Gilbert Ben Hadley

Military
media-53296.jpeg UPL 53296 Lt. Gilbert Ben Hadley was the command pilot of his B-24D, that he named, Hadley's Harem. Lt. Hadley and his copilot, Lt. James Rex Lindsey were KIA, after taking two devastating flak hits approaching their target at White IV, over Ploesti, Romania. They drowned after their last two engines failed as they were trying to ditch the, Harem, in the Mediterranean Sea off the Turkish coast. 1 Aug 1943.

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Object Number - UPL 53296 - Lt. Gilbert Ben Hadley was the command pilot of his B-24D, that he named, Hadley's Harem. Lt. Hadley and his copilot, Lt. James Rex Lindsey were KIA,...

Gilbert Ben "Gib" Hadley was born and raised in Arkansas City, Kansas. He was the son of Perry Arthur Hadley and Beulah Pearl Bacastow, born 6-May-21. Kansas was his home and enlistment state, and Cowley County was included within the archival record.



Gilbert Hadley enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force and served during World War II. as a B-24D pilot in the MTO attached to the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, and the 344th Bomb Squadron. Lt. Hadley flew his B-24D bomber, Hadley's Harem, with his Co-pilot Lt. James Lindsey, on Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to destroy the German held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. On August 1, 1943, Lt. Hadley and co-pilot Lt. Lindsey took off from their base at Benghazi, Libya, to bomb the oil refineries and facilities at Ploesti, Romania. This was an especially dangerous mission, with the bombing to be accomplished at very low levels, as low as 20 feet, up to 250 feet over their target refineries, to clear the smoke stacks. Their B-24D bombers made for relatively easier targets for the anti aircraft flak guns at such low levels over the well defended oil refineries. Lt. Hadley sustained two direct flak hits approaching his target, White IV, killing his bombardier, Lt. Leon Storms, badly wounding his navigator, Harold Tabacoff, and setting his number two engine on fire. His flight engineer, Russel Page, immediately jettisoned their bombs to lighten the airplane, and Hadley feathered his burning number two engine, as they fought to keep their damaged airplane flying and to stay alive.

Hadley was able to fly his damaged plane south through, and away from, the flak guns south of the city, and joined up with Col. John Kane's shot up straggler Lead B-24D, Hail Columbia, along with Walter Stewart in, Utah Man, with Lt. Royden LeBrecht undamaged and flying cover for them. Hadley knew his plane couldn't make it all the way home to his airbase at Benghazi. But, he was able to nurse his crippled, Harem, as far as, just past the south Turkish coast, nearing the safety at Cyprus. But, as they were nearing Cyprus, Hadley, seeing he was out of gas and, probably, engine oil, too, radioed a goodbye to his friends, Col. Kane, Royden LeBrecht, Johnny Young, and Bob Sternfels, and turned his airplane back toward Turkey in the darkness. But, before he could nurse his failing, but beloved, airplane, the B-24D, Hadley's Harem, and his crew, back to the Turkish coast, Hadley's three working engines suddenly seized and failed, out of fuel and engine oil. He crashed into the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Turkey, as he was descending to try for a ditching in the shallow water close to the Turkish beach. Lt. Hadley and his copilot, Lt. James Lindsey, were trapped in their crushed cockpit and drowned in the sinking plane with their bombardier, Lt. Leon Storms, previously killed by the flak round (KIA) that hit them square in the forward nose section. Seven of their crewmen, who survived the mission and the crash, swam to shore and were interned by the Turks (INT-TURKEY).



First Lieutenant Hadley was reported missing (MIA) and ultimately declared dead (KIA) later in August, 1943. Recorded circumstances attributed his death to: Missing in Action. Presumed Dead. Incident location: Mediterranean Sea, south coast of Turkey. Lt. Gilbert Hadley was just 22 years old when he gave his life for freedom and his country.

Lt. Gilbert Hadley, and his lost B-24D, were both located under the shallow water close to the Turkish coast in 1966. His remains and some personal items were recovered from the, Harem's, cockpit, including his aviator sunglasses, his wristwatch, and one of his pearl handled Colt M-1911 .45 caliber pistols. Lt. Hadley was brought home and laid to rest near his family at Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City, Kansas.



INCIDENT :

Three casualties were identified that are related to the, 41-24311, crash incident on August 1, 1943 :

◼Gilbert B. Hadley :: Pilot (KIA)

◼James R. Lindsey :: Co-Pilot (KIA)

◼Leon M. Storms :: Bombardier (KIA)



REMEMBERED :

Gilbert Ben Hadley is memorialized at Tablets of the Missing at North Africa American Cemetery, Carthage, Tunisia. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.



COMMENDATIONS :

★ Distinguished Flying Cross

★ Air Medal

★ Purple Heart

★ United States Aviator Badge Army

★ World War II Victory Medal

★ American Campaign Medal

★ Army Presidential Unit Citation

★ Army Good Conduct Medal

★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign

Connections

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

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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-29680
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Commanding Officer / Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18065645 / O-726423
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-000195
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17024743 / O-728710
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: B-24D Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Sleepy - The Squaw
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
B-24D, 41-11819,  9th AF 98th BG 344th BS. Shot down over White IV. 1 Aug 43
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Raunchy
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Hail Columbia - Little Chief Big Dog - Grumpy
  • Unit: 376th Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Hadley's Harem
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 344th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - The Sandman
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 345th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Berka, al Birkah

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Cowley County, KS 6 May 1921 Son of Perry Arthur and Beulah Pearl [Bacastow] Hadley.

Died

Off Cyprus 1 August 1943 Crashed into sea off Cyprus. Killed in Action (KIA)

Buried

North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial Tablets of the Missing North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial Carthage, Tunisia

Based

1 August 1943 Assigned to 344BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF.

Buried

Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City, KS Interred Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City, Kansas

Revisions

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Removed extra info in the "Role/job" field.

 

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Details added. Punctuation removed from around aircraft names for clarity, uniformity, and readability. - Kickapoo

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Details added. - Kickapoo

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Detail changes. - Kickapoo

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FindAGrave Memorials - Gilbert Ben Hadley

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HonorStates.org - Gilbert Ben Hadley

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Detail change for accuracy. - Kickapoo

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HonorStates.org - Gilbert Ben Hadley

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Name changed for accuracy. - Kickapoo

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Added details. - Kickapoo

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The Great Ground-Air battle Of 1 August, 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart

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Added details. - Kickapoo

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Into The Fire - Duane Schultz

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Black Sunday - Michael Hill

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Black Sunday - Michael Hill

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Gilbert Ben Hadley - FindAGrave Memorial

Gilbert Ben Hadley: Gallery (3 items)