Verl Bell
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
See pilot for list of missions.
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Elmer Samuel Anderson Jr.
Military
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Crew #778 Elmer S. Anderson Crew 466th BG - 787th BS Standing Left to Right - Harry F. Faggetter (N), Elmer S. Anderson (P), Unidentified person, Edward G. Mello (FE), Andrew W. Jesinkowski (WG) Kneeling Left to Right: Calvin T. Morton (CP), William R. Taylor (TG), Verl W. Bell (BT) Sitting in Front: Harry L. Lewis (G)
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B-24J-1-FO #42-95510 Elmer Anderson Crew who would soon be assigned to the 466th BG
Service
People
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Andrew Jesinkowski
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Changed his name after the war to "Andrew W. Jason" -
Harry Lewis
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Nose Gunner/D.R. Navigator | 466th Bomb Group
Flew 14 missions in 1945 Retired as a Senior Master Sergeant from the USAF -
Edward Mello
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Flight Engineer | 466th Bomb Group
Eddie dropped out of high school to join the Navy but was turned down due to color vision issues so he next tried and succeeded in joining the Army Air Corps. Went to war at age 20 and flew 16 missions (See media for descriptions of the missions).... -
Calvin Morton
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 466th Bomb Group
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William Taylor
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Tail Gunner | 466th Bomb Group
Units served with
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466th Bomb Group
Group
The 466th Bomb Group flew B-24 Liberators from Attlebridge, Norfolk, during the last year of the war in Europe. The Group flew 232 missions in the course of the year and celebrated the 100th one by inviting local people onto the base to mark the... -
787th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-50791 Judy Sue
B-24 Liberator
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42-94807 Carioca-Bev
B-24 Liberator
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42-95255 Lady
B-24 Liberator
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42-95510
B-24 Liberator
Missions
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869
7 March 1945
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872
8 March 1945
Mission 872: 1,353 bombers and 326 fighters are dispatched to hit benzol plants, an oil plant and rail targets in Germany using PFF; NO AIRCRAFT ARE LOST AND THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES! ... -
881
11 March 1945
Narrative - Official Air Force Mission Description ... -
892
17 March 1945
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8th Air Force 911
24 March 1945
"8th AF Aided Paratroops ... -
8th Air Force 913
25 March 1945
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8th Air Force 920
31 March 1945
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8th Air Force 931
7 April 1945
1,200 Heavies Hit Reich After 1-Day Nazi Air Bid ... -
8th Air Force 935
9 April 1945
"Heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force once more struck at the source of German air power when over 1,250 Fortresses and Liberators, protected by approximately 750 fighters, hammered ten airfields in the vicinity of Munich, besides attacking an oil depot... -
8th Air Force 938
10 April 1945
Associated Place
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Attlebridge
Military site : airfield
Attlebridge was constructed for RAF use and completed to that standard in 1942. However, with news that it was to be assigned to the American Air Force, the runways were extended and additional hardstandings and outbuildings constructed for the heavy...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Concord, NE | 21 June 1917 |
| Lived in | San Jose, CA, USA | 1942 |
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5313 Greenside Drive |
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| Enlisted | Presidio, San Francisco, CA, USA | 27 January 1942 |
| 466th BG Combat Tour | Attlebridge, Norwich, Norfolk NR9, UK | 7 March 1945 – 18 April 1945 |
| Mission | Dillenburg, Germany | 8 March 1945 |
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Weather Cloudy. Chow at 0645. Briefing at 0730. The first plane we were assigned had a bad magneto on #3. Group takeoff was scheduled for 1000. We took off at 1020 with a replacement a/c. While forming up the Brits shot flak at us. It was cloudy and they couldn't see us, but we sure could see the flak bursts! Hit the enemy coast at 1245. Saw the vapor trail of a V-2 headed towards London. Bombed Dillenburg at 1445. Threw chaff for 20 minutes. We had flak after we passed the target. Landed at 1643. Flight time was 6 hours 0 minutes - Elmer S. Anderson |
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| Mission | Nordhorn, Germany | 24 March 1945 |
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Weather Clear. Awoke at 0400. Briefing at 0500. Took off at 0750. Hit Norhorn Airfield with 34 - 150 lbs. bombs. We could see the target was really plastered! Not much flak. Landed at 1208. Flight time was 4 hours, 18 minutes. From the air we saw the smoke screen laid by Montgomery across the Rhine. Saw a plane ditch in the Channel on the way back. We were alerted for the mission tomorrow. |
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| Trolley Mission | Cologne, Germany | 12 May 1945 |
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We flew a "trolley" mission. We flew low over Germany to see the damage. When we flew over Cologne we could see the Cologne Cathedral was one of the few buildings still standing |
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| Buried | Turlock, CA, USA | 2007 |
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Turlock Memorial Park |
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| Died | El Dorado Hills, CA, USA | 3 November 2007 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 08 August 2020 00:08:32 | 466thHistorian | Changes to service number and events |
| Sources | ||
Cleaned up biography. Mapped birth city. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 August 2020 02:18:29 | Marcia466BG | Changes to middlename, nickname, service number and events |
| Sources | ||
US Federal Census Records, Enlistment records, & Draft Cards-NARA: 466th Bomb Group records -NARA: obituary 2007 CA. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 January 2019 14:45:08 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
Information taken from Edward Mello's Mission Book. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 April 2015 01:47:56 | 466thHistorian | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
466th BG Historian |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 April 2015 01:47:04 | 466thHistorian | Changes to suffix, service number, highest rank, role, events, unit associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
466th BG Historian |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:08:55 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit roster in the book 'Attlebridge Arsenal' by Wassom & Brassford, page 343 |
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