Thomas G Baum

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-48897.png UPL 48897 Command Pilot Lt. Harley B. Mason of the 389th Bomb Group with his crew in front of the B-24D Liberator, serial number 42-40506, Fightin' Sam. 1943.

Back row: Thomas Baum, Harley Mason, Harold Roodman, Robert McNair, Lester Ward, Rudolph Anchondo
Front row: Doyle Kirkland, Victor Scollin, Walter Taylor, Edward Lesnak

Removed punctuation marks from aircraft name for clarity, uniformity, and readability. - Kickapoo

Object Number - UPL 48897 - Command Pilot Lt. Harley B. Mason of the 389th Bomb Group with his crew in front of the B-24D Liberator, serial number 42-40506, Fightin' Sam. ...

Flight Officer Thomas Baum flew as Maj. Jack Dieterle's CoPilot on Operation Tidal Wave, the Ploesti bombing mission, flying the B-24D Liberator, 42-40722, The Little Gramper.



After returning to the UK with the 8th Air Force, FO Baum was shot down in the B-24D, 42-40738, The Oklahoman. Killed in Action (KIA). 5 December 1943

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 389th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-728838
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

An airman of the 389th Bomb Group with the nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-40506) nicknamed "Fightin' Sam".
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Fightin Sam
  • Unit: VIII Bomber Command 389th Bomb Group 801st Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron 859th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - The Little Gramper
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 491st Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron 852nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - The Oklahoman
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 566th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Touch of Texas
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group 567th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Berka, al Birkah

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania 9 November 1920 His family moved from Pleasantville to Cresson, PA, where he graduated from Cresson High School, where he was on the football team. He liked to hunt in the woods of Pennsylvania. After high school, he studied drafting in Pottsville. He enlisted right after Pearl Harbor and earned his wings by February, 1943. When he joined the 389th in Hethel, Jack Dieterle trained him in as his co-pilot. He flew as Dieterle's co-pilot on the famous Ploesti mission, 1 August 1943. When Dieterle was promoted after this mission, Thomas was assigned as Lt. Mason's co-pilot on "Fightin' Sam."

Other

Missions (while attached to the IXᵀᴴ Bomber Command)

9 July 1943 - 16 July 1943 The following missions were flown by Thomas Baum as Jack Dieterle's co-pilot while their unit was on TDY to the IXᵀᴴ Bomber Command: 9 July 1943 — B-24's bomb airfields at Maleme, Crete, and Comiso and Taormina, Sicily. P-40's escort bombers over Castelvetrano, and Milo Airfields. This pre-invasion air bombardment of Sicily provides air superiority over the enemy. The 389ᵀᴴ was attached to the IXᵀᴴ Bomber Command. 11 July 1943 — B-24's hit airfields at Vibo Valentia, Sicily and Reggio di Calabria, Italy. P-40's escort bombers and provide beach cover as invasion forces push inland in Sicily. The 389ᵀᴴ was attached to the IXᵀᴴ Bomber Command. 12 July 1943 — In Italy, B-24's attack the harbor, ferry slip, and marshaling yard at Reggio di Calabria, and the ferry slip and railroad yards at Villa San Giovanni. The 389ᵀᴴ was attached to the IXᵀᴴ Bomber Command. 14 July 1943 — In Sicily, B-24's and Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers hit railroad, marshaling yard, harbor, and oil storage facilities at Messina. Jack Dieterle recalled that they were trying interdict the German retreat from Sicily and that it was the heaviest AA bombardment that he had ever seen. His plane, the Little Gramper brought up the rear of the mission. They were attached to the IXᵀᴴ Bomber Command. 16 July 1943 — B-24's attack Bari Airfield, Italy; enemy fighters attack persistently and 3 B-24's are shot down; they claim 11 fighters destroyed in combat. The 389ᵀᴴ was attached to the IXᵀᴴ Bomber Command.

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

St. Nazarene, France 5 December 1943 While flying the "Oklahoman" on a mission against German installations in Cognac, France on 5 December 1943, they suffered a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire at St. Nazarene. Only the pilot survived the resulting crash. In a letter home, dated 15 January 1944, Jack Dieterle recalled, "I lost one of my best friends a few days ago. He happened to be the boy (only 21) that I trained as my co-pilot and who flew with me on my first five raids as well as Ploesti. We were returning from a raid on a French air field in Southern France when the plane he was flying in received a direct hit, by a heavy anti-aircraft shell, and blew up. It spoiled an otherwise very successful raid. It's a dirty game!"

Revisions

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40738 - The Oklahoman

Date
Changes
Date
ContributorDieterle
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Richard Dieterle.

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ContributorEmily
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Removed circular connection to Thomas Baum

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ContributorDieterle
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Bomber Crewmen Who Flew on Tidal Wave (Lincoln: Nebraska Printing Center, 2002). http://fliphtml5.com/sxwk/nhsh/basic/

Date
ContributorDieterle
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Richard Dieterle, correcting a formatting error.

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ContributorDieterle
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A letter by Jack Dieterle to his aunts dated 15 January 1944, where he says that Thomas Baum flew as his co-pilot on his first 5 missions.

Date
ContributorDieterle
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Chester County Hall of Heroes, https://www.chescoheroes.org/327/Baum-Thomas-G

Date
ContributorDieterle
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Chester County Hall of Heroes, https://www.chescoheroes.org/327/Baum-Thomas-G

Date
ContributorDieterle
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Sources

Chester County Hall of Heroes, https://www.chescoheroes.org/327/Baum-Thomas-G

Date
ContributorDieterle
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Chester County Hall of Heroes, https://www.chescoheroes.org/327/Baum-Thomas-G

Date
ContributorDieterle
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Sources

Chester County Hall of Heroes, https://www.chescoheroes.org/327/Baum-Thomas-G

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ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2351 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Thomas G Baum: Gallery (5 items)