Richard A Gray

Military
media-6593.jpeg UPL 6593 Fred Littleton/Talmadge Slaughter Crew
Crew #542
466th BG - 785th BS
Freddie Littleton was KIA on 28 July 1944 on his first mission, flying with the Vogel Crew to gain experience before he took his crew into combat. Talmadge C. Slaughter then took over and led this crew on it's first 5 missions to finish his combat tour. After that F.E. Wolf took over as Pilot and the crew number changed to #548

Standing Left to Right: George Bowens (WG), Warner Uphoff (R/O), Edwin Knippenberg (FE), Wayne Herndon (NG), Robert Boynton (TG), Dale Peterson (WG)

Kneeling Left to Right: Ralph Lagenfeld (B), Richard A. Gray (CP), Freddie H. Littleton (P), Al Mauzy (N)

Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom

Object Number - UPL 6593 - Fred Littleton/Talmadge Slaughter Crew Crew #542 466th BG - 785th BS Freddie Littleton was KIA on 28 July 1944 on his first mission, flying with...

Prisoner of War (POW) crashed near Waren on 4 Apr 45 in P-51 'Chugger II' 44-13591 Had originally been with the 466th BG, completed 35 missions, then transferred to the FG.



35 missions B-24, 5 missions P-51. Prisoner of War (POW) 4 April 1945 Crashed near Waren in P-51 'Chugger II' 44-13591.

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 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Role/Job: Nose Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Splash
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 355th Fighter Group 354th Fighter Squadron

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

Other

Crash landing

Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK 25 August 1944 On return from a mission from Hannover the B-24 landing ahead of the one that Gray was co-piloting, blew a nose wheel tire and stopped in the middle of the runway. Gray and his pilot locked up the brakes trying to stop but their tires blew from skidding and they rear-ended the B-24 that had landed before them. Fortunately there were no injuries.

Other

Shot Down

17192 Waren, Germany 4 April 1945 "I picked up a 20mm round from ground fire while strafing an airfield. I found that even a "dream plane" wont fly long without three feet of the left wing and no oil in the enginer. Considering my options of bailing out or trusting the Mustang to get me out of firing zone and bombing area, I chose the later. My crash landing was a good one...if you believe the axiom that any landing you walk away from is a good one. Even so, my facial and leg injuries needed medical attention so I reluctantly surrended to a German farmer. I was taken to a hospital in Berlin where I received good care. There I had the experience of being on the receiving end of daylight bombing by the 8th AF and nighttime bombing by the RAF. That red cross painted on the roof didn't offer much protection or peace of mind!
Pittsburgh, PA, USA 1106 Penn Avenue

Other

POW

Fürstenberg/Havel, Germany Stalag III-B

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Archives

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 / MACR 13956

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