B-24-D-95-CO - 42-40765 - Delivered : Tucson, AZ May 1943 - Allocated : 8th Air Force
Assigned : 8th Air Force - 93rd Bomb Group - 329th Bomb Squadron.

The B-24D, 42-40765, named, Valient Virgin, with the name, "Valient", misspelled, was originally allocated and assigned to the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 329th Bomb Squadron, based at Hardwick in the U.K. May, 1943. It was temporarily detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 343rd Bomb Squadron, based at Berca Field at Benghazi, Libya, 1942, to assist with Operation Tidal Wave, the large bombing mission to destroy the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania.

Valient Virgin, flew on Operation Tidal Wave, over Ploesti, Romania. The Pilot, Lt. Russell D. Demont and Copilot Lt. Robert C. Murray, and their crew, flew, Valient Virgin, with the 98th Bomb Group's element, in "B" formation, Position 2-2, returning safely to Benghazi, Libya. August 1, 1943.
One of, Valient Virgin's, vertical stabilizer fins shows up, with it's olive drab paint, and it's abbreviated serial number, 240765, visibly mounted on the RH side of the 98th Bomb Group's B-24D, Black Jack, 41-23661's, empennage, several days after the Ploesti mission, when the color photo was taken. Aug 5-7, 1943.

Valient Virgin's Crew on Operation Tidal Wave :
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 Hardwick, England, with the rest of the 8th Air Force and the 93rd Bomb Group.

Later, in Nov 1943, Valient Virgin, flown by Lt. Richard Sedivec, had a midair collision on a mission over Bremen, Germany, with the B-24D, Joisey Bounce, crashed, and was lost. FTR. A total of 7 members of Lt. Sedivec's crew were killed in action (KIA) in the crash or by failing to bail out after the disastrous air collision, including, Lt. Sedivec and Edwin Gillespie. The B-24D, Joisey Bounce, had been renamed, Utah Man, for the Ploesti mission. It was piloted and flown by Walter Stewart and his crew, on the Ploesti mission. 1-Aug-43.
After having already been renamed, Joisey Bounce, again, by it's crew back in Britain, Joisey Bounce, took a devastating direct hit by an enemy flak burst, on a mission over Germany. The flak explosion caused one of, Joisey Bounce's, wings to separate from the aircraft, causing it to spin wildly out of control, colliding with, Valient Virgin, flying below it, and crashing into, Valient Virgin's, fuselage and bomb bays, causing the, Virgin's, tail section to break off and separate from the rest of the airplane. Joisey Bounce, and her crew were also lost in the collision/crash near Husum, Germany. 13-Nov-43. Valient Virgin's crew : 3 POW. 7 KIA.

The bodies of the crews of both planes were interred together at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, Missouri. MACR 2184.

Contributor - Brian J. Piaquadio