UPL 14856

IMAGE

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B-24D Liberator, 41-24024, Bewitching Witch. In late March, or early April 1943, 41-24024 was given a new squadron base number, 34. The aircraft was loaned to the 44th Bomb Group for Operation Tidal Wave, the low level mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. It was flown by a crew from the 67th Bomb Squadron. Badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire over the target, the airplane was limping home when it was attacked by enemy fighters over the Ionian Sea and forced to ditch 127 km North of Benghazi, Libya. Two of the crew, gunners, Walter Brown and Fred Durand, already wounded over their target at Ploesti, were trapped in the flooding aircraft and drowned, the other seven men were rescued by British Air-Sea Rescue personnel. The aircraft crashed and failed to return from the mission (FTR). 1 Aug 43. ~ After this B-24D, 41-24024 was shot down and lost after the Ploesti mission. The 376th's crewmen gave it's name to a new B-24H, 42-73065, naming it, Bewitching Witch II, with a new squadron base number, 23. ~ The two men in this photo flew the B-24D-1-CO, Liberator, 41-23724, named, Doodlebug, on the Ploesti mission. They made it safely back to base. 1 Aug 43.

Connections

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Units

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

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),
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Flying Cock - Doodlebug
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group 449th Bomb Group 93rd Bomb Group 409th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Bewitching Witch
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group 44th Bomb Group 67th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Bewitching Witch II
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group

Mission

Revisions

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption and aircraft associations
Sources

Punctuation removed from aircraft name for clarity, uniformity, and readability. - Kickapoo

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ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption
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usarmyaircorps376bg.com

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption and mission associations
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Best Web - B-24 - 41-24024 - Bewitching Witch

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption
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armyaircorps-376thbg.com

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 41-24204 - Bewitching Witch

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption and aircraft associations
Sources

376th Bomb Group Archives

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption
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UPL 14856 - Added details - Kickapoo

Date:
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to caption
Sources

UPL 14856 - Added details - Kickapoo

Date:
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesCreated entry with caption, unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

USAAF Photo.