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B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator #42-40765 'Valient Virgin' 329th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF. Flew on the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya. Crew: Russell D. Demont - Pilot, Robert C. Murray - Co-Pilot, George A. Stewart - Navigator, George G. Everhart - Bombardier Fredrick H. Homnick - Radio Operator, Alfred B. Bergkemp - Top Turret Gunner, Bernard A. Coburn - Waist Gunner Julius Erdely - Waist Gunner, William J. Nelson - Nose Gunner, Raymond J. Russell - Tail Gunner
B-24D - 'Valient Virgin' - #42-40765 - 8th Air Force - 93rd Bomb Group - 329th Bomb Squadron. Flew on the Ploesti oil refinery raid, returning safely to Libya - Aug 1, 1943. Returned to Hardwick, Britain with the 93rd Bomb Group. Lost in collision with the B-24D "Joisey Bounce' / 'Utah Man' after mission to Bremen, Germany - Nov 1943
B-24D-95-CO - #42-40765 delivered Tucson. May, 1943. Allocated to 8th AF (UGLY). Assigned to 93rd BG, 329th BS.
'VALIENT VIRGIN' - Pilot Lt. Russell D. Demont and Copilot Lt. Robert C. Murray flew the 'Virgin' on Operation Tidal Wave, the mission to the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, in the "B" formation, position 2-2 and returned safely to Libya. August 1, 1943.
Crew:
Russell D. Demont - Pilot
Robert C. Murray - Co-Pilot
George A. Stewart - Navigator
George G. Everhart - Bombardier
Fredrick H. Homnick - Radio Operator
Alfred B. Bergkamp - Top Turret Gunner
Bernard A. Coburn - Waist Gunner
Julius Erdely - Waist Gunner
William J. Nelson - Nose Gunner
Raymond J. Russell - Tail Gunner
After the Ploesti mission, 'Valient Virgin' returned to England with the rest of the 8th Air force and the 93rd Bomb Group. It was lost on the November 13, 1943 mission to Bremen, Germany, after colliding with another B-24D, # 41-24226, 'Joisey Bounce', which smashed its bomb bays and caused the tail section to break off. Both airplanes crashed near Husum, Germany. 3 POW 7 KIA. MACR 2184.
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, SN #41-24226, 'Joisey Bounce' was assigned to Pilot Col. Walter T. Stewart of the 330 Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, for the famous mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, Aug 1,1943. Col. Stewart changed his...
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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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...
Squadron
Military | Technical Sergeant | 93rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 329BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. Flew Ploesti raid on 1-Aug-43. ETD
Awards: AM, DFC, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 329BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. TDY 9AF USAAF. 25 x combat missions. Flew on famous Ploesti raid of 1-Aug-43 (at 38 he was one of the oldest gunners in the AAF). ETD
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (4 battle stars).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Collided with another aircraft 13 November 1943 in B-24 42-40765 'Valiant Virgin. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 405th Fighter Group
In WWII, Lt. Russell DeMont was assigned to the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 329th Bomb Squadron in Benghazi, Libya. Pilot Lt. Russell D. Demont and Copilot Lt. Robert C. Murray flew the B-24 Liberator bomber, the 'Valient Virgin' on...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 329BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. TDY to 9AF USAAF. Flew Ploesti raid on 1-Aug-43 in with DeMont crew in B-24 42-40765 'Valient Virgin'. ETD
Awards: AM, DFC, WWII Victory, EAME
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Collided with another aircraft 13 November 1943 in B-24 42-40765 'Valiant Virgin. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator / Bombardier | 93rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 329BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. ETD
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Collided with another aircraft 13 November 1943 in B-24 42-40765 'Valiant Virgin. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Collided with another aircraft 13 November 1943 in B-24 42-40765 'Valiant Virgin. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot / Pilot | 93rd Bomb Group
Awarded DFC
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...
13 November 1943
The port area of Bremen, Germany is the focus of this mission composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 154 B0-17 of 1st Bomb Division including 94BG (16); 385BG (17); 95BG (21); 100BG (18); 390BG (21); 96BG (40); and 388BG ...
Military site : airfield
Planned as an RAF bomber airfield, Hardwick was used first by the 310th Bomb Group, equipped with B-25 Mitchells. In December 1943, the B-24 Liberators of the 93rd Bomb Group moved in, and remained until the end of the war, flying over 330 missions....
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Manufactured | Willow Run, Ypsilanti, MI | 1943 |
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Built at Consolidated. |
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| Delivered | Tucson AAF, AZ | 1943 |
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Tucson |
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| Assigned | Benghazi, Libya | May 1943 |
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Assigned to 329BS, 93BG, 8AF USAAF. TDY 9AF. |
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| Survived Ploesti | Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 |
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Flew the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti mission in the B formation, returned safely to Libya. |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Husum, Germany | 13 November 1943 |
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Lost on the November 13, 1943 mission to Bremen, Germany after a collision with another B-24, 41-24226 'Utah Man' ('Joisey Bounce'), which smashed its bomb bays and caused the tail section to break off, and they both crashed near Husum, Germany. 3 POW 7 KIA. MACR 2184. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 07 May 2021 03:03:44 | Kickapoo | Changes to markings and description |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - Valient Virgin |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 07 May 2021 02:58:54 | Kickapoo | Changes to nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - 'Valient Virgin' |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 April 2021 15:39:23 | Emily | Changes to nicknames and description |
| Sources | ||
Amended spelling of Bergkamp in aircraft biography |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 March 2021 09:35:53 | Al_Skiff | Changes to events and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Removed circular database reference - (Linked to itself) |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 March 2021 05:57:56 | phil marchese | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added US history per a/c record card. Conformed basic information to AAM format. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 March 2021 05:14:55 | Kickapoo | Changes to markings |
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Best Web - B-24 - 'Valient Virgin' - # 42-40765 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 March 2021 05:12:28 | Kickapoo | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - 'Valient Virgin' - # 42-40765 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 10 March 2021 05:09:37 | Kickapoo | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B -24 - 'Valient Virgin' - # 42-40765 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 February 2021 08:08:43 | Kickapoo | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
B-24 - Best Web - # 42-40765 - 'Valient Virgin' |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 February 2021 08:06:27 | Kickapoo | Changes to description, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
B-24 - Best Web - #42-40765 - Valient Virgin' |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 January 2021 11:41:01 | Kickapoo | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
B-24 - Best Web ---- The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 January 2021 20:42:00 | Kickapoo | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 January 2021 20:39:55 | Kickapoo | Changes to description and events |
| Sources | ||
The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 April 2015 16:48:21 | Al_Skiff | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
http://www.b24bestweb.com / http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 2184 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 April 2015 16:38:29 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, nicknames, description, events, unit associations, person associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.b24bestweb.com / http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 2184 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:52 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
MACR 2184 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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