B-24 - D - CO - "Malicious" - SN 41-11603 - 1942 - Port /Left Side : Aircraft's name and HALPRO's RCL, 22, changed to, 46, after transfer to the 9th Air Force - the 376th Bomb Group - and the 513th Bomb Squadron. Lost Jan 31, 1943. ITA - MACR 3304 - Pilot John M. Toomey (KIA). - 513th Bomb Squadron
Info Contributor - Al Blue
SSGT Harold R. Vasquez, Armorer/Gunner of the Sanders Crew. Richard Sanders was the pilot of the B-24D, "Malicious". He was destined to become the youngest general since George Armstrong Custer. Visible in the photo is the ring-and-bead gun sight mounted in front of the pilot for firing the fixed machine guns mounted in the lower nose of all the original HALPRO B-24s. Another unique feature of the HALPRO ships are the blue undersurfaces, rather than standard AAF gray, is realistically represented in this photo. Capt. Ralph S. Royce was the Assistant Engineering Officer of HALPRO.
Connections
Units
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Group
Constituted as 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 Oct 1942 and activated in Palestine on 31 Oct. Began combat immediately, using B-24 aircraft. Operated with Ninth AF from bases in the Middle East, Nov 1942-Sep 1943, and with Twelfth AF from Tunisia...
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Detachment
HALPRO or the Halverson Detachement was a group of 23 B-24 Liberators originally destined to join the 10th Air Force in the China, Burma, India Theatre of operations.
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Aircraft
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B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-11603, Malicious, was one of 23 B-24D Liberators assigned to the Halverson Detachment Project, which departed the U.S. in May, 1942, to join the 10th Air Force in the China, Burma, India (CBI) Theatre of operations. The...