42-51110 Top O The Mark

A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left to right) Carl Johnson - Nose Gunner, Chuck Frazer - Gunner, Charles Gretz - Top Turret Gunner, "Bubba" Monroe - Co-Pilot, (front row, left to right) Dick Eselgroth - Navigator, Al Miller - Bombardier, Billy Duke - Pilot "Luke" Lucas - Radio Operator, Baldamore Garcia - Engineer, "Pan" Panarese - Tail Gunner . Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: '

Object Number - FRE 6717 - A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left...

Crash-landed 29 June 1944 at Horsham St Faith on return from Aschersleben mission after being hit by Anti-aircraft fire and set ablaze. The order to bail out was given, but before the fire was extinguished, two airmen bailed out due to failure of intercom. One was taken Prisoner of War while the other was killed.

The aircraft was returned to the United States in 1945.

Connections

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

Units served with

Personnel of the 458th Bomb Group gather around a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29303) nicknamed "Liberty Lib" in order to transfer a casualty into a waiting ambulance. Image via Harry Holmes. Written on slide casing: '458th BG.'

458th Bomb Group

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

People

A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left to right) Carl Johnson - Nose Gunner, Chuck Frazer - Gunner, Charles Gretz - Top Turret Gunner, "Bubba" Monroe - Co-Pilot, (front row, left to right) Dick Eselgroth - Navigator, Al Miller - Bombardier, Billy Duke - Pilot "Luke" Lucas - Radio Operator, Baldamore Garcia - Engineer, "Pan" Panarese - Tail Gunner . Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: '

William Alfred Duke

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 458th Bomb Group 754th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-825602
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
RM Eselgroth of the 458th Bomb Group in flight gear, with a B-24 Liberator. Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: 'RM Eselgroth in flight gear, Horsham Jan 1945.'

Richard M Eselgroth

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 458th Bomb Group 754th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-132898
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Charles S Evans

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 458th Bomb Group 753rd Bomb Squadron 755th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-664988
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
media-42164.pdf (84.1 KB) Document 42164 1LT Frank Eyre, Bombardier

Items from personal files of COL Frank Eyre (USA Ret) & his son, COL Michael Eyre (USA Ret)

Francis Thomas Eyre

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 453rd Bomb Group 733rd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Milton M Feldman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 458th Bomb Group 752nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

Horsham St Faith 29 June 1944

Revisions

Date23 May 2022 09:08:53
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to unit associations
Sources

http://www.b24bestweb.com/topothemark-v1-1.htm

Date17 Feb 2020 09:40:14
ContributorEmily
ChangesChanges to production block number, markings, description, events, unit associations, person associations and media associations
Sources

B-24 Best Web

Information and photos uploaded by Thomas Knowles, son of Albert Knowles

Date1 Jun 2015 03:11:52
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to nicknames
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:53
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

MACR 7085 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-51110: Gallery (4 items)

A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left to right) Carl Johnson - Nose Gunner, Chuck Frazer - Gunner, Charles Gretz - Top Turret Gunner, "Bubba" Monroe - Co-Pilot, (front row, left to right) Dick Eselgroth - Navigator, Al Miller - Bombardier, Billy Duke - Pilot "Luke" Lucas - Radio Operator, Baldamore Garcia - Engineer, "Pan" Panarese - Tail Gunner . Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: '

Object number: FRE 6710 - A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B...

A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51110) nicknamed "Top O' the Mark.' The crew are: (back row, left to right) Carl Johnson - Nose Gunner, Chuck Frazer - Gunner, Charles Gretz - Top Turret Gunner, "Bubba" Monroe - Co-Pilot, (front row, left to right) Dick Eselgroth - Navigator, Al Miller - Bombardier, Billy Duke - Pilot "Luke" Lucas - Radio Operator, Baldamore Garcia - Engineer, "Pan" Panarese - Tail Gunner . Image via RM Eselgroth. Written on slide casing: '

Object number: FRE 6717 - A bomber crew of the 458th Bomb Group with their B...

Object number: UPL 41641 - Nose art by Albert Knowles 458 BG. A bomber crew...

Object number: UPL 57374 - Grice crew with B-24 42-51110 'Top O the Mark'...