Clarence Winford Gooden

Military

Assigned 343BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Pilot B-24 42-41007 'Margie A Virgin', flew on 1-Aug-43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, the B-24 was shot up pretty bad, and upon landing somewhere in Europe, caught fire with 6 members of the former DOPEY CREW: Gooden, Perkins, McNeil, Beaudry, Cox, and Cochrane, losing their lives." MACR 170.





Awards: DSC, DSM, SS, PH, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'

98th Bomb Group

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

People

Theodore Carl Beaudry

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19080771
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Alexander MacDonald Cochrane

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31137007
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Roland B Cox

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15087876
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

William H McNeil

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-732645
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Ralph Frederick Perkins

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16022803 / O-667422
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Aircraft

42-41007

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Margie A Virgin
  • Unit: Ninth Air Force

Missions

Places

Benina

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Soluch Airfield

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Waycross, GA, USA 5 October 1920 Son of William Herbert and Leasy Barnard [Gooden] Bradway.

Died

Romania 1 August 1943 Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, the B-24 was shot up pretty bad, and upon landing somewhere in Europe, caught fire with 6 members of the former DOPEY CREW: Gooden, Perkins, McNeil, Beaudry, Cox, and Cochrane, losing their lives." MACR 170.

Based

Assigned

Benina 1 August 1943 Assigned 343BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF.

Buried

Oakland Cemetery Waycross, Ware County GA Re-Interred Oakland Cemetery Waycross, Ware County Georgia, USA.
Waycross, GA, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/319226339
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54822339/clarence-winford-gooden

Date
Contributordecwriter
Changes
Sources

Received Silver Star Medal for his actions on the 1 Aug 1943 Ploesti raid.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

http://usaafdata.com / http://www.findagrave.com / http://www.aviationarchaeology.com / MACR 170