Leonard Kronheim

Sgt Stanley Mazeika,bottom row 3rd from left, shown with rest of his 8th AF crew, some where in England before his transfer to the 758th BS, 459th BG in June, 1944. He had been in the 148 Bomb Group, 715th BS in the 8th AF and had flown 23 sorties ( credited with 32 missions ) and then flew 12 more sorties ( 18 credited missions ) with the 758th BS to complete his 35 sortie ( 50 Mission ) total.

The other members of his 8th AF crew are: Standing, Left to Right Lt Leonard I Kronheim-Pilot; Lt Harold J Kriechbaum; Co-Pilot: Lt Donald R Siljestrom-Navigator - Nose gunner; Lt Charles H Scott- Bombardier - Nose gunner

The gunners L-R are: Sgt Louis G Keim- Engineer- Upper Turret; Sgt Stanley W Mazeika-Engineer-Lower Ball Turret; Sgt Robert D Crudele-Armorer-Waist; Sgt Charles E Brown- Armorer Waist; Sgt Albert R Cavalier-Armorer -Tail

Notice that the B-24 is an old model B-24 without a nose turret and that the crew lists the Navigator and Bombardier as Nose Gunners--each manning one of the 50 caliber machins guns in the nose of the aircraft. Also the hardstand on which this B-24 is parked appears to be concrete other evidence that this photo was from an airfield in England as the 459th BG hard stands were not concrete.

____________________________

1st Lt LEONARD KRONHEIM was assigned or attached to the 459th Bombardment Group on 16 June 1944 according to a 27 October 1944 dated document subject roster of personnel sent to the commanding general NATOUSA

Lt Leonard Kronheim, as pilot of a B-24, had the distinction of flying for both the 8th Air Force and the 15th Air Force and flying missions from both War Theaters.One of his crewmen was Stanley Mazeika, whose son-in-law Mike St Laurent furnished us with Stan`s combat mission record, ( the mission record for the 459th missions is posted under Stan`s name and the 8th AF data will be listed shortly