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Military
John R. Barcus
Assigned to the 66th Bomb Squadron, the 44th Bomb Group (the Flying 8 Balls), in the 8th Air Force, USAAF. Shot down over Foggia, Italy 16-Aug-43 in the B-24D, 41-23778, Lady Luck.
Staff Sargent John Raymond Barcus was a waist gunner on the B-24D, 41-23778, Lady Luck, assigned to the 66th Bomb Squadron, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 8th Air Force. He flew on the Ploesti mission as part of Lt. Felber's crew, on temporary deployment, TDY, to the 9th Air Force. SSgt. Barcus returned safely to Benghazi, Libya. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross medal for his participation in the mission.
Awards: DFC, AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 66BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 41-23778 'Lady Luck'. 25 x combat missions. Moved up to Group Operations. ETD.
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | B-24D Co-Pilot | 389th Bomb Group
2nd Lt. Ronald Lee Helder was a B-24 pilot in the 8th Air Force, the 389th Bomb Group, and the 564th Bombing Squadron in WWII. He flew as Co-pilot with his friend, Command Pilot Lt. Lloyd H. Hughes, in the B-24D Lt. Helder called, Ole Kickapoo,...
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D Liberator bomber, 41-23778, was, first, named, Jenny. when it was in the 8th Air Force, the 44th Bomb Group, and the 66th Bombing Squadron in Britain, in 1942. It was temporarily detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force and sent to Benghazi, Libya...
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 66BS, transferred to 67BS, transferred to 506BS all with 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down Mar 44.
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B-24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57...
Military site : airfield
Shipdham was built in 1941-1942, the first US heavy bomber airfield in the English county of Norfolk. It was a standard design, with T2-type hangars and a domestic site dispersed to the south east. Improvements were carried out to increase the number...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Saint Charles, IL, USA | 15 March 1921 |
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Son of Raymond Merle and Marjorie (McMasters) Barcus. |
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| Lived in | West Chicago, IL, USA | 1942 |
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West Chicago, Illinois. |
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| Enlisted | Chicago, IL | 20 August 1942 |
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Chicago, Illinois |
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| Based | Shipdham | 1943 – 1944 |
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Assigned to 66BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Tidal Wave survivor | Ploiești, Romania | 1 August 1943 |
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Flew on the Ploesti mission on the B-24D, 41-23778, Lady Luck, while TDY to the 9th AF. Returned safely to Libya. 1 Aug 43. |
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| Hospitalised | September 1944 | |
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Hospitalised, gasoline burns. |
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| Died | Hines Va Hospital: Leehey David MD, 2100 S 5th Ave # 111L, Hines, IL 60141, USA | 18 February 2006 |
| Buried | North Cemetery, Saint Charles, Kane County, IL | 21 February 2006 |
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North Cemetery, Saint Charles, Kane County, |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 January 2022 11:21:38 | Kickapoo | Changes to nickname, role, biography and events |
| Sources | ||
Best Web - B-24 - 42-99967 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2021 18:51:50 | Al_Skiff | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/653309016 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 February 2021 00:41:58 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 February 2021 00:37:24 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
The Great Ground-Air Battle Of 1 August 1, 1943 - James Dugan & Carroll Stewart |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 26 December 2020 13:52:04 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, service number, biography, awards, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/96177805 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 February 2020 15:34:16 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 March 2015 18:15:35 | Al_Skiff | Changes to biography, awards, events, unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:16:34 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ploesti' by Dugan & Stewart |
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