Clifford Melville Blue Jr

Military

Upon landing after a practice formation flight on 2 Feb 1944, the landing gear of B-17 42-38036 collapsed due to a tire blowing out. RTD.



4-Jul-44 returning from France in 'Twentieth Century' B17 42-3000 which had lost 2 engines due to flak damage. Over England, a third engine lost power. A/c made a wheels up landing in a field behind the house of Miss Cheney, 18 Downview Road, Felpham, Sussex. The crew had tea with Miss Cheney. 10 RTD with 2 injured.



Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.

379th Bomb Group

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

People

Mayo Richardson Adams

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13062517 at enlistment, the O-677207
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot
Lieutenant Masoni of the 379th Bomb Group with Barbara Deans after crash landing his B-17 Flying Fortress in Deans' garden, 4 July 1944. Passed as censored 5 Jul 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: '379.' Printed caption on reverse: 'Independence Day Incident[obscured] American Bomber Lands In Garden In Southern England. With two engines out of commission and several of the crew wounded by flak, an American four-engined bomber returning from an early morning raid on targets in Normandy made a belly land

Oswald J Masoni

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 145162243
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Aircraft

A B-17 Flying Fortress (WA-P, serial number 42-32000) of the 524th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group after forced landing in Felpham, Sussex, 4 July 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: '4th July 1944. A/C shot up over France. F/L - crew safe. Rear of Downview Road. Houses (West Side) Felpham, Bognor Regis, Sussex. Resident who provided photo still corresponds with pilot - now solicitor. From P. Amos, 6 Patham Close, Littlehampton, Sussex.'

42-32000

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Mojo Jr/ Twentieth Century
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Yates Center, KS 7 October 1920 Son of Clifford M Sr and Marguerite A [Payne] Blue.

Enlisted

Chicago, IL 27 March 1942 Chicago, Illinois

Died

Omak, WA 26 August 2004

Based

Kimbolton Assigned to 524BS, 379BG AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/654574920
https://www.fold3.com/record/70209683/clifford-m-blue-social-security-d…
https://www.fold3.com/record/84402713/clifford-m-blue-wwii-army-enlistm…

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

379th Bombardment Group (H) Anthology, 1942-45; p. 157., 8th AF Losses,  Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol.  IV by Bishop & Hey, p. 27 w/ pix of ac / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia