Whitcomb, Ralph Hess, born 28-01-1922 in Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana, United States 
to William Orr Whitcomb (1884–1944) 
and his wife Abigail M, born Hess Whitcomb (1884–1980) 
. Ralph graduated of Gallatin county high school.
here in 1940 and entered the US army air corps 
in November, 1942.He married
Margaret Ailene Mills Strucmeyer (1919-1998) 
of Tempe, Arizona, in March, 1944. Ralph was sent overseas in October. Ralph entered the Service Oregon the as a pilot with the 350th Bomb Squadron, 
under command of Major Maurice J. Fitzgerald of the 100th Bomb Group, 
under command of Colonel Pilot Robert H Kelly
Colonel Kelly who took command of the 100th Bomber Group for one week and two days, was lost on 28-04-1944, age 38, his first mission to the Sub pens at Sottevast France. At take off the new commander elected to bump the more experienced flight leader and lead the mission himself. The results were disastrous. Two ships were destroyed when the colonel made a second bomb run over the target at the same altitude and heading. Many men on the mission were killed as a result.
As a part of the Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) over Europe, The Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) was an Allied offensive of strategic bombing during World War II in Europe. The “Bloody 100th” appeared to suffer disproportionately at the hands of the German Luftwaffe, 
under command of the Chief of the Luftwaffe, Herman Göring,
with its members both respected and pitied by fellow bomber crews. Its reputation was well known throughout VIII Bomber Command 
as a jinxed unit, with the chances of surviving a tour of 25 missions appearing as a dim possibility. Highlighting this expectation in late 1943, a new airman was assigned to the 100th Bomb Group. Upon receipt of his posting, he told a companion while sobbing, “I’m not going to make it…they just put me in the 100th Bomb Group. I haven’t got a chance.”
The “Bloody” 100th Bomb Group flew their first combat mission on 25-06-1944 and its last on 20-04-1945. During those 22 months they were credited with 8630 missions with the terrible loss of 732 airmen and 177 aircraft. However, the 100th was not statistically noteworthy. They won numerous awards, but other groups won more. They didn’t fly the most missions, drop the most bombs, or even suffer the most casualties.
Death and burial ground of Whitcomb, Ralph Hess.
Ralph H. Whitcomb crew at Gulfport Field (left to right) Standing: Richard K. Rolle, Howard 
W. Nicol, Ralph H. Whitcomb, and Oliver K. Spears Kneeling: Albert G. Delgado, George A. Pults, 
Henry D. McLafferty, Arthur D. Stemen, Roch E. Courreges and Clarence W. Stonesifer. 
In front is their Flying Mascot, “C-1.”.
Ralph Whitcomb was killed in action on 31-12-1944, age 22. Whitcomb and his crew arrived at Thorpe Abbotts in late-October 1944. Royal Air Force Thorpe Abbotts or more simply RAF Thorpe Abbotts is a former Royal Air Force station located 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Diss, Norfolk, in eastern England. The station was built for the RAF use but handed over to the United States Army Air Forces in 1943 and upgraded for heavy bomber squadrons.
Ralph flew their first combat mission on December 4th. During the mission to Hamburg on 31-12-1944, reports indicated Whitcomb’s B-17 
was attacked by fighters, which inflicted fatal damage to the aircraft. Tail gunner Roch Courreges narrowly survived, and recalled seeing the “right wing leave the plane and the plane was a mass of flames.” Courreges also believed Whitcomb and four other members of the crew. Surviving besides his mother and the widow is a sister, Mrs. Dick Brome of Bozeman.
Leave a Reply