NOTE - The B-24D, named, The Vulgar Virgin, 42-40608, was originally in the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 328th Bomb Squadron. It was temporarily detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron, in Benghazi, Libya, and was flown by Lt. Claude Alvin Turner, on Operation Tidal Wave, interned at Corlu, Turkey, after the mission. INT-TURK. 1 Aug 32. It was one of two B-24Ds, named, The Vulgar Virgin, in the Mediterranean Theater (MTO). Turner's B-24D, 42-40608, was painted on it's top and the sides of it's fuselage and engines, in the Army' standard olive drab, for it's original assignment to the ETO, originally in the 93rd Bomb Group, the 8th Air Force, in the U.K. but was temporarily detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, in Benghazi, Libya, for Operation Tidal Wave. The second B-24D with the name, The Vulgar Virgin, 41-24198, was in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and 344th Bomb Squadron, and was flown on Operation Tidal Wave, and was shot down and lost with the pilot, Capt. Wallace Taylor, the lone survivor of, The Vulgar Virgin, 41-24198, over Ploesti. 1 POW. FTR. 1 Aug 43. 9 KIA. 1 POW. Aug 1, 1943.

Lt. Claude Alvin Turner and, The Vulgar Virgin, 42-40608, were transferred from Hardwick, U.K. to the MTO, Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, with the 8th Air Force, (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, the 93rd Bombardment Group, and the 328th Bomb Squadron - Jun 26, 1943, to assist in the coming Operation Tidal Wave mission to Ploesti, Romania. Once in North Africa, it's Command Pilot, Lt. Claude Turner, immediately flew, 42-40608, on a number of combat missions out of Benghazi, Libya, North Africa, to the Messina, Italy, railroad yards, the Port of San Giovanni, an airfield at Vibo Valencia, and missions in Italy, Foggia, Naples, and Rome, each time returning to base, shot up, with flak damage. Lt. Turner and his crew, trained for, and flew, 42-40608, on Operation Tidal Wave, the mission to Ploesti. 1 Aug 1943. On that mission, Lt, Turner's, Vulgar Virgin, took two direct hits by flak over Ploesti. One hit destroyed an engine, and the other put a hole in his bomb bay gasoline tank. Knowing that his damaged bomber would not make it back to his home base at Benghazi, Lt. Turner decided to fly south to Turkey and managed to fly as far as Chorlu, Turkey, where he did land safely with no casualties to his crew. He, his crew, and his bomber, were interned by the Turkish Air Force. INT-TURK. 1 Aug 1943. MACR 335

After the Ploesti mission, Lt. Turner and his navigator escaped captivity in Turkey, and with help from friendly partisans, were able to return to the 8th Air Force and the 93rd Bomb Group, in Britain.

After returning to Britain, three months later, Lt. Turner was flying another B-24D, 42-63988, named, Birmingham Blitzkrieg, and was shot down by an FW-190 fighter over the North Sea, close to Helgoland Island, after a mission to Bremen, Germany. Lt. Turner and his crew were reported missing in action (MIA) and later reported killed in action (KIA). 19 KIA. Nov 13, 1943.

AIRCRAFT TYPE: B-24-D-75- CO - MANUFACTURER: Consolidated - SN 42- 40608

CONSTRUCTION NO. : 1685 SERIES NUMBER: 41 / 45

BUILD DATE : 07 Apr 43
DATE ACCEPTED : 7 Apr 1943
DATE SOC : 1 Aug 1943

Transferred: Turkish Air Force. August 1, 1943 - S/N - 42-40608

AIR FORCE ASSIGNED : 8th AF - DATE OF SERVICE: May 13, 1943 - Jun 27 1943 -
Air Force TDY : 9th AF - DATE OF SERVICE Jun 27, 1943 - Aug 01, 1943

AIR DIVISION ASSIGNED : 2nd - DATE OF SERVICE : 13 May 1943 - 01 Aug 1943

COMBAT WING ASSIGNED: 201st - DATE OF SERVICE : 13 May 1943 - 01 Aug 1943

GROUP ASSIGNED : 93rd - DATE OF SERVICE: 13 May1943 - 01 Aug 1943

SQUADRON ASSIGNED : 328th - DATE OF SERVICE: 13 May 1943 - 01 Aug 1943

FINAL LOCATION : Turkey - (INT) - MACR 335

GROUP MARKINGS : SQUADRON MARKINGS: A/C I.D. MARKINGS : M MARKINGS ASSIGNED : 13 May 1943

AIRCRAFT NAME : The Vulgar Virgin

DATE MISSION PILOT COMMENTS :
-- 10 Apr 43 Airfield Location: Tucson, AZ Modification Center: Project 92067-R 4/29 -- 30 Apr 1943 Airfield Location: Topeka, KS, Combat crew replacement center -- 03 May 1943 Airfield Location: Presque Isle, ME -- 13 May 1943 Airfield Location: Hardwick, England -- 26 Jun 1943 Transferred to MTO (Mediterranean Theatre of Operations) -- 27 Jun 1943 Airfield Location: Terra, Libya (LG 7) 1 05 Jul 1943 Messina, Italy - railroad yard 1st Lt Turner, C. 2 12 Jul 1943 San Giovanni, Italy, - port facilities 1st Lt Turner, C. Combat damage (AA): one hole in nose 3 13 Jul 1943 Vibo Valenia, Italy - airfield 1st Lt Turner, C. 4 15 Jul 1943 Foggia, Italy - airfield 1st Lt Turner, C. 5 17 Jul 1943 Naples, Italy - railroad yard 1st Lt Turner, C. 6 19 Jul 1943 Rome, Italy - railroad yard 1st Lt Turner, C. end 01 Aug 1943 Ploesti, Romania - oil production 1st Lt. Turner, C. Combat damage (AA): bomb-bay fuel tank, fuselage holed, one engine. airfield location: Chorlu, Turkey Interned: Turkey - SOC
Pilot - 1st Lt. Claude A. Turner - Combat damage from AA : bomb bay fuel tank, fuselage holed, one engine destroyed - Landed at Chorlu, Turkey - Crew Interned - Released

NOTE : The other, Vulgar Virgin, B-24D, 41-24198, which was from the 9th Air Force, in the MTO, flown by Capt. Wallace C. Taylor, was based in Benghazi, Libya. Capt. Taylor also flew his, Vulgar Virgin, 41-24198, on Operation Tidal Wave. Capt. Taylor's aircraft was shot down and lost over his target, White IV, the Astra Romano Refinery complex. The only survivor from Taylor's, Vulgar Virgin, 41-24198, was Capt. Taylor, who bailed out successfully, was captured, and became a POW. August 1, 1943.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
Assigned	Hardwicke	1942
Assigned to the 328th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, in the 8th Air Force. Hardwick, U.K. Later, (TDY) to the 9th Air Force while in North Africa. 1943
Assigned	Benghazi	26 June 1943
Assigned to Benghazi, Libya. 1 Jun 1943.
Assigned	Hardwicke	1 August 1943
Aircraft landed at Chorlu, Turkey, due to battle damage preventing flying back to home base. Crew and plane interned. 10 INT-TURK. 1 Aug 1943.
Flew on Operation Tidal Wave	Ploiești, Romania	1 August 1943
Flew on the Ploesti, Romania, oil refinery mission, piloted by 1st Lt. Claude A. Turner. Aircraft sustained combat damage over Ploesti from AAA : bomb-bay, fuel tank, fuselage, one engine. Interned in Turkey. 1 Aug 43.