This B24J was assigned to the 33rd Bomb Squadron in February 1944 after arriving from the USA via Townsville, Australia, with Robert Carpenter?s crew and then on to Charters Towers where the squadron completed its transition training converting to the Liberator. On only its second combat mission (11 March 44), the aircraft was shot up during numerous fighter attacks while attacking flak sites at Wewak. During the battle, one crew man was wounded but the gunners claimed a Japanese ?Zeke? destroyed as compensation. Both events were duly recorded on the right side of the nose along with Chestnut?s superb nude art work. The purple heart was a rare addition to nose arts but the Japanese flag was a common sight to denote victory claims.

It would appear that the plane may have been previously named, perhaps by Carpenter?s crew who had expected to take it into combat. As usually happened, the plane was taken arrival from the initial crew for theatre modifications and not flown into combat by them. Charles Chestnut painted out the old name, probably around May 44, with a large slab of fresh olive drab and then added his own painting. He may have actually flown into combat on this B24 as part of Louis Perraud?s crew who took it at least six times, including the battle on 11 March.

It was lost on 1st September while attacking airfields near Davao in the Philippines with the crew of 1Lt Donald White when a phosphorus shell slammed into it exploding the aircraft and killing all on board.

Known Mission List

Date	Pilot	Target	Notes
10 Mar 1944	Ralph E Mehlhorn / B A Evans	Lugas Plantation
11 Mar 1944	L A Perraud	Cape Moem, Wewak	Destroyed "Zeke" (NB: SSgt Chestnut's crew)
21 Mar 1944	Dial	Kairiru Island
23 Mar 1944	Evans	Awar AD
30 Mar 1944	Perraud	Cyclops AD
2 Apr 1944	Shelton	Hansa Bay
3 Apr 1944	Hoefgen	Cyclops Ad
4 Apr 1944	Gemmel	Boramn AD
5 Apr 1944	Burkey	Hollandia
8 Apr 1944	Sewell	Bismarck Sea search
9 Apr 1944	Wallin	Awar AD
16 Apr 1944	Lanphere	Hollandia
21 Apr 1944	Shelton	Ali Island
22 Apr 1944	Sewell	Boram AD
23 Apr 1944	Shelton	Wewak
27 Apr 1944	Perraud	Boram AD
28 Apr 1944	Perraud	Sarmi
1 May 1944	Evans	Wakde & Wewak
15 May 1944	Kindig	Maffin AD
16 May 1944	Perraud	Wakde
17 May 1944	DeRoche	Biak
22 May 1944	Mehlhorn	Biak
27 May 1944	Nunn	Biak
29 May 1944	Henry	Mokmer AD
3 Jun 1944	Hoefgen	Sarmi
11 Jun 1944	Nunn	N. Sorido AD
13 Jun 1944	Lint	Peleliu
20 Jun 1944	Nunn	Noemfoor Island
27 Jun 1944	Rock	Soroei Village
1 Jul 1944	Gemmill	Kamiri AD
26 Jul 1944	Rock	Ransiki AD
27 Jul 1944	White	Miti Island
16 Aug 1944	Perraud	Miti AD
28 Aug 1944	Chaplain	Point Victoria
29 Aug 1944	Bell	Wasile Bay
1 Sep 1944	White	Matina AD

 

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© Ray Bowden 2 December 2023