42-73138 Miss Fortune

Assigned to 343BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Regensburg 22-Feb-44 with Goddard crew; fighters / flak, explosion starboard side of fuselage. 1 x POW, 10 x POW. MACR 2726



Flak was accurate and crew were fighting off 8x Me110's at the time of explosion, A/C then nosed down and was lost in the overcast.



Crew: 1st Lt. George Goddard, 2nd Lt. Haig Kandarian,Lt. Joseph Altemus, Lt. Charles Spickard and Staff Sgts. Oscar Houser, Harold Carter, Roy Hughes, Rexford Rhodes, John Goldbach and Wayne Nelson died. Sgt. Raymond Noury POW

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'

98th Bomb Group

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

People

Joseph Frederick Altemus

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13054958 / O-732425
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Harold Cleburn Carter

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36434112
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

George Marvin Goddard

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18065615 / O-725718
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

John Aloysius Goldbach

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33188500
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Nose gunner

Oscar William Houser

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20315036
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight engineer / Top turret

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

Nepomuk, Czech 22 February 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Regensburg 22-Feb-44 with Goddard crew; fighters / flak, explosion starboard side of fuselage. 1 x POW, 10 x POW. MACR 2726

Assigned

Lecce, Italy Assigned to 343BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF.

Manufactured

Willow Run, Ypsilanti, MI Built at Consolidated.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

http://www.b24bestweb.com/missfortune-v5.htm
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/164252