465th BG Saved Airmen
 

Hello,

according to Memoirs of Neville Duke five Flyers from 465th BG were picked up from Adriatic Sea on August 24 1944. They should were: 1st Lt. Mills, 1st Lt. Fritts, 2nd Lt. Dionne, Cpl. Marchese and Cpl. Nichols.

I was unable to determine from which crashed plane they were. There is nothing in both MACRs and AARs.

Coud somebody help me a shed some light into this story? Is known s/n of plabe and/or what was circumstance of crash and what became to other Airmen?

Thanks for help

Re: 465th BG Saved Airmen
 

It should be actually 484th BG, not 465th BG, crew of 825th BS, ditched(?) on mission to Ferrara, rescued by Walruses at 44:15N 13:10E and transferred to one of the HSL's of 253 MRU.

Re: 465th BG Saved Airmen
 

Is B24J 51020 0f 780BS/465BG pilot Leroy Buck relevant shot down ADR (Adriatic?) on 24-8-1944 MACR 10102 http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/s...sp?offset=7400

Re: 465th BG Saved Airmen
 

It was not 42-51020. The link below list the crew of this bomber, of which there was only one survivor, and he is not in the list above:

http://forum.armyairforces.com/m106668-print.aspx

The above crew were abord the B-24H 42-95369 according to the annotations on the footnote website:

http://www.footnote.com/search.php?query=42-95369

This bomber was with 484th BG. MACR 7959

Re: 465th BG Saved Airmen
 

Hello,
To add to the confusion.
This is from the 1st Emergency Rescue Squadron diary.
24 August 1944:

Lieutenant Milburn and crew took-off from Foggia Main Italy at 1245 and proceeded to the given fix at 43012’N-14012’E. Here in a rough sea with heavy swells two survivors of a B-24 were sighted. Despite the rough sea an open-sea landing was accomplished, and with the aid of circling P-38’s and P-51’s the survivors were located and taken aboard. These two survivors, members of the 739th Bomb Squadron, 454th Bomb Group, bring the Squadron’s total of men rescued to 148. Riding the crest of a wave an excellent take-off was effected. The pilot mentions in the Sortie Report that by riding along the crest of a swell, floats up, a take-off can be effected in a much rougher sea than is normally expected.

Alex

Re: 465th BG Saved Airmen
 

Hello,
Just to say that Laurent is correct.
42-95369
Other five crewmen were
Leap;Roach;Hall;Hestad;and Oldfield.
Hall was never recovered.

ref: macr, page 2&3 via "footnote".
Alex

Re: 465th BG Saved Airmen
 

Thanks. An another BG... :)