41-23711 | American Air Museum

Nicknames: Jerks Natural
Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Production block number: B-24D-1-CO
Manufacturer: Consolidated
Markings & paint scheme: The B-24D, 41-23711, Jerks Natural, was painted in the USAAF's standard olive drab, with it's ventral surfaces painted in standard gray camouflage. It's national insignias were white or, sometimes, dull gray stars, on blue roundels, with yellow surrounding borders around the roundels earlier in 1943, later changed to red, and, then, dark blue surrounds, later in 1943. Most of the 93rd Bomb Groups' planes had the British blue, white, and red "fin flashes" painted on the outsides of their vertical fins, with their respective RCL letters, B, for Jerk's Natural, and their abbreviated serial numbers, 123711, for Jerk's Natural. It's crew painted yellow bomb markings on the forward fuselage, each, indicating a successful bombing mission over Europe. The count in this photo is fourteen yellow bombs, signifying fourteen successful European missions. The two black bombs indicate two night missions over Africa. And the fourteen red bombs indicate day missions over targets in the MTO, often over German army land targets in North Africa. The German crosses on Jerk's Natural's fuselage represent enemy fighters claimed shot down by the plane's gunners. Finally, the submarine represents a U-Boat sunk in the Gulf of Mexico before, Jerks Natural, was deployed to Britain.

41-23711 Jerks Natural

media-387915.jpg FRE 5812 A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23711) nicknamed "Jerk's Natural" of the 93rd Bomb Group at RAF Gambut, February 1943. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 5812 - A B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23711) nicknamed "Jerk's Natural" of the 93rd Bomb Group at RAF Gambut, February 1943.

The B-24D Liberator, 41-23771, named, Jerks Natural, was in the 8th Air Force, the the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 328th Bomb Squadron, based in Britain. It was detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force in North Africa to assist the 9th Air Force on Operation Tidal Wave to Ploesti, Romania. 1 Aug 1943.

This aircraft flew on the Operation Tidal Wave piloted by Lt. William F. Stein, diverting safely to Sicily with battle damage. 1 Aug 43.

After returning to Britain with the rest of the 8th Air Force, sometime after Operation Tidal Wave, Jerks Natural, was damaged by flak over Austria on a bombing mission to the Wiener Neustadt Bf-109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia, killing the pilot, Lt. Bill Stein (KIA) and his entire crew, except for the navigator, who bailed out and was taken prisoner. 1 Oct 1943. 9 KIA - 1 POW. MACR 3301. Lost AUT - MACR 3301 - Pilot William F. Stein

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

328th Bomb Squadron

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

93rd Bomb Group

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

People

William G Anderson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Willard E Babcock

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 93rd Bomb Group
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Philip G Bedwell

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 15101741
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Naum R Diltz

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant

Lester J Eby

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 39531654
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Gunner

Places

Alconbury

Site type: Airfield

Hardwick

Site type: Airfield

Missions

Operation Tidal Wave

Date: 1 August 1943
Official Description:

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Other Survived Ploesti	Ploiești, Romania	1 August 1943	Flew the Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti mission, diverting safely to Sicily.
Other Failed to Return (FTR)	Yugoslavia	1 October 1943	A/C was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. 9 KIA 1 POW MACR 3301.
Other Assigned	Benghazi, Libya		328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF, TDY 9th.

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Survived Ploesti

Ploiești, Romania

1 August 1943

Flew the Aug. 1, 1943, Ploesti mission, diverting safely to Sicily.

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Yugoslavia

1 October 1943

A/C was damaged over Austria on mission to Wiener Neustadt Bf 109 factory and crashed in Yugoslavia on October 1st, 1943. 9 KIA 1 POW MACR 3301.

Other

Assigned

Benghazi, Libya

328th BS, 93rd BG, 8th AF, TDY 9th.

Revisions

Date17 May 2022 12:46:23

ContributorAl_Skiff

ChangesChanges to unit associations

Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 3301

Date8 Oct 2021 09:31:04

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to description

Sources

Added details for accuracy and clarity. - Kickapoo

Date8 Oct 2021 04:59:45

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to markings

Sources

Spelling, punctuation changes. Details added. - Kickapoo

Date8 Oct 2021 04:56:44

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to markings and description

Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill Best Web - B-24 - 41-23771

Date8 Oct 2021 04:51:23

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to nicknames, markings and description

Sources

Black Sunday - Michael Hill Best Web - B-24 - 41-23771 - Jerks Natural

Date27 Mar 2021 03:24:56

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to description

Sources

Best web - B-24 - # 41-23711

Date27 Mar 2021 02:57:10

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to unit associations

Sources

Best Web - B-24 - ' Jerk's Natural '

Date27 Mar 2021 02:18:28

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to description

Sources

Best Web - B-24 - #41-23771

Date27 Mar 2021 02:15:37

ContributorKickapoo

ChangesChanges to description

Sources

Best Web - B-24 - #41-23771

Date12 Feb 2018 11:03:05

ContributorLucy May

ChangesChanges to place associations

Sources

Took off from Hardwick on 1 Oct 1943 mission: https://www.fold3.com/image/28650502

Date15 Jul 2015 09:46:11

Contributorjrugman

ChangesChanges to markings and person associations

Sources

Page 69, The Mighty Eighth in Color, Roger Freeman

Date12 Apr 2015 21:06:38

ContributorAl_Skiff

ChangesChanges to person associations

Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 3301

Date12 Apr 2015 18:18:03

ContributorAl_Skiff

ChangesChanges to production block number and nicknames

Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 3301

Date12 Apr 2015 17:51:15

ContributorAl_Skiff

ChangesChanges to description, events, unit associations, person associations, place associations and mission associations

Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 3301

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:01

ContributorAAM

ChangesAAM ingest

Sources

MACR 3301 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

41-23711: Gallery (2 items)

Object number: FRE 5812 -

Object number: UPL 48681 -