Richard Douglas
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
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Military
"Capt. Whitney arrives at Station 174, RAF Sudbury, with his first group of replacements [crew] in mid-July of 1944; they travelled over to England in the B17G that they nicknamed the "Pogo Stick" (fate and s/n of aircraft is unknown). He flies his first combat mission with the 486th Bomb. Group on the 4th of August. He then flies with his own 832nd Bomb. Squadron crew for 18 missions, after which he is re-assigned as an Air Commander in December of 1944.
"As Air Commander, he would appear in other squadrons' crews for different missions. He and his air staff would be flying with the lead pilot of the lead squadron. The second pilot (copilot), would then fly at the tail gunner position (Officer Tail Gunner -OTG). Not only would he be responsible for the tail gun, he'd also keep a record of who was out of position in the group, and who was having trouble. Lead crews, for the reason, didn't have a full compliment. Because the planes used for lead had a radar dome in place of the ball turret, the ball gunner and tail gunner were removed from the crew."
For an account of Whitney and his bomber crew's flight from the United States to England in the "Pogo Stick," visit the 486th's web site at this address. The account is told by Whitney's navigator, George L. Nason II: https://486th.org/Photos/Letters2/Nason.htm
(As told to me by the historian of the 486th Bomb. Group web site, during private emails on the 20th and 25th of October, 2021. hv)
ALSO: See the official crew list of Pilot Lt. Willis P. Smith at the 486th Bomb. Group web page at: http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithWP.htm
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
Military | Pin Point Navigator | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
Military | Sergeant | Flight Engineer | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
Military | Radio Operator Gunner | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
Military | Sergeant | Flight Engineer & Top T. Gunner | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew list of Pilot Lt. Willis P. Smith at the 486th Bomb. Group web page at: http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithWP.htm
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer and Top T. & Waist Gunner | 486th Bomb Group
"Sgt. Lutes Gets Oak Leaf Cluster"
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew list of Pilot Lt. Willis P. Smith at the 486th Bomb. Group web page at: http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithWP.htm
Military | Tail Gunner | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew and mission list of Capt. Robert J. Whitney at: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm
Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 486th Bomb Group
See the official crew list of Pilot Lt. Willis P. Smith at the 486th Bomb. Group web page at: http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithWP.htm
Group
The 486th Bomb Group flew both B-24s and B-17s, swapping from the former aircraft to the latter in late July 1944 after 49 missions. In total the Group flew 292 missions during the war and remarkably the 834th Bomb Squadron lost no aircraft or...
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 30/4/44; Kearney 13/6/44; Grenier 30/6/44; Assigned PFF 832BS/486BG [3R-F] Sudbury 3/7/44; 62m ret POWs from Linz 11/7/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 13/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 7/11/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 23/5/44; Hunter 2/6/44; Grenier 11/6/44; Assigned 401BG Deenethorpe 28/6/44; transferred 835BS/486BG [H8-S] Sudbury 29/6/44; 833BS [3R-R]; `64m` Returned to the USA Bradley 7/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 9/7/45;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 26/5/44; Kearney 7/6/44; Grenier 17/6/44; Assigned 832BS/486BG [4N-A] Sudbury 28/6/44; 833BS [3R-T]; [75m Missing in Action Brandenburg 10/4/45 with Melvin Thaler, Carl Oestreich, Don Wheeler, Art Greenfield togg), Neal Fielder, Chas...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/5/44; Hunter 6/6/44; Presque Is 28/6/44; Assigned 833BS/486BG [4N-B] Sudbury 2/7/44, then 832BS [3R-B]; 81m Returned to the USA Bradley 8/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 10/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/6/44; Kearney 17/6/44; Grenier 30/6/44; Assigned 832BS/486BG [3R-C] Sudbury 2/7/44; 38m crashed on take off for Misburg 31/12/44 with Virgil Raddatz, Co-pilot: Ken Hart, Navigator: Bill Winship, Ex Navigator: Fred Koehn, Bombardier...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 9/6/44; Kearney 20/6/44; Dow Fd 7/7/44; Assigned 834BS/486BG [2S-K] Sudbury 8/7/44; `77m` battle damaged Koblenz 19/9/44 with Jim Shaw, Co-pilot: John Slaton; Navigator: Edwin Hoffner, Bombardier: Jim Martin,ettg-George Ross, Radio...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 12/6/44; Kearney 25/6/44; Dow Fd 9/7/44; Assigned 835BS/486BG [H8-M] Sudbury 11/7/44; 833BS [2N-N]; `83m` Returned to the USA Bradley 7/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 10/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 13/6/44; Kearney 25/6/44; Dow Fd 9/7/44; Assigned 832BS/486BG [3R-P] Sudbury 11/7/44; `49m` battle damaged Chemnitz 6/2/45 with Bruce Evans, all crew [KIA]; crash landed Truleigh Hill, Upper Beeding, four miles N of Shoreham, Sx, UK,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 11/5/44; Langley 24/6/44; Dow Fd 11/7/44; Assigned 401BG Deenethorpe 13/7/44; transferred 838BS/486BG [4N-A] Sudbury 14/7/44; flak damage 10/1/45 with Dean Eakin (Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Dan Casey (brought ship home safely in...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 14/5/44; Langley 3/7/44; Dow Fd 24/7/44; Assigned 833BS/486BG [4N-B] Sudbury 26/7/44; [42m] Salvaged 9AF 10/5/45.
4 August 1944
5 August 1944
6 August 1944
8 August 1944
14 August 1944
16 August 1944
Aircraft factories and oil refineries are the primary targets for this mission. A total of 1090 heavy bombers are despatched. See Mission Details for particulars.
...
25 August 1944
27 August 1944
5 September 1944
13 September 1944
Military site : airfield
Situated between the villages of Great Waldingfield and Acton, the airfield was used by the 486th Bomb Group from March 1944 to August 1945. Facilities for administrative offices for the Combat Wing were also made available here and along with barrack...
Event | Location | Date |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
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17 November 2021 17:50:15 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to person associations |
Sources | ||
There is only evidence that Flight Capt. Whitney only shared a mission with T/Sgt. Marvin Lee Lutes (30 March, 1945, 8th A.F. 918), and no other member of Lt. George 'Hunter' D. Smith's 835th Bomb. Sq. crew. hv |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
17 November 2021 17:41:04 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to person associations |
Sources | ||
There is only evidence that Flight Capt. Robert J. Whitney flew with T/Sgt. Marvin Lee Lutes, formerly of Lt. George D. Smith's 835th Bomb. Sq., and no other members of Smith's crew; as per loading lists that can be found on the official web page of the 486th Bomb. Group at: https://486th.org/ |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
12 November 2021 20:43:00 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to media associations |
Sources | ||
See the official crew list of Pilot Lt. Willis P. Smith at the 486th Bomb. Group web page at: http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithWP.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
12 November 2021 20:40:38 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
See the official crew list of Pilot Lt. Willis P. Smith at the 486th Bomb. Group web page at: http://www.486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithWP.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 November 2021 16:47:10 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Added a bit more to Whitney's biography, see : https://486th.org/Photos/Letters2/Nason.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 November 2021 16:40:14 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to biography and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Personal emails from the webmaster and historian of the 486th Bomb. Group web page, and also see Whitney's Crew & Mission page on this web site at this address: https://486th.org/BS832/Whitney.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 November 2021 19:49:55 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to person associations and media associations |
Sources | ||
See Flight Captain Whitney's Crew & Mission sheet at the official 486th Bomb. Group web page at this address: |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 November 2021 19:46:35 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
This biography bit was from two personal communications with Robin, the Webmaster and Historian of the 486th Bomb. Group's official web page, on the 20th and 25th of October, 2021. See Flight Captain Whitney's Crew & Mission sheet at the official 486th Bomb. Group web page at this address: |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
30 October 2021 19:54:05 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to unit associations |
Sources | ||
Added Flight Capt. Whitney's other Bomb. Squadron association of the 832nd, with whom he flew as pilot from his first mission in August of 1944, until November 1944, according to his 'loading list,' which I obtained from the historian/webmaster of the official web page of the 486th Bombardment Group. Whitney also flew as 'Air Leader', according to this loading list, for the 832nd, 833rd, 834th, and 835th on sorties from 6th December, 1944, until his last mission on 9th April, 1944. hv |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
17 October 2021 17:47:05 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to aircraft associations and mission associations |
Sources | ||
This information from the official web page of the 486th Bomb. Group, and specifically, the crew and mission page of Lt. G. Smith of the 835th Bomb. Sq. at: https://486th.org/BS835/SmithG.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
19 September 2021 15:16:04 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to media associations |
Sources | ||
Adding the 'key image' for Robert J. Whitney's profile. hv |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
16 April 2021 17:13:52 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to media associations |
Sources | ||
From the photo page of the 486th Bombardment Group's official web page: https://486th.org/Photos/index.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
15 April 2021 18:13:50 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to person associations, place associations and media associations |
Sources | ||
From the official web page of the 835th Bombardment Squadron at: https://486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithH.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
15 April 2021 18:07:18 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to unit associations |
Sources | ||
From the official web page of the 835th Bomb Squadron: https://486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithH.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
15 April 2021 18:01:57 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to highest rank |
Sources | ||
From a photo on the official web page of the 835th Bomb Squadron: https://486th.org/Photos/Crew2/SmithH.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
15 April 2021 17:56:27 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to highest rank, person associations, unit associations, place associations and media associations |
Sources | ||
Official web page of the 835th Bombardment Squadron: https://486th.org/BS835/index.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
15 April 2021 17:55:46 | hansvonmaltzahn | Changes to highest rank, person associations, unit associations and place associations |
Sources | ||
Official web page of the 835th Bombardment Squadron: https://486th.org/BS835/index.htm |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
03 February 2016 21:05:04 | Bluejay89 | Changes to service number, highest rank, role and awards |
Sources | ||
personal document |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:23:39 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / WWW.486th.org roster |