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42-40071

B-24 Liberator

  • B-24 Liberator, 42-40071, named, Margaret Ann II, in the 68th Bomb Squadron, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force. Flown by Lt. Coleman Whitaker on the Ploesti raid, returning to Benghazi, Libya. 1 Aug, 43. Left in Tunis when the 44th Bomb Group returned to Shipdham, Britain, and transferred to the MTO where it was recorded in the 716th Bomb Squadron, the 449th Bomb Group, and the 15th Air Force, on 12 Nov 44, as war weary.

    B-24 Liberator, 42-40071, named, Margaret Ann II, in the 68th Bomb Squadron, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force. Flown by Lt. Coleman Whitaker on the Ploesti raid, returning to Benghazi, Libya. 1 Aug, 43. Left in Tunis when the 44th Bomb Group returned to Shipdham, Britain, and transferred to the MTO where it was recorded in the 716th Bomb Squadron, the 449th Bomb Group, and the 15th Air Force, on 12 Nov 44, as war weary.

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  • Ground crew of the 44th Bomb Group change the engines of the B-24D Liberator serial number, 42-40071, named, Margaret Ann II. Image via Colonel William R. Cameron. Handwritten caption on reverse :

    Ground crew of the 44th Bomb Group change the engines of the B-24D Liberator serial number, 42-40071, named, Margaret Ann II. Image via Colonel William R. Cameron. Handwritten caption on reverse : "Second trip to NA 10/43."

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  • The B-24D, Margaret Ann II. B-24 - D - 30 - CO. 42-40071. In the 8th Air Force, the 44th Bomb Group - The Flying 8 Balls, and the 68th Bomb Squadron.

    The B-24D, Margaret Ann II. B-24 - D - 30 - CO. 42-40071. In the 8th Air Force, the 44th Bomb Group - The Flying 8 Balls, and the 68th Bomb Squadron.

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The B-24D Liberator, 42-40071, named, Margaret Ann II, was assigned to the 8th Air Force, and temporarily detached (TDY) to the 98th Bomb Group in North Africa, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 68th Bomb Squadron, flown by Lt. Coleman Whitaker on the Ploesti mission, returning to Benghazi, Libya. RTB. Aug 1, 1943.

After returning to Shipdam, U.K. with the 8th Air Force, after Operation Tidal Wave, to Ploesti, Romania, Lt. Whitaker was killed in action (KIA) on a mission to Weiner Neustadt, Germany, flying the B-24D, 41-23816, Black Jack. His plane was hit by flak in his bomb bay shortly after leaving target area. Lt. Whitaker peeled off, quickly losing altitude as the fire enveloped his bomb bay and fuselage. The plane broke apart and crashed close to the target area. 5 KIA. 5 POW. Aircraft failed to return. FTR. 1 Oct 43. Pilot Coleman S. Whitaker. KIA. MACR 3312

Margaret Ann II, was left in Tunis, Tunisia, when the 44th Bomb Group returned to Shipdham, Great Britain, and was transferred to the MTO where it was recorded in the 716th Bomb Squadron, the 449th Bomb Group, of the 15th Air Force, on Nov 12, 1944, declared as war weary.

Service

Aircraft

  • 41-23816 - Black Jack

    B-24 Liberator
    Note : The B-24D, 41- The B-24D, 41-23816, flown by Lt. Coleman Whitaker, named, Black Jack, was one of two B-24Ds in the MTO named, Black Jack, and was assigned to the 8th Air Force, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 68th Bomb Squadron, in the U.K. in the...

  • 42-40071 - Margaret Ann II

    B-24 Liberator
    The B-24D Liberator, 42-40071, named, Margaret Ann II, was assigned to the 8th Air Force, and temporarily detached (TDY) to the 98th Bomb Group in North Africa, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 68th Bomb Squadron, flown by Lt. Coleman Whitaker on the...

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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...

  • 68th Bomb Squadron

    68th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Francis Bauman

    Military | Technical Sergeant | 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 42-40071. ...

  • Eugene Grimes

    Military | Sergeant | 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 42-40071. ...

  • George Guilford

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40071. ...

  • Corwin Huff

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40071. ...

  • George Jansen

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Assigned to 68BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. TDY to 9AF for Ploesti raid. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40071. ...

  • Robert Reasoner

    Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    On 3 January 1943 in B-24D 41-23806 'Bat Out of Hell' while serving as Tail Gunner the aircraft crashed south-west of Haverfordwest returning from target U/B yards (submarine) at St. Nazaire, France. Fuel shortage caused the crash. Hospitalized and...

  • Robert Smith

    Military | Master Sergeant | 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 42-40071. ...

  • Eugene Vickary

    Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40071. ...

  • Coleman Whitaker

    Military | First Lieutenant | B-24 Command Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
    Lt. Coleman Whitaker volunteered for, and served as an RAF pilot for several months before Pearl Harbor. Later, he transferred back to the USAAF and took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to the Ploesti, Romania, oil refineries, flying...

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...

  • Mellaha

    Military site : airfield

Events

Event Location Date
Survived Ploesti Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943

Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid returning to Libya.
Assigned Benghazi, Libya

68th BS, 44th BG, 8th AF. TDY 9th AF.
Assigned Benghazi, Libya

716th BS, 449th BG, 15th AF.
Nicknames
- Margaret Ann II
Production block number
B-24-D-30-CO
Manufacturer
Consolidated
Markings and paint scheme/livery

The B-24D, 42-40071, Margaret Ann II, was painted overall in the U.S.Army Standard olive drab color, on it's lower engine cowls, fuselage and wing surfaces, painted in the standard light gray color. It's national insignias were white stars on blue roundels with yellow surrounds. It's name, Margaret Ann II, was painted on it's LH forward nose section in cursive written letters. On the OB sides of it's vertical stabilizers were it's RCL, a capital, C , and it's abbreviated serial number, 240071.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
15 June 2022 10:16:24 Al_Skiff Changes to unit associations
Sources

http://www.b24bestweb.com
Date Contributor Update
14 June 2022 22:00:23 Kickapoo Changes to aircraft associations
Sources

Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
14 June 2022 21:58:00 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill
Date Contributor Update
14 June 2022 21:49:26 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40071 - Margaret Ann II - 41-23816 - Black Jack
Date Contributor Update
14 June 2022 21:34:11 Kickapoo Changes to production block number and markings
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40071 - Margaret Ann II
Date Contributor Update
16 May 2022 10:35:10 Al_Skiff Changes to unit associations
Sources

http://www.b24bestweb.com
Date Contributor Update
07 February 2022 13:53:08 Kickapoo Changes to description and aircraft associations
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40071 - Margaret Ann II
Date Contributor Update
07 February 2022 13:49:20 Kickapoo Changes to unit associations
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40071 - Margaret Ann II
Date Contributor Update
07 February 2022 13:46:01 Kickapoo Changes to nicknames
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40071 - Margaret Ann II
Date Contributor Update
19 November 2021 06:02:06 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Details added. - Kickapoo
Date Contributor Update
14 October 2021 14:35:17 Kickapoo Changes to place associations
Sources

Places. - Kickapoo
Date Contributor Update
14 October 2021 14:33:32 Kickapoo Changes to markings, description and place associations
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40071 - Margaret Ann II
Date Contributor Update
21 August 2021 11:50:09 Kickapoo Changes to nicknames and description
Sources

Punctuation. - Kickapoo
Date Contributor Update
20 April 2021 17:48:26 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40771 - 'Margaret Ann II'
Date Contributor Update
20 April 2021 17:45:31 Kickapoo Changes to description
Sources

Best Web - B-24 - 42-40771 - 'Margaret Ann II'
Date Contributor Update
13 April 2020 10:52:38 general ira snapsorter Changes to description
Sources

Ploesti Sortie Reports, 44th Bomb Group
Date Contributor Update
09 April 2015 15:44:29 Al_Skiff Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, description, events, unit associations, mission associations and media associations
Sources

http://www.b24bestweb.com

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