98th Bomb Group
Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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Benina
Military site : airfield
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Benina Airfield
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Consolidated B-24D-85-CO Liberator #4240664 of 515th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bomb Group “Liberandos”, 9th Air Force "Teggie Ann", former "Honey Chile", taxing on a North African base. The latter is likely Benina, near Benghazi, where the 376th arrived on April 1943, from other Palestinian and North African airfields.
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# 42-40753 ~ B-24D 'OLE KICKAPOO' - Command Pilot 2nd Lt. Lloyd Hughes, Copilot 2ndLt. Ronald Helder, and Crew 1943. Aircraft was lost at Campina, Ploesti with both pilots and all crewmen, except two, KIA. Two crewmen survived the crash, WIA on "Operation Tidal Wave" 1 Aug 1943 - Pilot Lt. Lloyd "Pete" Hughes was awarded the Medal Of Honor for his determination to press on and bomb his target without regard to his life and safety. His copilot, Lt. Ronald Helder was awarded The Distinguished Service Cross. - All crewmen on 'Ole Kickapoo' were awarded The Distinguished Service Cross and The Distinguished Flying Cross for their bravery, skill, and sacrifice in participation with Operation Tidal Wave. Pilot: 2Lt Lloyd H. Hughes, Jr. KIA : Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously Co-Pilot: 2Lt Ronald L. Helder. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Navigator: 2Lt Sidney A. Pear. KIA : Died of wounds August 6, 1943, surgery hospital in Campina, Rumania : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Bombardier: 2Lt John A. McLoughlin. KIA : Escaped burning wreckage - Died of wounds on August 3, 1943, surgery hospital in Campina, Rumania : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: T/Sgt Joseph E. Mix. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Radio Operator: T/Sgt Louis N. Kase. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Malcolm C. Dalton. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Edmond H. Smith. WIA POW : Distinguished Service Cross Tail Gunner: S/Sgt Thomas A. Hoff. WIA POW : Distinguished Service Cross Tunnel Gunner: Sgt Avis K. Wilson. KIA : Distinguished Service Cross posthumously Full names: Pilot: 2Lt Lloyd Herbert Hughes, Jr. Co-Pilot: 2Lt Ronald Lee Helder Navigator: 2Lt Sidney Allen Pear Bombardier: 2Lt John A. McLoughlin Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: T/Sgt Joseph Elzie Mix Radio Operator: T/Sgt Louis Norman Kase/Kassowitz Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Malcolm Clay Dalton Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Edmond Howard Smith Tail Gunner: S/Sgt Thomas Albert Hoff Tunnel Gunner: Sgt Avis Kenneth Wilson
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B-24D - #41-24301 'Lady Be Good' Crashed in the Lybyian desert 1943. All crewmwn KIA. 1943
Detailed history
Not yet known
English Heritage's record description
Not yet known
Service
Units
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98th Bomb Group
Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942. ...
People
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Adolph Aguirre
Military | Sergeant | AR | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Killed in Action (KIA) while TDY to 9th AF. B24 41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. WOM North Africa -
Ronald Allen
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Took part in Operation 'Tidal Wave', the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40172 'Lynn Bari II'. ... -
Robert Austin
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 344BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ploesti in B-24 41-24198; Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 166 Awards: PH. -
Clement Badeau
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer / Top Turret | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 343BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Underwood crew member, B-24 Liberator 41-11921 'Northern Star' 'Doc', flew on the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid. The aircraft successfully bombed the target and returned safely to Benghazi, Libya despite being intercepted... -
Walter Bateman
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Killed in Action (KIA) while TDY to 9th AF. B24 41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. p. 235 -
J Bell
Military | Staff Sergeant | Assistant Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C exploded 10 miles north of target. 1-Oct-43 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR... -
Julian Bleyer
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Pilot B-24 41-11896 flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. ... -
Prentice Boston
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. John Childers crew. Completed tour. Returned to USA with B-24 'Chug A Lug' for war bonds tour. Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Steve Bugyie
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner; Assistant Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. ... -
Robert Chapman
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Killed in Action (KIA) while TDY to 9th AF. B24 41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. p. 235
Aircraft
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41-23817 'Suzy Q'
B-24 Liberator
SUZY-Q, flown by Col. Leon Johnson, led the 44th Bomb Group on the Aug 1, 1943 Ploesti raid and was the most famous ship of the 67th Squadron. The plane was lost on Aug 16, 1943 on a mission to the north airfield at Foggia, Italy. The plane... -
41-24226 'Utah Man' 'Joisey Bounce'
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to Col. Walter T. Stewart of the 330 Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, USAAF for the mission to bomb the refineries at Ploesti Aug 1,1943. Col. Stewart named this plane, 'Utah Man', to underscore his Utah Morman background to all... -
42-40371 'GI Gal'
B-24 Liberator
Departed target Ploesti, with part of a wing shot off, A/C emerged into a crisscrossing of ships, was unable to catch up with any of the improvised formations ahead and so was a tempting target. Me 109s pounced and shot away most of the tail turret,... -
42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt with Olson crew; attacked by 5 Me-109's, bomb bay and one engine ablaze, A/C peeled off while still being pursued. After all the crew... -
42-40402 The Sandman
B-24 Liberator
Crew of "The Sandman" on the Ploesti raid: ... -
42-40364 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
B-24 Liberator
Capt. James A. Gunn, Jr. - Pilot (KIA), 2nd Lt. Richard C. Williamson - Co-Pilot (KIA) ... -
41-24198 'The Vulgar Virgin'
B-24 Liberator
- Not to be confused with 42-30406, 'The Vulgar Virgin' of the 8th Air Force - 93rd Bomb Group - 328th Bomb Squadron - Also flew Ploesti mission - Interned Turkey Aug 1, 1943 ... -
41-11819 Raunchy
B-24 Liberator
B-24D-CO Liberator - 'Raunchy' ... -
41-11840 The Witch
B-24 Liberator
Failed To Return - This aircraft was lost on the low-level Ploesti mission 1 Aug 43. It made a forced landing near the border of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia following a running fight with enemy fighters. Six of the crew became POWs in Bulgaria, the other... -
42-40322 Cornhusker
B-24 Liberator
Shot down over the Ionian Sea by Bf109G's from JG 27/IV while returning from the August 1,1943 low-level mission to Ploesti,Romania. All 10 crew members were KIA. MACR 178 ...
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 01 November 2016 03:21:23 | 466thHistorian | Created entry with name, known as, latitude, longitude, usaaf from date, usaaf to date and media associations |
| Sources | ||
