John C Welsh

Military
UPL 74899 UPL 74899 Crew #565/473
John C. Welsh Crew
466th BG - 785th and 784th Bomb Squadrons

Standing Left to Right: Michael P. Pelish (B), Harold K. Jordon (CP), Eugene Gjertsen (RN), John C. Welsh (P), Edward W. Winter (N), Donald Dowdell (R/O)

Kneeling Left to Right: Unidentified, Herman Young (G), Harold Westby (PN), Paul Kaufmann (TTG)

Not in photo: John Belanger (TG), Vincent Palmer (FE)

This crew completed 7 missions with the 785th BS and then transferred to the 784th BS where they completed an additional 23 missions as a lead crew. 466th Bomb Group collection

Cropped from image media-16097.jpeg (media id 17744)
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Object Number - UPL 74899 - Crew #565/473 John C. Welsh Crew 466th BG - 785th and 784th Bomb Squadrons Standing Left to Right: Michael P. Pelish (B), Harold K. Jordon...

Connections

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Units served with

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group in front of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95592) nicknamed "Black Cat". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'On our 100 Mission party Day- 18 Aug 1944, Attlebridge, 466th- wouldn't it be something if we could identify these girls? How could I do it?'

466th Bomb Group

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

People

John Belanger

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Donald T Dowdell

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12176230
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Eugene G Gjertsen

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-719849
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator; Radar Navigator

Harold K Jordon

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Paul Kaufman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron 785th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Aircraft

42-50717

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Berlin Bound
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron

42-50765

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Audrey
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron

42-95592

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Black Cat
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 784th Bomb Squadron

44-40463

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Consolidated Mess
  • Unit: 466th Bomb Group 785th Bomb Squadron

Missions

738

  • Date: 5 December 1944

707

  • Date: 9 November 1944

702

  • Date: 5 November 1944

Places

Aerial photograph of Attlebridge airfield, looking north, the fuel store and a T2 hangar are in the upper centre, 31 January 1946. Photograph taken by No. 90 Squadron, sortie number RAF/3G/TUD/UK/51. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Attlebridge

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Attlebridge Arsenal, Station 120

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Columbus, Ohio 30 September 1922

Other

466th BG Combat Tour

RAF Attlebridge 6 October 1944 - 9 April 1945 Flew 7 combat mission with the 785th BS Flew 23 combat missions as a lead crew with the 784th BS

Died

Dayton, Ohio 10 October 1996

Buried/ Commemorated

Delaware, Ohio 14 October 1996 Oak Grove Cemetery Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio, USA
Columbus, OH, USA 167 West 9th Street

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

"Attlebridge Arsenal - Brassfield & Wassom, page 259
466th BG Archives - Report on Mission No 137 Karlsruhe, Germany - 5 November 1944
NARA research by Brad Sullivan

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/64293507
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=5763&h=2189372…
"Attlebridge Arsenal" - Brassfield & Wassom, page 259

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL by Wassom & Brassfield, page 331

John C Welsh: Gallery (3 items)

Object number: UPL 16097 - Crew #565/473 John C. Welsh Crew 466th BG - 785th...

Object number: UPL 16733 - Lead Crew Commendation for the 24 March 1945...