Richard P Barnes

Military

19 B-17G combat bombing missions survived between March 14 and April 20, 1945

3 B-17 volunteer night-time secret missions flown April 21 to May 6, 1945

7 B-17 POW pick-up flights to Germany after VE Day

2 B-17 ferrying missions from U.S. to England and from England to USA.



Barnes flew with Lt. Albert Martin's crew on B-17Gs. They flew 14 out of 19 missions as either 'Tail End Charlie' or 'Purple Heart Corner', these missions were mainly against high-value targets e.g. power plants, submarine pens, gun emplacements and railway marshaling yards - even blowing up an ammunition train at Sedin Train Station near Berlin.



They were then assigned to their own plane, the re-christened B-17G 43-39087 as 'Better, Quicker and Cheaper', after a line from a Paulette Goddard movie.



When made T/Sgt, he was assigned to look after B-24 Liberators and then some returning B-29 superfortresses at Victorville, CA until he was declared surplus and received an Honorable Discharge on November 23, 1945.



Afterwards, Barnes worked in the aircraft industry and served in the Army Air Forces Reserve into the 1950s and was active in Civil Air Patrol in Utah for many years. Later promoted to Major, then served as a chaplain and has kept his membership to this day.



AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster/ Good Conduct/ Presidential Citation

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 457th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Black and white posed headshot of man wearing a uniform of a jacket, shirt, tie and hat. There are silver wings and medal ribbons on the upper left-side of the jacket, and a WWII-era Air-Force silver officer insignia badge on the center of hat.  There is an aviation insignia pin and on the jacket lapel, and a single bar on the shoulder lapel.  Subject is looking right in lens and is smiling
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 457th Bomb Group 749th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Major

Aircraft

The mission board of the 457th Bomb Group. Official caption printed on image: '(GM-299-2-457)(16/5/45)(Op's Board's).'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Better, Quicker & Cheaper

Places

The mission board of the 457th Bomb Group. Official caption printed on image: '(GM-299-2-457)(16/5/45)(Op's Board's).'
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Connington

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

San Pedro, California 18 February 1925

Enlisted

17 September 1943 Completed his training stateside in CO, TX, OK. Then finished his training in Glatton, UK

Other

Honorable Discharge

23 November 1945

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added Some Punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.

 

Date
ContributorCym118
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Biography provided by son of Richard P. Barnes - Richard D. M. Barnes

Date
ContributorCym118
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Biography provided by son of Richard P. Barnes - Richard D. M. Barnes

Date
ContributorCym118
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Biography provided by son of Richard P. Barnes - Richard D. M. Barnes

Date
ContributorCym118
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Biography provided by son of Richard P. Barnes - Richard D. M. Barnes

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self