Russell Doran De Mont

Military
media-14981.jpeg UPL 14981 B-24D - Valient Virgin - 42-40765 - 8th Air Force - 93rd Bomb Group - 329th Bomb Squadron. Flew on and survived Operation Tidal Wave, to the Ploesti oil refineries, returning safely to Libya - Aug 1, 1943. Returned to Hardwick, Britain with the 93rd Bomb Group. Lost in collision with the B-24D, Joisey Bounce, after a mission to Bremen, Germany - Nov 1943


Contributor - Brian J. Piaquadio

Removed associations which are not depicted in the image.

Object Number - UPL 14981 - B-24D - Valient Virgin - 42-40765 - 8th Air Force - 93rd Bomb Group - 329th Bomb Squadron. Flew on and survived Operation Tidal Wave, to...

In WWII, Lt. Russell DeMont was assigned as B-24 bomber pilot to the 8th Air Force, the 93rd Bomb Group, and the 329th Bomb Squadron in the U.K., detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force at Benghazi, Libya. Pilot Lt. Russell D. Demont and Copilot Lt. Robert C. Murray flew the B-24D Liberator bomber, Valient Virgin, on Operation Tidal Wave, the mission to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, in the "B" formation, position 2-2, and returned safely to Lete Airbase, Benghzi, Libya. 1 Aug 1943.

Lt. DeMont finished war flying P-51 Fighters in the 9th Air force, the 84th Fighter Wing, and the 405th fighter Squadron. After the war he was assigned to the United States Air Force at the Headquarters of the 84th Fighter Wing. His final rank in the Air Force was Lt. Col. Russell DeMont died July 7, 1996.

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 93rd Bomb Group.

93rd Bomb Group

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

People

Bernard Arthur Coburn

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 329th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35306438
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Julius Erdely

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 392nd Bomb Group 93rd Bomb Group 329th Bomb Squadron 576th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33287412
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

42-40765

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Valient Virgin
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 329th Bomb Squadron
A B-24D Liberator (serial number 42-72869) of the 93rd Bomb Group flies over the cloud layer. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-24D. over 1) Any idea of this photo number? 272869 2) B-26 DR:C - Did you find a shot including this A/C 9B 3) P51D VF:I - Late 1944 . '

42-72869

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: U Name it Peg Bear Down
  • Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 328th Bomb Squadron 329th Bomb Squadron 330th Bomb Squadron 409th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Operation Tidal Wave

  • Date: 1 August 1943
  • Official Description: 177 B-24’s, of IX Bomber Command (including Heavy Bombers on loan from Eighth AF) are dispatched to bomb oil refineries at Ploesti and nearby Campina. The operation (TIDALWAVE) is costly, 54 planes and 532 airmen being lost, but damage to the targets...

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Toledo, OH 11 August 1918 Son of Mrs Louis W Kern.

Enlisted

4 April 1941

Died

Litchfield Park, AZ 7 July 1996

Buried

18 October 1996 National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona

Revisions

Date19 Jan 2022 12:18:57
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to highest rank and biography
Sources

Black Sunday-Ploesti - Michael Hill

Date19 Jan 2022 12:13:41
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to nickname, role and biography
Sources

Details added. - Kickapoo

Date10 Mar 2021 11:55:47
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to surname, middlename, service number, highest rank, biography, awards, events and place associations
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28614904
https://www.fold3.com/image/539671761
https://www.fold3.com/record/71145046/russell-d-de-mont-social-security…
https://www.fold3.com/record/90162775/russell-d-de-mont-wwii-army-enlis…
https://www.fold3.com/record/716757827/de-mont-russell-d-u-s-veterans-g…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/566698/russell-d-de_mont

Date10 Mar 2021 06:29:41
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to biography and unit associations
Sources

Tucson, AZ - WWII - USAF - Col. Russell D. DeMont

Date10 Mar 2021 06:18:28
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to awards
Sources

Tucson, AZ - WWII - USAF - Col. Russell D. DeMont

Date10 Mar 2021 06:16:17
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

Tucson, AZ - WWII - USAF - Col. Russell D. DeMont

Date10 Mar 2021 05:47:50
ContributorKickapoo
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

Tucson, AZ, - WWII USAF - Col. Russell D. DeMont

Date27 Sep 2019 13:18:09
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
ChangesChanges to unit associations and mission associations
Sources

Ploesti Sortie Reports, 93rd Bomb Group

Date27 Sep 2014 18:24:46
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ploesti by Dugan & Stewart

Russell Doran De Mont: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 14981 - B-24D - Valient Virgin - 42-40765 - 8th Air Force...