viewed by personnel experts and ex- amined by doctors while at the AAF Redistribution Station No. l to determine his next assignment in the Air Forces.
 S-Sgt. William Guglielmo, arrived at Bradley Field week ago from an Eighth Air Force base in Eng land and is spending a furlough with his parents, MT. and Mrs. An- gelo Guglielmo, 371 Oak street.
 The airman is veteran of 12 missions and holds the Air Medal with one clusters, three battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation bar.
 After a 30-day furlough here, he will report for further duty at Fort Devens, Mass. A former student at Leavenworth High School and an employe at the Benrus Watch Co.,, Sgt. Guglielmo entered the AAF April IS, 1943.
 Pvt. Thomas P. Ashton, son of MT. and Mrs. Thomas P. Ashton, ST., 290 Monroe avenue, was aboard the Queen Elizabeth which arrived here from Europe to dock in New York last Saturday with almost 14,0O0 soldiers aboard. A former prisoner of war in Germany, Ashton served in the North African and Si- cilian campaigns before being taken prisoner February IT, 1914. | Louis George Ritucci, 145 Plaza avenue, has been awarded the Good Conduct Medal for efficient per- formance of military duty. He is serving at the present time near Thalexweiler, Germany.
 A former employe at the Water bury Mfg. Co., he entered the serv- ice in February, 1914, and went over seas last September.
 T-Sgt. Stephen D. Baldwin, son of Lieut. Col. and Mrs. Grover c. Baldwin, 97 Ball Farm road, Oak vile. is reported missing on a mis-J sion in the Philippines since June 6. according to a War Department telegram. His mother is tempor- arily at Castine, Me.
 The engineer gunner met his father a short time ago at an air field in the Philippines. He had been on missions ovre Corregidor. Formosa, Hong Kong. and the China Sea.
 Sgt. Baldwin's brother, Richard. a naval lieutenant. is witht he Pa- c!fic fleet.
 Charles Robert Thorpe. IT. son of MT. and Mrs. Charles Thorpe. Is now training at the Merchant Ma- rine school. He graduated from Leavenworth high school last month and enlisted in the service three weeks ago.
 Sgt. Vincent (Duke) Sullivan, 24 Nelson avenue. is now serving with the military police in the European theatre. Sullivan was employed at Harmon's Grill, Baldwin street, at the time he entered the Army in March. l044. His wife, the former Helen O'Connor. and two children. Timothy. and Maureen, reside at the Nelson avenue address. He Is the brother of Martin Sullivan. al- dermen and police commissioner.