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This contains information written on the back of the original print and some of it may be inaccurate.
First Lieutenant Robert C. Peterson, a navigator of the 44th Bomb Group, sits inside the B-24 Liberator he serves on with the aircraft's dog mascot: Pilot Officer "Rusty".
Image stamped with Ministry of Information press censor, 25 October 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Pilot Officer "Rusty" - dog of many missions. Pilot Officer "Rusty" - mascot of a liberator operating from this country, was flown to England from the U.S. He has "taken part" in numerous bombing raids including that made on the oilfields at Ploesti. Associated Press Photo Shows: "Rusty" with his owner, 1st Lt. Robert C Peterson, of Ogden, Utah., Navigator of the Liberator. TET 261673/4/5 251043Y.'
NB: the phrase 'including that made on the oilfields at Ploesti' has been crossed out by censor.
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Military | Navigator
Robert Peterson served as a navigator with the 44th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Shipdham, England.
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Military | Pilot Officer | Mascot
Pilot Officer Rusty was the Mascot of the 44th Bomb Group. He was flown to England with his owner, Robert C Peterson and even took part in several bombing missions. He is said to have taken part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on the oil refineries...
B-24 Liberator
A/C flew on 1 Aug 43 Ploesti mission, returned safely to Libya.
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