44-40303 Turgo Joe

B-24J-155-CO

 

44-40298 had grayed out stars.

44-40299 had grayed out stars, so this plane probably did too.

 

A 493BG Original, squadron unknown, as letter X.

Any combat missions with the 493BG are unknown to me.

Transferred to the 34BG between June 11th and June 20th 1944, assigned to the 7th Squadron as E/K.

Was already at Mendlesham on June 17, 1944.

 

MISSION LIST

 

Mission #18 June 20, 1944 44-40303 E/K 7BS Hayes Turgo Joe

Mission #19 June 20, 1944 44-40303 E/K 7BS Hayes Turgo Joe

Mission #20 June 22, 1944 44-40303 E/K 7BS Hayes Turgo Joe crashed in England

 

MISSION DETAILS

 

                       June 17, 1944 44-40303 Simpson Turgo Joe

Took off at 1517 hours for local flight to Wharton.

Must have gotten back quick as Simpson took off again at 1652 on the mission.

No Landing time shown.

 

Mission #18 June 20, 1944 44-40303 E/K 7BS Hayes Turgo Joe

Took off at 0507 hours.

Flew position 3-3 in Low Squadron.

Carried 12 500 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 0914 hours from 21,500 feet.

No damage reported.

Landed 1129 hours.

Hayes (P)

Anderson (CP)

Maw (N)

Bowers (R)

Gibbons (E)

Gray (G)

Murphy (G)

Rockey (G)

Dufflemeier (G)

 

Mission #19 June 20, 1944 44-40303 E/K 7BS Hayes Turgo Joe

Took off at 1745 hours.

Flew position 3-3 in Group A (7th)

Carried 52 100 lb GP bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 2052 hours from 22,500 feet.

Slight battle damage reported.

Landed 2214 hours.

No Crew Loading List available.

 

Mission #20 June 22, 1944 44-40303 E/K 7BS Hayes Turgo Joe

Took off at 1455 hours.

Flew position 4-2 in Lead Squadron.

Carried 52 100 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary but no time and altitude report due to the crash.

Major damage to the front of the plane. One crewman KIA, one wounded, three MIA

Crashed at 2120 hours near Station 467. Plane salvaged.

Hayes (P)                               WIA

Anderson (CP)                     MIA

Maw (N)                                MIA

McPherson (B)                     KIA

Bowers (R)

Gibbons (E)

Gray (G)

Murphy (TG)

Rockey (NG)

Dufflemeier (G)                     MIA

 

B-24J 44-40303 E/K Turgo Joe salvaged with battle damage. F/O Hayes pilot, was flying 4-2 position in the lead squadron at 20,000 feet when hit by flak over Le Harve, France. It is reported that the whole nose blew off and two engines were hit and the whole forward part of the ship was peppered with flak. Practically all the front portion of the plane was blown out except the nose turret and the back of the pilot’s seat. The pilot was injured in the leg. The top turret gunner, S/Sgt. Arthur J. Duffelmeier, the Navigator, 2 Lt. Stanley A. Maw, and the Co-pilot, 2 Lt. Lloyd Anderson either bailed out or were blown from the plane. The Bombardier, 2 Lt. Henry S. McPherson was killed by flak but his body remained in the plane. The other three landed in France. All the controls were gone except the aileron. The engineer locked the rudder. The hydraulic system was out as was the oxygen system, the autopilot compass, and the autogyro and the plane was also running out of fuel. The injured pilot decided to crash land on English soil and the Engineer, T/SGT Alvin Gibbons, assisted in flying the plane back to England. After the remainder of the crew had bailed out over the English coast, the Engineer assisted the pilot in jumping, then trimmed the plane for the crash landing and was then the last to leave the plane. Six crewmen were hospitalized, which includes everyone that made it back to England. At the time it was know that McPherson had been killed but the fate of the other three was still unknown.

WIA HAYES MARVIN G (P)                             F/O             7          T-122252        13

MIA ANDERSON LLOYD (CP)                         2 LT            7          O-817368        13

MIA MAW STANLEY A (N)                            2 LT            7          O-704648        13

KIA McPHERSON HENEY S (B)                       2 LT            7          O-698028        13            SHARON OK

RTD BOWERS CECIL G (R)                               T/SGT        7                                  13           

RTD GIBBONS ALVIN J (Eng.)                         T/SGT        7          39908817        13

RTD GRAY ROBERT (BT)                                 S/SGT         7                                  13

RTD MURPHY RALPH E (TG)                          S/SGT         7                                  13

RTD ROCKEY ROBERT R (NG)                        S/SGT         7                                  13

MIA DUFFELMEIER (TT)                                 S/SGT         7          36445679        13

 

Haynes was admitted to 98th General Hospital.

Gibbons was admitted to the base hospital at Aldeymaster.

One man was at Reddington Farms near Chedfield and three men were at Longwood House.

 

The Missing Aircrew Report indicates 3 prior missions for this crew but the actual number was 13.