Thomas Clifford
Military | Flight Officer | B-24 Navigator/Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24229.
...
Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
Military
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator #41-24229.
Had 38 combat missions. He not only came over to England with the 44th but was the only pilot to then go home with them at the end of the war. He was one of the best combat leaders we had, a quote by Gen. Leon Johnson "He took his pane through the Ploesti inferno lower than most other pilots and got her home with only minor damage, originally earning the Silver Star for his part in the historic raid". The Silver Star was deleted in Ninth Air Force General Orders on 25 February, 1944 which was the day after his Silver Star was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, on 24 February, 1944.
He married General Joseph Stillwell's daughter.
Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Military | Flight Officer | B-24 Navigator/Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24229.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-24229.
...
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, # 41-24229, named 'Seeds of Satan and 'Buzzin Bear' was assigned to the 8th Air Force, the 44BG, and the 67th Bomb Squadron in North Africa based at Benghazi Libya. 'Buzzin Bear' was flown by William Roderick Cameron on "Operation Tidal Wave...
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...
Event | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Born | Hanford, California | |
Enlisted | 5 January 1942 | |
Enlisted Fresno, CA as Aviation Cadet. |
Date | Contributor | Update |
---|---|---|
22 September 2020 23:53:09 | decwriter | Changes to middlename, service number, biography, awards and events |
Sources | ||
NARA files verified DSC upgrade from SS, deletion of SS in General Orders, DFC w/1 oak leaf cluster and AM w/3 oak leaf clusters. He earned at least one bronze star on the EAME Campaign Medal. |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
22 September 2020 22:09:41 | jmoore43 | Changes to awards |
Sources | ||
Added the awards mentioned in the "Summary biography". |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
22 September 2020 22:07:27 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Added punctuation to the "Summary biography" to aid clarity. |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
31 January 2020 12:25:38 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:28:36 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
'Ploesti' by Dugan & Stewart & p224 in the book SECOND AIR DIVISION edited by Randy Baumgardner, D790.A2S45 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |