43-9680 | American Air Museum

43-9680 Betty Bear

media-49022.jpeg UPL 49022 A-20G-30-DO #43-9680 Code: F6-R
416th BG - 670th BS - 8th AF
John Parker Hillerman - Pilot

http://www.416th.com/CachatPhotos/Cachat_PLANE_NOSE_ART.html

Object Number - UPL 49022 - A-20G-30-DO #43-9680 Code: F6-R 416th BG - 670th BS - 8th AF John Parker Hillerman - Pilot

Connections

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Units served with

416th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

670th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Fred Lester Adair

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 416th Bomb Group 668th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 37498495
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
Role/Job: Aerial Gunner

Sebastian Francis Di Napoli

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 416th Bomb Group 670th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 32202754
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
Role/Job: Aerial Gunner

William James Greene

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 416th Bomb Group 670th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-26092
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Harold Reid Hedrick

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 668th Bomb Squadron 416th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 14165008
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
Role/Job: Aerial Gunner

John Parker Hillerman

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 416th Bomb Group 670th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Places

Melun

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Melun, Alsace

Aerial photograph of Wethersfield airfield looking south the bomb dump is at the bottom of the airfield, the main runway runs horizontally, 16 January 1947. Photograph taken by No. 82 Squadron, sortie number RAF/CPE/UK/1922. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Other First 416th BG Combat Mission	Montdidier, France	23 March 1944
Other Final 416th Bg Combat Mission	Mantes, France	18 July 1944
Crashed	RAF Ford, UK	18 July 1944	Crash Landed with several battle damage and wounded aboard. Lt Rooney was piloting his plane on a "window mission" on this attack, and was about ten minutes over France when a burst of flak made the right engine useless. A second burst damaged the interphone and the hydraulic lines. A third burst riddled the aircraft and with the interphone out of commission, lip reading was resorted to by the two gunners, S/Sgts McCleary and DiNapoli, which led to the knowledge that Sgt McCleary was badly injured. Sgt DiNapoli ripped McCleary's suit with a knife and applied a tourniquet and gave the injured gunner a needle of morphine to ease the pain. Lt Rooney was wounded in the back, and had severe pains in the abdomen, and fearing his gunners would not be able to get out due to possible wounds since the ship was so riddled, he turned his plane back, salvoed his bombs over a wooded area in France, and made for an emergency landing field in England. Coming into Ford, Sussex, landing field, a taking off Spitfire was heading right for them, and, raising his wheels just in time, the Polish pilot of the fighter just cleared the incoming ship of Lt Rooney. There was no hydraulic pressure left, and only one wheel dangled, but with no support, so Lt Rooney made a belly landing. The ship was a total wreck. Due to the severity of his wounds Lt Rooney was unable to get out of the plane and had to be extracted by the ground crews of the field. Both he and Sgt McCleary were rushed to the hospital there. A very bad compound fracture of the arm resulted in the transfer of Sgt McCleary to a hospital unit for removal back to the United States for recuperation.

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

First 416th BG Combat Mission

Montdidier, France

23 March 1944

Other

Final 416th Bg Combat Mission

Mantes, France

18 July 1944

Crashed

RAF Ford, UK

18 July 1944

Crash Landed with several battle damage and wounded aboard. Lt Rooney was piloting his plane on a "window mission" on this attack, and was about ten minutes over France when a burst of flak made the right engine useless. A second burst damaged the interphone and the hydraulic lines. A third burst riddled the aircraft and with the interphone out of commission, lip reading was resorted to by the two gunners, S/Sgts McCleary and DiNapoli, which led to the knowledge that Sgt McCleary was badly injured. Sgt DiNapoli ripped McCleary's suit with a knife and applied a tourniquet and gave the injured gunner a needle of morphine to ease the pain. Lt Rooney was wounded in the back, and had severe pains in the abdomen, and fearing his gunners would not be able to get out due to possible wounds since the ship was so riddled, he turned his plane back, salvoed his bombs over a wooded area in France, and made for an emergency landing field in England. Coming into Ford, Sussex, landing field, a taking off Spitfire was heading right for them, and, raising his wheels just in time, the Polish pilot of the fighter just cleared the incoming ship of Lt Rooney. There was no hydraulic pressure left, and only one wheel dangled, but with no support, so Lt Rooney made a belly landing. The ship was a total wreck. Due to the severity of his wounds Lt Rooney was unable to get out of the plane and had to be extracted by the ground crews of the field. Both he and Sgt McCleary were rushed to the hospital there. A very bad compound fracture of the arm resulted in the transfer of Sgt McCleary to a hospital unit for removal back to the United States for recuperation.

Revisions

Date6 Apr 2021 19:44:23

Contributor466thHistorian

Changes

Sources

http://www.416th.com/missions/LoadingList.html
http://www.416th.com/MACR_AAR/416th_MACR_AAR.html

43-9680: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 49022 - A-20G-30-DO #43-9680 Code: F6-R 416th BG - 670th...