42-99970 - Liberty Belle

The wreckage of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-99970) of the 44th Bomb Group that has crash landed after a midair fire. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-24 J, 42-99970 "9970" M_ Fire in Air, Salvage 3rd SAD 23/1/44.' media-418580.jpg FRE 9026 The wreckage of the B-24 Liberator, 42-99970, of the 44th Bomb Group that has crash landed after a midair fire. Handwritten caption on reverse : " B-24 J, 42-99970, 9970 M. - Fire in Air - Salvage 3rd SAD. 23 Jan 1944. " Roger Freeman Collection

U.S. Press : Crash of the Liberty Belle.

Object Number - FRE 9026 - The wreckage of the B-24 Liberator, 42-99970, of the 44th Bomb Group that has crash landed after a midair fire. Handwritten caption on reverse : ...

Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF, USAAF. Hit by flak on mission to V-1 sites at Agathe d' Aliermont, France, on 21 Jan 44. Flak hit in bomb bay, nose turret, ball turret, starboard wing and taking out #1 & 2 engines leaving #3 on fire. 3 crewmen bailed out over French coast. A/C returned to England. Crash landing at Wingham, Kent. 2 KIA, 3 POW, 8 RTD. MACR 8714



Crew: Major William N Anderson (KIA), 1Lt Keith Cookus, 1Lt Howard K Holladay, 1Lt Franklin A Campbell (WIA), 1Lt Woodrow W Cole (KIA), S/Sgt's Andrew A Kowalski, Thomas Fong, Walter E Boyd, Eugene K Seifried, Herman Becker (WIA) (5 RTD). Capt Robert L Ager, 1Lt Henry A Wieser and S/Sgt Richard J Trechel (POW).



US Press of the day:

"A US Bomber Base in England, Jun 21. Flak torn and with three of its engines gone, the B-24 Liberator, Liberty Bell, crash landed near a southeast England town after the Friday raids on the French coast, and for three hours the pilot and four fellow crewmen battled to save three others trapped in the blazing wreckage with the bodies of two dead officers.



Thirteen men went out on the, Liberty Bell. Eight returned alive. A half-dozen flak bursts struck her over Dieppe, starting a fire in the bomb bay, igniting the No. 3 engine and knocking out the controls of No. 1 and No. 2 engines.

Pilot Lt. Keith Cookus of Bonham, TX, ordered the high explosive bomb load released. Bombardier Lt. Woodrow C. Cole of Hollywood, CA, had to hang on to the bomb bay to release one bomb which had stuck because the catwalk was blown away.

The blazing #3 engine exploded near the English coast and was still burning when at a 50 foot height, Lt. Cookus veered to avoid hitting a house, crashing the plane into a field. Trapped on the flight deck, but finally saved, were the nose turret gunner, Sgt. Eugene K. Siefried, Philadelphia, Navigator Franklin A. Campbell, Detroit, and the top turret gunner, Sgt. Herman Becker, Woodbury, N.J.

"Despite the great danger they never uttered a complaint during the three hours we hacked at the wreckage," Cookus said. "High octane gas could have blown up, but the men stayed calm and showed the greatest courage I have ever seen."

First to climb out of the plane were three gunners, including Sgt. Thomas Fong, Oakland, CA. Cook and CoPilot Lt. Howard K. Halladay, Somerset, KY., followed.

The gunners suffered superficial burns from flaming oil.

Cookus' crewmates told about how he had dug desperately with a shovel brought by a farmer to build up an earth wall to keep the fire in the engines from the trapped men and how he tried futilely to lift a section of the plane.

"We felt so helpless until a British fire engine arrived to put out the fire," Cookus said. "I would have gone crazy if the fire had spread to the boys. Once, I was bawling there like a baby."

With axes and wrecking bars, a hole was finally made in the wreckage to pull out the survivors and the two bodies."

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
The 'semiofficial' insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 67th Bomb Squadron 68th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (44th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: 19074431 / O-727956
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron 67th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16040136 / O-411678
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 67th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32079625
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 67th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38179723
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 67th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-678607
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

Failed to Return (FTR)

Wingham, Kent, England 21 January 1944 Hit by flak on mission to V-1 sites at Agathe d' Aliermont, France on 21-Jan-44 in B-24J 42-99970 'Liberty Belle'. A/C returned to England but crashed upon landing at Wingham, Kent. 2 x KIA, 3 x POW, 5 x RTD. MACR 8714

Other

Salvaged

23 January 1944 Salvaged by 3rd SAD 23-Jan-44.

Manufactured

San Diego, CA Built at Consolidated.

Assigned

Shipdham, UK Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

U.S. Press : The Crash of the Liberty Belle.

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

U.S. Press : Crash of the, Liberty Belle.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28698055
https://www.fold3.com/image/28698182
We Were Eagles Volume Two: The Eighth Air Force at War December 1943 to May 1944 By Martin W. Bowman
http://www.8thairforce.com/members/rollofhonor2.asp?perIdentification=2…

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28698055
We Were Eagles Volume Two: The Eighth Air Force at War December 1943 to May 1944 By Martin W. Bowman

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

MACR 8714 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-99970: Gallery (1 items)