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Squadron
B-24J-150-CO #44-40169 "Bottle Baby" Code: 5Z-I 492nd BG - 856th BS Shot down 20 June 1944 - Milton K. Goodridge Crew
Milton K. Goodridge Crew 492nd BG - 856th BS Standing Left to Right: Milton K. Goodridge (P), Abraham Schonfeld (N), Earl Davis (CP) Kneeling Left to Right: Everette Bolte (G), Charles Ippolito (R/O), James Stuckey (G), John Stazen (G), Theodore Kossey (FE), Fairce Conner (G) This crew was shot down on their 33rd mission. The plane blew up over the Baltic Sea. The only survivor was Goodridge who was blown clear by the explosion and rescued from the sea by the Germans.
F Lemke crew, 856BS,492BG. Rear L-R: Daniel A Bradley, Fred C Bofink, Henry E Salmons, Fred Lemke. Front L-R: Gordon Elmore, Leslie Cazzell, James Albright, Olsen, John Koiiada, Johnston.
Total Missions with the 492nd BG: 8 Total WWII Missions: unknown Replaced 44-40102 HEAVEN CAN WAIT lost on 27 May 44. Transferred to 458th BG, 755th BS in Aug 44. Reassigned to 753rd BS in Oct 44.
Serial Number 42-50555, Model B-24J Manufacturer: Ford - Willow Run, Ypsilanti, Michigan, Production Block B-24J-1-FO Color:Silver aka NMF (Natural Metal Finish)
"Baby Shoes" - B-24J 40-50555 Baby Shoes was flown to England by the North Atlantic route from Grenier Field, Manchester, New Hampshire, under an ATC Operations Order dated 29 May 44, by a crew that was assigned after arrival in England to 453rd BG. After 8th AF modifications, the aircraft was assigned as a replacement ship to 492nd BG at North Pickenham, with which it flew 8 missions from 21 Jun 44. When the 492nd BG was taken off daylight bombing operations in mid-Aug 44, BABY SHOES went as a replacement ship to the 458th BG at Horsham St Faith, 755th BS as J3 G and transferred in Oct 44 to 753rd BS as J4 A. On 14 Mar 45, at Horsham St Faith, a waist gunner preparing for a mission on board BABY SHOES failed to check closely for ammunition in his gun before pulling the trigger. Several rounds went off, which ricocheted into the bomb bay and left wing tank of another B-24, igniting an incendiary bomb and gas tanks, setting that plane afire, exploding the bomb load and causing that plane's complete destruction. The explosion caused major damage to BABY SHOES and five other B-24s, as well as minor damage to three others. BABY SHOES was repaired and, after the end of the war in Europe, was re-deployed to the Zone of Interior (RZI). Learn more about this aircraft at the 458th BG website (www.459bg.com) and their association - AUTHORED BY: TOM BRITTAN, WWW.B24BESTWEB.COM Photos courtesy www.b24bestweb.com
44-40142 'Sknappy' noseart.
James Kuntz crew in front of B-24 44-40142 'Sknappy'.
B-24 44-40142 'Sknappy' 856th BS, 492nd BG being recovered after nose wheel collapse May-44.
B-24J-60-CF #44-10518 "Queenie" Code: 2U-Q+ 466th BG - 785th BS Transferred from 492nd BG
Group
The 492nd Bomb Group, after flying similar missions to other heavy bomb groups until the late summer of 1944, took up 'Carpetbagger' missions, transporting agents, supplies and propaganda leaflets to southern France. The Group was taking on the role of...
Group
The 492nd Bomb Group were assigned to the 8th Air Force in April 1944. They flew 60 missions over occupied Europe from 11 May 1944 until 7 August 1944.
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| Station | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Based | North Pickenham |
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Shot down by fighters and crashed into the Baltic Sea on 6/20/44 in B-24 #44-40128, Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
RTD Damaged by flak and ditched in channel on 7/6/44 in B-24 #44-40064
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Shot down by fighters into the Baltic Sea on 6/20/44 in B-24 #4440112 Killed in Action (KIA)
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 492nd Bomb Group Carpetbaggers
Charles Allessio graduated from Pittsfield High in 1939. He was son to Mr and Mrs Leo Allessio of Pittsfield, MA, and served in the USAAF as a 2/Lt Navigator with 492nd Bomb Group in England during World War II. He was killed while on a "Carpetbagger"...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Shot down by fighters crashed near Glowe on 6/20/44 in B-24 #4440227 Status unkNorthwn
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Damaged by flak and landed in Sweden on 7/6/44 in B-24 'Boulder Buff' #44-40195, Interned (INT).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Killed in Action (KIA) Shot down by flak and crashed at Duerna in B-24 #4240172
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Shot down by fighters and crashed into the Baltic Sea on 6/20/44 in B-24 Little Lulu #42110143 Killed in Action (KIA)
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by fighters and crashed at Halberstadt on 7/7/44 in B-24 #4295230
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
Shot down by fighters and crashed into the Baltic Sea on 6/20/44 in B-24 'Little Lulu' #42-110143, Killed in Action (KIA).
B-24 Liberator
On its first mission as an 856th BS plane, it was lent to the 857th BS and was shot down by flak.
23 Jun 44: Lost with Monroe Crew R-01, shot down by flak over Brussels, Belgium.
8 KIA, 2 POW, MACR 6242
B-24 Liberator
LITTLE LULU was used primarily as a command ship.
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B-24 Liberator
The 856th BS lost all of their planes while en route to their target. How many of them made an attempt to reach Sweden is unknown. Although Sweden was a mere 20 minutes from the air battle, only two of the shot-up Liberators made it there. Some of the...
B-24 Liberator
The B-24D, 42-40172, Lynn Bari II, was flown on the low level Ploesti mission, returning safely to Benghazi, Libya. 1 Aug 43.
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B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
A-26 Invader
Assigned to 856BS, 492BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) OSS mission (CHISEL insertion mission) to Munster, Germany. A-26 crashed in moor near Bramshe, Germany, just north of destination Munster, Germany. 5 x KIA 19-Mar-45. MACR 13281.
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B-24 Liberator
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 19 March 2015 10:52:47 | rossingtonj | Changes to type |
| Sources | ||
Type added |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:42:51 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980) |
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