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41-23711

B-24 Liberator

  • Consolidated B-24D-1-CO #41-23711

    Consolidated B-24D-1-CO #41-23711 "Jerks Natural" of the 328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF at RAF Alconbury, England, 1942. This aircraft flew the Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti mission, diverting to Sicily. A/C was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. 9 KIA 1 POW MACR 3301.

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  • A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23711) nicknamed

    A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23711) nicknamed "Jerk's Natural" of the 93rd Bomb Group.

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Assigned to 328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF, TDY 9th Benghazi, Libya. This aircraft flew the Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti mission, diverting safely to Sicily. A/C was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. 9 KIA 1 POW MACR 3301.

Service

Units

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force

    Command

  • 93rd Bomb Group

    93rd Bomb Group

    Group
    93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1-March-1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15-May-1942 the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida to continue advanced flight training and also to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; they...

  • 328th Bomb Squadron

    328th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Willard Babcock

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | 93rd Bomb Group

  • Philip Bedwell

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Crew member of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. KIA. MACR 3301.

  • Lester Eby

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Crew member of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. KIA. MACR 3301.

  • Cleveland Hickman

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    Flew as pilot of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural' on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid, diverted safely to Sicily. Shot down 20th Dec 43 on a mission to Bremen in B-24 #42-40133. Killed in Action (KIA). DFC/ Oak Leaf Cluster

  • Jack Kasparian

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Crew member of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. KIA. MACR 3301.

  • John McDonough

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 93rd Bomb Group
    Bombardier of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. KIA. MACR 3301.

  • Adrian Smit

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Crew member of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. KIA. MACR 3301.

  • William Staats

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 93rd Bomb Group
    Crew member of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. KIA. MACR 3301.

  • William Stein

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    Pilot of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. KIA. MACR 3301.

  • William Sykes

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 93rd Bomb Group
    Navigator of B-24 #41-23711 'Jerks Natural', flew on Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43. 'Jerks Natural' was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. POW. MACR 3301. ...

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Missions

  • Operation Tidal Wave

    1 August 1943
    Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B24Ds that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57...

Places

  • Alconbury

    Military site : airfield
    Alconbury had been constructed as a satellite airfield for RAF Upwood and Wyton and was used by RAF Squadrons: Nos. 15, 40 and 156. In preparation for the arrival of American heavy bombers, the base was developed in 1942 with the runways extended. When...

  • Hardwick

    Military site : airfield
    Planned as an RAF bomber airfield, Hardwick was used first by the 310th Bomb Group, equipped with B-25 Mitchells. In December 1943, the B-24 Liberators of the 93rd Bomb Group moved in, and remained until the end of the war, flying over 330 missions....

Events

Event Location Date
Survived Ploesti Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943

Flew the Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti mission, diverting safely to Sicily.
Failed to Return (FTR) Yugoslavia 1 October 1943

A/C was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. 9 KIA 1 POW MACR 3301.
Assigned Benghazi, Libya

328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF, TDY 9th.
Nicknames
'Jerks Natural'
Production block number
B-24D-1-CO
Manufacturer
Consolidated
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Each yellow bomb indicates a successful bombing raid over Europe, the count in this photo is fourteen signifying fourteen successful European missions. The two Black bombs indicate a night raid over Africa and the fourteen red bombs day raids over Africa. The five crosses each represent a fighter kill claimed by the planes crew, if true this would place it at the status of fighter pilot aces. Finally the submarine represents a claim by the crew of that they sunk a U-boat while flying over the gulf of Mexico before being assigned to Britain. Overall the record shows thirty successful missions, fourteen raids over Europe, fourteen raids in the day over Africa and two African night raids, five fighter kills and a submarine sinking.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
12 February 2018 11:03:05 Lucy May Changes to place associations
Sources

Took off from Hardwick on 1 Oct 1943 mission: https://www.fold3.com/image/28650502
Date Contributor Update
15 July 2015 09:46:11 jrugman Changes to markings and person associations
Sources

Page 69, The Mighty Eighth in Color, Roger Freeman
Date Contributor Update
12 April 2015 21:06:38 Al_Skiff Changes to person associations
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 3301
Date Contributor Update
12 April 2015 18:18:03 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number and nicknames
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 3301
Date Contributor Update
12 April 2015 17:51:15 Al_Skiff Changes to description, events, unit associations, person associations, place associations and mission associations
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 3301
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:01 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

MACR 3301 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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