356

15 May 1944
Nine men in Air Force uniform posed in front of a Air Force bomber plane. Four men standing in rear and five men kneeling in front UPL 65511 UPL 65511 Beard Crew 603, 856th BS, 492nd BG. Back row, left to right: Charles Beard, pilot; Kenneth Sousa, co-pilot; Thomas Woolsey, navigator; James Wolslager, bombardier; Front row, left to right: Robert Denney, radio operator; Tyler Posner, gunner; Israel Eiferman, gunner; Kenneth Brandt, gunner; Richard Paules, engineer. Not Pictured: Albert McFadden, gunner.
The Beard Crew was one of the original crews for the 492nd BG that trained in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Their ship was nicknamed, "BIG FAT MAMA." In April 1944, they flew their assigned aircraft, 44-40067, to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. 2nd Lt James Ferguson, the squadron's Armament and Chemical Officier accompanied them, thus bumping Sgt. McFadden onto the Queen Elizabeth. The Crew transferred to the 801st/492 BG, 858th BS, when the Group disbanded. They completed their 30 mission tour there.

http://www.492ndbombgroup.com/cgi-bin/pagepilot.cgi?page=showCrewPage&c…

On

Object Number - UPL 65511 - Beard Crew 603, 856th BS, 492nd BG. Back row, left to right: Charles Beard, pilot; Kenneth Sousa, co-pilot; Thomas Woolsey, navigator; James...

Mission Details

MARQUISE/MIMOYECQUES (Primary)

Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES

Notes: 1st Bomb Division was made up of 303rd Bomb Group, 379th Bomb Group, 384th Bomb Group.

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 133 T HE

SIRACOURT (Primary)

Description: V-1 MISSILE SITES

Notes: 2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44 Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group, 492nd Bomb Group

Mission Statistics

  • Tonnage Dropped: 352 T HE

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

People

Aircraft

A Swedish soldier guards the nose of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40103) nicknamed "Say When" of the 492nd Bomb Group that has landed near Malmö, Sweden. First handwritten caption on reverse: '440103, Say When, 20/6/44.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: 'Nose gunner pinned in and believed dead. Was very much alive and bitter cold.'

44-40103

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Say When
  • Unit: 492nd Bomb Group 858th Bomb Squadron 859th Bomb Squadron

44-40116

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Tobasco Keeds
  • Unit: 492nd Bomb Group 856th Bomb Squadron 93rd Bomb Group 409th Bomb Squadron

44-40118

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 492nd Bomb Group 857th Bomb Squadron 458th Bomb Group 752nd Bomb Squadron 753rd Bomb Squadron

44-40120

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: That's All Brother
  • Unit: 492nd Bomb Group 859th Bomb Squadron 467th Bomb Group 788th Bomb Squadron

44-40128

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 492nd Bomb Group 856th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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'.

356: Gallery (2 items)