41-11840 - The Witch

media-13897.jpeg UPL 13897 Nose art of B-24 Liberator 41-11840, The Witch, of the 343rd BS 98th BG 9th AF, lost on Ploesti 1st Aug 43 raid, made a forced landing near the border of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia following a running fight with enemy fighters. Six of the crew became POWs in Bulgaria, the other four evaded and joined with Yugoslav partisans for almost a year. MACR 173.

Crew details. - American Air Museum In Britain

Object Number - UPL 13897 - Nose art of B-24 Liberator 41-11840, The Witch, of the 343rd BS 98th BG 9th AF, lost on Ploesti 1st Aug 43 raid, made a forced landing near the...

The aircraft, 41-11840, named, The Witch, was in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 343rd Bomb Squadron left. It deployed for duty in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in July, 1942. It's pilot, Lt. Glade Jorgenson, played a supporting role in an effort made by Capt. Rollo Lawrence and his crew, to interest other 343rd Bomb Squadron crews to use characters from Walt Disney's "Snow White" movie as a theme for naming their nine ships after, "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs". But, the proposal met a cool reception from the other 343rd crews, and only two of the aircraft were so named, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". The only two were, 41-11913, Rollo Lawrence's airplane, and, 42-40364, Glade Jorgenson's airplane. The 343rd Squadron flew south to Benghazi, Libya, and started combat operations from Palestine in Aug, 1942.



The aircraft, 41-11840, named, The Witch, was lost on the low level Ploesti mission on Aug 1, 1943, flown by Pilot Lt. Julian Darlington, and his replacement crew, on loan to the 98th Bomb Group, from the 389th Bomb Group. Following a running fight with enemy fighters, leaving Ploesti, The Witch's crew made a forced landing near the border of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. Six of Darlington's crew members became POWs in Bulgaria. The other four crewmen evaded capture and joined with Yugoslav partisans for almost a year before returning home. The other survivors were the tail gunner, Stanley Horine, and Pilot Julian Darlington. They were POWs together in Bulgaria. 1 Aug 43. - FTR - Failed To Return - 6 POW - 4 RTS - MACR 173.

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 14080256
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15074175 / O-728742
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 19091055 / O-?
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 19093827 / O-?
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 389th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 15331873
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Soluch Airfield

Missions

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - The Pink Elephant - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed To Return (FTR)

Bulgaria / Yugoslavia 1 August 1943 Failed To Return - This aircraft was lost on the low-level Ploesti mission 1 Aug 43. It made a forced landing near the border of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia following a running fight with enemy fighters. Six of the crew became POWs in Bulgaria, the other four evaded and joined with Yugoslav partisans for almost a year. MACR 173.

Revisions

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Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill

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Detail changes. - Kickapoo

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Details added. - Kickapoo

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Best Web - B-24 - 41-11840 - The Witch

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Crew details added. - American Air Museum in Britain. The Witch.

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Punctuation. - Kickapoo

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Detail added. - Kickapoo

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http://www.b24bestweb.com / http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 173
Removed circular database link

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Best Web - B-24 - # 41-11840 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - # 41-11840 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - # 41-11840 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - # 41-11840 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - 'The Witch'

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Best Web - B-24 - 41-11840

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Best Web - B-24 - 'The Witch' - # 41-11840 - Info Contributor - Bill Whitney

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Best Web - B-24 - 'The Witch' - # 41-11840

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Best Web - B-24 - 'The Witch' - # 41-11840

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41-11840: Gallery (4 items)