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B-24 Liberator
B-24D 41-23786 was assigned to 44th Bomb Group, 68th Bomb Squadron at Shipdham. Shot down by German fighters 6-December-1942 on a mission to bomb the German airfield Drucat at Abbeville, France. 10KIA. First loss for 44th Bomb Group. MACR 2920.
P 1Lt. James D. Du Bard, Jr. (KIA); CP 2Lt Henry B. Kaitala (KIA);
N 2Lt Richard V. Somerville (KIA); B 2Lt George A. Crawford (KIA);
E/TT G Sgt Charles S. Dick (KIA); RO Sgt William C. Mears (KIA);
BTG Sgt Robert F. Lilley (KIA); WG SSgt Paul E. Beverly (KIA)
WG Sgt Anthony F. Rizzo (KIA); TG Sgt Donald M. Smith (KIA)
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Joined crew 3 August 1942. Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Joined crew 3 August 1942. Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Bombardier. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Joined squad 3 August 1942. Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Fw 190 (2) destroyed 6 December 1942
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Pilot. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Arrived in the ETO on the Queen Mary, 5 September 1942. Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Co-Pilot. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Joined crew 14 October 1942. Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Waist Gunner. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Joined crew 10 April 1942. Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Radio Operator. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 6 December 1942 in B-24 41-23786 while serving as Waist Gunner. Plane crashed into Channel. Killed in Action (KIA). First loss for the 44th BG.
Military | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
6 December 1942
The German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France is the primary target for 19 B-24s despatched from 44th Bomb Group but are recalled. One squadron of 6 does not hear the recall and proceeds to the target, 1 B-24 MIA.
...
Military site : airfield
Shipdham was built in 1941-1942, the first US heavy bomber airfield in the English county of Norfolk. It was a standard design, with T2-type hangars and a domestic site dispersed to the south east. Improvements were carried out to increase the number...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW) | English Channel | 6 December 1942 |
|
Attacked by German fighters and crashed into the English Channel mid-way between Boulogne and Beachy Head. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 03 December 2014 19:47:25 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description and events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 3-Dec-2014. Minor edit to description; added detail to FTR event per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 November 2014 21:55:22 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Nov-2014. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 2920. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 November 2014 21:18:21 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Nov-2014. Missing AIr Crew Report (MACR) 2620; "USAAF Combat Chronology" Jack McKillop. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:01 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
MACR 2920 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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