44-40420

44-40420 Fast Company

B-24J-160-CO

This plane had white stars.

A 493BG Original, squadron and letter unknown

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

Transferred to the 34BG between June 7th and June 20th 1944, assigned to the 4th Squadron as D/Q.

Was already at Mendlesham on June 17, 1944.

MISSION LIST

Mission #20 June 22, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Bice Fast Company

Mission #22 June 24, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Halburt Fast Company

Mission #23 June 24, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 391BS Whited Fast Company

Mission #29 July 2, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Bice Fast Company

Mission #33 July 9, 1944 44-40420 D/Q Bice Fast Company

Mission #34 July 12, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Bice Fast Company

Mission #35 July 14, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 7BS Terry Fast Company

Mission #40 July 21, 1944 44-40420 E/J Fast Company (scheduled for McAllister but replaced)

Mission #42 July 25, 1944 44-40420 E/J 18BS Hartley Fast Company (lead)

Mission #44 July 27, 1944 44-40420 E/A Fast Company (ground spare)

Mission #45 July 28, 1944 44-40420 E/A Wright Fast Company (ground spare – taken over and flown by Heath)

Mission #45 July 28, 1944 44-40420 E/A 4BS Heath Fast Company

Mission #47 July 31, 1944 44-40420 E/A 7BS Smith, J. C. Fast Company

Mission #48 August 1, 1944 44-40420 E/A Harris Fast Company

Mission #50 August 3, 1944 44-40420 E/A 7BS McAllister Fast Company (lead)

Mission #52 August 5, 1944 44-40420 E/A 7BS Gardner Fast Company

Mission #61 August 16, 1944 44-40420 E/A 4BS Vande Guche Fast Company

Mission #61 August 16, 1944 44-40420 E/A Fast Company (ground spare)

Mission #62 August 18, 1944 44-40420 E/A 7BS Alexander Fast Company

Mission #63 August 24, 1944 44-40420 E/A 7BS Whited Fast Company

MISSION DETAILS

Formerly with 493BG

June 17, 1944 44-40420 Erwin (spelled Irwin) Fast Company

Took off at 1517 hours for local flight to Wharton.

No landing time shown.

Mission #20 June 22, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Bice

Took off at 1501 hours.

Flew position 2-2 in Low Squadron.

Carried 40 100 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 1919 hours from 19,600 feet.

Minor damage reported.

Landed 2210 hours.

Bice (P)

Rowley (CP)

Humphreys (B)

Forister (R)

Blackham (E)

Weelfel (TG)

Golden (NG)

Mission #22 June 24, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Halbert

Took off at 0445 hours.

Flew in Lead Squadron.

Carried a camera.

Carried 52 100 lb bombs. Dropped on the Primary at 0816 hours from 21,700 feet.

No damage reported.

Landed 1000 hours.

Halbert (P)

Ragland (CP)

Gribbrock (N)

Goetschius (B)

Fredrickson (R)

Drost (E)

Lynch (BG)

Mannick (TG)

Flaharty (NG)

Fix (G)

Mission #23 June 24, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 391BS Whited

Took off at 1629 hours.

Flew position 3-2 in High Squadron.

Carried 24 250 lb GP bombs. Jettisoned all bombs.

No damage reported.

Landed 2031 hours.

Whited (P)

Brown (CP)

Parsons (N)

Smith (B)

Hughes (R)

Jambor (E) (from crew #54)

Emberton (BG)

Szewc (TG)

Rossow (NG)

Barnes (G)

Mission #29 July 2, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Bice

Took off at 1004 hours.

Flew position 3-3 in Group B with target of Haute Cote.

Carried 18 250 lb bombs. Brought all bombs back to base due to 10/10 undercast and failure of GH equipment in the Lead plane.

No damage reported.

Landed 1507 hours.

Bice (P)

Rowley (CP)

Hartman (N) (from Crew #2)

Humphreys (B)

Forister (R)

Blackham (E)

Snyder (BG)

Waelfel (TG)

Golden (NG)

Lawler (G) (a write-in)

Mission #32a July 8, 1944 44-40420 D/Q Bice Fast Company

This second mission of the day was scrubbed.

Mission #33 July 9, 1944 44-40420 D/Q Bice Fast Company

Mission #34 July 12, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 4BS Bice Fast Company

Mission #35 July 14, 1944 44-40420 D/Q 7BS Terry Fast Company

July 17, 1944 44-40420 no pilot listed

Landed at 1954 hours from Honington

Mission #40 July 21, 1944 44-40420 E/J Fast Company (scheduled for McAllister but replaced)

Mission #41 July 24, 1944 44-40420 E/J (ground spare - lead)

Mission #42 July 25, 1944 44-40420 E/J 18BS Hartley Fast Company (lead)

Mission #43 July 27, 1944 44-40420 E/A Fast Company (ground spare - lead, last resort)

Mission #44 July 27, 1944 44-40420 E/A Fast Company (ground spare)

Mission #45 July 28, 1944 44-40420 E/A Wright Fast Company (ground spare – taken over and flown by Heath)

Mission #45 July 28, 1944 44-40420 E/A Fast Company 4BS Heath