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The crew of the Boeing B-17 "The Bad Penny" poses by their plane at an airbase in Cambridge, England.
Back Row, L to R: navigator 1Lt Raymond Y Kurtz; bombardier 1Lt Philip T Palmer; pilot Capt Charles E "Red" Cliburn; copilot 1Lt Clyde E DeBaum; Waist gun Sgt Hubert G Hayes.
Front Row L to R: Top turret T/Sgt Raymond T Moore; Radio T/Sgt James Moore; Ball Turret S/Sgt Clarence A Cluck; Waist gun S/Sgt Paul A Shook; Tail gun S/Sgt Walter Charles Dager.
NARA Ref 342-FH-3A09067-50274AC.
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" 1st Lt Clyde Debaun [ Bicknell, Indiana ], co-pilot and Capt Charles Cliburn [ Hazelhurst, Miss ], pilot, shown in the cockpit of their Boeing B-17 "The Bad Penny" just before take-off on a mission over enemy territory from their base at Cambridge, England. " - One more for the folks back home before we shed this flying gear : 1Lt Clyde DeBaum (L) of the 324th Bomb Sqn, 91st BG in the cockpit of B-17F 41-24480 "The Bad Penny" with his crew's commander, Capt Charles Cliburn. 5 May 1943.
NARA Ref 342-FH-3A12683-79045AC.
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" Members of the crew of the Boeing B-17 "The Bad Penny" are interrogated, by Major John J McNaboe [head of the table] intelligence officer of the 91st BG, after their return from a mission over enemy territory."
NAR Ref 342-FH-3A14119-79223AC.
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13-May-43. - " Just back from a raid over France, the flight crew of the Boeing B-17 "The Bad Penny" is met by the ground crew. they are, in front:
Seated: Capt John R (Tex) McCrary, a public relations officer with the 8th Air Force.
Kneeling L-R: Pvt Lester C Chesser, Sgt Tom Mullenik, Sgt Davis L George.
Standing L-R: Cpl Emil Richard Knutelsky, Sgt John M Yates, M/Sgt James Lemley, Sgt Charles H Mathers, Sgt Merel Hawthorne.
Seated on truck L-R: 1Lt Clyde Debaun, 1Lt Raymond V Kurtz, Capt Charles E Cliburn, 1Lt Philip T Palmer.
Standing L-R: S/Sgt Clarence Cluck, S/Sgt Paul Shook, T/Sgt Raymond T Moore, S/Sgt Walter T Dager, Sgt Hubert G Hayes, S/Sgt James Moore.
NARA Ref 342-FH-3A11976-79224AC.
Assigned to 324BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF.
Awards; DFC, AM (OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean war medal.
Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean war and rising to Lt Colonel.
Service
People
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Military | Captain | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
First pilot to complete combat tour in 8th AF--May 13, 1943. Flew on the wing of the 'Memphis Belle. ' Plane's name was 'Bad Penny. ' Also flew "Quitchurbitchin." On 23 Nov 1942 he crash landed in heavy fog at Bassingbourn.
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Units served with
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Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
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Squadron
Home of the Memphis Belle
Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-B] Bangor 31/8/42; Bassingbourn 26/9/42; 322BS [LG-A] 5/43 16+m; taken off operations and transferred 403 AD 2/7/43; 8AF HQ Sqd 15/8/43 for VIP duties. Salvaged 19/10/44. Used as camera ship to film Major William Wilder's...
Associated Place
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Military site : airfield
Now home to a museum all about the aifield and its USAAF residents (http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/) , Bassingbourn opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion programme. The RAF continued to use it until late in 1942 when its long...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Knox County, IN, USA |
5 May 1917 |
Lived in |
Bicknell, IN 47512, USA |
1941 |
Enlisted |
Fort Harrison State Park, 6000 N. Post Road, Indianapolis, IN 46216, USA |
17 December 1941 |
Fort Benjamin
Harrison
Indiana
|
Pilot training |
430, 351 Kearney Blvd #119E, Goodfellow Air Force Base, TX 76908, USA |
1942 |
Pilot Training Class 42-G
Goodfellow Field
San Angelo
Texas
|
Based |
Bassingbourn |
1943 – 1944 |
Assigned to 324BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF.
|
Died |
Indiana, USA |
23 June 1994 |
Buried |
|
July 1994 |
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington
Arlington County
Virginia, USA
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