UPL 51289
IMAGEB-24D - The Blue Streak - 41-11613. - Lt. John S. Young and the famous B-24D Liberator bomber, The Blue Streak, were sent on a war bond tour of America after Young's last combat mission, which was to Ploesti, Romania. 1 Aug 43. The Blue Streak, was assigned to Capt. Young for the tour. Lt. Royden LeBrecht brought his airplane, The Squaw, and his crew, back to the U.S. for the tour, along with Col. Walter Stewart and his crew, flying the B-24D, Bomerang. Lt. Young's regular airplane, Kickapoo, crashed and burned on takeoff on the Ploesti mission, killing all but two of it's replacement crew, including Young's fellow pilot and friend, Lt. Robert Nespor. Col. John R. Kane's personal airplane, Hail Columbia, that he and John Young flew on the Ploesti mission, was heavily damaged over Ploesti. Col. Kane and Lt. Young crashed landed in the dark after running over a ditch the British had dug close to one of Nicosia Air Base's runways' thresholds, destroying, Hail Columbia, at Nicosia, Cyprus, after the mission. The Blue Streak, became famous to many Americans who saw it on it's war bond tour in 1944, and it was made into a popular model airplane by the Revell Model Company after it's exposure on it's war bond tour in the U.S. Even though it did not fly on the second, very large Ploesti mission, The Blue Streak, had a long and distinguished combat career, ending it's military service with it's final war bond tour of the United States. 1944.
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Units
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Detachment
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Command
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18065717 / O-725567
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Pilot