Although the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
B-26 Marauder
A bomber crerw of the 552nd Bomb Squadron, 386th Bomb Group with their B-26 Marauder (RG-K, serial number 41-34987). Official caption on image: "(GP-30-27-386)(14 Sept 43)(552 Bomb Sq. Crew)." Printed caption on reverse: '552nd B.S., 386th B.G. A/C Name: _ A/C Ser. No.: 134987, RG-K. From left to right starting in back row: 1) Pilot: Gerold A. Wendt. 2) _. 3) _. 4) E/G: Thornton B. Henry. 5) A/G: Myron O. McKim. 6) R/G: _.' On reverse: From Photo Files Of Chester P. Klier [Stamp]. Line up: Back row: Pilot: Jerold A. Wendt. 2) Frank White 3) Joseph McIntyre Front row: 4) E/G: Thornton B. Henry. 5) A/G: Myron O. McKim. 6) R/G: James Hankemeyer
B-26C-15-MA 41-34987 "Danny Boy II" was assigned to the 386BG/552BS at Great Dunmow, UK. On 27-Sep-43 the Group was despatched to bomb the German airfield at Conches, France. Un-route to the target the aircraft took a direct hit from AA fire in the left engine and crashed ten miles north-east of Fecamp, France. 6KIA MACR 755.
P 1LT Willaim F. Cox, Jr. (KIA); CP 2LT Dearing F. Stone (KIA)
N/B 2LT Harold J. Corbin (KIA) RO TSGT George H. Dunn, Jr. (KIA)
E SSGT Arthur J. Vermette (KIA) TG SGT William R. Newell (KIA)
Group
The 386th Bomb Group flew B-26 Marauders for the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. Whilst with the Eighth, the Group developed the formation release procedure for the B-26 on missions that targeted aerodromes, marshalling yards and V-weapon sites along the...
Squadron
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator; Bombardier | 386th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on 27-Sep-43 in B-26C 41-34987 'Danny Boy II', 386BG/552BS while serving as Navigator/Bombardier. The aircraft took a direct hit from AA fire in the left engine enroute to bomb the German airfield at Conches, France. The aircraft...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 386th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on 27-Sep-43 in B-26C 41-34987 'Danny Boy II', 386BG/552BS while serving as Pilot. The aircraft took a direct hit by AA fire in the left engine while enroute to bomb the German airfield at Conshes, France. The aircraft crashed...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 386th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on 27-Sep-43 in B-26C 41-34987 'Danny Boy II', 386BG/552BS while serving as Radio Operator. The aircraft tooK a direct hit by AA fire in the left engine enroute to bomb the German airfield at Conches, France.The aircraft crashed...
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on 27-Sep-43 in B-26C 41-34987 'Danny Boy II', 386BG/552BS while serving as Tail Gunner. The aircraft took a direct hit by AA fire in the left engine enroute to bomb the German airfield at Conches, France.The aircraft crashed and...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 386th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on 27-Sep-43 in B-26C 41-34987 'Danny Boy II', 386BG/552BS while serving as Co-Pilot. The aircraft took a direct hit by AA fire in the left engine enroute to bomb the German airfield at Conches, France. The aircraft crashed and...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer | 386th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) on 27-Sep-43 in B-26C 41-34987 'Danny Boy II', 386BG/552BS while serving as Engineer. The aircraft took a direct hit by AA fire in the left engine enroute to bomb the German airfield at Conches, France.The aircraft crashed and...
27 September 1943
The German airfield at Conches, France is the target for this combined force of 72 B-26s despatched from: 323BG (36) and 386BG (36). One aircraft Failed to Return (FTR) 6KIA and 4 others are damaged. There are no claims on enemy aircraft.
Military site : airfield
The airfield, two miles north-west of Great Dunmow, was built in 1942-1943 by the US Army's 818th Engineer Battalion (Aviation), alongside British contractors. B-26 Marauders of the 386th Bomb Group moved in in September 1943, and in October the Group...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Fécamp, France | 27 September 1943 |
|
Shot down by a direct hit from AA fire in the left engine and crashed about 10 miles north-east of Fecamp, France |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 28 March 2018 16:35:41 | Lucy May | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
Changed nickname from 'Margie' to 'Danny Boy II': The nickname is given as 'Margie' in "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE but as Klier was the Bomb Group's historian, I'm going to go with that nickname. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 June 2015 18:34:40 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 30-Jun-2015. Added crew position, rank, full proper name and dispostions of all crew, formatted crew diaplay per MACR 755. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 June 2015 18:16:30 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 30-Jun-2015. Corrected typo in Description. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 June 2015 18:14:05 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 30-Jun-2015. Added Nickname , Radio Call Sign and Description based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan BIshop & John A. Hey MBE; Made connections to Place and Mission and addted FTR event loss details and Map location per MACR 755. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 January 2015 23:23:33 | Tanks | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:06 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
MACR 755 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
||
