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The Squaw's Command Pilot Lt. Roydon LeBrecht smiles at his new, upgraded nose art painting on his B-24D. This was the second version of The Squaw's nose art, with the naked squaw, now, repainted standing up, with clothes on, instead of on her knees, and completely nude, especially modified for display to American families on it's war upcoming war bond tour. 1944
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The crew standing and sitting on top of their famous B-24D Liberator, 41-11761, 'The "Squaw",' that successfully flew on 71 combat missions without a casualty. 1944
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Three crew members standing below the nose of their famous B-24D Liberator, 41-11761, 'The "Squaw"'. Above the men are the awards presented to the Army Air Force men who successfully flew 71 missions without a casualty.
L-R : Staff Sgt Paul E. Davidson - Lt. Clinton H. Killian - and Staff Sgt. Adney J. Harmon.
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B-24D - The Squaw. Lt. Royden LeBrecht Pilot and the second, more toned down bikini clad "Squaw" nose art for the plane's war bond tour around America. 1943
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B-24D - The Squaw - Name and Nose Art RH Side - 1943. Pilot Lt. Royden Lebrecht had the painting of, The Squaw, repainted clothed in a bikini, in a slightly more conservative display for the families in The U.S. who would see the plane at his war bond tour stops.
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B-24D - The Squaw - 41-11761 - Lt. LeBrecht and his flight officers. 9th Air Force. War Bond Tour. 1944
The B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-11761, was first named, Sleepy, by the men in the 8th Air Force and the 93rd Bomb Group in the U.K. It was, later, renamed, The Squaw, by it's Command Pilot, Lt. Royden LeBrecht, after being transferred to the 9th Air Force and the 98th Bomb Group at Benghazi, Libya. Lt. LeBrecht flew, The Squaw, on the famous Ploesti bombing mission, returning safely to Nicosia, Cyprus, after joining up with and covering several shot up and damaged straggler B-24s, including, John Kane's, Hail Columbia, Lt. Gilbert Hadley's, plane, Hadley's Harem, and Lt. Robert Sternfels', The Sandman. LeBrecht, then, flew, The Squaw, back to home base at Benghazi, Libya, a day, or so, later. After the Ploesti mission and the completion of his combat tour, Lt. Lebrecht and his crew returned to the U.K. and, then, to Fort Worth, Texas, USA, flying, The Squaw, for a national war bond tour with Lt. Walter Stewart , flying, Bomerang, and Lt. John Young and his crew, flying, The Blue Streak, respectively, on the tour. 1944
The Squaw, was in the 9th Air Force (The Force For Freedom) - the 98th Bomb Group (The Pyramiders) - and the 343rd Bomb Squadron. The Squaw, was flown on the Ploesti mission by Lt. LeBrecht, and returned safely to Nicosia, Cyprus, providing armed escort cover for a small group of the 98th Bomb Group's flak damaged stragglers, Hail Columbia, and Gilbert,"Gib", Hadley's plane, Hadley's Harem, which was running so short of fuel and engine oil that Hadley had to turn back from following the group of stragglers all the way to Cyprus. Approaching the Turkish coast, the last of his three running engines seized up, and he crashed just off the southern coast as he was descending to ditch his plane in the ocean, killing Hadley and all but two of his crew. Aug 1, 1943. The Squaw, flown by Lt. LeBrecht and his crew, with, The Blue Streak, and, Bomerang, flown respectively, by Lt. John Young, and Lt. Walter Stewart, all flew from the U.K back to Fort Worth, Texas, a few months after the Ploesti mission for a nation wide war bond tour. 1944
Service
Aircraft
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, 41-24226, Joisey Bounce, was assigned to Pilot Lt. Walter Travis Stewart in the the 330th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force, for the large mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. Col. Stewart changed...
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B-24 Liberator
B-24-D-95-CO - 42-40765 - Delivered : Tucson, AZ May 1943 - Allocated : 8th Air Force
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator bomber, named, The Sandman, was named, and flown, by Lt. Robert Sternfels and his co-pilot, Lt. Barney Jackson, in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 345th Bomb Squadron, on Operation Tidal Wave, the famous mission to...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, named, Hadley's Harem, was Lt. Gilbert Hadley's personal airplane and the one he flew, with his CoPilot, Lt. James Lindsey, on the mission to destroy Hitler's oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. As Hadley was approaching his target refinery,...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-11761, was first named, Sleepy, by the men in the 8th Air Force and the 93rd Bomb Group in the U.K. It was, later, renamed, The Squaw, by it's Command Pilot, Lt. Royden LeBrecht, after being transferred to the 9th Air...
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, Hail Columbia, 41-11825, was assigned to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bombing Squadron. It was first assigned to the 344th Squadron's CO, Col. John R. Kane's, personal aircraft until Kane became the 98th Bomb Group's...
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Units
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Group
The 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1 Mar 42 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15 May 42. the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, to continue advanced flight training and also to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. They...
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Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.
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Squadron
Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic...
People
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Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
2nd Lt. Herbert W. Arens was a B-24D command pilot in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron. He flew the B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-11803, named, Rosie Wrecked 'Em, on the mission to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti,...
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Military | Master Sergeant | B-24 Crew Chief | 98th Bomb Group
Master Sgt. Crew Chief Paul Baskis was assigned to the B-24D Liberator, 41-11761, named, The Squaw.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Staff Sgt. Paul Davidson was a crew member and a gunner on the B-24D, 41-11761, The Squaw, and flew on Operation Tidal Wave to Ploesti. 1 Aug 43. His pilot and plane diverted to Cypress, and returned to base at Benghazi, Libya. 3 Aug 43. later, he ...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Crew member B-24D, 41-11761, The Squaw, flew on Operation Tidal Wave 1-Aug-43, diverted to Cypress. Returned to base ar Benghazi, Libya. RTB. 3-Aug-43. Flew to Fort Worth, Texas, USA for a war bond tour with, The Squaw.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Crew member on the B-24D, 41-11761, The Squaw. Flew on the 1-Aug-43 Ploesti mission. Damaged by flak and diverted to Cyprus. Returned to base at Benghazi, Libya 3-Aug-43. Flew to Fort Worth, Texas for a war bond tour with, The Squaw. 1944
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Military | First Lieutenant | B-24D Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Gilbert Ben "Gib" Hadley was born and raised in Arkansas City, Kansas. He was the son of Perry Arthur Hadley and Beulah Pearl Bacastow, born 6-May-21. Kansas was his home and enlistment state, and Cowley County was included within the archival record.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Crew member of the B-24D, 41-11761, The Squaw, that flew on the 1-Aug-43 Ploesti bombing mission. Damaged over Ploesti by flak, they diverted to Cypress. Returned to base at Benghazi, Libya 3-Aug-43. Flew to Fort Worth, TX, USA for war bonds tour with...
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Military | Colonel | B-24 Bomb Group Commanding Officer / B-24 Command Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
John Riley Kane was a colonel in the United States Army Air Corps and, later, in the United States Air Force. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, in World War II, for his leadership, courage, and...
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Military | Major | Pilot
Joe Madison Kilgore (December 10, 1918 – February 10, 1999) served from 1955 to 1965 as a U.S. Representative from Texas's 15th congressional district. Born in Brown County, near Brownwood in west central Texas, Kilgore attended the public schools of...
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Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Co-pilot | 98th Bomb Group
First Lt. Clinton Killian was First Lt. Royden LeBrecht's co-pilot on their B-24D, The Squaw. He flew on the 1-Aug-43 mission to Ploesti, Romania, and diverted to Cyprus after flying cover for the damaged B-24s, Hail Columbia, The Sandman, and Hadley...
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Missions
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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...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Survived Ploesti |
Ploiești, Romania |
1 August 1943 |
B-24D Liberator, 41-11761, The Squaw, flew on the Ploesti mission, returning to Cyprus, piloted by Royden Lebrecht. 1 Aug 43
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Assigned |
Benghazi, Libya |
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343rd Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force.
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War Bond Tour |
Fort Worth, TX, USA |
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B-24D Liberator, 41-11761, The Squaw, returned to Fort Worth, Texas, USA for a war bond tour.
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