Richard Gerald Salsbury

Military
media-56280.jpeg UPL 56280 Richard G Salsbury

Open source

Object Number - UPL 56280 - Richard G Salsbury

Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Waist Gunner B-24 42-40312 'Aire Lobo', Lost over Ploesti 1-Aug-43 - A/C was hit by flak before the target and again on the cockpit area after bombing. Gunners believed wounded. A/C came down in the target area striking the ground with the left wing before disintegrating. 9 KIA 1 POW. MACR 227



Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), PH.



Staff Sergeant Salsbury’s remains were identified in 2021 and are being returned to the US for burial. https://youtu.be/-SigzKInDDY

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'

98th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

John Thomas

John Blakeslee Thomas

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: Ninth Air Force 345th Bomb Squadron 98th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: O-659415
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-40312

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Aire Lobo
  • Unit: Ninth Air Force

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Canaan, ME 4 January 1924 Son of Sewall Brown and Harriet M. [Fowler] Salsbury.

Died

Ploiești, Romania 1 August 1943 KIA, Waist Gunner B-24 42-40312 'Aire Lobo', Lost over Ploesti 1-Aug-43 - A/C was hit by flak before the target and again on the cockpit area after bombing. Gunners believed wounded. A/C came down in the target area striking the ground with the left wing before disintegrating. 9 KIA 1 POW. MACR 227
Canaan, ME, USA Canaan, Maine, USA.

Buried

Florence American Cemetery and Memorial Tablets of the Missing Florence, Provincia di Firenze, Toscana, Italy. Now marked as recovered

Buried

Fairview Cemetery Canaan, Somerset County, ME Interred Fairview Cemetery Canaan, Somerset County, Maine

Based

1 August 1943 Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56366399/richard-g-salsbury
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/237462565/richard-gerald-salsbury

Date
ContributorRayWells
Changes
Sources

Update bio

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

http://www.findagrave.com

Richard Gerald Salsbury: Gallery (2 items)

Object number: UPL 56280 - Richard G Salsbury

Object number: UPL 56287 - S/Sgt Richard G Salsbury, 98BG.