Robert Burgess
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 453rd Bomb Group
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Nicholas Radosevich
Military
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![A bomber crew of the 453rd Bomb Group enjoying a ride on Jimmy Stewart's jeep at Old Buckenham, after completing their 32nd and final mission, 23 June 1944.
Letter enclosed with print: '[Left to Right] James E Terwilliger- Waist Gunner, Luther M Clark- Co-pilot, Carl Powell- Navigator, Lattie P Head- Nose Gunner, Nicholas Radosevich- Pilot, Edmund M Survilla- Tail Gunner, Lt ? Lee- Bombardier (Robert Burgess was the Bombardier on the original crew), Joseph D Craft- Radio operator, Robert Victor- Waist Gunner, Robert O Hanson- Engineer- Top Turret. Original Cadre- Model (Crew #41) 734th Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group.'](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-380672.jpg?itok=JIiT1UsZ)
A bomber crew of the 453rd Bomb Group enjoying a ride on Jimmy Stewart's jeep at Old Buckenham, after completing their 32nd and final mission, 23 June 1944. Letter enclosed with print: '[Left to Right] James E Terwilliger- Waist Gunner, Luther M Clark- Co-pilot, Carl Powell- Navigator, Lattie P Head- Nose Gunner, Nicholas Radosevich- Pilot, Edmund M Survilla- Tail Gunner, Lt ? Lee- Bombardier (Robert Burgess was the Bombardier on the original crew), Joseph D Craft- Radio operator, Robert Victor- Waist Gunner, Robert O Hanson- Engineer- Top Turret. Original Cadre- Model (Crew #41) 734th Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group.'
Radosevich was the assigned captain of crew 41, which was designated a 'model' crew and intended to train other crews joining the 734th Bomb Squadron. Before travelling to the UK, he was given Penelope, a cocker spaniel, who inspired the name of his aircraft "Lucky Penny."
From January to July 1944, Radosevich completed 32 missions. After his final mission on 23 June 1944, his commanding officer Jimmy Stewart collected his crew from the flight line and drove them back in his jeep.
After returning to the US Radosevich became a B-29 Superfortress instructor pilot in Kansas.
After the war he enrolled in Ohio State University to study Physical Education, and embarked on a career in quality control inspection. Radosevich died, aged 99, on 27 September 2016.
Service
People
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Luther Clark
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 453rd Bomb Group
Flew on the 'Lucky Penny 1 & II Became a B-29 instructor pilot after returning from Europe. Retired from Eastern Air Lines in June 1981. In retirement he had a motorhome with a painting on the back of his B-24 returning over the white cliffs of Dover. -
Penelope Cocker Spaniel
Civilian | Mascot | 453rd Bomb Group
Penelope was the pet dog of Nicholas Radosevich of the 453rd Bomb Group. He named the B-24 Liberators he flew "Lucky Penny" after her. ... -
Joseph Craft
Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 453rd Bomb Group
Flew on 'Lucky Penny' -
Robert Hanson
Military | Sergeant | Engineer | 453rd Bomb Group
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Laddie Head
Military | Assistant Flight Engineer; Crew Chief | 453rd Bomb Group
Flew on 'Lucky Penny -
Leslie Lee
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 453rd Bomb Group
Flew on 'Lucky Penny' -
Carl Powell
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 453rd Bomb Group
Flew on 'Lucky Penny' Carl died of cancer June 1989 -
Edmund Survilla
Military | Sergeant | Assistant Arm Chief | 453rd Bomb Group
Flew on 'Lucky Penny' -
Edmund Terwilliger
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 453rd Bomb Group
Units served with
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453rd Bomb Group
Group
As well as strategic bombardment missions, the 453rd Bomb Group also ferried cargo on two occasions. They hauled petrol, blankets, and rations to France in September 1944 and dropped ammunition, food and medical supplies near Wesel during the airborne... -
734th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-52169 Lucky Penny
B-24 Liberator
The aircraft was named Lucky Penny after Penelope, the pet dog of pilot Nicholas Radosevich. The nose art was also painted in her likeness. ... -
42-95312 Lucky Penny
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 734th Bomb Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group. The aircraft completed its first mission on 9 May 1944. It was the second aircraft to be named Lucky Penny after Penelope, the pet dog of Pilot Nicholas Radosevich. ...
Missions
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8th Air Force 221
13 February 1944
17 V-Wepons sites in France are the primary targets for this mission. The mission is divided into two separate forces: one force of B-24s from 2nd Bomb Division and one force of B-17s from 3rd Bomb Division. Mission summary follows: ... -
8th Air Force 235 BIG WEEK - DAY 6
25 February 1944
On this final operation of BIG WEEK, Day 6, a combined force of 754 heavy bombers from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions are despatched to bomb the German aircraft industries at Regensburg, Augsburg, Stuttgart and Furth, Germany. Mission Summary follows: ... -
8th Air Force 250
6 March 1944
The industrial areas of Berlin and Genshagen, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A combined force of 730 heavy bombers are despatched from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. The despatch from 3rd Air Division bombs Targets of Opportunity in... -
8th Air Force 264
18 March 1944
The German aircraft industries and aie depots are the main objectives of this mission. A combined total of 738 heavy bombers from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions are despatched to bomb the German aircraft industries at Oberpfaffenhofen and... -
8th Air Force 275
23 March 1944
The industrial areas of Brunswick, Munster, Osnabruck, and Achmer, Germany as well as the airfield at Handorf, Germany become the targets for a force of 768 heavy bombers despatched by all three Air Divisions. The bomber gunner claims on German... -
8th Air Force 282
27 March 1944
This mission might be likened to a "shotgun blast" as a combined force 714 heavy bombers are despatched form all three Air Divisions to attack 11 different German airfields and air depots in France. Mission summary follows: ... -
8th Air Force 293
9 April 1944
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8th Air Force 295
10 April 1944
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306A
18 April 1944
The handwritten log of my father, Horace O. "Hank" Turner, states this.. "Started to raid Berlin, bad weather and we bombed Brandenberg. formation bad and flak terrific." He had marked it with an "x", which he noted meant that "Our plane was hit by... -
332
1 May 1944
Associated Place
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Old Buckenham
Military site : airfield
Allocated to the Eighth Air Force as a bomber base in 1942, Old Buckenham was built during 1942-43 with three concrete runways, 50 loop hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. The station was the exclusive home for the 453rd Bomb Group, equipped...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Lorain, Ohio | 21 September 1917 |
| Enlisted | 1940 | |
| Based | Old Buckenham | January 1944 – June 1944 |
| Died | Tampa Bay | 27 September 2016 |
| Assigned to 453rd Bomb Group | Pocatello, Idaho |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2021 08:44:42 | Emily | Changes to nickname, service number, biography, events, person associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
A Retrospective View - World War II 1940-1945, by Reverend Ed Walker and Nicholas Radosevich (1995) at the Second Air Division Digital Archive, Obituary, newspaper story: Pilot Flies Back in Time published in the Tampa Bay Times, 2010 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2018 14:20:19 | daba82 | Changes to service number |
| Sources | ||
AAF Record Transcription Project |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:20:32 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / book:A Retrospective View - World War II 1940 -1945 |
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