B-24 Liberator #41-11768 'Kickapoo' of 344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 1943 low level Ploesti, Romania mission, initially due to loss of No 4 engine. 8 KIA , including pilots, Lt. Robert J. Nespor and Lt. John C. Riley / 2 WIA.

B-24D - # 42-40608 - 'The Vulgar Virgin' - and it's command pilot, Lt. Claude A. Turner were both from the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 328th Bomb Squadron in Britain. This airplane was Lt. Turners' assigned aircraft and was flown by him and his crew on Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. Lt. Claude Turner and "The Vulgar Virgin' survived the mission damaged but with no casualties and was flown by Lt. Turner to Chorlu, Turkey where he and his crew, and the 'Vulgar Virgin' were all interned by the Turkish Air Force. The crew was later released back to the U.S. Army Air Forces. After returning to Britain with the 8th Air force after the Ploesti mission, Lt. Turner and his crew, flying an 8th Air force B-17 were shot down and killed over the North Sea by an FW-190 Focke Wulf fighter after a bombing mission to Bremen and Helgoland- KIA Nov 13, 1943

B-24D - CoPilot Lt. John S. Young - With Lt. Harold Korger, bombardier, and Lt. Norman Whalen, navigator and nose gunner, on 'Hail Columbia' after the Ploesti raid. August 1, 1943.

This photo is the B-24D, 'THE VULGAR VIRGIN' - SN #41- 24198 - 9th Air Force, 98th Bomb Group, 344th Bomb Squadron, flown by command pilot Lt. Wallace C. Taylor. Lt. Taylor, flying just off the wing and slightly behind Col. John Kane in 'Hail Columbia' over White IV, entered a wall of smoke with 'Hail Columbia' and several other B-24s. When the small group of B-24s exited the smoke, 'THE VULGAR VIRGIN" was gone. It was shot down and lost Over the Astra Romano refinery after taking two direct flak hits. Approaching the smoke cloud, Lt. Taylor called for bailout over White IV. He was the only one of the four crewmen who bailed out at the low altitude of approximately 200 to 500 feet, who survived and became a prisoner of war - POW. The rest of the crew were KIA - August 1, 1943 - Note - Another B-24D flown on the Ploesti mission, was also named, 'THE VULGAR VIRGIN'. It was aircraft SN #42-40608 from Britain and the 8th Air force - the 93rd Bomb Group - and the 328th Bomb Squadron. It was flown by Lt. Claude Alvin Turner from the 8th Air Force. Lt. Turner and his crew survived the Ploesti mission, were hit by flak over their target and flew to Chorlu, Turkey, where they landed and were interned after the Ploesti mission, Aug 1, 1943. Lt. Turner and his crew were released by the Turks and returned to Britain after the Ploesti mission. He and his crew were shot down and KIA over the North Sea, Nov 13, 1943.

# 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

Lt. Royden LeBrecht's B-24D, The "Squaw" . Royden flew The "Squaw" on the desperate mission to destroy Hitler's oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. Aug 1, 1943. Both Lebrecht and The "Squaw" survived the mission. LeBrecht joined up with several straggler aircraft from his 98th Bomb Group and several of the 376th Bomb Group's pilots and planes south of Ploesti, who had followed their leader, Col. Addison Baker and broke away from Col. Kieth Compton's Lead to fly north and bomb Ploesti's refinery, "White IV", after Compton turned hid Lead aircraft away from Ploesti toward Bucharest. LeBrecht and his crew made it all the way south, following Col. John Kane's lead airplane, 'Hail Columbia', where they landed safely at the British Air base at Nicosia, Cyprus. Ploesti was Royden Lebrecht's last combat mission. After the mission, he returned to the U.S. and went on a year long war bond tour, flying his favorite B-24, 'The "Squaw" '.

B-24 LIBERATOR 42-72843 "Strawberry Bitch".

B-24D 'KICKAPOO' crash at Lete Airfield - Aug 1, 1943 - killing pilots, Lt. Robert Nespor and Lt. John C. Riley - #4 engine failure - 8 KIA / 2 WIA

B24D Command Pilot Col. Leon Johnson 44th Bombing Group 9th Air Force

'Hail Columbia' crashed and wrecked on Cyprus Island - Center Photo Between #3 and #4 Engines - Col. John Kane with Lt. John Young, center. Lt. Norman Whalen facing camera. Notice the men closely looking at the #4 engine, which is partly off it's mounts. It had taken a direct flak hit over White IV, which destroyed the engine. Aug 2, 1943