Alan Bradford Purdy

Military
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of a military airplane. Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front. UPL 66471 UPL 66471 384th Bomb Group Lead Crews/9 March 1944, Berlin/Oranienburg, Heinkel Aircraft Factory.
Back Row- Sampson Sharff (Obs/Tg), Earl Mason (B), Arthur Drogue (N), Alfred Nuttall (Ac/Cp), Randolph Jacobs (P)
Front Row- Lawrence Wager (Wg), Alan Purdy (Ro), Robert Compton (Wg), Jack Goetz (Tt), Walter Arnold (Bt) 384th Bomb Group collection

The Quentin Bland Collection.  https://photos.384thbombgroup.com/picture.php?/35749/search/8882

544th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 8th Air Force 253 42-31364 Grafton Underwood Earl Carter Mason Arthur J Drogue Alfred Charles Nuttall Randolph George Edward Jacobs Lawrence Holmes Wager Alan Bradford Purdy Robert L Compton Jack Keith Goetz Walter H Arnold Sampson Sharff On

Object Number - UPL 66471 - 384th Bomb Group Lead Crews/9 March 1944, Berlin/Oranienburg, Heinkel Aircraft Factory. Back Row- Sampson Sharff (Obs/Tg), Earl Mason (B), Arthur...

Upon takeoff from base on mission to Bremen 13-Nov-1943, 384th was recalled. B-17 #42-24575 'Sunrise Serenader' vibrated before going into a spin and broke in two at the center of the radio room. A/C crashed near Wargrave, Berkshire. 9 KOM, 1 RTD. Purdy was sole survivor.

Connections

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Units served with

People

Aircraft

42-37785

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Little Barney
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group Base Air Depot 1 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron

42-37885

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Frostie : Mrs FDR
  • Unit: 544th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron

42-37982

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Trembling Gremlin
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron

42-38208

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lilly Belle
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 331st Bomb Squadron 398th Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane. Four men standing to the rear and six men kneeling in front.

42-39784

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Cabin In The Sky
  • Unit: Base Air Depot 1 303rd Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron

Missions

A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29155) nicknamed "Picadilly Commando" of the 446th Bomb Group. First handwritten caption on reverse: '446BG B/24 leaving Ruhr on its way home 22 April 1944.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '22/4/44, 21,000 Ft. Hamm, smoke screen in distance.'

311

  • Date: 22 April 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Survived crash

13 November 1943

Revisions

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Sources

https://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=3265

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

AAIR 43-11-13-500 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
Contributorbombercommand
Changes
Sources

http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=3265

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I p. 371 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Alan Bradford Purdy: Gallery (4 items)