44-40328 This Above All

44-40328 This Above All

B-24J-155-CO

See photo in Harry Holmes, The US 8^th Air Force at Warton 1942-1945. p.159.

See photo of nose art in Helton’s Hellcats, p.70.

A 493BG Original, squadron and letter unknown

Any combat missions with the 493BG are not known to me.

Transferred to the 34BG between May 25th and June 6th 1944, assigned to the 391st Squadron as L/K.

MISSION LIST

Mission #11 June 6, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Hanson This Above All

Mission #13 June 6, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Stewart This Above All

Mission #14 June 11, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (lead)

Mission #16 June 14, 1944 44-40328 L/K Heath This Above All (ground spare - not used)

Mission #18 June 20, 1944 44-40328 L/K This Above All (scheduled for Baker, but replaced)

Mission #19 June 20, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (deputy lead)

Mission #23 June 24, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (deputy lead)

Mission #26 June 27, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #29 July 2, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Ray This Above All (deputy lead)

Mission #30 July 6, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (lead)

Mission #34 July 12, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Bower This Above All (deputy lead)

Mission #34 July 12, 1944 44-40328 L/K This Above All (scheduled for Ray but used by Bower)

Mission #35 July 14, 1944 44-40328 L/K This Above All (ground spare – lead)

Mission #36 July 17, 1944 44-40328 L/K Murphy This Above All (ground spare – lead)

Mission #37 July 18, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #38 July 19, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #40 July 21, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (lead)

Mission #44 July 27, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Baker This Above All (lead)

Mission #45 July 28, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Lindstrom This Above All

Mission #46 July 29, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Bower This Above All

Mission #48 August 1, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #49 August 2, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Bower This Above All (lead)

Mission #50 August 3, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #51 August 4, 1944 44-40328 L/B This Above All (ground spare)

Mission #52 August 5, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Erwin This Above All

Mission #53 August 6, 1944 44-40328 L/B This Above All (ground spare)

Mission #54 August 7, 1944 44-40328 L/B 18BS Dees This Above All

Mission #56 August 10, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #57 August 11, 1944 44-40328 L/B This Above All (ground spare)

Mission #58 August 13, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Ray This Above All (lead – Target #1)

Mission #59 August 14, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Blair This Above All

Mission #60 August 15, 1944 44-40328 L/B 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #61 August 16, 1944 44-40328 L/B 7BS Brown This Above All

Transferred to 487BG

Transferred to 466BG

MISSION DETAILS

May 31, 1944 44-40328 Eastman (was soon to be L/K if not already)

Took off at 1709 hours.

No landing time given. (To the Left on the chart is the name Honington for this and three other similar aircraft.)

Mission #11 June 6, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Hanson This Above All

Took off at 0611 hours from Hardstand #18.

Flew position 3-2 in Lead Squadron.

Carried 12 500 lb bombs. Due to 10/10 clouds, brought all bombs back to base.

No damage reported.

Landed 1226 hours.

Hanson (P)

Keirn (CP)

Topping (N)

Lipscomb (B)

Shull (E)

Simpson (R)

Burton (BG)

Brown (TG)

Butterbaugh (NG)

Griffis (G)

Mission #13 June 7, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Stewart This Above All

Took off at 1659 hours.

Flew position 4-2 in Lead Squadron.

Carried 12 500 lb GP bombs. Jettisoned all bombs.

Slight damage reported.

Landed at 0115 hours on June 8th at Newmarket.

Stewart (P)

Korf (CP)

Stellmach (N)

Woodrich (B)

Maggietto (R)

Serna (E)

Hernandez (BG)

Charbonneau (G)

Adney (G)

Hernandez (G)

Mission #14 June 11, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (lead)

Took off 0415 hours.

Flew position 1-1 of Lead Squadron (391^st).

Carried 24 250 lb GP bombs. Brought back all bombs to base due to 10/10 cloud coverage of target.

No battle damage reported.

Landed 1015 hours.

Baker, William V. (P)

Eaton (Command Pilot)

Nigg, Stanley A. (CP)

Holland, Phillip C. (N)

Minge (N2)

Bussell (B)

Baniak, Leo (Radio Op)

Maddox, Wilfield L. (E)

Alsbury (G)

Donnelly, Paul C (G)

Harper, Thoedore M. (G)

DiNenno, A. (G)

Mission #16 June 14, 1944 44-40328 L/K Heath This Above All (ground spare - not used)

Heath (P)

Bowen (CP)

Gellatti (N)

Gotterman (N2)

Deering (B)

Taylor (R)

Seamons (E)

Bland (NG)

Birko (TG) (Flew with crew #51, Paulnock)

Crews (G)

June 17, 1944 44-40328 L/K Baker This Above All

Took off 1548 on local flight to Hornington.

Landed at 1727 hours back at Mendlesham.

Mission #18 June 20, 1944 44-40328 L/K This Above All (scheduled for Baker, but replaced)

June 20, 1944 44-40328 L/K Blair This Above All

Took off at 0925 hours on flight to the Holbrook Range.

Landed 1040 hours.

Mission #19 June 20, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (deputy lead)

Took off at 1805 hours.

Flew Deputy Lead, position 1-2 in Group D (391^st).

Carried 52 100 lb bombs. Dropped on the secondary target of Haute de Cote at 2104 hours from 23,000 feet.

No Crew Loading List available.

There aren’t separate crew loading lists for this mission and Nigg is now pilot of his own crew.

Baker, William V. (P)

Marsden (CP) (from Crew #62) (Note: Nigg began flying as pilot of his own crew on Mission #19)

Helland, Phillip C. (N)

Minge (N2)

Bussell (B)

Baniak, Leo (Radio Op)

Maddox, Wilfield L. (E)

Donnelly, Paul C (Ball Gunner)

DiNenno, A. (Tail Gunner)

Harper, Thoedore M. (G)

June 23, 1944 44-40328 L/K Baker This Above All

Took off at 1545 hours on a test hop.

Landed 1725 hours.

Mission #23 June 24, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (deputy lead)

Took off at 1625 hours.

Flew Deputy Lead, position 1-2 in High Squadron (391^st)

Carried 24 250 lb GP bombs. Brought all bombs back to base. Target unidentified.

No damage reported.

Landed 2057 hours.

Baker (P)

? (CP) (blank on the crew loading list)

Helland, Phillip C. (N)

Minge (N2)

Crowley (B) (from crew 63)

Baniak, Leo (Radio Op)

Maddox, Wilfield L. (E)

Donnelly, Paul C (Ball Gunner)

DiNenno, A. (Tail Gunner)

Harper, Thoedore M. (G)

June 25, 1944 44-40328 L/K Baker This Above All

Took off 1441 hours on a flight to Duckshall Range.

Landed 1603 hours.

Mission #26 June 27, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All

Took off at 1519 hours.

Flew Deputy Lead, position 1-2 in the only Squadron flying that day (391^st)

Carried 10 500 lb bombs. Dropped on the primary target of Beauvoir at 1902 hours from 24,400 feet.

Slight damage reported.

Landed 2020 hours.

Baker (P)

Cliff (CP)

Helland, Phillip C. (N)

Minge (N2)

Crowley (B) (from crew 63)

Baniak, Leo (Radio Op)

Maddox, Wilfield L. (E)

Donnelly, Paul C (Ball Gunner)

DiNenno, A. (Tail Gunner)

Harper, Thoedore M. (G)

Borowski (G)

Mission #29 July 2, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Ray This Above All (deputy lead)

Took off at 1018 hours.

Flew Deputy Lead, position 1-2 in Group C, with target of Montloois Ferme.

Carried 18 250 lb GP bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 1349 hours from 22,000 feet.

No damage reported.

Landed 1520 hours.

Ray (P)

Vinge (CP)

Wentz (N)

Stellmach (N2)

Hohnstreitter (B)

Johnson (R)

Jambor (E)

Grzeskowiak (BG)

Dodson (NG)

Welch (G)

Mission #30 July 6, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (lead)

July 8, 1944 44-40328 L/K Baker This Above All

Took off at 1249 hours on a Photo Mission

Landed 1629 hours.

Mission #34 July 12, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Bower This Above All (deputy lead)

Mission #34 July 12, 1944 44-40328 L/K This Above All (scheduled for Ray but used by Bower)

Mission #35 July 14, 1944 44-40328 L/K This Above All (ground spare – lead)

Mission #36 July 17, 1944 44-40328 L/K Murphy This Above All (ground spare – lead)

Mission #37 July 18, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All

Mission #38 July 19, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All

#1 booster pump inoperative. Inspected and repaired. Slight flak damage.

July 20, 1944 44-40328 L/K Baker This Above All

Took off at 1335 hours on a flight to the bombing range.

Landed 1517 hours.

Mission #40 July 21, 1944 44-40328 L/K 391BS Baker This Above All (lead)

#2 supercharger fluctuates. Tail turret inoperative. Inspected and repaired.