George Allen
Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
SSgt. George Allen was killed in action on 1 August, 1943, during Operation Tidal Wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994.
...
We are currently working on a site-wide upgrade which will be completed in September 2022
You will not be able to search, add or edit information in the American Air Museum archive while this takes place.
You can find out more about our plans here
Military
Lieutenant Colonel Addison Baker was the Commanding Officer of the 93rd Bomb Group from May 17, 1943. He was killed in action (KIA) over Ploesti during Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August, 1943.
In the summer of 1943, Baker was dispatched to North Africa with the 93rd Bomb Group to take part in Operation Tidal Wave, to bomb the oil refineries at Ploesti. Baker piloted the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994, on the Ploesti mission. Upon reaching the target area, the Group Lead Pilot, Col. K.K. Compton, of the 93rd Bomb Group turned at the wrong point and headed for Bucharest ! Baker and several other shocked pilots behind Compton, attempted to warn the element command pilot, but, when Compton failed to respond, Baker broke formation and led the remainder of the men in the 93rd Bomb Group, who wanted to attack their targets, back toward Ploesti.
On approach to the target, Hell's Wench, took two direct flak hits, causing Baker to jettison his bombs as both of his wings were hit, the aircraft began leaking fuel, and became engulfed in flames. At almost the same time, Baker had to break formation and pull up to give his men a last desperate chance to bail out and live. As Col. Baker and his copilot, Major John Jerstad, made an attempt to gain altitude, so that his crew could escape their burning plane by parachute, the aircraft lost speed in the climb, stalled, rolled over, crashed, and exploded in flames, killing everyone aboard. 10 KIA.
1 Aug 1943.
Addison Baker's body was never recovered. He was given a memorial site in Florence American Cemetery and Memorial, Florence, Italy. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role and sacrifice on the Ploesti mission. 1 Aug 1943.
Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
SSgt. George Allen was killed in action on 1 August, 1943, during Operation Tidal Wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994.
...
Military | Technical Sergeant | B-24 Top Turret Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
TSgt. Charles Bennet was killed in action on Operation Tidal Wave onboard his assigned B-24D Liberator bomber, Hell's Wench, 42-40994.
...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 93rd Bomb Group
TSgt. John Carrol was killed in action (KIA) on Operation Tidal Wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Waist Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in action on 1 August 1943 during Operation Tidal wave onboard B-24 Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994.
...
Military | Major | B-24 Command Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Major John Jerstad was Killed In Action (KIA) on Operation Tidal Wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in action on 1 August 1943 during Operation Tidal wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994.
...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 93rd Bomb Group
KIA over Ploesti, Romania Aug 1 1943: I grew up knowing him as "Uncle Bud". He was known as "Bud" to his family. He had two sisters, and twin brothers. He was the second oldest child of my great grandparents.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in action on 1 August 1943 during Operation Tidal wave onboard B-24 Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | B-24 Tail Gunner | 93rd Bomb Group
SSgt. Willam O. Wood was Killed In Action (KIA) during Operation Tidal wave onboard the B-24D Liberator, Hell's Wench, 42-40994. 1 Aug 43.
...
Group
The 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 1 Mar 42 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. On 15 May 42. the Group moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, to continue advanced flight training and also to fly antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Mexico. They...
Headquarters
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, 42-40994, Hell's Wench, was shot down and crashed, over Ploesti, Romania, on Operation Tidal Wave. All crewmen were Killed In Action - 10 KIA. Aug 1, 1943
...
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
Crash site
Event | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Born | Chicago, Illinois | 1 January 1907 |
Died | Ploesti | 1 August 1943 |
Killed over Il Concordia Vega Refinery, Ploesti |
||
Buried | ||
Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Florence American Cemetery. |
Date | Contributor | Update |
---|---|---|
08 October 2021 12:07:48 | Kickapoo | Changes to role and biography |
Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Ploesti - Michael Hill |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
08 October 2021 11:48:18 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Ploesti - Michael Hill |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
27 August 2019 14:22:39 | Emily | Changes to middlename, role, biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations and aircraft associations |
Sources | ||
Ploesti Sortie Report, 93rd Bomb Group Removed associations to people who did not fly as a part of Baker's crew during his service or on board his aircraft Operation Tidal Wave. Removed associations to aircraft and units which Baker never served with. |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
17 July 2019 19:38:40 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Wikipedia - Addison E Baker |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
17 July 2019 19:30:43 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography and unit associations |
Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Wikipedia - Addison E Baker |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
15 July 2019 07:43:40 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Anatomy Of A Disaster - Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg ---- Black Sunday - Michael Hill ---- Into The Fire - Duane Schultz ---- TogetherWeServed.com ---- FindAGrave.com ---- Personal Archives - John S. Young |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
28 November 2018 08:26:22 | Kickapoo | Changes to person associations |
Sources | ||
Black sunday - Michael Hill |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
24 November 2018 01:56:11 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Michael Hill |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
24 November 2018 01:42:00 | Kickapoo | Changes to role, person associations and place associations |
Sources | ||
Black sunday - Michael Hill |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
24 November 2018 01:36:10 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Black Sunday - Michael Hill |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
23 November 2018 03:44:39 | Kickapoo | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Wings of valor II - The Ploesti Raid |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
09 November 2014 20:15:44 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography, awards and events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 9-Nov-2014: CO informration: http://www.usaaf.com/8thaf/bomber/93bg.HTM; Decoration/Commemoration: American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). |
||
Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:02:47 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Freeman, MOH Citation |