Richard P Barnes
Military19 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
- 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: 457th Bomb Group 749th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Major
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Better, Quicker & Cheaper
Places
- 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
Added Some Punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.
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
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
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
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
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self