John J Horan

Military
media-6652.jpeg UPL 6652 Crew #676
John J. Horan Crew
466th BG - 786th BS

Standing Left to Right: L.A. Shapiro (B), James Clohessy (WG), J.J. Rittercamp (CP), John J. Horan (P)

Kneeling Left to Right: Raymond R. McCoy (FE), Thomas L. Fyock (R/O), Harold A. Thomlinson (NG), John A. Lynch (TT), Larry Ross (TG)

This crew completed a 30 mission tour

B-24J-155-CO #44-40328 "This Above All" Code: U8-T 466th Bomb Group collection

466th BG Historian

Object Number - UPL 6652 - Crew #676 John J. Horan Crew 466th BG - 786th BS Standing Left to Right: L.A. Shapiro (B), James Clohessy (WG), J.J. Rittercamp (CP), John J....

Connections

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Units served with

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33430739
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39463691
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator/Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: What's Cookin Doc
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Paper Doll
  • Unit: 34th Bomb Group 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron 7th Bomb Squadron
The nose art of a B-14 Liberator (serial number 44-40328) nicknamed "This Above All" of the 487th Bomb Group.
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: This Above All
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 493rd Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Pudgy

Missions

A B-24 Liberator of the 467th Bomb Group flies over Berlin during a mission. 18 March 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '18/3/45 Berlin.'
  • Date: 18 March 1945

Places

Aerial photograph of Attlebridge airfield, looking north, the fuel store and a T2 hangar are in the upper centre, 31 January 1946. Photograph taken by No. 90 Squadron, sortie number RAF/3G/TUD/UK/51. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Wisconsin, USA 7 November 1922

Other

466th BG Combat Tour

Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK 23 December 1944 - 16 April 1945

Other

Departed Operation Home Run

Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK 9 June 1945 "So it was going to be old "What's Cookin Doc." After the initial disappointment wore off, we realized that we were not that bad off. "Doc" was a fine old airplane and had good flight characteristics. The next day we went down to the flight line and met Bob Raley, the ground crew chief. We volunteered our services to do whatever he needed us to do to get the aircraft ready for the long flight back to the states. Everybody went to work. Our guys scrubbed the plane from one end to theother. We were shooting for a target departure date of 1 June 1945. It was decided that we wouldn't need the big slabs of additional armor on either side of the cockpit for the trip home. They were removed, which left us a blank space under the window, which our guys decided to do something about. We happened to have a former sign painter on the crew and he found some paint and went to work. On the co-pilot's side he painted on all the air crew and ground crew names. On the pilot's side he painted the mission "scoreboard," Since we couldn't get an accurate count of missions flown by the aircraft (it was rumored to have been transferred from another group), we decided to paint a generous amount. When the painter was finished there were 117 bomb markers painted on the aircraft. (Historical note: There isn't a record of this a/c being transferred from another group, however 117 missions was probably not far off the mark. "What's Cookin' Doc" had been with the 466th BG since June 1944 and over that span the group had flown 180 combat missions. It's reasonable to expect that "Doc" flew at least 117 of those.) The 1 June date was changed to 9 June 1945. The journey home consisted of four flights. The first landed at Valley, Wales where we spent the night. The next night was spent at Meeks Field in Iceland. The third night we stayed in Goose Bay, Labrador. After getting weathered in for a 2nd night at Goose Bay, we finally made it to Bradley AAF, CT on 13 June 1945. Later on at Sioux Falls, SD when we were waiting with some other 466th'ers for our next assignment, a pilot from Detroit handed me a newspaper clipping. The Ford Motor Company had gathered over 400 "war weary" bombers at Willow Run, MI for public viewing. The a/c in the clipping was none other than our "What's Cookin' Doc!" - John J. Horan

Other

Arrived in ZOI

Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT 06096, USA 13 June 1945

Died

Wauconda, IL, USA 8 June 2015 John J. Horan, 92, a resident of Ingleside since 1982, at rest Monday, June 8, 2015. He was a WWII heavy bomber pilot in the Mighty Eighth Air Force, serving in the 466th bomb group, based in Attlebridge England, and flew many B-24 combat missions over Germany and the rest of Europe. Cherished husband of the late Irene (nee Swiatecki); beloved brother-in-law of Elsie Swiatecki; loving uncle of Susan (Michael) Pitt; dear great uncle of Kim (Eric) Best, Mike (Ashley) Pitt, and Chris (Courtney) Pitt; fond great great uncle of Grayson and Bronwyn Pitt

Buried

Ingleside, IL 60041, USA 11 June 2015 Grant Cemetery Ingleside Lake County Illinois, USA
Chicago, IL, USA 3238 W. Cullom Avenue

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

"Attlebridge Arsenal:" - Page 135-136

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
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Sources

Officers of Attlebridge booklet - 1944

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
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Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Archives

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL by Wassom & Brassfield, page 346

John J Horan: Gallery (5 items)