8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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42-40776
B-24 Liberator
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B-24 Liberator #42-40776 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, pilot Robert L Wright and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Probably taken in the days after the 1/8/43 raid, note the last bomb in the mission tally is laid on its side, this is the Ploesti mission marker, as they flew so low, they laid it on the target rather than dropped it !!
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B-24 Liberator 42-40776 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, pilot Robert L Wright and crew. Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Maj Howard J LaLonde 3rd from left rear row.
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Consolidated B-24 Liberators of the 389th BG, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force, en route to bomb Nazi installations, date unknown. B-24D Liberator #42-40776 'H' 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, originally assigned to 328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF, later transferred to 406th/801st BS for "Carpetbagger" missions.
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B-24D Liberator #42-40776 'H' 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Originally - 93rd BG / 328th BS (N), Transferred - 389th BG / 564th BS (YO H), Later Transferred - 389th BG / 566th BS (RR K+) Name changed to WIDOW (B-24DSA-95 CO) 8 801(P) 406 / 492 858, Salvaged war-weary 29 May 45 at Langford Lodge, North Ireland.
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Nose art of B-24D Liberator #42-40776 'H' 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya.
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B-24D Liberator #42-40776 'H' 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya.
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B-24D Liberator #42-40776 'H' 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Later renamed 'Widow'.
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B-24D Liberator #42-40776 'H' 'Old Blister Butt' 564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF, flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Robert L Wright, returning safely to Libya.
Originally - 328th BS (N), 93rd BG.
Transferred - 564th BS (YO H), 389th BG .
Transferred - 566th BS (RR K+), 389th BG.
Name changed to 'Widow' (B-24DSA-95 CO) 406th BS, 801st(P) BG / 858th BS, 492nd BG, 8th AF for "Carpetbagger" missions.
Salvaged war-weary 29 May 45 at Langford Lodge, North Ireland.
Service
Units
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389th Bomb Group
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... -
492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Group
The 492nd Bomb Group were assigned to the 8th Air Force in April 1944. They flew 60 missions over occupied Europe from 11 May 1944 until 7 August 1944. ... -
801st Bomb Group
Group
The 801st Bomb Group was established as part of the Eighth Air Force in late March 1944 to carry out 'Carpetbagger' missions. These were night missions over France and other parts of occupied Europes to support resistance forces by dropping in agents,... -
93rd Bomb Group
Group
93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1-March-1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15-May-1942 the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida to continue advanced flight training and also to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico; they... -
328th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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406th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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564th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
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566th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Constituted 566th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Dec. 1942. Activated on 24 Dec. 1942. Inactivated on 13 Sept. 1945. Campaigns: Air Offensive, Europe; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air... -
858th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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David Altshuler
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40776. -
Henry Gamelin
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40776. -
Frank Jacobs
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator #42-40776. ... -
Howard LaLonde
Military | Major | Navigator | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 389BG, 8AF. Detached to 415BS, 98BG, 9AF. 26 x combat missions. Navigator of B-24 Liberator 41-11817 'Stinger' participated in the 1-Aug-43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya with only one crew member WIA. Regular A/C was... -
George Makin
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40776. -
James McClain
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40776. ... -
Andrew Opsata
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Assigned to 389BG, 8AF, detached to 514BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. 27 x combat missions. Pilot of B-24 Liberator 41-11817 'Stinger' participated in the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya with only one crew member WIA. ... -
John Ritchie
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40776. -
Fred Sayre
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40776. ... -
Robert Stout
Military | Lieutenant | 389th Bomb Group
Missions
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Operation Tidal Wave
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D 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 B...
Places
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Alconbury
Military site : airfield
Alconbury had been constructed as a satellite airfield for RAF Upwood and Wyton and was used by RAF Squadrons: Nos. 15, 40 and 156. In preparation for the arrival of American heavy bombers, the base was developed in 1942 with the runways extended. When...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Survived Ploesti | Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 |
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Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Robert L Wright, returning safely to Libya. |
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| Assigned | Alconbury AAF 102 | |
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328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF. |
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| Assigned | Benghazi, Libya | |
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564th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF. TDY 9th AF. |
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| Assigned | ||
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566th BS, 389th BG, 8th AF. |
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| Assigned | North Pickenham, AAF 143 | |
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Name changed to 'Widow' (B-24DSA-95 CO) 406th BS, 801st(P) BG / 858th BS, 492nd BG, 8th AF for "Carpetbagger" missions. |
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| Salvaged | RAF Langford Lodge, Northern Ireland | |
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Salvaged war-weary 29 May 45 at Langford Lodge, North Ireland |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 28 April 2015 18:09:22 | Al_Skiff | Changes to unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.freewebs.com / http://www.b24bestweb.com / http://home.comcast.net / http://www.fold3.com |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 April 2015 18:45:45 | Al_Skiff | Created entry with serial number, aircraft type, production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, description, events and media associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.freewebs.com / http://www.b24bestweb.com / http://home.comcast.net / http://www.fold3.com |
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