9th Air Force
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B-26 Marauder
554BS, 386BG, 9AF "Lady Luck". Lost 10-Feb-44 when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. 1 x POW, 5 x KIA. MACR 2082.
Assigned Crew:
Standing from left: James Baxter, (CP); Emmett Curran, (P); Roy Stroud, (N/B). Kneeling from left: Robert Mixter, (E); John Lennon, (R); Robert Dall, (G)
Regular Crew was on a two week leave when fill in crew was shot down.
Crew: Pilot 1Lt Robert B Spencer (O-521555), Co-Pilot F/O Dayton B Mitstifer (T-186567),
Bombardier 1Lt Arch A Dennen Jr (O-666009), Mech / Gunner S/Sgt Gerard G Bergeron - (36178693), Radio / Gunner T/Sgt Richard R Faith (13087676), Arm / Gunner S/Sgt John L Dorton (35285622).
Group
The 386th Bomb Group flew B-26 Marauders for the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces. Whilst with the Eighth, the Group developed the formation release procedure for the B-26 on missions that targeted aerodromes, marshalling yards and V-weapon sites along the...
Squadron
Military | Major | 386th Bomb Group
James A Baxter Sr. served in the US Army for 22 years and retired. He flew 65 missions.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer / Gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Assigned to 451BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) 10-Feb-44 in B-26 41-34947 'Lady Luck' when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2082
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Military | Pilot | 386th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Tail Gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 386th Bomb Group
Assigned to 451BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) 10-Feb-44 in B-26 41-34947 'Lady Luck' when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2082
Awards: PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Armourer / Gunner | 386th Bomb Group
Assigned to 554BS, 386BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) 10-Feb-44 in B-26 41-34947 'Lady Luck' when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2082.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio operator | 386th Bomb Group
Assigned to 451BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.
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Military | Flight Officer | Co-pilot | 386th Bomb Group
Assigned to 451BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) 10-Feb-44 in B-26 41-34947 'Lady Luck' when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 2082.
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Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 386th Bomb Group
Assigned to 554BS, 386BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) 10-Feb-44 in B-26 41-34947 'Lady Luck' when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 2082.
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Military site : airfield
The base was known as Great Saling when construction – by US Army engineers – began in 1942 but was renamed Andrews Field in honour of the memory of Gen. Frank M. Andrews, who was killed when the B-24 he was travelling in crash-landed in Iceland on 3...
Military site : airfield
Boxted was built for heavy bombers and became operational from May 1943. In the few months B-26 Marauders of the 386th Bomb Group were stationed there, there were two night attacks by the Luftwaffe. On 17 August 1943, one man was killed when bombs...
Military site : airfield
The airfield, two miles north-west of Great Dunmow, was built in 1942-1943 by the US Army's 818th Engineer Battalion (Aviation), alongside British contractors. B-26 Marauders of the 386th Bomb Group moved in in September 1943, and in October the Group...
Event | Location | Date |
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Manufactured | Middle River, MD, USA | 1943 |
Built at Martin's. |
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Delivered | Joint Base Andrews, MD, USA | 1943 |
Delivered to USAAF. |
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Assigned | Great Dunmow, Dunmow CM6, UK | 1944 |
Transferred at 554BS, 386BG, 9AF. |
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Crashed | East of berck sur mer, France | 10 February 1944 |
Lost 10-Feb-44 when flak shell hit fuel tank of starboard wing, wing detached at nacelle and A/C tumbled on fire. France. 1 x POW, 5 x KIA. MACR 2082. |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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20 March 2020 17:18:53 | Baxterco | Changes to description |
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updated crew info. From grandson of Co Pilot. James A Baxter |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
20 March 2020 17:16:13 | Baxterco | Changes to description |
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corrected info from Brain Gibbons |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
20 March 2020 17:15:02 | Baxterco | Changes to nicknames, description, events, unit associations and place associations |
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Updated with correct info |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 June 2017 21:16:00 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, nicknames, description, events, unit associations and place associations |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
21 January 2015 22:47:37 | Tanks | Changes to nicknames |
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AAM Photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
21 January 2015 22:36:30 | Tanks | Changes to nicknames |
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AAM Photo |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:40:06 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
MACR 2082 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |