42-110157 What's Cookin Doc

media-22043.jpeg UPL 22043 B-24J-140-CO #42-110157 "What's Cookin Doc" Code: U8-A
466th BG - 786th BS
Photo taken at Willow Run, Michigan in the summer of 1945 466th Bomb Group collection

466th BG Historian

Object Number - UPL 22043 - B-24J-140-CO #42-110157 "What's Cookin Doc" Code: U8-A 466th BG - 786th BS Photo taken at Willow Run, Michigan in the summer of 1945

Connections

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Units served with

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31365135
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-834344
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15084084
  • Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
  • Role/Job: Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-767974
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot/Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 786th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-761028
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Places

Aerial photograph of Attlebridge airfield, looking north, the fuel store and a T2 hangar are in the upper centre, 31 January 1946. Photograph taken by No. 90 Squadron, sortie number RAF/3G/TUD/UK/51. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120

Missions

  • Date: 30 November 1944
  • Date: 29 November 1944
  • Date: 19 October 1944
  • Date: 14 October 1944

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

First 466th BG Combat mission

Domléger, 80370 Domléger-Longvillers, France 14 June 1944

Other

Combat Mission

Landshut, Germany 16 April 1945 Donald Klang Crew - Crew #693

Other

Last 466th BG Combat Mission

Passau, Germany 18 April 1945 Returned to the U.S. and was photographed at Willow Run, MI in the summer of 1945

Other

Arrived in the ZOI

Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT 06096, USA 13 June 1945 So it was going to be old "What's Cookin Doc." After the initial disappointment wore off, we realized that we were not that bad off. "Doc" was a fine old airplane and had good flight characteristics. The next day we went down to the flight line and met Bob Raley, the ground crew chief. We volunteered our services to do whatever he needed us to do to get the aircraft ready for the long flight back to the states. Everybody went to work. Our guys scrubbed the plane from one end to theother. We were shooting for a target departure date of 1 June 1945. It was decided that we wouldn't need the big slabs of additional armor on either side of the cockpit for the trip home. They were removed, which left us a blank space under the window, which our guys decided to do something about. We happened to have a former sign painter on the crew and he found some paint and went to work. On the co-pilot's side he painted on all the air crew and ground crew names. On the pilot's side he painted the mission "scoreboard," Since we couldn't get an accurate count of missions flown by the aircraft (it was rumored to have been transferred from another group), we decided to paint a generous amount. When the painter was finished there were 117 bomb markers painted on the aircraft. (Historical note: There isn't a record of this a/c being transferred from another group, however 117 missions was probably not far off the mark. "What's Cookin' Doc" had been with the 466th BG since June 1944 and over that span the group had flown 180 combat missions. It's reasonable to expect that "Doc" flew at least 117 of those.) The 1 June date was changed to 9 June 1945. The journey home consisted of four flights. The first landed at Valley, Wales where we spent the night. The next night was spent at Meeks Field in Iceland. The third night we stayed in Goose Bay, Labrador. After getting weathered in for a 2nd night at Goose Bay, we finally made it to Bradley AAF, CT on 13 June 1945. Later on at Sioux Falls, SD when we were waiting with some other 466th'ers for our next assignment, a pilot from Detroit handed me a newspaper clipping. The Ford Motor Company had gathered over 400 "war weary" bombers at Willow Run, MI for public viewing. The a/c in the clipping was none other than our "What's Cookin' Doc!" - John J. Horan

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG - Report on Mission No 145, RR Viaduct, Bielefeld, Germany, 29 November 1944
NARA Research by Brad Sullivan

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
Contributormvandemark
Changes
Sources

Family member / historian

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
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Sources

466th BG Archives - Group Formation sheet - 16 April 1945

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

"Attlebridge Arsenal" - page 135-136

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom

42-110157: Gallery (11 items)