Erwin Edwin James Bevins Jr
Military
445th BG , 702nd BS
Co-pilot of B-24 #42-7554
MACR #15597According to 2LT Bevins interrogation report (E & E Escape and Evasion Report) to the USAAF dated 12 APR1945, he stated:
"...the B-24 in which Lt. BEVINS was flying was hit by flak over the target, losing the oxygen supply in the nose. They left the formation and went down to 14,000 feet to give oxygen to the three men in the nose. The plane was then hit by a (German) ME-110 and raked from end to end. The order was given to bail out (by Pilot, 1st Lt. John H. Allen). Lt BEVINS saw one chute in the air as he came down. He landed (parachute) at 1530L, 22 December 1943 at BAKHUIZEN, HOLLAND.
Moments before the end, 4 men bailed out. 3 Survived, 1 landed in Lake Ijsselmeer/Iselmar and drowned.
"Tail End Charlie" then crashed at 14:59L into the cemetery in Mirns, Netherlands.
On that mission, 7 crew members lost their lives.
2LT Bevins was able to bail out before his B-24 plane crashed and, with the help of the Dutch Resistance / Underground, evaded capture for 473 days in Holland.
A. L. DESTRO II
Object Number - UPL 20467 - 2Lt Erwin J. Bevins 445th BG , 702nd BS Co-pilot of B-24 #42-7554 MACR #15597According to 2LT Bevins interrogation report (E & E Escape and...
B-24 - #42-7554 - 8th AF, 445th BG, 702nd BS - stationed in NOV 1943 at RAF Tibenham.
Crashed into the cemetery in Mirns, Friesland, the Netherlands on 22 DEC 1943, killing 7 of the 10 crew.
Story written about the crash in MAR 2015 by Mr. Jaap Halma
http://www.heritageleague.org/brian/54.pdf
11 NOV 2015 Commemoration ceremony photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/b-24_liberator_42-7554/albums
11 NOV 2015 YouTube video of event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVpI3Tf-GWc
2LT Bevins successfully evaded capture for 473 days with the help of the Dutch resistance.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Wing
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 2nd Combat Bomb Wing 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-465407
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14061673 / O-732613
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 2nd Combat Bomb Wing 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 38188018
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 2nd Combat Bomb Wing 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-674179 / 129-07-0548
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33325811
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Asst Engineer / Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Tail End Charlie
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
Revisions
This is his 1945 Interrogation report to the US Army .
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / History of the 445th Bomb Group by Rudolph Birsic
