Alice the Goon
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This was one of the original cadre of B24s assigned to the 98th Bomb Group. It was painted by Lippard with a crude but memorable image of a caveman figure clutching two small bombs. It was not his own crew's regular B24 but, on 19th January 1943, Sgt Lippard was flying as a replacement tail gunner with Lt Lewis's crew in "Alice the Goon" when they were hit by flak over Tripoli harbour. Both wings were hit and the right wing tip completely shot away. Two engines caught fire and Lt Lewis turned to head for Malta, pursued by Me109 fighters. Finally, 47 miles south of Malta, Lewis attempted to ditch the damaged B24. As it hit the water, the tail broke off, possibly also the right wing, before the aircraft up-ended momentarily and then slipped under the water. One man is believed to have escaped the sinking fuselage but no survivors were found. The 98th had lost one of its talented artists along with nine other crew men.

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Service Record

  1. First mission on record 31 July 1942
  2. 22 missions flown
  3. Missing, 19th January 1943, 47 miles south of Malta; flak hit both wings, two engines out 19 January 1943
Fate
Missing, 19th January 1943, 47 miles south of Malta; flak hit both wings, two engines out
Date
19 January 1943

Location

Known mission list

DateCrewTargetNotes
31 Jul 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot)
4 Aug 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot)
14 Aug 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot)
21 Aug 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot)
23 Aug 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot)
29 Aug 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Shipping strike
Aborted
5 Sep 1942 Uber (Pilot), Gillette (Co-Pilot) Candia Bay shipping
9 Sep 1942 Uber (Pilot), Gillette (Co-Pilot)
13 Sep 1942 Jorgensen (Pilot), G Golberg (Co-Pilot) Tobruk
Aborted
R/E (NS) - one eng out
19 Sep 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Navarino Bay shipping
25 Sep 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Shipping strike
29 Sep 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Suda Bay
3 Oct 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Navarino Bay Shipping strike
7 Oct 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Benghasi shipping
9 Oct 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Benghasi shipping
11 Oct 1942 Pierce (Pilot), Huggins (Co-Pilot) Shipping strike
16 Oct 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Benghasi shipping
Aborted
Brought back bombs - Wx
29 Nov 1942 Simeral (Pilot), West (Co-Pilot)
4 Dec 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Kane (Co-Pilot)
26 Dec 1942 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Sousse
Aborted
Turned back due to weather - landed at Kabrit
1 Jan 1943 Huggins (Pilot), Pierce (Co-Pilot) Tunis harbour Lost formation in cloud, brought bombs back
19 Jan 1943 Lewis (Pilot), Boydston (Co-Pilot) Tripoli Harbour
Lost
MISSING - 47 miles south of Malta, 14.40hrs. Flak hit both wings and right tip shot away, 2 engs out.