Bayha, George C.

George C. Bayha

George C. Bayha was born in New York in 1920. In Rye his family lived at 70 Wappanocca Avenue, along with his mother, Christine Bayha, and his little sister, Mary Bayha. The home that his mother owned cost $6,000. ($114,400 Dollars In Current day)

His mother was born in the Irish Free State, while George and Mary were born in New York. His father George Louis Bayha died in 1934 at the age of 50. Georges's father had been a long time resident of Rye, first living with family on School Street and then building a house at 70 Wappanocca Ave in 1922 and was a City of Rye Police Officer.

Growing up in Rye, young George and his mother and sister were members of the Church of Resurrection. He was a graduate of Resurrection Grammer School and the Rye High School class of 1939 in , being a part of the Drivers’ Club and a member of the football and baseball teams. His senior quote was: “My eyes make pictures when they are shut.”



George served in WW2 in the US Army Air Corps as a crew member on a B-29 Superfortress. He was a master sergeant serving as a flight engineer and a member of the 6th Bomb Group. The campaign of incendiary raids started with the bombardment of Kobe on 4 February 1945, then peaked early with the most destructive bombing raid in history on the night of 9–10 March 1945 on Tokyo.

From then on, the raids intensified, being launched regularly until the end of the war. The attacks succeeded in devastating most large Japanese cities and they gravely damaged Japan's war industries. Although less publicly appreciated, the mining of Japanese ports and shipping routes (Operation Starvation) carried out by B-29s from April 1945 reduced Japan's ability to support its population and move its troops.

Flying over 30 missions George was awarded The Distinguished Flying Cross.

The citation for it is: "For extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight 5 June 1945. In a daylight incendiary attack against important industrial and shipping facilities in the city of Kobe, Japan, these combat crew members of a B-29 aircraft flew a precise and successful mission from a base in the Marianas Islands, 1500 miles to the south. Flying their plane exactly as briefed, despite the hazards of the long trip over water, through heavy, intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire, and fighting off fourteen attacks on their formation by enemy fighter planes, each of these men performed his appointed duties with exceptional skill, coolness and courage and teamwork. An unusually high degree of bombing accuracy was attained, aiding in the destruction of more than four square miles of the city. By their devotion to duty and their determination to press home their attack on the target in the face of heavy odds, members of this crew who have completed more than twenty-one combat missions, distinguished themselves and reflected great credit on the Army Air Forces."

George was honorably discharged on 8 Oct 1945. In 1953 at the Church of the Resurrection he married the former Kathryn Marie Otto. George was an electrician and worked for Brooksville Electric Co in Port Chester for over 20 years. He was a third degree knight in the John M Grady Council Knights of Columbus Port Chester, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Worker, a member of the Rye Golf Club and a member of the Church of the Resurrection.

George Christopher Bayha 52 died on 6/1/1973 at the age of 53 at United Hospital. At the time of his death, in addition to his wife, he was survived by two daughters Martha then a senior at Rye High School, Maureen a freshman at the same school: a son George C Jr a fifth-grade student at Midland School, a brother Matthew of Rye a sister Mrs James P Kelly of Greenwich and a niece and a nephew.

-Matthew Franco

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The 6th Bomb Group


The Airplane - #27 "Lucky Strike"

According to Cpt Robert Rodenhouse (A/C):

While on Johnson Island, the B-29 plane was named. Rodenhouse and his crew had all been smoking cigarettes at the time, some of which were: Chester Fields, Old Gold, Camel's, and Lucky Strikes. After pondering for a moment, Rodenhouse replied, "Lucky Strikes ... Hey, every time you fly and drop a bomb, that's a strike mission, a lucky strike means you get back home. Let's name it the Lucky Strike." So, with that, the B-29 airplane was named. Since they were still on Johnson Island, the Navy painted the name, Lucky Strike, in big letters on the side of the plane.

["Oral History - Mr. Robert Rodenhouse", Veteran's History Project, p. 7]

The Air Crew - The Lucky Strike was assigned to Crew #3903.


Captain WILLIAM P. LEMME, A/C
First Lieutenant WILLIAM F. SULLIVAN, Navigator
First Lieutenant GEORGE T. KEMP, Bombardier
Master Sergeant GEORGE BAYHA, Flight Engineer
Technical Sergeant CHARLES E. FITCH, CFC Gunner
Staff Sergeant LOUIS W. VOLLMAN, Radar Operator
Staff Sergeant NICHOLAS P. MATRO, Radio Operator
Staff Sergeant SIDNEY G. YOUNGER, Right Blister Gunner
Staff Sergeant WILLIAM G. MORITZ, Left Blister Gunner
Staff Sergeant DAVID MAYO, Tail Gunner

Mission 47. Kobe Urban Area (June 5)



(Above)INCENDIARY BOMBS SHOWER on the dock area of Kobe, Japan, on June 5, 1945. Haywood Hansell, "The Strategic Air War Against Germany and Japan", p. 235.


This was a daylight incendiary attack against Kobe involving 29 planes from the 6th Bomb Group: The next mission on 5 June was also a daylight incendiary. This time the target was the urban area of Kobe. The Sixth had twenty-nine planes hitting the target area against very active enemy defenses. A total of forty-eight air attacks were reported while flak was moderately heavy. Photo reconnaissance later showed 4.35 square miles burned out, bringing the total destruction of Kobe to 56 per cent or 8.75 sq. mi.

All of the Group's losses for June were suffered this day. Sgt Raymond L. Merritt, 39th Squadron, was killed instantly by a flak burst and S/Sgt Charles P. Magnuson, also of the 39th Squadron, died in the hospital at Iwo Jima from wounds. Both were members of Lt Catt's crew which had two other men wounded on the raid. They were S/Sgt John C. Ward and S/Sgt James L. Morgan. Also wounded on this mission was Lt Zeno A. Uhle, bombardier on another 39th Squadron ship.

[Pirate's Log, pp. 46-47]

According to the DFC Citation for Crew #3903: For extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight 5 June 1945. In a daylight incendiary attack against important industrial and shipping facilities in the city of Kobe, Japan, these combat crew members of a B-29 aircraft flew a precise and successful mission from a base in the Marianas Islands, 1500 miles to the south. Flying their plane exactly as briefed, despite the hazards of the long trip over water, through heavy, intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire, and fighting off fourteen attacks on their formation by enemy fighter planes, each of these men performed his appointed duties with exceptional skill, coolness and courage and teamwork. An unusually high degree of bombing accuracy was attained, aiding in the destruction of more than four square miles of the city. By their devotion to duty and their determination to press home their attack on the target in the face of heavy odds, members of this crew who have completed more than twenty-one combat missions, distinguished themselves and reflected great credit on the Army Air Forces.



[Transcribed by David Wilson, son of Sgt Bernard E. Wilson (Gunner, "Anonymous IV")]
A separate DFC Citation was prepared for First Lieutenant RICHARD S. BAUMGARTNER, Pilot of Crew #3903 on this mission.


George C. Bayha was a flight engineer and a member of the 6th Bomb Group. He received the Distringuished Flying Cross. The citation for it is: For extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight 5 June 1945. In a daylight incendiary attack against important industrial and shipping facilities in the city of Kobe, Japan, these combat crew members of a B-29 aircraft flew a precise and successful mission from a base in the Marianas Islands, 1500 miles to the south. Flying their plane exactly as briefed, despite the hazards of the long trip over water, through heavy, intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire, and fighting off fourteen attacks on their formation by enemy fighter planes, each of these men performed his appointed duties with exceptional skill, coolness and courage and teamwork. An unusually high degree of bombing accuracy was attained, aiding in the destruction of more than four square miles of the city. By their devotion to duty and their determination to press home their attack on the target in the face of heavy odds, members of this crew who have completed more than twenty-one combat missions, distinguished themselves and reflected great credit on the Army Air Forces. Rye High School Graduate, class of 1939

George C. Bayha Obituary