42-40749 Sack-Time Sally

media-15273.jpeg UPL 15273 Lt. Roy Braly, pilot - standing left side - Pilot of the B-24D Liberator bomber, #42-40749, named, SACK-TIME SALLY, from the 565th Bomb Squadron, the 389th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force from Britain, and crew, flew on the Ploesti oil refinery bombing mission, returning safely to Libya. August 1, 1943
Crew:
Standing (L-R) Roy Braly - Pilot, Norbert Gebhard - Co-Pilot, Merlin Verberg - Bombardier, James McGahee - Navigator
Kneeling (L-R) Essman Matthews - Radio Operator, Virgil Hoffman - Engineer, Andrew S Toth - Waist Gunner, George Scott - Ball Turret
John Filenger - Tail Gunner, Edward Goodall - Waist Gunner

Best Web - B-24 - SACK-TIME SALLY

Object Number - UPL 15273 - Lt. Roy Braly, pilot - standing left side - Pilot of the B-24D Liberator bomber, #42-40749, named, SACK-TIME SALLY, from the 565th Bomb...

The B-24D, 42-40749, named "Sack-Time Sally" flew on the Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Lt. Roy E. Braly, returning safely to Libya. Aug 1, 1943.



"Sack-Time Sally" was later shot down on a mission to Bremen, Nov. 26, 1943, by ME-109 fighters over Opeinde, Holland - 6 KIA / 4 POW. MACR 3493.



The men flying "Sack-Time Sally" had "crewed up" at Biggs Field, Texas, in January, 1943. They named their personal B-24D after the girl friend, who was newly engaged to one of the crewmen. Their 389th Bomb Group was, at first, destined for Hethel in Norfolk, VA. But, even though the advance party was already in place, their orders were changed, and the Group diverted to Benghazi, North Africa, from where they were to operate until late August, 1943.



The "Sack-Time Sally" crew flew their first six missions out of Benghazi, and were briefly sent back to Norfolk, VA, before being deployed once more back to North Africa, this time to Tunisia for six weeks.



The last flight for "Sack-Time Sally"'s crew came on that same year, on November 26, 1943. During a mission over Bremen, Germany, they lost an engine and, following their bomb run, they were unable to keep up with their formation. Some 20 miles into Holland, "Sack-Time Sally" became a sitting duck for the three ME-109s that attacked them. The bombers' gunners quickly shot down one of the fighters, but "Sack-Time Sally" was also hit, setting the bomb bay on fire. After a valiant attempt to put the fire out, the crew, some of whom were wounded in the attack, bailed out. Copilot, Lt. Dean Dalton, after helping several others to evacuate, failed to get out, himself, with four other crewmen, who didn't. Of the 10 man crew, only four survived the enemy gunfire and bail out.



Anxiously, the eyes of the residents of Opeinde, Netherlands, were drawn skyward to the air fight between the big B-24 Liberator bomber circling defensively, high above their heads, fighting off three determined German ME-109 fighters. The first casualty was one of the fighters, which was hit by the American gunners'.50 caliber machine guns, and came spiraling down. But, the two remaining fighters sent more shells ripping through "Sack-Time Sally"'s bomb bay, setting the bomber on fire.



Within minutes, the flames became an inferno. The village residents counted five men jumping out of the burning plane. Seconds later, an explosion tore the tail off the bomber. Without it's tail, the big B-24 pitched up and stood vertically in the air momentarily, before nosing down into a dive, no longer being controlled by her pilot, Lt. Roy Braly. The big plane dove to the earth, engines screaming, and slammed into the meadow of Dutch farmer, Kees Van der Meulen.



By the end of the day, November 26, 1943, four of the American airmen were found dead under the wreck. One man was found in the tail section, and one of the men who had bailed out, was found dead in a meadow several miles away from the B-24, as his parachute had caught fire before he bailed out. Only four men were able to land their parachutes among the local villages. Pilot Roy Braly and Gunner John Filenger were captured immediately by German troops. Bombardier Merlin Verberg was picked up by the female Dutch Resistance member, Tiny Mulder, who hid him at her parents’ house.



The last man on the loose was navigator, James McGahee. His parachute had gotten tangled in a tree, and, with the help of a young man, he got free and ran. By the evening, he was safely in the hands of the friendly Dutch Resistance, who hid him in a church for three nights followed by three weeks on a farm.



Just before Christmas McGahee met his friend, Merlin Verberg, again. But, while they were well on their way to freedom, the German Gestapo found and arrested them and sent them to the Stalag Luft 1, prisoner of war camp, where they were confined until the end of the war.



As a young man, I knew the story of this giant bomber, because both of my parents were residents of Opeinde. Many years later, I learned from a village researcher, the name of the B-24D was, "Sack-Time Sally", and the names of her crew members. I learned about Pilot Braly and John Filegar, who were caught straightaway. But James McGahee, aided by a local man, managed to hide in some bushes. Later, the Dutchman returned, took him to a church, and provided him with food, clothing, and blankets. He remained there for three days until taken by a woman in the Dutch Resistance (Tiny Mulder) to a farm where McGahee again stayed a few days and learned what had happened to the rest of his crewmen.



On the 20th of December, provided with fake ID, papers, and civilian clothing, McGahee was put on a train along with crew mate, Merlin Verberg, and two other escapees. In Rotterdam, they were fed and sheltered overnight, and, then, left for Amsterdam. Earlier, Verberg, after bailing out, had been taken to a safe house from where he was collected by a teenager in the Resistance, Tiny Mulder. She brought him a change of clothes and a bike, and they rode off, openly, hand in hand, past German soldiers to her home, where he stayed for some weeks. Sadly, on arrival in Amsterdam, the four men were collected by a 'red-headed' turncoat, who drove them straight to the enemy. Verberg kept in touch with Tiny Mulder after the war, and they exchanged several visits until Tiny's death in 1993, a very special, courageous, and brave woman !

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 389th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17017427 / O-424924
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-740786
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot / Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 565th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39188102
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Survived Ploesti

Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943 Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Roy E Braly, returning safely to Libya.

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

9218 Opeinde, Netherlands 26 November 1943 Shot down 26 Nov 43 in Opeinde, Holland, by Me 109 fighters - 6 KIA / 4 POW. MACR 3493.

Assigned

Benghazi, Libya 565th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF. TDY 9th AF.

Revisions

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ContributorAl_Skiff
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AAM Database

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - SACK-TIME SALLY

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - SACK-TIME SALLY

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ContributorKickapoo
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"To the Brave Men Of 'Sack-Time Sally" - Story by Johan Kuiper

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - ' SACK-TIME SALLY '

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - ' SACK-TIME SALLY '

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ContributorKickapoo
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Best Web - B-24 - ' SACK-TIME SALLY '

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ContributorKickapoo
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The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August, 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

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ContributorKickapoo
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The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August, 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

Date
ContributorKickapoo
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"To the Brave Men Of 'Sack-Time Sally" - Story by Johan Kuiper

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Changes
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Information compiled by historian Helen Millgate, sourced from The Heritage Herald, newsletter of the Heritage League of the 2nd Air Division. (Heritage Herald October 2009) - article by Siebe Overwijk

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
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AAM Database

Date
ContributorAAM
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MACR 3493 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-40749: Gallery (4 items)