I don't have all the info, but the pilot's name was James A Formby
some of the crew's names,
navigator 1st lt Louis Weinberg,
and 1st Lt Winfield Llewellyn
and his dad kept some notes/diary, describing each flight, in order!
The above shows 2 runs at Ploesti
The pilot, James Formby, wrote a 70 page document on his WW2 experience, from learning of the bombing on Peral Harbor, to getting back to the US in April 1945, since they were crew on all the flights, the information is the same
IF there is any thing this WW2 cool that you've seen lately, share what that is and the link, in the comments!
I haven't seen anything this cool since George Rarey's diary! https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2015/02/i-had-not-known-p-47s-had-nose-art-too.html
Or the POWs that made a car magazine in the POW camp in Germany!
Hare Power sure looks like that Wasskly Wabbit BUGs...He's such a stinker...Isn't he?...7AM cartunes for me....
ReplyDeleteThanks to you and Dave W for sharing this. That's impressive to survive 62 missions without being shot down. It sounds like the damage they sustained was bad on a few missions, but they were able to keep flying the plane.
ReplyDeleteHis notes make the missions seem almost mundane, but there must have been a lot of excitement when they were in the thick of it.
Just sent you an email
DeleteThank you. I will have to make some time to read the diary.
DeleteMy Dad's 1st cousin crewed on a B-24 flying out of Egypt or Libya best I recall. I really never got a chance to talk to him before he passed away but will ask his two children what they might know about his missions. I did send both of them links to this article so maybe they will check in.
ReplyDeleteDIAMOND LIL sat at Mechem.
Air & Space Forces Magazine
https://www.airandspaceforces.com › article
Between 1942 and 1945, some 3,000 standard B-24s and variants rolled off the mile-long assembly line at Consolidated's Fort Worth plant number 4. The B-24 Diamond Lil sat Doc Hospers hanger along with his B-17 Chuckie at Fort Worth's Meacham Field where it went through a restoration some years ago. I did a couple of things for him on the B-17. Both planes have been sold and are still around but I'm not sure where they are based now. Nothing like a big radial at full power up close. The plant was a twin to the one at Wichita except it is 1 foot longer for bragging rights.