Military
Liberator B-24 #4240172 'Lynn Bari II', 506th BS, 44th BG, 8th AF. Flown on the August 1, 43 low-level Ploesti mission by the crew in the photo, returning safely to Libya. Rear L-R: S/Sgt George E Hartney, Lt Ronald S Allen, Capt William N Anderson, Lt Stanley F Olson, Lt Charles M Shaw, Cpl Victor A McMenamin. Front L-R: Cpl Clifford C Hurst, S/Sgt Oscar Ferkauff, T/Sgt Walter N Goodson, Sgt J R Bell, S/Sgt Allie T Hearne Jr.
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. 24 x combat missions.
Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying in B-24 Liberator 41-24201.
Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C exploded 10 miles north of target. 1-Oct-43 Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 51251
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), PH.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Took part in Operation 'Tidal Wave', the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40172 'Lynn Bari II'.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Assistant Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C exploded 10 miles north of target. 1-Oct-43 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner; Assistant Engineer | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Armorer; Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Took part in Operation 'Tidal Wave', the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40172 'Lynn Bari II'.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Took part in Operation 'Tidal Wave', the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40172 Lynn Bari II.
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Military | Major | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C exploded 10 miles north of target. 1-Oct-43 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Took part in Operation 'Tidal Wave', the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40172 Lynn Bari II.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Took part in Operation 'Tidal Wave', the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying B-24 Liberator 42-40172 'Lynn Bari II'.
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Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C exploded 10 miles north of target. 1-Oct-43 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR...
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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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
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Attached to 9AF USAAF, TDY in North Africa. Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt with Olson crew; attacked by 5 Me-109's, bomb bay and one engine ablaze, A/C peeled off while still being pursued. After all the crew...
B-24 Liberator
Received 4th Mar 43. Flew on the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid, returning safely to Libya. Assigned to the 801st BG (P) 28th Feb 44 after conversion by BAD 1 (14th Feb - 28th Feb 44). Salvaged 24th Jun 45.
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...
Cemetery
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Preston Idaho | 7 October 1919 |
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Son of Gustaf E Olson. Husband of Peggy P Olson. |
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| Lived in | Moscow, ID | October 1940 |
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Student of University of Idaho. |
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| Enlisted | Geiger Field, Spokane, WA | 26 January 1942 |
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Geiger Field, Spokane, Washington |
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| Based | Shipdham | 1943 – September 1943 |
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Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Based | Benina | September 1943 – 1 October 1943 |
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Temporary Duty with 9th AF. Benina, Libya. |
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| Died | Wiener Neustadt Austria | 1 October 1943 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) Weiner Neustadt in B-24 42-72857 'Star Spangled Hell'; mauled by fighters, A/C exploded. KIA MACR 15251 |
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| Buried | Florence American Cemetery and Memorial | 1946 |
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Tablets of the Missing |
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| Buried | Arlington National Cemetery | 1948 |
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Memorialised |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 24 May 2020 10:53:58 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to biography and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 April 2020 08:55:57 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, service number, biography, events, person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/29437512 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 April 2020 16:38:54 | 44thTDO | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Documents in possession of son Terry Olson |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 April 2020 16:26:37 | 44thTDO | Changes to awards |
| Sources | ||
Stan Olson's son Terry has custody of the awards. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 07 April 2019 21:03:55 | Al_Skiff | Changes to unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
Key Image ID. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:25:19 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
44th BG Roll of Honor and Casualties by Will Lundy p. 136-138, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 299; 44th Bomb Group, The Flying Eightballs, pg 22 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
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