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Military
Russell Anderson joined the 'Caterpillar Club' on 1 August 1944 when his B-24 lost power in two engines and the crew was forced to bail out over southern England. Russell was Co-Pilot on B-24 42-50898 for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany, with Roscoe C. Brown as Pilot. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway at Old Buckenham and immediately caught fire. Approximately 5 minutes later, the bombs went off and completely destroyed the plane. The 4 surviving crew members were in the waist section of the plane and were in such physical condition that their evidence was of no benefit in determining the cause of the incident.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 453rd Bomb Group
Roscoe Brown was Pilot of B-24 #42-50898 which took off from Old Buckenham for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway and immediately caught fire. Approximately 5 minutes later, the bombs went...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 453rd Bomb Group
George Rottle was gunner on board of B-24 #42-50898 which took off from Old Buckenham for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway and immediately caught fire. Approximately 5 minutes later, the...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 453rd Bomb Group
Henry Surowiec was Engineer/Top Turret gunner on board of B-24 #42-50898 which took off from Old Buckenham for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway and immediately caught fire. Approximately...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 453rd Bomb Group
Charles Todd was Navigator on board of B-24 #42-50898 which took off from Old Buckenham for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway and immediately caught fire. Approximately 5 minutes later,...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 453rd Bomb Group
Thomas Volkman was Bombardier on board of B-24 #42-50898 which took off from Old Buckenham for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway and immediately caught fire. Approximately 5 minutes later,...
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...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
B-24 #42-50898 took off from Old Buckenham for the 27 December 1944 mission to Germany. The Liberator crashed just at end of the slippery runway and immediately caught fire. Approximately 5 minutes later, the bombs went off and completely destroyed the...
27 December 1944
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...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | 16 August 1918 | |
| Died | 27 December 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 28 April 2020 12:48:09 | ED-BB | Changes to middlename, biography, awards, events, person associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:24:46 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR |
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