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VIII Bomber Command 35

15 February 1943

Official description

Not yet known

Description

The port area of Dunkirk, France and any merchant vessels there are designated as the primary target of this mission. A total of 23 B-24s are despatched: 44BG (17) and 93BG (6). 21 are effective on the target, but 2 from 44BG are listed MIA and another from 44BG makes a crash-landing at Sandwich Flats, Kent, UK and was declared damaged beyond repair. (DBR)

Mission details

1. DUNKIRK (Primary)

Description

PORT AREA

Aircraft type

B-24 Liberator

Notes

One B-24 from 44th Bomb Group crash lands on Sandwich Flats, England after suffering damage from AA fire and enemy aircraft. No fighter escort on this mission.

Units

  • 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs

    44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs

    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...

  • 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...

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped 62.00
Number of aircraft Sent 23
Number of aircraft Effective 21
Number of aircraft Missing In Action 2
Number of aircraft Damaged Beyond Repair 1
Number of aircraft Damaged 7
Number of people Killed In Action 21
Number of people Prisoners of War 4
Number of people Returned To Duty 7
Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command 3
Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command 1

Service

People

  • Charles Arnold

    Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Shot down 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23783 'Betty Anne' while serving as Tail Gunner. Prisoner of War (POW) in Stalag 3 then moved to Nuremberg 49-11. . POW

  • Albert Boutin

    Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    On 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23794 'Railway Express' while serving as Left Waist Gunner his aircraft was damaged by flak over the target at Dunkirk, France and crashed into the English Channel bear the target. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Charles Bryant

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    On 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23794 'Railway Express' while serving as Bombardier his aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target at Dunkirk, France and crashed into the sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Harry Burns

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    On 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23794 'Railway Express' while serving as Radio Operator his aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target of Dunkirk, France and crashed into the English Channel near the target. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Paul Caldwell

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Shot down 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23783 'Betty Anne' while serving as Bombardier. Aircraft sustained severe damage from flak over the target at Dunkirk, France and crashed into the sea. No burial record could be located. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Thomas Cramer

    Military | Major | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Joined Sqd 10 April 1942. ETO/Flight Echelon 2 October 1942. On 15 February 1943, B-24 41-23800 'The Captain and the Kids' was hit by flak at the start of a bomb run putting an engine out of action. FW 109s put out another engine then over the sea a...

  • John Crump

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Killed in Action (KIA). Joined Sqd 3-Aug-42. ETO/Flight Echelon 2-Oct-42. On 15-Feb-43 in B-24D 41-23800 'The Captain and the Kids' while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner his aircraft was hit by flak at the start of a bomb run putting an engine...

  • Arthur Cullen

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Shot down 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23783 'Betty Anne' while serving as Pilot. Prisoner of War (POW). Was on his 17th mission. He hit tail assembly of aircraft during bailout breaking arm and leg. Due to nature of injuries, he was repatriated...

  • William Douthit

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Nose Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    On 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23794 'Railway Express'while serving as Nose Gunner his aircraft was damaged by flak over the target of Dunkirk, France and crashed into the English Channel near the target. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Albert Emery

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Shot down 15 February 1943 in B-24D 41-23783 'Betty Anne' while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner. The aircraft was severely damaged by flak over the target of Dunkirk, France and crashed into the sea. Killed in Action (KIA). ...

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Aircraft

  • 41-23794 Railway Express

    B-24 Liberator
    B-24D 41-23794 "Railway Express" 44BG/67BS was despatched on 15-Feb-43 to bomb the port facilities and Dunkirk, France. The aircraft was damaged by flak over the target and crashed into the sea off the coast at Dunkirk, France. 11KIA MACR 16003. ...

  • 42-2973 IZA VAILABLE

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-G] Presque Is 27/11/42; Molesworth 13/12/42; Returned to the USA 2/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Arledge 22/11/44. IZA VAILABLE.

  • 41-23783 Betty Anne

    B-24 Liberator
    B-24D 31-23783 "Betty Anne" 44BG/56BS [WQ:M] was operating as the lead aircraft of the Group on a mission to bomb the port area of Dunkirk, France when it was struck by flak and subsequently ditched into the English Channel. 11 man crew, 7KIA 4POW. No...

  • 41-23800 The Captain and the Kids

    B-24 Liberator
    B-24D 41-23800, 44th Bomb Group, 68th Bomb Squadron was despatched in 15-Feb-43 to bomb the port area of Dunkirk, France. The aircraft lost one engine to flak, and another to enemy fighter attacks on the return. When nearing the Kent coast another...

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
16 February 2015 19:26:34 Lee8thbuff Changes to event
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2015. Added Bomber Gunner claims on enemy aircraft to statistics on Dunkirk per "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.
Date Contributor Update
23 December 2014 17:17:15 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Dec-2014. Description based on "The Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:43:17 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.

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