Crew Roster · Personal File
Donald C. Farwell
1st Lt. Donald C. Farwell served as radar operator aboard B-24L 44-49573, 329th Bomb Squadron, on 23 March 1945. His name appears as 'Parwell' on the MACR form, corrected to 'Farwell' based on 2nd Lt. Diez's survivor statement.
Killed in action 23 March 1945. Lt. Howering confirmed seeing Farwell's body near the crash site before survivors were removed by German captors.
Killed in Action
Sortie Log
5 CATALOGUED SORTIES
24 DEC 1944 — 23 MAR 1945
24 DEC 1944 — 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
№ 760
24 DEC 1944
Ahrweiller??
1-1 Hi-right; 409th Bomb Sq
Joker II42-51523
№ 761
25 DEC 1944
HallschlagC/C
Lead 2nd Sq
Lily Ann42-51465
№ 781
05 JAN 1945
Target unrecorded
Hi Right 1-2
Lily Ann42-51465
№ 809
28 JAN 1945
KaiserstuhlO/I
Lead aircraft; CA Dillon (448) — Command Pilot designation
XX-XX355
№ 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