The lack of complete documents in my collection has made
putting together the Burrell Crew section quite difficult.
The only firm information that I have is from
the 499th Bomb Group Morning Report from 4 May 1945.
The crew reported for duty from the
73rd Bomb Wing via Special Orders from
XXI Bomber Command
The Unofficial 499th Bomb Group History states that they were a replacement
crew.
Thanks to Roy Wall, within these pages are two sets of
Morning Reports from the 499th Bomb Group, 877th Bomb Squadron.
The first is noted above.
The second is dated 25/26 May 1945 and
the crew's status is Missing in Action.
Both Sgt Warren Olson's and Cpl Stanley Forystek's IDPFs
have a list of their stations.
None are the same.
There is one dental record in Cpl Forystek's file that has him at
Smoky Hills Army Air Field ( SHAAF ) with
the 62nd Bomb Squadron in November 1944.
This squadron was part of the 39th Bomb Group, 314th Bomb Wing.
Cpl Forystek was at Mather Field, Sacramento, in April 1945.
This is from his list of stations.
One of the unknowns concerning the Burrell Crew is
when they came together and where.
They arrived on Saipan 4 May 1945.
Lt Burrell's first mission as Aircraft Commander was on 25-26 May
1945.
Their B-29 was Ramp Queen, Serial Number 42-63513.
Ramp Queen was first assigned to the 505th Bomb Group on Tinian.
On 1 January 1945 Bob Mann's records have her
transferred to the 498th Bomb Group.
However, my records do not have any B-29 with this Serial Number in
the 498th.
Her first mission with the 499th was on 4 February 1945.
Between then and and 23-24 May 1945
she was scheduled to fly 20 missions.
17 were completed
2 Aborts
1 Scratch
Her final mission was on 25-26 May 1945
with
the Burrell Crew
Below are photos of five of the Burrell Crew
sources: Ancestry.com
Find-A-Grave
Ramp Queen's nose art in both the 505th and 499th
versions were nearly identical.
The first version beneath these photos is the 499th
with 11 bombs painted on the fuselage.
The second is from the 505th .
Under the window to the right of woman is the
name either Jane or June
source : Nancy Samp
505th Bomb Group
