41-11815 | American Air Museum

Nicknames: Daisy Mae
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Production block number: B-24D-CO
Manufacturer: Consolidated
Markings & paint scheme: The B-24D, 41-11815, was named, Daisy Mae, after the female character in Al Capp's "Dog Patch" cartoon. It was painted, overall, in the standard USAAF sand color for camouflage in the Libyan desert. The paint faded and oxidized in the African desert sun and heat into a dull pink color. It's nose art was a picture of Al Capp's "Daisy Mae" under 17 stars for 17 missions flown. The only markings on it's vertical stabilizers were the British tricolored fin flashes. It's national insignias in early 1943 were white stars on blue roundels with yellow border surrounds, later changed to blue border surrounds. Later, again, in late 1943, the insignias added two rectangular wings on each side of the white stars, with a blue border around the entire insignia.

41-11815 Daisy Mae

media-15236.jpeg UPL 15236 Nose art B-24D 'Daisie Mae', #41-11815 415th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid piloted by Lewis N Ellis, returning safely to Libya.

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Object Number - UPL 15236 - Nose art B-24D 'Daisie Mae', #41-11815 415th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid piloted by Lewis N Ellis, returning safely...

The B-24D, Daisy Mae, 41-11815, and it's crew, were in the 415th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 9th Air Force . The plane and crew flew on Ploesti mission piloted by Lt. Lewis N. Ellis and his crew, returning safely to Benghazi, Libya. Lt. Ellis normally flew as co-pilot on the B-24D, Pistol Packin' Mama, with his crew, but the, Pistol Packin' Mama, was scratched from the Ploesti mission with mechanical problems. 1-Aug-43.

Connections

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Units served with

Ground personnel of the 44th Bomb Group inspect a battle damaged B-24 Liberator after a mission over Ploesti, 1944. First handwritten caption on reverse: '44 BG Liberator damaged over Ploesti 8/1/44.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '41-11817 98 BG.'

415th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'

98th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Owen Junior Coldiron

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 25457408
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Lewis Nathaniel Ellis

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-793747
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Role/Job: Pilot

Callistus Eugene Fager

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 17064828 / O-739928
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Guido Joseph Gioana

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-734891
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Julius Max Klinkbeil

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 389th Bomb Group 466th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron 786th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 12051723 / O-794907
Highest Rank: Captain
Role/Job: Navigator/Squadron Navigator

Missions

Operation Tidal Wave

Date: 1 August 1943
Official Description:

Aircraft

42-40768

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Nicknames: Pistol Packin Mama
Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron 8th Air Force Finance

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Other Survived Ploesti	Ploiești, Romania	1 August 1943	Flew on 1-Aug-43 Ploesti raid piloted by Lewis N Ellis, returning safely to Libya.
Assigned	Benghazi, Libya		415th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Survived Ploesti

Ploiești, Romania

1 August 1943

Flew on 1-Aug-43 Ploesti raid piloted by Lewis N Ellis, returning safely to Libya.

Assigned

Benghazi, Libya

415th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF