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B-24H-15-FO #42-52518 'NOBODY'S
BABY" 784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE T9-R
This a/c later had a girl painted on in addition to the name.
CREWS KNOWN TO HAVE FLOWN THIS A/C - #753 - D.G. Bergelin Crew
466th BGA photo
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B-24J-1O-FO #42-51699 “DUFFY’S
TAVERN” 784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE T9-M
This ac survived the war and was flown back to the U.S.
CREWS KNOWN TO HAVE FLOWN THIS A/C: #488 - Lewis Rice Crew
466th BGA photo
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B-24J-5-FO #42-51531 no
name 784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE: T9-V
Changing the propeller on #3 engine. A difficult job, not made any easier
by the frigid English winter of 44-45. This a/c crashed in Holland on
April 5, 1945 w/ crew #589.
CREWS KNOWN TO HAVE FLOWN THIS A/C #467 - John Garrison Crew, #589 -
Phil Ross Crew
466th BGA photo
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B-24J-40-CF #42-50465 “DAMIFINO”
784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE. T9-K
785TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE: 2U-O
This aircraft flew it’s first mission on October 25, 1944 and survived the
war. She was known to have been at Willow Run, MI in the Summer of 1945,
and probably was scrapped soon thereafter
CREWS KNOWN TO HAVE FLOWN THIS A/C: #554 - Earl Wassom Crew, #667 - R.
Wightman Crew
Earl Wassom
Collection photo
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B-24J-20-FO #44-48807 no
name 784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE. T9-B
This was an H2X equipped “lead” aircraft. She survived the war and was
flown back to the U.S.
CREWS KNOWN TO HAVE FLOWN THIS NC: #730 - R.W. Harrington Crew
466th BGA photo
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B-24J-140-CO #42-110164 “CHRIS’
CRATE II” 784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE T9-T
This aircraft was ditched in the North Sea after receiving combat damage
on February 23, 1945. Crew #570 and 6 KIA on mission
CREWS KNOWN TO HAVE FLOWN THIS A/C: #566 - Bigby Parrott Crew, #570 -
Edward Kolaya Crew, #543 John Garrison Crew and #581 R. Bluford Crew.
Brassfleld via Ed
Kueppers photo
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Crew #715 (later #443)
- John Woolnough Crew - 787th Bomb Squadron (later trans. to 784th BS)
Standing Left to Right: Unknown Person
Lt. Christensen - Sqn. Communications
Lt. John Woolnough - Pilot
Lt. Vincent Reed - Co-Pilot
Sgt. Donald C. Neish - Gunner
Kneeling Left to
Right: Sgt. Max Dudley - Gunner
Sgt. Arthur Childs - Gunner
Sgt. Frank A. Columbina - Gunner
Sgt. Albert C. Cox - Radio Operator
Unknown Person
This crew was
transferred from the 787th BS to the 784th BS to become a lead crew. Lt.
Reed was later given his own crew. John Woolnough and crew completed their
missions and came home. After the war Woolnough would be the founder of
both the 466th BG Assoc. and the 8th Air Force Historical Society. He
wrote the 466th BG history book "Attlebridge Diaries" as well as a number
of other books on the 8th, including "8th AF Album."
466th BGA photo
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Crew #467 (previously
#543) - John Garrison Crew - 784th Bomb Squadron (previously 785th BS)
Standing Left to Right: Unknown Person
Herbert Cheskin - Navigator
Bob Wagner - Bombardier
Unknown Person
Farris Groben - Co-Pilot
John Garrison - Pilot
Kneeling Left to
Right: Frank J. Messman - Waist Gunner
Wayne E. Ahern - Tail Gunner
William E. Hughes - Radio Operator
Tom Kelly - Waist Gunner
Jack Rawlerson - Gunner
Paul Kelch - Engineer
This crew completed
their 35 missions flying with the 785th BS, and later with the 784th BS as
a lead crew.
Col. William E.
Hughes via Chris Brassfield photo.
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B-24D-20-CO
#41-24109 "READY AND WILLING"
784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE: T9-Q
This was the 466th formation or "cowboy" ship. It was stripped to a
bare metal finish and painted with red lightning stripes all over.
This a/c flew combat missions with the 93rd BG, and was a veteran of the
famous Ploesti raid.
Crews known to have flown this a/c: #705 E.J. Romigh Crew & many
others.
photo via Mike
Harris
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B-24H-25-DT
#42-51134 "LIBERTY BELLE"
784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE: T9-O
This was a H2X equipped pathfinder lead ship. She crashed on take
off from Horsham St. Faith on 1 September 1945, when leaving that base
with Captain Leland G. Griffith of the 755th Squadron (458th BG), an
original member of the group as command pilot to lead the wing on the days mission.
Please see the CRASH REPORT on this page for further details of this
incident. All thirteen people aboard were KIA, including the Homer
Harris Crew.
Crews known to have flown this a/c: #442 Homer Harris Crew
466th BGA photo
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B-24H-15-CF
#41-29402 "THE MAD MONK"
784TH BOMB SQUADRON - CODE: T9-D
This a/c is shown after suffering a nose wheel collapse on 17 March 1944.
It was repaired and put back in service. The Mad Monk was crash
landed at RAF Swanton-Morley on 25 July 1944.
Crews known to have flown this a/c: #415 -
Leo Pesonen,
#642 J. S. Ritter.
photo via
Bruce Daniels
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B-24J-1-FO #42-95592 "Black Cat" Code: T9-U
784th Bomb Squadron
This was an H2X radar equipped lead ship. It is believed that this
a/c was the last 8th AF B-24 shot down during the war. The loss of
this a/c and the Farrington Crew is the subject of the book "Wings of
Morning" by Thomas Childers.
Crews Known To Have Flown This A/C: #465-R. Normandin, #473-J.C.
Welch, #474-B. Parrott, #487-R. Farrington, #491-W. Hendrix
466th BGA photo
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784th ground crew
photo courtesy of T/Sgt Arthur Jugg
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Nose art
photo courtesy of T/Sgt Arthur Jugg
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Nose art
photo courtesy of
T/Sgt Arthur Jugg
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P-38 buzz job
photo courtesy of
T/Sgt Arthur Jugg
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784th.B.S. at Attlebridge. Aircraft flown: Damifino, Dixie.
Crew photo in front of 'Dixie' Standing L to R, Pilot-Paul Bridgeman,
Radio-Elijah J. Porter, Waist gun-Corodon Norton, Nose gun-Wm. E.
Gilbert, Co.-Pilot-Wesley R. Vawter, Navigator-John Wm. Smith, Seated L
to R, Tail gun-R.E. Weckerly, Bombadier-Tom Hallet, Engineer-Allen D.
Miller, Ball Turret- James R. Attenholt
photo courtesy of
J.
William Smith
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crew posing with 'Damifino'
mission list (pdf file)
photo courtesy of
J.
William Smith
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After finishing his 35 combat missions 1st. Lt. John W. Smith was
reassigned to Air Transport Command along with a short crew of Lt.
Melvin Westbrook to fly night missions into Sweden. They went in as
civilians in unmarked black painted B-24's.with no armaments or gunners.
Flew only on clear nights as celestial navigation was all-important for
these supply missions.........
photo courtesy of
J.
William Smith
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page from a book named
“One Man’s Life” which was written about Harold Anderson who was a pilot
with the 784th Bomb Squadron between September 1944 and April
1945. Toward the end of their assignment the crew flew lead and the
page includes a photo of the crew with Colonel Ligon – command pilot.
photo courtesy of
Clyde Lewandowski
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