Thomas Wood McGrain

Military
media-14105.jpeg UPL 14105 B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Originally named, Florine Ju Ju, then, Teggie Ann. The aircraft was a veteran of the first high level Ploesti mission in 1942, but not part of the 1943 low level raid. The A/C went on to survive 110 missions with the 376th bomb group and was sent home for a war bond tour. On the microphone Lt. Thomas W. Mcgrain.

Black Sunday - Michael Hill

Object Number - UPL 14105 - B-24D, 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Originally named, Florine Ju Ju, then, Teggie Ann. The aircraft was a veteran of...

Lt. McGrain, of the 515th Bomb Squadron, flew on the Operation Tidal Wave mission with Lt. Edwin L. Gluck on, 030, B-24D, 41-24030. It was his eighth combat mission. He referred to this aircraft as, Good Time Charley. He also flew on the B-24 42-73084, Ropes McGonigle, and the B-24D, 42-40760, Solid John. His last combat mission was 3 Dec 1943. After completing his combat tour, he flew as Navigator during the war bond tour on B-24 41-11613, The Blue Streak, of 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. The crew, each member of which had completed 50 missions, flew back in, The Blue Streak, to Fort Worth, Texas, for a war bond tour.



Awards: DFC, AM (6OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (3 x Battle Stars).

Connections

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Units served with

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

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Florine JuJu, Liberandos, Teggie Ann, The Blue Streak
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group 514th Bomb Squadron Halverson Detachment
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Soluch Airfield

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Detroit, MI, USA 13 August 1921 Son of Thomas and Mabel [Collingbourne] McGrain.

Enlisted

Saginaw, MI 28 January 1942 Saginaw, Michigan

Died

Wuesthoff Hospital Emergency, Rockledge, FL 32955, USA 2 April 2009 Died in the company of his family at Wuesthoff Hospital, Rockledge, Florida, on Thursday, April 2, 2009.
East Lansing, MI, USA East Lansing, Michigan, USA.

Other

Assigned

Libya 514th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF.

Buried

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia

Revisions

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ContributorAl_Skiff
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ContributorKickapoo
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Black Sunday - Michael Hill

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Contributordecwriter
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Lt McGrain's Individual Flight Records during the war verify the dates and missions he flew. Newspaper articles from early 1944 verify his journey with "The Blue Streak" as part of the war bonds tour after he completed his combat tour on 3 Dec 1943.

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Contributordecwriter
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Third service number from Individual Flight Records after creation of the US Air Force and used through June 1949. In the Army and Air Force Register, 1948 it lists his service number as 048405.

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Contributordecwriter
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Lt McGrain was assigned to the 515th Bomb Squadron and flew the Operation Tidal Wave mission with Lt Edwin L. Gluck. Lt McGrain was also assigned to the Daniel B. Orr crew of the 515th Bomb Squadron. Upon his completion of combat in 1943, he was selected to fly the war bonds tour with B-24D HALPRO #10 41-11613, which was renamed from "Florene Ju Ju" to "Teggie Ann," then to the "Blue Streak. The other aircraft he flew in combat in 1943 were B-24J 42-73084 "Ropes McGonigle" and B-24D 42-40760 "Solid John."

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Contributordecwriter
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Service number from NPRC file.

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Contributordecwriter
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B-24 41-24030 is aircraft he flew the 1 Aug 1943 Ploesti raid on.

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Contributorjmoore43
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Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

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Contributorjmoore43
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Adde burial info per Find-a-grave MEMORIAL # 93802048.

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Contributordecwriter
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From personnel file.

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Contributordecwriter
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From flight record.

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Contributordecwriter
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Corrected last name spelling.

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Contributordecwriter
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Retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the USAF.

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Contributordecwriter
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Retired from the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel.

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ContributorAl_Skiff
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ContributorAl_Skiff
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Thomas Wood McGrain: Gallery (3 items)