43-38343 The Big Gear
34bgJLP
Delivered Cheyenne 23 July 1944; Hunter 4 August 1944; Dow Field 15 August 1944; Assigned 391BS/34BG Mendlesham 17 August 1944. Among other pilots, 1st Lt Harold E. Dwyer flew twice on it, first on the 1 May 1945 mission to drop food to the Dutch population. The second time was when he piloted it back to the US on 20 June 1945, with his crew on board (Thorpe, Menefee, Noe, Brown, Bell, Duval, Gilchrist and Ryan) as well as 11 other passengers, landing 43-38343 at Bradley, Connecticut. Transferred to 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 22 June 1945; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman, Arizona 13 December 1945.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 34th Bomb Group 391st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37480721 and 0-784131
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 34th Bomb Group 18th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12134083
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: RAF Mendlesham
Missions
- Date: 1 May 1945
- Official Description:
- Date: 8 April 1945
- Date: 5 April 1945
- Date: 4 April 1945
- Date: 3 April 1945