reading thru the pdf provides this about sack time... your grandfather wasn't onboard for some reason, and took command of his own b-17 for missions 363 and 364 (the final missions of the BG). Missing that flight, for whatever reason, probably had mixed emotions for your grandfather. He was probably close to some of sack time's crew?
<edit: looks like he was bumped from CP slot by another CP whose plane was down for maint. with the 427th>
As for the 109th mission, what more would you be looking for? They bombed the general area and everyone returned safe and sound. Then the following mission sack time was lost and your grandfather (who was not onboard any plane that mission) took command of his own crew for the final two missions of the war.
http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/362.pdf#42-102544 Sack Time, 360BS,
piloted by 2Lt. Blaine E. Thomas,
was on its 110th mission without aborting and
was hit by flak north of Brux. The No. 2 engine was smoking and was feathered. Bombs
were dropped on the third bomb run and the target was crossed with the formation. It then
slipped off to the left and exploded in the air approximately three minutes after it started
descending. Six parachutes were seen. The first three came out together, then three a bit
later. One jump was delayed.
The fortress went down in the vicinity of Dresden, Germany.
The men in the rear of the B-17 went out the waist hatch. Sgt. Melvin C. Carlson jumped
first, followed by Sgts. Walter E. Smith and Luis L. Contreras. Other crewmen jumped
from the nose hatch. Sgt. Contreras landed separately from the rest of his crew, sought
shelter and was captured by angry civilians. He witnessed an unknown airman being shot
by the civilians, was beaten and abused and placed in a city jail for four days. After being
turned over to the German military, he was transported to an unknown prison camp, thence
to Prague, Czechoslovakia, to Berlin and to other points.
Almost his entire time as a POW
was spent walking or on crowded trips via truck and train with nine other airmen. He was
finally rescued by General Patton's Third Army troops. Other crewmen were captured near
Frieberg by German troops, who held them captive approximately three weeks. They were
turned over to American forces on 7 May 1945, transported to Camp Lucky Strike, and
then returned home to the U.S.A. on a Liberty ship. S/Sgt. Edward G. Eschinger and Sgt.
Carlson were killed and are buried at Ardennes American cemetery at Liege, Belgium.
They are believed to have been killed by civilians after a successful parachute landing. Lt.
Thomas, 2Lt. Max R. Bartholomew, F/O Joseph Bonanno, S/Sgt. Harry W. Haynes, Jr.,
and S/Sgt. Smith were also captured and became Prisoners of War.
