William M Callahan

Military

While serving a Engineer/Gunner on B-26B-15 MA 41-34971 'Pay Off ' the aircraft was attakce by a German fighter which set the right engine on fire. SSGT Callahan baled ouot of the stricken aircraft and was captured as a Prisoner of War. The aircraft crashed one mile northeast of Brionne near Rouen, France August 22, 1943. 386th BG was part of the 8th BG from July-October 1943

Connections

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

Units served with

Lieutenant James T. Wilson and Lieutenant Robert J. Owen of the 386th Bomb Group in the cockpit of their B-26 Marauder. Image stamped on reverse: 'Not to be published.' [stamp], 'Ministry of Information 19 Aug 1943.' [stamp] nand '279545.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'AT THE US MARAUDERS BASE. The B-26 Marauders, American super medium bombers are operating now from bases in Britain. This series of pictures shows various scenes at the airfield where the ground crew and the fliers work together
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

Major Thomas I Ramsey of the 386th Bomb Group with a B-26 Marauder (RU-Q, serial number 41-34971) nicknamed "Pay Off". Passed as censored 30 Sep 1943, Passed for publication 2 Oct 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'America's "Red Devil" [a censor has omitted 'Red Devil'] Flyers. USP/2247-7. Major Thomas I. Ramsey, Commander of the Black Panther [ammended by censor to say 'Red Devil'] Squadron, is from Palacios, Texas, talks with a slow Texas drawl, is mild mannered but runs an efficient, well disciplined
  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Pay Off
  • Unit: 386th Bomb Group 554th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Krems an der Donau, Austria 22 August 1943 - 3 July 1945 Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems), Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 3-Jul-45.

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 25-May-2015, Added SN and made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission per MACR 375; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; edited Summary biography based on "Losses of the 8ht & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey, MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey, Combat Chronology Supplement, MACR 0375