Charles E Hughes

Military

On 15-February 1943 in B-24D 41-23800 'The Captain and the Kids' while serving as Co-Pilot the aircraft was hit by flak at the start of a bomb run putting an engine out of action. FW 109s put out another engine then over the sea a 3rd engine burst into flames. Then Lt. Hughes and Cpt Cramer made a wheels up landing at Sandwich Flats on Kent coast. 3 were Killed in Action (KIA) but 7 were returned successfully.



On 1-Aug-43 in B-24D 'Flossie Flirt' 42-40777 44th BG/ 66th BS while serving a Pilot his aircraft was severely damaged by flak over the target of Ploesti, Romania. He decided to head for Turkey and landed at Chorlu airfield and he and the rest of the crew were Interned. He managed to escape in a fishing boat to Cyprus and thence back to England. (No E&E Report was found). He stayed in military and became a Colonel in USAF Dept of the Air Force.



Joined Sqd 7/5/44. Trans/491 BG 8/2/44.



AM w/ 5 Oak Leaf Cluster/ DFC/ Commendation Medal/ ETO w/ 4 battle stars

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
A Pathfinder B-24 Liberator (V2-P+, serial number 42-51691) of the 491st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '491 BG supplying troops at Arnhem, Sept 1944.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95260) nicknamed "Lili Marlene" of the 66th Bomb Squadron, 44th Bomb Group flies in formation with two comrades. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-24 H & B-24 J OF 44th B.G. 66th Sqdn'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group line up for takeoff at Shipdham in 1943. The 'Flying Eight-Ball' emblem of the 68th Bomb Squadron is visible on the nose of the leading aircraft. Image stamped with field press censor, 1943. Press Agency photograph- original printed caption has been removed.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: The Captain and the Kids
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Flossie Flirt
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 66th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

4 August 1921

Other

Returned to Duty (RTD)

15 February 1943 Aircraft B-24D 41-23800 was damaged by flak and fighters on mission to Dunkirk, France but managed to make it back to England and made a wheels up landing at Sandwich Flats, Kent.

Other

Interned (INT)

1 August 1943 Aircraft B-24F 42-40777 was damaged by flak on mission to Ploesti, Romania but the pilot made an emergency landing at Chorlu Airfield in Turkey.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.

Date
Changes
Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2015. All additions and changes based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / no MACR; 44th Bomb Group, The Flying Eightballs, pg 20 / self, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey, pp.77, 219-220, 44th BG Roll of Honor and Casualties by Lundy pp. 48-49