Frank B McLaughlin
MilitaryStanding Rear L-R :
Joe Sullivan - Navigator -
Leo Travis - Bombardier -
Frank McLaughlin - Pilot - Lee D. Slessor - Co Pilot
Kneeling Front L-R :
Charles Simmons - Ball and Tail Gunner
Clyde Wickham - Radio Operator -
Fay Kelly - Engineer - Waist Gunner -
Marshall Lisiesky - Tail Gunner -
Don Pierce - Waist Gunner -
Chester Moore - Top Turret Gunner -
Added detail. - Kickapoo
Lt. Frank B. McLaughlin took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the large bombing raid on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, as Command Pilot flying the B-24D Liberator, bomber, 42-40746, named, Ole Irish. Lt. McLaughlin in Ole Irish, took a number of flak hits over it's target area and south of Ploesti over the thickest of the Germans' defensive flak guns, which destroyed it's #4 engine. McLaughlin asked his crew what they wanted to do over the aircraft's intercom, land and be interned in Turkey, or take a bigger risk and try to make it all the way home to Benghazi, Libya on three engines. The crew wanted to try and make it home regardless of the risk. McLaughlin acceded to their decision and began the long dangerous flight home, with a badly shot up and crippled airplane.
The first thing Lt. McLaughlin ordered, was to dismantle and throw everything out of the airplane that could be removed, including all of the guns, equipment, any remaining ammunition, and and anything else they could remove and throw out, which they happily did for the next hour or so ! It took around 8 or 10 hours, but they made it all the way across southern Romania, Turkey, and the Aegean and Mediterranean Sea, and barely landed safely at their home base at Benghazi, so low on gas, they ran completely out of gas in one of the three running engines while taxiing to parking. The entire crew and everyone in the 8th and 9th Air Forces, who flew on the Ploesti mission were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross or higher level decorations, with many others of McLaughlin's and his crew's friends having paid for their medals with their lives. Sunday, August 1st, 1943
Awards: DSC (Ploesti Raid), DFC, AM (3 OLC), ACM, EAME w/three campaign stars, WW II Victory Medal
Connections
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Units served with
- 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: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17040654
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12035639
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32491935
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Ole Irish
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Old Blister Butt - Widow
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 801st Bomb Group 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron 406th Bomb Squadron 564th Bomb Squadron 566th Bomb Squadron 858th Bomb Squadron 492nd Bomb Group
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Enlisted |
Albany, NY | 23 January 1941 | Albany, New York |
Born |
Ohio | ||
Syracuse, NY |
Revisions
Updated awards and bio section based on official government documents.
The Great Ground -Air Battle Of August 1, 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
The Great Ground -Air Battle Of August 1, 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
The Great Ground -Air Battle Of August 1, 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart
389th BG Roster / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia