Billy J Espich
Military
448th Bomb Group, 712th BS
Billy J Espich collection
Removed associations not depicted in the image. Associations made in person record.
Object Number - UPL 41010 - Sgt Billy J Espich AR 15354024 448th Bomb Group, 712th BS
8th Air Force, 2nd Air Division, 20th Combat Wing, 448th BG, 712th BS
Original Crew #17 (Pilot- 1st Lt Robert K Winn) - A/C 42-52145
Billy flew no missions with his original crew. The pilot became sick and the crew was reassigned.
2nd Crew #18 (Pilot- 1st Lt Alan Teague)
Billy flew missions 1-2 with Crew #18. Beginning on 1944-Jan-04 to Kiel, Germany.
3rd Crew #16 (Pilot- 1st Lt Earle P Durley Jr)
Billy was reassigned to crew #16 after a smoke flare went off accidentally in the bomb bay of crew #16 on 1944-Jan-21. Four crewmen thought the plane was on fire and bailed out over France. Billy flew missions 3-27 as a replacement tail gunner with crew#16. Crew #16 was transferred to the 491st BG at Metfield from 1944-May-27 to 1944-Jun-13 as a lead crew and to provide training for the new Unit which arrived the middle of May 1944. 1st Lt. Durley finished his 30th mission on 1944-Jun-27. Billy flew his remaining missions, 28-30, as a replacement gunner to finished his 30 mission requirement. His last mission was 1944-Jul-11 to Munich, Germany.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Wing
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Division
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 0688502
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15330812
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 2nd Air Division 20th Combat Bomb Wing 2nd Combat Bomb Wing 389th Bomb Group 448th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron 712th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18201733
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner ; Flight Engineer / Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 2nd Air Division 20th Combat Bomb Wing 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-447213
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 2nd Bomb Division 20th Combat Bomb Wing 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35568310
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Baby Shoes
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Hello Natural
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Shoo-Shoo Baby
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: The Menace
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 712th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Come along boys
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 714th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 11 July 1944
- Date: 8 July 1944
- Date: 2 July 1944
- Date: 27 June 1944
- Date: 24 June 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Revisions
Special Order 307, Movement of 448th Bombardment Group (H), crew 17, from Sioux City, Iowa to Harrington, Kansas.
This information came from Billy's Diary that he kept while in England.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / SO#150, 6th Heavy Bomb.Proc HQ, Herington, Kansas 5 Nov 43
