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The B-24D, 41-23717, "Exterminator", of the 330th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force.
This plane and crew were flying as element lead when it collided with another plane in its element ( 121-J ) after entering a cloud bank over Bulgaria. Both planes crashed in flames in the mountains. MACR 334
"Exterminator" Crew :
Capt. Hugh R. Roper - Pilot (KIA) - Oak City, UT,
Capt. John B. White, Jr - Navigator (KIA - Hillsboro, IL
1st Lt. Ted Brannon - Bombardier (KIA) - Coatesville, PA,
T/Sgt. Henry C. Lloyd, Jr.- Radio Operator (KIA) - Flint, MI
T/Sgt. Albert L. Lee - Tail Gunner
T/Sgt. Joseph L. Craighead - Waist Gunner
S/Sgt. Earl P Lemoine - Gunner (KIA) - Moreauville, LA
S/Sgt. William A. Defreese - Waist Gunner (KIA) - Anniston, AL

Walter Stewart was not on "Exterminator" when it crashed. He is my father, Col Robert W. Stewart's cousin. Walter flew the B-24D, "Utah Man", on the Ploesti mission. 1 Aug 1943. Stewart survived the mission and the war.

Connections

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. ...

  • 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...

  • 330th Bomb Squadron

    330th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Ted Brannon

    Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier
    Killed in Action (KIA) on 8/1/43 while on TDY to 9thAF for Ploesti raid in B-24 'Exterminator' 41-23717

  • Joseph Craighead

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Gunner
    Assigned to 330BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • William Defreese

    Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner
    Killed in Action (KIA) on 8/1/43 while on TDY to 9thAF for Ploesti raid in B-24 'Exterminator' 41-23717

  • Earl Lemoine

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner
    Killed in Action (KIA) on 8/1/43 while on TDY to 9thAF for Ploesti raid in B-24 'Exterminator' 41-23717

  • Henry Lloyd

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator
    Killed in Action (KIA) on 8/1/43 while on TDY to 9thAF for Ploesti raid in B-24 'Exterminator' 41-23717

  • Hugh Roper

    Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 command Pilot
    1st Lt. Hugh R. Roper was a B-24D bomber pilot from the 93rd Bomb Group, on TDY to the 9th Air Force in the MTO in 1943. He was killed in action (KIA) on the Ploesti bombing mission in the B-24D, 41-23717, EXTERMINATOR. 1 Aug 43.

  • Walter Stewart

    Military | Colonel | B-24 Pilot
    In 1941, Walter Stewart was a 24 year old, U.S. Army Air Force cadet at the University of Utah. He wrote, "We were pulling guns around with horses as a plane flew overhead. Jack Adamson, who had been my Morman mission companion, said to me, "There's a...

  • John White

    Military | Captain | Navigator
    Killed in Action (KIA) on 1 August 1943 while on temporary duty with the 9th Air force for the Ploesti raid in B-24 'Exterminator' 41-23717.

Aircraft

  • 41-23717 Exterminator

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D Liberator, Exterminator, serial number 41-23717, originally flew with the 329th Bomb Squadron of the 93rd Bomb Group and was later transferred to the 93rd's 330th Bomb Squadron, in March 1943. The first mission with the 330th Bomb Squadron...

Missions

  • Operation Tidal Wave

    1 August 1943
    Operation TIDAL WAVE. B-24D 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...

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Object number
UPL 13845

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
17 August 2021 07:33:05 Kickapoo Changes to caption
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
17 August 2021 07:26:06 Kickapoo Changes to caption and mission associations
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
27 November 2019 06:22:31 W J Stewart Changes to caption
Sources

Walter Stewart is my father's cousin. My source was him I knew him very well and talked with him many times. He made a documentary of his B24 called "Utah Man" which was the name of his plane. He was born 8 Nov 1917 and died 9 Jan 2016. My source is myself, him and familysearch.org website and his documentary which I have "Utah Man"
Date Contributor Update
09 October 2017 17:26:05 Lucy May Changes to caption and person associations
Sources

Corrected identification of airmen using Fold3 annotations: https://www.fold3.com/image/48253723
Date Contributor Update
18 March 2015 10:51:09 Al_Skiff Created entry with caption, unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.

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