Flew on famous Ploesti raid of 1 Aug '43.
A Romanian historian says, "Si totusi, câtiva dintre pilotii Grupului 389 aveau stagii de zbo stul de îndelungate. Thomas Campbell, copilotul lui Jack Dieterle, ecutase treizeci si cinci ce misiuni cu bombardierul Daisey Mae".
("Still, some of the 389 Group pilots had long-term training. Thomas Campbell, Jack Dieterle's co-pilot, had thirty-five missions with the bomber “Daisey Mae” ") [Ioan Grigorescu, Bine ați venit în infern! (Nemira, 1995) 384. ]
Service
People
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Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40722,
Shot down 5 December 1943 in B-24 42-40738, "The Oklahoman." Killed in Action (KIA).
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Flew Ploesti raid on 1 Aug 43 as the waist gunner on Jack Dieterle's plane, B-24 42-40722,"The Little Gramper" . One of its engines was hit by ground fire, and it barely made it back to the base at Benghazi, Libya.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Flew as a tail gunner on the famous Ploesti raid of 1 Aug 43. The plane, B-24 42-40722 "The Little Gramper", barely made it back to its base at Benghazi, Libya, with one of its engines hit by ground fire.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Survived the raid on Ploesti on B-24 42-40722,"The Little Gramper", for which he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. The plane barely made it back to the base in Benghazi with one engine damaged by ground fire.
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Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
After completing his training as a bomber pilot at Biggs Field in Texas, his squadron, the 566ᵀᴴ BS of the 389ᵀᴴ BG, was established at Hethel Field in Norwich early in 1943.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
He was the waist gunner on Jack Dieterle's ship, B-24 42-40722 "The Little Gramper", during the great raid on the Ploesti oil refineries in Romania on Black Sunday, 1 August 1943. The plane returned with its crew intact but with some damage to one of...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 389th Bomb Group
He was the bombardier on B-24 42-40722,"The Little Gramper", on the attack on the Ploesti oil fields on Black Sunday, 1 August 1943.
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Military | Lieutenant | Radio Operator | 389th Bomb Group
Flew as the radio operator on the Ploesti raid of 1 August 1943. The plane sustained damaged to one of its engines and barely made it back to the base at Benghazi, Libya.
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Units served with
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Group
The 389th Bomb Group, known in more familiar terms as "the Sky Scorpions", flew strategic bombing missions in B-24 Liberators from Hethel, England. They also sent detachments to join bases in North Africa at Benghazi No. 10, Libya, between 3 July 1943...
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Squadron
Constituted 566th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Dec. 1942. Activated on 24 Dec. 1942. Inactivated on 13 Sept. 1945. Campaigns: Air Offensive, Europe; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air...
Aircraft
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B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator 42-40723 'The Little Gramper' 566th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Lt Jack W Dieterle, returning safely to Libya. Transferred to the 491st Bomb Group 15 May 44. Noted as War Weary repainted...
Missions
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1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57 B...
Associated Place
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Military site : airfield
Construction of Hethel airfield began in 1941, and was finished in late 1942. The number of hardstandings was increased from the planned 36 to 50 in 1942, in order to accommodate a full heavy bomb group. The 320th Bomb Group occupied the base for ten...
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Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Dover Plains, New York |
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