Crew Roster · Personal File
Charles E. Biggers
Major Charles E. Biggers served as command pilot aboard the lead B-24L 44-49573, 329th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, on the 23 March 1945 Munster mission. He was responsible for leading the 93rd Bomb Group's 370th operational mission.
Killed in action when the aircraft was destroyed by antiaircraft fire over the target. Survivor 2nd Lt. Diez confirmed finding Major Biggers's body near the crash site after the crew came down.
Killed in Action
Sortie Log
3 CATALOGUED SORTIES
10 JAN 1945 — 23 MAR 1945
10 JAN 1945 — 23 MAR 1945
The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.
8AF Mission
Date
Target
Aircraft
№ 789
10 JAN 1945
Target unrecorded
409th ship. Command Pilot: Major Charles E. Biggers (CA designation noted in source)
42-75046
№ 894
18 MAR 1945
Berlin/HenningsdorfAFV/V
Command Pilot (CA): Biggers, Charles E., Major; assigned to 329th squadron per document notation.
44-49573
№ 908
23 MAR 1945
Munster, Germany (Marshalling Yard)
Aircraft 44-49573 (call sign 573/M), a B-24L, was the lead plane on the 93rd Bomb Group's 370th operational mission — a bombing run to the marshalling yard at Munster, Germany, on 23 March 1945. Major Charles E. Biggers flew as command pilot (overall group commander in flight) and 1st Lt. James M. Powell was lead pilot. Immediately after bombs away over the target at approximately 0930, the aircraft received two direct hits from enemy antiaircraft fire — once by the nose turret and again under the right bomb bay and wing. The aircraft burst into intense flames, the left wing folded up, and it went down. No parachutes were observed by the deputy lead crew. Per the group mission report: "the lead A/C 573-M received a direct flak hit and exploded, no chutes being seen." Three crew members survived and were taken prisoner: 1st Lt. Frederick S. Howering (returned to Allied control 12 April 1945), 1st Lt. Wallace J. Spencer Jr. (returned 16 April 1945), and 2nd Lt. Jose V. T. Diez (returned 12 April 1945). Survivor 2nd Lt. Diez reported in December 1945 that upon reaching the ground he found the bodies of Major Biggers and Lt. Powell. He and Lt. Howering were ordered by captors to dig the grave of Sgt. Ralph Wyle (engineer). Lt. Howering separately confirmed the deaths of Lts. Krall and Farwell, having seen their bodies. The remaining enlisted crew members were unaccounted for by survivors.
44-49573