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41-23724

B-24 Liberator

  • First Lieutenant Llewellyn L. Brown and First Lieutenant Robert J. Quinlivan admire the nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23724) nicknamed

    First Lieutenant Llewellyn L. Brown and First Lieutenant Robert J. Quinlivan admire the nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23724) nicknamed "Flying Cock" at Alconbury. Image stamped on reverse: '231046' [Censor no].' passed for publication 6 Nov 1942' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'PHOTO SHOWS: Pilot and co-Pilot of a "Liberator" on which is painted their mascot the "Flying Cock"', photographed at a U.S. Army Air Corps station somewhere in England. They are 1st Lieut. L.L. Brown (left), from Malvern Arkanas, and 1st Lieut, R.A. Quinlivan, from Rosselle, New Jersey. 6th Nov. 1942. P.N. 'USA(BRI)CCC:EIMB'

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  • B-24 #41-23724 'Doodlebug' Ploesti crew: Standing L-R SGT Robert T. Butler, gunner, S/SGT Joseph E. Tamueircz, waist gunner, S/SGT Libert T. Hurt, waist gunner, T/SGT Kenneth W. Smith, flight engineer/top turret , T/SGT William G. Jordan, radio operator, S/SGT Murray L. Heckert, tail gunner Seated L-R 2LT Robert J. Johnson, navigator, 2LT Israel Soloff, bombardier, 1LT James W. Welch, Jr, copilot, 1LT John E. McAtee, pilot.

    B-24 #41-23724 'Doodlebug' Ploesti crew: Standing L-R SGT Robert T. Butler, gunner, S/SGT Joseph E. Tamueircz, waist gunner, S/SGT Libert T. Hurt, waist gunner, T/SGT Kenneth W. Smith, flight engineer/top turret , T/SGT William G. Jordan, radio operator, S/SGT Murray L. Heckert, tail gunner Seated L-R 2LT Robert J. Johnson, navigator, 2LT Israel Soloff, bombardier, 1LT James W. Welch, Jr, copilot, 1LT John E. McAtee, pilot.

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  • B-24 #41-23724 'Doodlebug' and John E McAtee Ploesti crew.

    B-24 #41-23724 'Doodlebug' and John E McAtee Ploesti crew.

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  • B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Doodlebug' plexi glass glazing getting a good clean, prior to a mission.

    B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Doodlebug' plexi glass glazing getting a good clean, prior to a mission.

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  • B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Doodlebug' 512th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid.

    B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Doodlebug' 512th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid.

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  • B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Doodlebug' 512th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid.

    B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Doodlebug' 512th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid.

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  • B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Flying Cock' 409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF. Later renamed 'Doodlebug'. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid. The original Pilot, Llewelleyn

    B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Flying Cock' 409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF. Later renamed 'Doodlebug'. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid. The original Pilot, Llewelleyn "Lew" Brown (center looking down), would finish his tour of duty with the Low Level Ploesti mission 1 Aug 43. (L to R) J. C. Gardner - Gunner, Harold M. Serna - Engineer, R. J. Laffler - Tail Gunner, John T. Sparks - Bombardier, Llewelleyn L. Brown - Pilot Robert J. Quinliven - Co-Pilot, John Hunt - Navigator, Ernest K. Kish - Top Turret Gunner, Charles C. Stercher - Radio Operator.

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  • B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Flying Cock' 409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF. Later renamed 'Doodlebug'. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid. (L to R) J. C. Gardner - Gunner, Harold M. Serna - Engineer, R. J. Laffler - Tail Gunner, John T. Sparks - Bombardier, Llewelleyn L. Brown - Pilot Robert J. Quinliven - Co-Pilot, John Hunt - Navigator, Ernest K. Kish - Top Turret Gunner, Charles C. Stercher - Radio Operator.

    B-24D Liberator #41-23724 'Flying Cock' 409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF. Later renamed 'Doodlebug'. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid. (L to R) J. C. Gardner - Gunner, Harold M. Serna - Engineer, R. J. Laffler - Tail Gunner, John T. Sparks - Bombardier, Llewelleyn L. Brown - Pilot Robert J. Quinliven - Co-Pilot, John Hunt - Navigator, Ernest K. Kish - Top Turret Gunner, Charles C. Stercher - Radio Operator.

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B-24D Liberator #41-23724 "Doodlebug" from the 512th BS, 376th BG, 9th AF. Originally assigned to 409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF she was badly damaged in a crash landing due to battle damage on Jan 15, 43. They repaired her and transferred her to the 512th BS, 376th BG. Flown on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, piloted by James A McAtee, returned safely to Libya. Ended her days as a transport for the 449th Bomb Group.

Service

Units

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 9th Air Force

    9th Air Force

  • 376th Bomb Group

    376th Bomb Group

    Group
    Constituted as 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 Oct 1942 and activated in Palestine on 31 Oct. Began combat immediately, using B-24 aircraft. Operated with Ninth AF from bases in the Middle East, Nov 1942-Sep 1943, and with Twelfth AF from Tunisia...

  • 449th Bomb Group

    449th Bomb Group

    Group
    The group was constituted as 449th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona.[2] its original components were the 716th,[3] 717th,[4] 718th,[5] and 719th Bombardment Squadrons.[6] ...

  • 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...

  • 409th Bomb Squadron

    409th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Llewellyn Brown

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
    Flew Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43 as pilot B-24 #41-24298 'Queenie', diverting safely to Sicily. 15 January 1943 pilot of B-24 #41-23724 'Flying Cock' hit by flak, crash landed at Benghazi, Libya, with major damage due to flak.

  • John Hunt

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 93rd Bomb Group
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-24298) nicknamed "Queenie".

  • Ernest Kish

    Military | Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) 15 January 1943. Hit by flak in B-24 41-23724 'Flying Cock'. North African Cemetery near Carthage, Tunisia AM/ PH

  • Richard Laffler

    Military | 93rd Bomb Group

  • Robert Quinlivan

    Military | 93rd Bomb Group
    Co Pilot B-24 41-23724 'Flying Cock' flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid.

  • Harold Sena

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) 15 January 1943 when plane hit by flak in B-24 41-23724 'Flying Cock'. AM/ PH

  • John Sparks

    Military | 93rd Bomb Group

  • Charles Starcher

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio operator | 93rd Bomb Group
    MIA January 15, 1943 -- pictured at far right of crew photo

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 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57 B...

Events

Event Location Date
Crashed Benghazi, Libya 15 January 1943

Badly damaged in a crash landing due to battle damage on Jan 15, 43.
Survived Ploesti Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943

Flown on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, piloted by James A McAtee, returned safely to Libya.
Assigned Benghazi, Libya

409th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF.
Assigned Benghazi, Libya

512th BS, 376th BG
Nicknames
'Flying Cock' 'Doodlebug'
Production block number
B-24D-1-CO
Manufacturer
Consolidated
Markings and paint scheme/livery
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
20 April 2015 18:18:53 Al_Skiff Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, description, events, unit associations, mission associations and media associations
Sources

http://www.b24bestweb.com / http://www.freewebs.com / http://www.fold3.com

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