media-379221.jpg FRE 785 Lieutenant Colonel Joseph S. Tate Jr, Sergeant Edward J. Rubin and Technical Sergeant Gottrell H. Wright of the 93rd Bomb Group with their B-24D Liberator, 42-40128, named, Ball of Fire the III.

Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for publication 4 Nov 1943' [stamp]. '283892' [Censor no].

Printed caption on reverse: 'COMBAT PERSONNEL OF THE "TRAVELLING CIRCUS"
L to R: Lt. Col. Joseph S. Tate, Jr of St. Augustine Fla. Squadron Commander, has completed 32 missions, incl. Rome and Ploesti raids. Col Tate holds the Air Medal, 4 Oak Leaf Clusters to the AM, the DFC and one Cluster. Sgt. Edward J. Rubin, of Portage, Wis. (near Madison), tail gunner, has completed 12 missions, including the Rome mission. He holds the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. In the raid on Foggia, Italy, he destroyed an enemy aircraft. T/Sgt. Gottrell H. Wright, of Warigold, Miss, near Jackson, completed 18 missions, including Rome, Ploesti, and the airplane works near Vienna. He holds the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. US.Pool/F. KEYSTONE SG. 47.48'.
Roger Freeman Collection

Black Sunday - Ploesti - Michael Hill