B-24 Liberator
The B-24D - 5 - CO - SN # 41-23784, named 'Miss Dianne' with her Crew Chief Master Sgt. George Baccash, in the 8th Air Force - 44th Bomb Group -and the 67th Bomb Squadron. Lost Mar 8, 1943 - Rouen, France - MACR 15570 - Pilot Morton P. Gross
B-24D-5-CO - #41-23784, named, "Miss Dianne" was assigned to the 44th Bomb Group, the 67th Bomb Squadron. On March 8, 1943 the aircraft was dispatched on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. The aircraft sustained significant damage from German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France. The bail out alarm sounded but only three of the crew managed to parachute from the aircraft before it crashed. - 8KIA 3POW MACR 15570.
P CPT Clyde E. Price (KIA); CP 2LT Robert E. Forrest (KIA)
N 2LT Jacob A. Augenstene, Jr. (KIA); B 2LT Morton P. Gross (KIA)
E/TTG TSGT Dalton R. Snell (KIA); RO TSGT Donald E. Jester (KIA)
AE SSGT Roy E. Gosline (KIA); WG SSGT Kenneth L. Erhard (POW)
WG SSGT Iris C. Wyer, Jr. (POW); G SSGT Deane J. Devars (POW)
TG SSGT Lewis J. Fleshamn (KIA)
B-24 Liberator
B-24D-5-CO - #41-23784, named, "Miss Dianne" was assigned to the 44th Bomb Group, the 67th Bomb Squadron. On March 8, 1943 the aircraft was dispatched on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. The aircraft sustained...
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
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Navigator. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at...
Military | Master Sergeant (1st Grade) | Crew Chief
Sgt. George Baccash was the Crew Chief Master Sargent on the B-24D - 5 - CO - SN # 41-23784, named 'Miss Dianne', in the 8th Air Force, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 67th Bomb Squadron. His plane, Miss Dianne', was lost, shot down by German fighters, ...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Tuuret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
As Ken was an independent and rather adventurous young man, he attempted several times to enlist in the military, but was always turned down because of his age. He was finally accepted in late November 1941 at the age of 19. He wanted to be in the...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Pilot. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen,...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Co-Pilot. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer, Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Ball TUrret Gunner. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Bombardier. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner, Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Radio Operator. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards...
Military | Captain | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-24D 41-23784 [NB:R] 'Miss Dianne', 44BG/67BS while serving as Pilot. The aircraft was attacked and shot down by German fighters near Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen,...
8 March 1943
The railroad marshalling yards at Rennes and Rouen, France are the primary targets for this mission. A formation comprised of 67 B-17s: 91BG (14); 303BG (19); 305BG (16) and 306BG (18) is despatched to bomb at Rennes. Conditions are good with no cloud...
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Villers-Écalles, France | 8 March 1943 |
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Shot down by German fighters bear Villers-Ecalles, France while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2021 01:58:42 | Kickapoo | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - 'Miss Dianne' |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 31 March 2021 01:39:39 | Kickapoo | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - # 41-23784 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 31 March 2021 01:06:52 | Kickapoo | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - # 41-23784 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 31 March 2021 01:03:55 | Kickapoo | Changes to nicknames, markings and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 December 2017 05:58:56 | Eaglewolf | Changes to nicknames, description and events |
| Sources | ||
Stele to the Allied Aviators of Villiers-Ecalles and MIA Report (Interrogation Report) |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 July 2015 21:37:24 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 30-Jul-2015. Added nickname in Description per "Losses of the 8ht & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 July 2015 20:33:43 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, events, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 30-Jul-2015. Added nickname, markings and Description per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; Added FTR event and crew position, rank, full proper name and dispostions of all crew members per MACR 15570; formatted crew display. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:01 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
MACR 15570 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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