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B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 482nd BG, 389th BG, 66BS, 44th BG, 8AF USAAF. Lead ship on 5-Jun-44 mission to Boulogne-Sur-Mer, despite orders to the contrary, led formation back over the target after the bomb release failed during the critical point of the initial pass. Hit by multiple flak hits, leaving the pilot Capt Louis A Mazure dead and other crew members injured, with hung up bombs and leaking fuel the engines were shut down and a glide to blighty established. The co pilot assisted by a severely wounded Colonel Leon R Vance managed to get the aircraft over the coast of England so the crew could bale out. Colonel Vance remained aboard alone, mistakenly believing a fatally wounded crew member was still on board and ditched off Broadstairs, Kent. The A/C then exploded, ejecting Colonel Vance, who managed to swim ashore. 1 x KIA, 3 x WIA, 3 x RTD injured, 7 x RTD.
Group
The 389th Bomb Group, known in more familiar terms as "the Sky Scorpions", flew strategic bombing missions in B-24 Liberators from Hethel, England. They also sent detachments to join bases in North Africa at Benghazi No. 10, Libya, between 3 July 1943...
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...
Group
The 482nd Bomb Group was a Pathfinder Group, which using radar-equipped aircraft to support bombing missions until March 1944. Aircraft from this Group went ahead of other Bombers and sent information back about the best routes to take and the extent...
Squadron
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator, Radar, Radar Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 #41-28690 'Missouri Sue'. Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
Shot down again on 19 Mar 45 in B-24 #42-51907, crashed near Stuttgart and became a Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 #4128690 'Missouri Sue. ' Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 #41-28690 'Missouri Sue'. Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Flew 30 missions over enemy held territory and was highly decorated.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 #4128690 'Missouri Sue. ' Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 41-28690 'Missouri Sue. ' Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 #4128690 'Missouri Sue. ' Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
Military | Captain | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 #4128690 'Missouri Sue. ' Plane ditched in Channel. Killed in Action (KIA).
PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 41-28690 'Missouri Sue'. Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Shot down 5 June 1944 in B-24 #4128690 'Missouri Sue. ' Plane ditched in Channel. Returned to base.
5 June 1944
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Manufactured | Tulsa, OK, USA | 1944 |
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Built at Douglas for Consolidated. |
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| Delivered | Oklahoma, USA | 1944 |
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Delivered to USAAF. |
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| Transferred | Shipdham, UK | 1944 |
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Transferred to 66BS, 44th BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Crashed | English Channel off Broadstairs, UK | 5 June 1944 |
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It ditched off Broadstairs, Kent, after leading 489BG on 5-Jun-44. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 04 August 2016 21:37:31 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations, person associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.b24bestweb.com/missouribelle.htm |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 November 2014 11:50:28 | grahamkipping | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type and person associations |
| Sources | ||
pilots log |
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