The B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-23778, was, first, named, Jenny. when it was in the 8th Air Force, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 66th Bombing Squadron in Britain, in 1942. It was temporarily detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force and sent to Benghazi, Libya, in North Africa, for Operation Tidal Wave, the August 1, 1943, Ploesti oil refinery mission. Lt. Rocco Curelli renamed, 41-23778, Lady Luck, after he and his crew flew it on Operation Tidal Wave over Ploesti, after Lt. Curelli and all of his crew returned safely to Benghazi, Libya. 10 RTB. 1 Aug 1943.

Sadly, on 16 Oct 43, after surviving the dangerous mission to Ploesti, Lt. Curelli and his crew flew, Lady Luck, on a mission, over the German airfields at Foggia, Italy, and were shot down by enemy fighters near Ruoti, Italy. Curelli and the aircraft Failed To Return (FTR) - Lost on the mission over the enemy airfields, at Foggia, while still on TDY to the 9th Air Force. Pilot Rocco A. Curelli, and all but one of his crew, his Radio Operator, Lt. Wesley Zimmerman, were killed in action (KIA), and the plane was lost on this mission. Lt. Wesley Zimmerman later escaped from captivity and returned to his Bomb Group. (POW-ITA-RTD). 9 KIA. 1 POW-ITA-RTD. 16 Oct 43. MACR 2141-3150.

Members of the Curelli crew on the B-24D, Lady Luck, 41-23778

2Lt. Rocco A. Curelli, Pilot, KIA.
2Lt. John Gust Papadopulos, Co-Pilot, KIA.
2Lt. Walter Rossi, Jr., Navigator, KIA.
Victor T. Torrou, Bombardier, KIA.
TSgt. John H. Grinde, Engineer, KIA.
SSgt. Wesley Lee Zimmerman, Radio Operator, POW.
SSgt. Deforest L. Ela, Radio Operator/Gunner, KIA.
SSgt. Raymond Clifford Shafer, Engineer/Gunner, KIA.
SSgt. John R. Hughes, Waist Gunner, KIA.
SSgt. Harper Filer Zoller, Jr. Tail Gunner, KIA.