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41-23817

B-24 Liberator

  • B-24D Liberator, 41-23817, named, 'Suzy Q'. It flew on the Ploesti mission, commanded by Col. Leon Johnson, returning to Benghazi, Libya. 1 Aug 43. 'Suzy Q', was shot down and lost on16 Aug 43 with Pilot Walter R. Bateman. MACR 2445 -

    B-24D Liberator, 41-23817, named, 'Suzy Q'. It flew on the Ploesti mission, commanded by Col. Leon Johnson, returning to Benghazi, Libya. 1 Aug 43. 'Suzy Q', was shot down and lost on16 Aug 43 with Pilot Walter R. Bateman. MACR 2445 -

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  • Ground personnel of the 44th Bomb Group work on the B-24D Liberator, 41-23817. Suzy Q.

    Ground personnel of the 44th Bomb Group work on the B-24D Liberator, 41-23817. Suzy Q.

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  • Flak damage to the tail of Pappy Moore's B-24D - 5 - CO - Code Letter L - SN # 41-23817, named, 'Suzy Q'. Howard

    Flak damage to the tail of Pappy Moore's B-24D - 5 - CO - Code Letter L - SN # 41-23817, named, 'Suzy Q'. Howard "Pappy" Moore was the 44th Bomb Group's 67th Bomb Squadron's CO. 'Suzy Q' was a B-24 -D-5-CO # 41-23817 Code letter L . "Suzy Q' flew on the Ploesti mission commanded by Col. Leon Johnson. It was later lost on a bombing mission over Foggia, Italy. - Lost Aug 16, 1943.

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  • Ground personnel of the 44th Bomb Group work on a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23817) nicknamed

    Ground personnel of the 44th Bomb Group work on a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23817) nicknamed "Suzy Q".

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  • B-24 Liberator #4123817

    B-24 Liberator #4123817 "Suzy Q". Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid returning to Libya.

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  • Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for 2nd Lieutenant Robert T Ellis of the 489th Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel. The file contains copies of primary documents that discuss the return of personal effects, circumstances and causes of death, and memorialisation of the fallen airman. If you require access to the full, unedited file please contact Bill Beigel via his website, www.ww2research.com, or the AAM Team at aamwebsite@iwm.org.uk

    Extract from Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) for 2nd Lieutenant Robert T Ellis of the 489th Bomb Group researched by historian Bill Beigel. The file contains copies of primary documents that discuss the return of personal effects, circumstances and causes of death, and memorialisation of the fallen airman. If you require access to the full, unedited file please contact Bill Beigel via his website, www.ww2research.com, or the AAM Team at aamwebsite@iwm.org.uk

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  • The B-24D, Suzy Q, with it's Command Pilot Col. Leon Johnson, in the 44th Bombing Group the 9th Air Force. 1943

    The B-24D, Suzy Q, with it's Command Pilot Col. Leon Johnson, in the 44th Bombing Group the 9th Air Force. 1943

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  • The B-24D - 'Suzy Q' - Flying home from the bombing mission to Ploesti. This 1943 photo was taken from the B-24D Liberator bomber, 'Buzzin Bear'. This is the only known flying photo of Col. Leon Johnson's airplane, 'Suzy Q' during the mission. Note the flak damage to 'Suzy Q' s RH vertical stabilizer. August 1,1943

    The B-24D - 'Suzy Q' - Flying home from the bombing mission to Ploesti. This 1943 photo was taken from the B-24D Liberator bomber, 'Buzzin Bear'. This is the only known flying photo of Col. Leon Johnson's airplane, 'Suzy Q' during the mission. Note the flak damage to 'Suzy Q' s RH vertical stabilizer. August 1,1943

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The B-24D, named, Suzy Q, flown by Pilot Lt. Robert I. Brown and commanded by Col. Leon Johnson, led the 44th Bomb Group on the Aug 1, 1943 Ploesti raid and was the most famous ship of the 67th Squadron. The plane was lost along with the 67th's plane, Buzzin' Bear, on 16-Aug-43, on a mission to the north airfield at Foggia, Italy. Both planes were intercepted by Me 109 fighters, and Suzy Q was last seen burning on the Italian beach believed to be Capo Stilo. 10 KIA. MACR 2361/2445

Service

Aircraft

  • 41-24229 Buzzin' Bear - Seeds of Satan - Miss Delores

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D, 41-24229, last named, Buzzin' Bear, was assigned to the 8th Air Force, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 67th Bomb Squadron in North Africa based at Benghazi Libya. Buzzin' Bear was flown by Col. William Roderick Cameron on Operation Tidal Wave...

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Units

  • 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs

    44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs

    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...

  • 67th Bomb Squadron

    67th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Adolph Aguirre

    Military | Sergeant | AR | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Killed in Action (KIA) while TDY to 9th AF. B-24 #41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. WOM North Africa

  • Walter Bateman

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Killed in Action (KIA) while TDY to 9th AF. B24 41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. p. 235

  • William Brady

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator #41-23817. ...

  • William Brandon

    Military | Major | B-24 Pilot - Controller | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Lt. William H. Brandon took part in Operation Tidal Wave, flying the B-24D Liberator, 41-23817, to Ploesti, Romania. 1 Aug 1943, ...

  • Robert Chapman

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Killed in Action (KIA) while TDY to 9th AF. B24 41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. p. 235

  • Michael Cianciolo

    Military | Aerial Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    KIA while TDY to 9th AF. B24 41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. WOM North Africa

  • John Ellis

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Killed in Action (KIA) while TDY to 9th AF. B24 41-23817 'Suzy Q' believed to have crashed and burned on beach at Cape Stilo, Italy. WOM North Africa

  • Ronald Helder

    Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24D Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
    2nd Lt. Ronald Lee Helder was a B-24 pilot in the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bomb Group, and the 564th Bombing Squadron in WWII. He flew as Co-pilot with his friend, Command Pilot Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes, in the B-24D Lt. Helder called, Ole Kickapoo,...

  • John Irwin

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Radio Operator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 41-23817. ...

  • Leon Johnson

    Military | Brigadier General | B-24 Command Pilot - Commanding Officer 44th Bomb Group | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Col. Leon Johnson, the commander of the 44th Bomb Group from the 8th Air Force in Britain provided superior leadership in planning and training his pilots from the 8th Air force from the U.K. to employ very low altitude flying, before and during...

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Missions

  • Operation Tidal Wave

    1 August 1943
    Operation TIDAL WAVE. B-24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57...

Places

  • Shipdham

    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...

  • Benina

    Military site : airfield

Events

Event Location Date
Survived Ploesti Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943

SUZY-Q, the most famous ship of the 67th Squadron led the Group on the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid. Returned to Libya.
Failed to Return (FTR) Punta Stilo, Italy 16 August 1943

The plane was lost on 16-Aug-43 on a mission to the north airfield at Foggia, Italy. The plane intercepted by Me109 fighters and was last seen burning on the Italian beach believed to be Capo Stilo. 10 KIA. MACR 2361/2445
Assigned Benghazi, Libya

67th BS, 44th BG, 8th AF. TDY 9th AF.
Nicknames
- Suzy Q
Production block number
B-24D-5-CO
Manufacturer
Consolidated
Markings and paint scheme/livery

The famous B-24D, Suzy Q, was painted overall in the US Army Air Force's standard dark green/olive drab color. The national insignia in early 1943 was a white star inside a blue roundel, with, first, a yellow surround, and later, a dark blue, then, a red surround. The name, Suzy Q, was painted on both sides of the airplane's forward nose section with it's nose art, the 44th Bomb Group's picture of a birdlike flying 8 Ball bomb with wings, eyes, a bomb for a beak and tail, painted on the airplane's left hand forward nose section. The outboard sides of the vertical stabilizer fins were marked with the abbreviated serial number, 123817, and the airplane's RCL, the letter "L" painted on the outboard sides.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
05 June 2022 15:36:34 Al_Skiff Changes to description, events and unit associations
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 2361/2445
Date Contributor Update
30 May 2022 12:55:31 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Personal Archives - Kickapoo
Date Contributor Update
30 May 2022 12:52:19 Kickapoo Changes to nicknames and markings
Sources

Personal Archives - Kickapoo
Date Contributor Update
17 May 2022 13:49:00 Al_Skiff Changes to unit associations
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 2361/2445
Date Contributor Update
20 August 2021 13:16:24 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - Suzy Q
Date Contributor Update
20 August 2021 13:14:12 Kickapoo Changes to nicknames, markings and description
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - Suzy Q
Date Contributor Update
20 March 2021 23:46:54 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

B- 24 - Best Web - Suzy Q - 41-23817
Date Contributor Update
20 March 2021 23:27:41 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Best Web - B24 - 41-23817
Date Contributor Update
09 March 2021 09:27:29 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 'Suzy Q'
Date Contributor Update
09 March 2021 09:03:08 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 'Suzy Q'
Date Contributor Update
09 March 2021 09:01:18 Kickapoo Changes to markings
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 'Suzy Q'
Date Contributor Update
09 March 2021 08:29:12 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 'Suzy Q'
Date Contributor Update
29 April 2019 19:55:00 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
09 April 2015 12:30:15 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number, nicknames, description, events, unit associations and person associations
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 2361/2445
Date Contributor Update
02 December 2014 16:33:41 Superman Changes to nicknames
Sources

From book about B-24s.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:01 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

MACR 2361 / MACR 2445 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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