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Military
Charles S Gordon, bombardier and navigator with the 44th Bomb Group.
A bomber crew of the 44th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-7507) nicknamed "Heaven Can Wait". Handwritten on image: 'Back Row: Sam Bowman III (P), James Rossman (CP), Art Young (N), Charles Gordon (B). Front Row: Kenneth Dropek (Flt Engineer), Thomas Gorrey (Gunner), Bernard Greeden (Radio), Patrick Commisa (Ball Turret), Donald Ennis (Tail Gunner), Michael Tarzia (Gunner), HEAVEN CAN WAIT.'
Charles Gordon flew 17 missions as a navigator and 18 as a bombardier with the 44th Bomb Group, flying missions out of Shipdham, England.
He joined the 68th Bomb Squadron on 11 February 1944. Charles initially flew with pilot Sam Bowman but in the course of his tour he flew with at least a dozen different pilots and crews.
On the return from a mission to St Pol/Siracourt, France on 12 March 1944, in B-24 #42-7507 'Heaven Can Wait', it crashed landed at RAF Friston, Sussex and burned. Charles was able to Return to Duty (RTD).
Charles is credited with Me 110, destroyed 7 July 44.
He completed his tour and transferred to 489th on 24 July 1944.
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Joined squad 11 Feb 1944. On the return from a mission to ST Pol/Siracourt, FR on 12 Mar 1944, AC #42-7507 'Heaven Can Wait', crashed landed at RAF Friston, Sussex and burned. RTD. Completed tour 11 July 1944. Trans/12th RCD 16 July 1944.
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
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
crashed due to structural failure 21 Apr 1944, 1 mi NE Ringland Hills, England
...
25 February 1944
On this final operation of BIG WEEK, Day 6, a combined force of 754 heavy bombers from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions are despatched to bomb the German aircraft industries at Regensburg, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Furth, Germany. Mission Summary follows:
...
2 March 1944
The primary targets for this mission are: the railroad marshalling yards at Frankfurt, Germany; and the German air depot ar Chartres, France. The mission is composed of two entierly separate forces. 327 B-17s from 1st Air Division joined by 154 B-24s...
3 March 1944
A combined force of 748 heavy bombers are despatched to bomb the primary targets of Berlin, Erkner and Oranienburg, Germany, but weather and dense contrails forced most of the formations to turn back or seek Targets of Opportunity (TOs). 1st Combat...
5 March 1944
The German airfields at Mont-de-Marsan, Cayeux and Bordeaux/Merginac, France were the primary targets for this mission. Weather and clouds frustrate bombing attempts and formations bomb other secondary targets and targets of last resort. Mission...
6 March 1944
The industrial areas of Berlin and Genshagen, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A combined force of 730 heavy bombers are despatched from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. The despatch from 3rd Air Division bombs Targets of Opportunity in...
9 March 1944
Berlin is once again targeted by this mission as a secondary target. Primary target not listed in source data. All 3 Air Divisions despatch aircraft. There is very little fighter opposition. Mission Summary follows:
...
12 March 1944
The industrial areas of St. Pol and Siracourt, France are the primary target fot this mission. A combined force of 52 B-24s from: 44BG; 93BG; and 392BG are despatched. 46 are effective on the primary target and 6 other bomb Targets of Opportunity (TOs)...
16 March 1944
The two primary targets for this mission are: the industrial areas of Augsburg, Germany and Friedrichshafen, Germany. A combined force of 720 heavy bombers are despatched from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. The bomber gunners of the combined despatch...
22 March 1944
The German aviation industries at Oraneinburg and Basdorf were the intended primary target for this mission but dense cloud cover prevented the attack on these targets. The secondary target of Berlin, Germany and surrounding Targets of Opportunity (TOs...
23 March 1944
The industrial areas of Brunswick, Munster, Osnabruck, and Achmer, Germany as well as the airfield at Handorf, Germany become the targets for a force of 768 heavy bombers despatched by all three Air Divisions. The bomber gunner claims on German...
Military site : airfield
Shipdham was built in 1941-1942, the first US heavy bomber airfield in the English county of Norfolk. It was a standard design, with T2-type hangars and a domestic site dispersed to the south east. Improvements were carried out to increase the number...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Massachusetts, USA | 26 July 1921 |
| Lived in | Hampden County, MA, USA | May 1942 |
| Enlisted | Springfield, MA, USA | 5 May 1942 |
| Died | 20 December 2012 | |
| Buried | Elmira, NY, USA |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 08 May 2017 14:33:23 | Lucy May | Changes to service number, highest rank and events |
| Sources | ||
NARA enlistment record: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=7&cat=all&tf=... https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=149294830 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 March 2017 17:42:33 | Lucy May | Changes to biography and person associations |
| Sources | ||
Correspondence with Charles S Gordon's son, David. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 March 2017 13:06:54 | tiganeasca | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Dad's records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 March 2017 12:56:24 | tiganeasca | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Air Force and Dad's contemporaraneous records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 March 2017 23:31:15 | tiganeasca | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Air Force and contemporaneous records kept by Dad. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 March 2017 19:06:05 | tiganeasca | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
68th unit history. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 March 2017 18:37:50 | tiganeasca | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Corrected error on 3/6/44 mission. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 March 2017 18:11:59 | tiganeasca | Changes to nickname, role, biography, awards and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
The information entered today is based upon my father's discharge forms together with his and the Air Force's crew/mission records. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 March 2017 16:02:56 | Lucy May | Changes to place associations, aircraft associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
Correspondence with Charles S Gordon's son, David Gordon: Brought in information from duplicate record, which listed name as Charles R Gordon. Source: |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:05:58 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Webb Todd, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces |
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