41-23667 Ball of Fire Barber Bob

A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23667) nicknamed "Ball of Fire (Barber Bob)" of the 93rd Bomb Group used as a flight assembly ship. media-379955.jpg FRE 780 A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23667) nicknamed "Ball of Fire (Barber Bob)" of the 93rd Bomb Group used as a flight assembly ship. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 780 - A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23667) nicknamed "Ball of Fire (Barber Bob)" of the 93rd Bomb Group used as a flight assembly ship.

Assigned to 330BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. Waist gunner S/Sgt Arthur L Crandall made the 8AF first kill when he downed a Fw190 on 9-Oct-42. War-Weary became group's assembly ship decorated with multicoloured stripes hence the Barber's influenced renaming.



Ship in flight b&w https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/consolidated-b-24-liberator.41934…

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 93rd Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 455th Bomb Group 93rd Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 16041581 / O-53805
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15082720
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14031789
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight engineer / Top turret
Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph S Tate Jr, Sergeant Edward J Rubin and Technical Sergeant Gottrell H Wright of the 93rd Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-40128) nicknamed "Ball of Fire the III".

Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for publication 4 Nov 1943' [stamp]. '283892' [Censor no].

Printed caption on reverse: 'COMBAT PERSONNEL OF THE "TRAVELLING CIRCUS"
L to R: Lt. Col. Joseph S. Tate, Jr of St. Augustine Fla.  Squadron Commander, has completed 32 missions, incl. Rome and Ploest
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron 409th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-024034
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot / pilot
Lietuenant W.E Keefer, Lieutenant Phil Ziegler, Lieutenant Howard Young and Lieutenant Joe Walker, of the 93rd Bomb Group stand with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23742) nicknamed "Liberty Lad" at Alconbury. In a duplicate version of this image a censor has obscured the insignia on the airmen's jackets and the structure visible beneath the aircraft to the far left of the image. Image stamped on reverse: 'Ministry of Information 10 Oct 1942.'[stamp] and '226088'[Censor no]. Printed caption on reve
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19052873 / O-437682
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Places

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Mission to Berlin: The American Airmen Who Struck the Heart of Hitler's Reich By Robert F. Dorr
B-24 Liberator Units of the Eighth Air Force By Robert F Dorr

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Mission to Berlin: The American Airmen Who Struck the Heart of Hitler's Reich By Robert F. Dorr
B-24 Liberator Units of the Eighth Air Force By Robert F Dorr

41-23667: Gallery (2 items)