Charles S Gordon

Military
media-26914.jpeg UPL 26914 Charles S Gordon, bombardier and navigator with the 44th Bomb Group.

Shared with the American Air Museum by Charles S Gordon's son, David.

Object Number - UPL 26914 - Charles S Gordon, bombardier and navigator with the 44th Bomb Group.

Charles ("Shep") 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.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • 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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-742276
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 492nd Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32512157
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 492nd Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron 1287th Military Police Company
  • Service Numbers: 13168014
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 482nd Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16142910
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33356461
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner/Nose Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Turnip Termite, Pappy's Chillun
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 486th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron 835th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Northern Lass
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 67th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

26 July 1921

Enlisted

5 May 1942

Died

20 December 2012

Born

Buried

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

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

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

Personal knowledge

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

Based on annotated crew photo

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

Based on annotated crew photo

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Correspondence with Charles S Gordon's son, David.

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

Dad's records

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

Air Force and Dad's contemporaraneous records

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

Air Force and contemporaneous records kept by Dad.

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

68th unit history.

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

Corrected error on 3/6/44 mission.

Date
Contributortiganeasca
Changes
Sources

The information entered today is based upon my father's discharge forms together with his and the Air Force's crew/mission records.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Correspondence with Charles S Gordon's son, David Gordon:
'The person you have identified as Charles "R" Gordon does not exist; it was a mistake in the records that keeps getting repeated. The man identified as Charles "R" is the same person as Charles S. Gordon. I know because he was my father. I can provide copies of his discharge papers and any other original documents you might wish to have but I have been trying to get records corrected for years since the original typographical error misidentified my dad as Charles R.'

Brought in information from duplicate record, which listed name as Charles R Gordon. Source:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Webb Todd

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
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

Charles S Gordon: Gallery (2 items)